bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Jacky Wong

IN THIS GLOOMY economic climate and social unease, it is easy to feel weighed down by anxiety and stress.

More and more social workers and psychologists are offering counselling service Web sites to help people find solutions to their problems via e-mails and chat rooms. These sites are especially popular with those who

feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about sharing their problems face to face with counsellors.

Here are some popular counselling service Web sites in Hong Kong.

Designed by Baptist University and sponsored by the Quality Education Fund, the Student Stress Management Platform (www.hkbu.edu.hk/=stress/) is targeted at students who need help in handling stress and personal problems.

Students who are frustrated with school life, family relationships or love affairs are welcome to send their thoughts via e-mail to an 'Online Caring' session. Counsellors will reply with advice via e-mail.

All information will be kept confidential.

Students can find additional help by clicking the 'links to other youth organisations' which list contacts for the Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (Youth Counselling).

Young people can also assess their self-esteem, stress levels and personality through questionnaires and tests designed by qualified psychologists.

The Web site also caters to teachers and parents interested in understanding the sources of stress that students encounter in their daily lives. The 'Student Stress' zone features suggestions on how to prevent stress and the 'Progressive Relaxation Techniques' page teaches youngsters how to better manage their thoughts and emotions.

For students who prefer more interactive counselling, the ICQ service at www.hku.hk/socwork (click on externally funded research projects) is perhaps more their style.

Initiated by a group of social workers trained at the University of Hong Kong, the ICQ service is available from 9.30 pm to 11.30 pm every day except Saturday.

During these periods, two to three voluntary social workers and social work students go online to provide counselling.

To use the service, people are required to give their ICQ number to the platform.

Although online counselling services are becoming increasingly popular, some believe they will never replace face-to-face counselling.

Online counselling services are not a crisis support system that should be used in emergency situations.

For immediate problems, it is better to contact your friends, family, doctor, teachers or social workersfor help.



Tap away your trouble