This page outlines the Comments Policy for The Grounded Counsellor, an online counsellor-owned website from Dr Damian Stoupe, based in Wells, Somerset, UK.
This is a counselling website dedicated to helping people develop as human persons – I hope any comments reflect this aim; using the comments policy as a guide should ensure this happens. Some guidelines below will help us all feel safe to comment and put forward our ideas.
Not everyone’s going toffees comfortable with everything that is written here. Just be aware that because we do not like an idea, it does not mean the idea is to be suppressed. Engage with the idea, understand why it is uncomfortable, and offer another view. Let’s learn together.
The purpose of this blog is to present ideas and encourage people to engage with those ideas, not those who had those ideas. For example, I may not be a fan of how someone lives/lived their life – but their ideas might still be worth engaging with. I try my best to ensure this site is free from spam and abuse; as all comments are moderated, this aim should be easy to achieve; however, sometimes, things slip through.
The comment section can be a great place for interaction with readers and writers and even for spawning stimulating conversation – it can be a great place for all of us! To ensure that everyone can engage with the ideas by following these simple guidelines:
- Be polite – don’t be rude to anyone, and respect others. If there is something you would not say to someone standing in front of you, don’t write it here. Remember, a person is behind the screen, and your words affect people.
- Don’t troll – I appreciate and welcome people who critique ideas, it is how ideas and concepts have developed for millennia, but comments that add no value to the discussion, are simply repeating or plagiarising information, or are just insulting will be deleted without exception.
- Spam? Goodbye. I understand that you may make thousands of pounds working from home. However, I am not interested. Please refrain from posting, or I’ll give you a hand and show you and your post the door.
To put it in a simple sentence, our guidelines boil down to “ideas, not people”. If you don’t follow any of these guidelines, not only will I remove the comment, but I will also ban you from participating in discussions.
If you find any comments which violate our guidelines, please make sure to ‘flag’ or ‘mark them as spam’ – I am grateful for your support!
Happy commenting!
By the way, if you want to work with me as your counsellor – get in touch!