Free Essay

Online Therapy

In:

Submitted By william9087
Words 973
Pages 4
RUNNING HEAD: ONLINE THERAPY

Online Therapy

Technology in Human Service

The value of online therapy varies because of specific reasons and treatments therapy is utilized and type of services needed for particular clients. Online therapy can be very beneficial to those who cannot access transportation or might be homebound. This makes online therapy convenient and opens flexible scheduling but if you are not disabled or homebound it may be difficult to resolve issues faced due to non face to face interaction. Sometimes it is better to be face to face with someone to sort out obstacles because the therapist can read body language, facial expression, and vocal signals. These are very important to understand what the therapist is working with and how they can help you. Face to face encounter also gives the client a preview of what potential the therapist has and what kind of relationship bonding will take place. While evaluating online therapy three sites where reviewed; the content of each site and the site interaction for therapy will be discussed. During this discussion the view of state regulatory boards and advantages and disadvantages of online therapy will be analyzed. People are capable of genuine change because there is always an explanation of human thought and motivation. Online therapy seems to provide motivation to those who prefer to be in the comfort of their home for a number of reasons like shame or chronic illnesses. It may be an easier process to do therapy online, cost effective, and less time consuming. As regular therapy online therapy primary purpose of counseling is to reconstruct behaviors, actions, feeling, and thoughts so that life situations can be handled in a healthier effective way. Many do not think that online therapy is effective because of relationship building factor between therapist and client. Therapy online has expressed that therapist have found the most effective way to treating patients of all kinds and breaking through to a world that has advanced in technology. To completely understand online therapy research of potential online therapy sites were done. These sites are counselingtherapyonline.com, passn.com, and sprout online therapy each one of these sites provided a significant amount of information. The counseling therapy online.com benefits those who are seeking therapy for anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and emotional stress. Therapy does not include major psychological issues. This site provides information regarding the license and credentials of the therapist, his specialty, and contact information. The online interaction on this site is through Skype. Skype is an online feature that allows two individuals to video and voice chat through the internet. This site does provide satisfaction guaranteed which is the client is not one hundred percent satisfied there would be no charge for sessions. This agreement is fair because online therapy may not be for everyone but some people seem to adapt to the therapy because of certain lifestyles. Passn.com is a site that utilizes its strength in anger management, stress, sexuality issues, and spousal abuse to name a few. I found that sexuality issues are a great therapy element because in our modern time more people are becoming open to their sexuality preferences while more are having a difficulty adjusting to the lifestyle others want them to lead. This site allows the client to complete a profile so that they experience the social networking feature of the therapy because therapists are able to be added to client’s profile. Other than the therapist being involved with the social networking aspect they are allowed to sign up as advisors as well. On this site a comprehensive background check is performed to ensure that the therapist credentials and license were complete. The site also has a PCI compliance ensuring that a client is never overcharged and payment data is protected to the highest standard. Sprout online therapy site offers a hand full of information that seems to make the site reliable in terms of its content. Therapy through this site includes video chat, instant message, and email. The client can choose between the three communication interactions for therapy. This site deals with grieve and loss, depression, elder care and end of life, marital conflict, substance abuse, and divorce recovery. The services can be both individual and couple/family related. The site gives a fee agreement, contact information and pages for questions and complaints. The most significant aspect of this site is the information regarding patient rights, uses and disclosures of health information. Professional associations and state regulatory boards view online therapy as a limited process. In ones opinion because online therapy basically only justifies those who understand their own psychological behavior yet if not in my opinion an online therapist could not respond to a crisis situation. One other factor that comes across is that there are no restraints for online therapy and many states are different in guidelines of how they treat clients and even licenses requirements are different so online therapy can not always demonstrate those factors. Online therapy may work for some mental issues like depression or anger management but online therapy could not possibly work for physical issues. Each site is different and offers certain services but out of the three sites researched only two provided enough data to make a potential client interested in online therapy. Advantages of online therapy are the flexible schedule, more cost effective and affordable, no commute or waiting in an office to be seen. Disadvantages of online therapy is that depending upon the expectation of treatment for the client the relationship bonding would be different, concerns of confidentially, privacy, and most importantly technology can be very unreliable.
REFERENCES:
Boersma, D. Website Citing. Online therapy. Retrieved December, 3 2011. www.sproutonlinetherapy.com

