Online Therapy Sites
Online therapy is professional counseling services that are offered over the internet. Online therapy allows clients and professionals to communicate over the internet without having to communicate in the traditional office visits. In addition, online therapy allows clients and patients to attend online counseling in which the clients will feel more comfortable and less intimidated.
On the other hand, clients are more likely to be open and honest when communicating through online sessions. As a result, counselors will be able to provide better and more effective treatment options and plans for the clients. Furthermore, online therapy is available to clients who have difficulty making appointments on-time and in the office. In general, this paper addresses three online therapy sites and provides information about the content in each site, professionals involved, and how each site interacts online.
Sunrise Counseling
This website provides information about what is online therapy, emergency, fees/payment methods, therapist’s qualifications, confidentiality, contact, Christian counseling, quizzes, self-help resources, client’s rights, links, survey, and send this page to a friend. The professional who is involved throughout this website is; Dawn Sutton. She was born on March 10, 1954. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work, a master’s degree in social work, and several graduate applied psychology courses. She is a registered member of Ontario College of Social Workers, a Crisis Intervention Counselor for the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, and a member of the International Society for Mental Health Online. Furthermore, she has provided therapy to patients at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry In Toronto, and she has worked at a shelter for abused women and as a child protection worker ("Sunrise Counseling", 2002-2008).
This website provides online counseling through communicating with a qualified, professional counselor by e-mail or chat through the computer. If there is a microphone available, it is possible to speak on the computer through a webcam. Services like MSN or Yahoo messenger allow instant messaging in which there are secure chat rooms that are also available online. Nevertheless, this website provides each client to share concerns, post questions, and gain additional information about a problem ("Sunrise Counseling", 2002-2008).
Serenity
This is an online therapy website. This website was created by Carl Benedict. He is a licensed professional by the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. He has worked at a mental health clinic by providing individual therapy to groups, families, couples, and individuals. In addition, he provides treatment specialization in many different areas like; depression, anxiety, anger management, grief and loss, codependency, and a lot more. Nonetheless, Carl feels that online therapy is a lot different than face-to-face therapy ("Serenity Online Therapy", 2005-2013).
However, he does feel that each interaction is a unique experience in which it may be helpful for some, and not for others. He also feels that online therapy is very effective and helpful for the right client. He believes that there are so many more advantages of using online therapy than face-to-face therapy, but there are also disadvantages of online therapy. This would include the lack of body language, lack of understanding communications, problems with technology, risks to confidentiality, and the fact that insurance does not normally cover online therapy. However, Carl feels that if someone is in danger of hurting themselves or others that clients should not consider using online therapy. Overall, Carl provided alternative ways to get therapy besides online and face-to-face. This would include finding a local support group, using family or friends, or even reading self-help books ("Serenity Online Therapy", 2005-2013).
Marriage Matters
This online therapy website provides an interactive process with Jacqueline Gay. The communication between Jacqueline and clients is through via e-mail or telephone. Before beginning the online process, each client has to fill out an online questionnaire. Once Jacqueline receives the client’s questionnaire, she will then review it and provide suggestions. Clients can e-mail her as many times as they would like. Furthermore, if a client wants to communicate over the phone, then Jackie will prepare a different schedule for the clients in which it is a different process than the online process ("Marriage Matters, LLC - Online Counseling", 2013).
Additionally, Jackie provides online counseling that allows clients to work with their spouses through online interaction. In general, Jackie believes that online counseling works because clients are able to get assistance quickly about their main concerns. Nevertheless, Jackie feels that she provides a concrete understanding and provides suggestions and recommendations that will help clients to clarify, resolve, or improve the situation that is present. Jackie strives at working with many clients by providing follow-up clarification and explanations if need be. This will help clients to improve their lives and be able to move forward in life without any obstacles. Furthermore, Jackie feels that online counseling allows clients to take as much time as needed in order to provide information about their situation and be able to get a quickly respond back. Also, there are printable documents that clients can review and clients do not need to make any appointments. Overall, Jackie feels that online counseling is not appropriate if someone is thinking of hurting themselves or hurting someone else, if there is any physical damage or the clients are in danger of being physically or sexually abused, and if there is actual physical or suspected abuse of a child ("Marriage Matters, LLC - Online Counseling", 2013).
Professional Associations
State regulatory boards and professional associations view online therapy as an issue. This is because the professional associations and the state regulatory board are concerned about patients receiving treatment. In addition, treatment should be conducted within the state that the client resides. On the other hand, professional associations and state regulatory boards are concerned with clients checking to identify if the doctors are licensed and are able to operate in another state. Furthermore, professional associations and state regulatory boards inform therapists to be aware of the insurance coverage plan available so that it protects the therapist while conducting online therapy.
Issues
Security
In general, the security of communications is only as good as the security that is built in a computer. As an example, if one deletes an e-mail message from his or her computer, the message will enter the Internet in which the e-mail message can no longer be controlled. In addition, if personal information is floating all over the internet, than there is no longer security tools and systems that can limit “hackers” from obtaining the information and passing it on. In general, one must establish security precautions in which it addresses protection and eliminates any threats and protects confidentiality. Nevertheless, one should implement features that help to keep systems updated on a daily basis. This would require an antivirus software program and a firewall program.
Ethical
Online therapy sites are created to assist and treat clients and patients from all over the world. However, therapists should research and obey laws and ethical guidelines in the state where the therapist is licensed to practice. However, the internet can make codes of conduct complex to implement.
Consent and Confidentiality
A main concern that affects online therapy is the overall protection of client information. Nevertheless, the privacy of personal information should always be considered. However, it is very important to acknowledge whether or not the potential online therapist uses a secure site in which it works to protect client and patient privacy. In addition, one can discuss privacy settings or concerns with any online therapist.
In general, one should never access therapy e-mails or chats with any other shared computers. If one is using a shared computer with someone else, always close out of the browser so that sessions can be closed. More importantly, one should never share computer or e-mail passwords with others. In general, communications that are conducted through online therapy should always be addressed so that private information does not become a confidentiality risk.
Advantages
Online therapy is more appealing to a lot of people because it allows individuals to feel more comfortable and less intimidated. Online therapy lets people share personal information without having to communicate in person. This lets people address many issues and allows them to move towards a resolution to their issues. In addition, online therapy provides access to mental health information and allows individuals who are disabled to have access to online therapy. On the other hand, online therapy can be less expensive and more affordable for individuals who cannot afford therapy in an office setting.
Disadvantages
Online therapy does have its downfalls. It does not allow individuals to determine the body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice that are being used when communicating. On the other hand, many problems cannot be resolved online. This would result in a client needing additional treatment which should take place in an office. In addition, there may be concerns about complete confidentiality and privacy.
Furthermore, servers could go down or get interrupted which could affect access and response time. On the other hand, most insurance companies will not cover therapy online. Nevertheless, therapists are not able to respond to crisis situations. In addition, online therapy is not appropriate for individuals who have serious illnesses, or problems. In general, online therapy makes it difficult to enforce any legal or ethical codes. Furthermore, most states have different licensing requirements and treatment guidelines which can affect the way that a therapist recommends treatment and so forth.