Will this help?

[star2sparkle]

I have suffered from anxiety and agoraphobia, health anxiety and monophobia and so I have much empathy and understanding. I also have qualifications as well as life experiences and I am wanting to be an online agony aunt to help people with all sorts of problems, not just anxiety.
This is a psychologically based business idea...like an online agony aunt who can answer those niggling (and sometimes very important) questions quickly, with compassion and empathy. So if you had a question such as; 'Why do I feel so low and despondent every morning', I could help you find the answer. Or 'Does my husband still fancy me?' Or 'Why am I still single?' Again, these answers could be answered rapidly and effectively without the individual having to search through endless websites to find the answer to their very specific question.

Could you help me please by filling in a very short survey? It is to gauge a response. I would really would like to make a difference.
The link is below.

Thank you :smile:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BRJBRCS

[Serenity1990]

Tbh it seems you're seeking to do pretty much what this forum does but for money?

[star2sparkle]

No, not at all. There is a big difference.
Most people who answer people on forums like this one are not actual experts, more so people who have had similar life experiences, and certainly not normally psychologists or expert counsellors. They offer sympathy and empathy but also good advice but it isn't rooted in expert knowledge and sometimes not even in experience.
Another point is that an online agony aunt is about answering questions that are about anything, not just mental health, as my description suggests. And can be very specific. I can remember the amount of times I have wanted a specific, personal answer to a problem or question that could be relationship orientated or about life in general but google or the general public just can't always provide that guidance.
There are online counsellors that charge quite a sum and don't even get back to people straight away. My service is more about answering the questions that need a personal answer from an expert. And the charge wouldn't be much. It would be free but if I was in a position that I was answering questions all day online, sadly it couldn't be free.

[Round in circles]

Maybe I'm just a big sceptic (okay, no maybe about it) but when I see posts asking me to blindly click links, click-bait alarms go off in my head.

If you're really serious about your idea then best of luck to you, though I find it a little strange to be posting a business proposal here.

[star2sparkle]

It wouldn't involve blindly clicking links! And I'm not posting a business proposal either, I'm trying to gauge what people think about the idea, not suggest they use it! I can't help but feel it is a real shame that people react this way. There are many businesses out there that do just want to remove your money from you, when I do want to help and not for financial gain. Why is it so odd asking if people would like this type of guidance? There are many people out there feeling lost and alone, and I wanted to do something to ease that.

[Round in circles]

Like I said, if you're serious about your idea then best of luck to you. I'm one person, hardly "people". I'm sorry it's not the answer you were looking for, but I stand by my observation.

[NotCool]

The main thought that's bothering me with this idea is that you don't know anything about the person asking the questions, nor anything about his/hers background and life circumstances, therefore you could only provide a generalized "solution" to the problem, or a classical "visit your doctor" advice. While people in sites and forums such as nomorepanic.com are usually quick to give good advice on some problems, most of them always emphasize that the person with the problem (mental problem) should seek professional help - the help of someone who is actually trained in what he's doing, with the personal, face-to-face touch, with possible physical health checks if necessery. If people asking for advice on your board would take into account your advice or solution, and it proved to be wrong, they could/would fall into the effect of false security, possibly leading to more problems. Also, I find that charging people for money for internet advice is a moral grey area. I would like to conclude, though, that I find it positive that you're willing to help with guidance and good advice to people in need.

[HalfJack]

People are funny about clicking on links (the link to your survey) incase it takes them to a dodgy page or something.

Hey I think it's good you posted on here, research is important and good services can't be provided without doing stuff like this before hand. You haven't mentioned your businesses name or asked us for any details, I think you appear perfectly legitimate.

I had to do a research project for a college a few years ago and I needed 50+ people to fill it in to get results that I could do anything with. It was a nightmare getting people to fill it out, people really aren't willing to help each other enough anymore.
Keep trying, don't be put off by a little negativity.

[star2sparkle]

It isn't internet advice in the way that you say. If you went to see a counsellor privately, they would charge you, often quite a lot. That isn't what I would do. Also I would build up a relationship with that person, to gain as much information regarding them as possible. Any advice you receive, be it here or elsewhere could be wrong, of course. And it is funny how people will still ask advice from people who aren't experts and risk their health rather than pay for the advice from an expert.

---------- Post added at 17:38 ---------- Previous post was at 17:36 ----------


People are funny about clicking on links (the link to your survey) incase it takes them to a dodgy page or something.

Hey I think it's good you posted on here, research is important and good services can't be provided without doing stuff like this before hand. You haven't mentioned your businesses name or asked us for any details, I think you appear perfectly legitimate.

I had to do a research project for a college a few years ago and I needed 50+ people to fill it in to get results that I could do anything with. It was a nightmare getting people to fill it out, people really aren't willing to help each other enough anymore.
Keep trying, don't be put off by a little negativity.

Thank you so much HalfJack :). You have made me feel certainly less despondent about the idea and more determined to try and help :D

[HoneyLove]

People pay for a counsellor's expertise, training, time and experience - that's why they cost what they do, it's not simply charging people for advice. It's hard to imagine that you would be able to offer people something similar online, including building up a great relationship with customers, while charging less for it - what kind of experts will work for less than they could get elsewhere?

It's also hard to imagine that you could have a company that could offer expertise in a wide range of topics like this, it seems like a very large scope.

I'm just looking at this from a practical point of view, if you're thinking about putting time and effort into a business idea then you need to make sure it's a solid one.

Personally I don't believe that answers to these kinds of questions can be answered rapidly, that's why they don't exist online already. There's so much to take into account, including a persons medical, personal and psychological history - especially if you're offering the idea of expertise.

At the root of things you seem to be offering a supportive type of relationship for a certain fee, which is something that people can usually find for free among their friends & relatives or by building relationships on free online forums like this one. On the expertise side of things, it's hard to know exactly what you mean but I would be more likely to seek out an expert offline to help with a problem rather than an online agony aunt.

[Fishmanpa]

So I checked out your links and your profile says you're a qualified teacher of Law and Psychology. That would imply you have degrees in those subjects and teach at a reputable educational institution. While you may have qualifications that legitimize what you're trying to offer, it presents challenges to traditional counseling methods as you'd have to familiarize yourself with the background and personality traits of the person you're dealing with. Doing so via this medium would be difficult at best. Also, words on a screen don't always carry the emotional impact of inflection and that could be misconstrued, especially with an individual in crisis or extreme psychosis. One look here at some of the threads will illustrate my point. HLove has a good point that such relationships can be found among family and friends.

As an extension to a legitimate psychological practice I can see this as a beneficial asset to a patient and an income generator to the practice. Being able to get answers to questions or reassurance from their therapist outside of an appointment can help in a stressful situation. I can see Skype employed as well. BUT... as a stand alone entity, it leaves a bit to be desired IMO.

Good luck and positive thoughts