Panic Anxiety Stress Society. Online therapy. Retrieved December, 3 2011. www.passn.com

Unknown. Online therapy. Retrieved December,3 2011 www.counselingtherapyonline.com

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy-Is it for everyone? Online Therapy BSHS/352 Technology in Human Services 1|Page Online Therapy-Is it for everyone? There are many reasons people visit therapist, issues ranging from eating disorders, anger problems, relationship issues to psychosis. The levels of therapy that are available may vary and the way in which the therapy is received also varies depending on the given situation. E-therapy, e-counseling, cyber-counseling and tele-therapy are all the same thing, they are all forms of online therapy. Online therapy can be used via e-mail, video conferencing, online chat forums, phone, even texting has become popular because of new technological advances. The type e-therapy that will be used with each client is decided on a case to case basis. There are a number of websites that offer e-therapy from websites that offer many therapist and specialties s to private sites that are just one therapist and specialty. One must however be wary of those sites that are posing as legitimate therapist sites and those that are real sites that are completely working to heal those with serious issues. In order to fully understand the sites, there must be research done on different sites to know what each site offers, knowing the differences can make all the difference is someone’s life. Breakthrough.com is an online based counseling and therapy website that offers different forms of therapy and many therapists to select from. Breakthrough’s tag line is “getting...

Words: 1222 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...Running head: Online Therapy 1 Online Therapy Information and Technology ONLINE THERAPY Talk space is an online therapy with professional licensed therapist. The website has easy access through an APP that is available on APP store, or google play. The Initial contact is a free consultation to assess your needs and how the site works. The consultant guides you through picking a therapist. There is also a video on u-tube to provide more guidance and information about an online therapy experience. There are visual easy to use tabs that you click to chat, make appointments, and unlimited messaging. The web site provides over 100 licensed therapists to choose from. An anonymous patient stated ““Chad Rocks! I have nothing, but good things to say about the experience. I have difficulty making appointments on a weekly basis due to my job, and this avenue allows me to seek help. Thanks for everything you have done”” (Talkspace, 2015 PG.1 P. 5).The therapy takes place in a secure talk space room online. The experience is through text messaging on a smartphone. The patients have access to a therapist “anytime, from any place, whenever you want” (Talkspace, 2015 pg. P.6). The talk space can be utilized as a journal and you can see the dialog between you and your therapist ("Talkspace", 2015). Breakthrough is another professional online therapy that provides services to patients. The website provides easy navigation through the site with...

Words: 1514 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...media, and communication. It is a huge industry with a massive growth prospective; however there are possibilities of ethical and legal issues. Within human services there is continuously a worry about confidentiality and safety when networking with clients. Several clients require assistance but they do not recognize the issues related to preserving of confidentiality of their information. Therapy may be considered a client's maximum force in obtaining control of their problems they face during their lives. In current years therapy has evolved into a higher-level of treatment and can be taken online. Online therapy is cost effective, convenient, and helps with time management. On the web currently there are uncountable amounts of online therapy organizations available for individuals to benefit from, if needed. To obtain knowledge of the details of online therapy I have researched some of online therapy organizations to find out whom they serve, what they provide, moral and safety issues, and the disadvantages and advantages, and obligations of the professionals of online therapy. Licensed human services professional must not forget in order to counsel on the web, they are subject to the identical laws that standardize the practice of telemedicine and telehealth. Sunrise Counseling The first site I researched was with Sunrise Counseling. This content of this website was traditional and to the point. It was easy to maneuver and provided many topics. It listed examples...

Words: 1071 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy Online Therapy Online therapy is a service that helps obtain therapeutic services through an online database that is maintained by a therapist or several therapists. In today's fast-paced society individuals rely on the Internet for many things to assist in their every day lives. Online therapy is no different. It is just another means of making help more accessible to those in need and less intrusive. Online therapy consists of a therapist providing therapy sessions and support through the means of email, chat and video sessions. Therapeutic websites can be quite beneficial for some people. Many individuals are not able to get themselves to a therapists office for face-to-face therapy sessions. Those who do not drive, those that are home bound, elderly or possibly those who have a phobia of public places can all benefit from having the therapist right their in their living room. Online therapy is convenient because the counseling sessions are done in the privacy of the client's home with strict confidentiality practices. Online therapy also eliminates the stigma that is still attached to therapy. Online therapy websites have become extremely popular and any person looking for a reputable website will have no shortage of choices on the internet. This paper will take a closer look at three different online therapy websites, furthering to evaluate and explain the content of each of these sites. Website #1 www.mytherapycouch...

Words: 928 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Online Therapy Paper

...ONLINE THERAPY Our lives have become quite busy with the ever changing face of the family and the economy. Having to do more work because of short staffing, leaving work grabbing dinner for the family, dealing with a rebellious teenager while ushering your nine year old to soccer practice seems to be your daily routine. With all this running around, and then having to cope with your elderly parents to boot, it tends to weigh big on the mental state of an individual. Even those unexpected events that happen in life will sometimes cause us to need the guidance of a therapist. What is one to do when there is no time to walk into a therapist office? The answer to that question is the internet. The internet offers a variety of solutions to the problem. With the advancement in technology and the web ever changing, ever increasing information cyber data bank, one can now do just about anything online. One of those online items is Therapy. Yes, it is possible to find an online therapist that will assist with any issues that are going on in your life. Getting the help needed with mental well being is only a click away. The following information will give incite to three such cites in the online therapy family. The three are the CBT website, E-Therapy and Internet Therapy. Brief descriptions of each cite will be given along with how regulations...

Words: 1043 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy BSHS/352 February 3,2014 Online Therapy Therapy can be seen as a way for a client to work through an issue in their life. A client may find that they don't feel comfortable sitting in an office with a therapist discussing their issues or concerns but that they would rather obtain therapy by accessing the Internet and utilizing online therapy. With modern technology it makes it much easier to access different forms of online therapy. Online therapy has increased in recent years. Many individuals are looking for assistance from a therapist and have found that with online therapy they can do it from the convenience of their own home. A client takes into consideration the cost of the online therapy as well as their ability to get online and fit it into their busy schedule. When a client first looks into online therapy they will encounter many different online their fists available to meet their needs. It is the clients responsibility to research the online therapist as well as the services they have to offer client. You'll also need to research how the therapist will secure the information that they would be given to the therapist. It is also the clients responsibility to research the disadvantages and advantages of the online therapy that they will be receiving. Online therapies researched The first online therapy site and I've research was online their human factor Masha Godkin (Godkin 2013). She is based...

Words: 1421 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Online Therapy Paper

...Online Therapy Paper Elaine Music BSHS/375 December 15, 2015 Dr. Mark Meis Online Therapy Paper This paper I will be discussing online therapy. It will consists of the elements and contents of the information that is found on any online therapy website along with the information of the professionals that are involved in that therapy. I will outline the way in which most of the communication relating online therapy. I will also highlight the policies and regulations that provide fundamentals to run an online therapy. The paper also comprehends the state regulation authority to observe and scrutinize online therapy and present the information relative to the ethical and security issues like confidentiality along with informed consent. The paper will end up with a small discussion regarding the benefits and risks of the online therapy. The first selected website of online therapy that retrieved was www.lzcybershrink.com where the services are advertised by Elizabeth Zelvin. Elizabeth Zelvin is acknowledged as a licensed clinical social worker along with a psychotherapist. All services are provided by the single person that is her. Ms. Zelvin as retrieved from her biography holds 20 years of experience and was involved in a private service in New York State. Ms. Zelvin handled communication relating online therapy through implication of a chat room setting. This chat room provides opportunity to clients to arrange a schedule of...

Words: 1630 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Online Therapy Paper

...GOODMAN JUNE 20TH, 2013 ONLINE THERAPY PAPER BSHA/352 TECHNOLOGY IN HUMAN SERVICES JASON ANDRADE ONLINE THERAPY PAPER INTRODUCATION This paper will discuss conduct and discuss three different online therapy sites. It will discuss the contact of each website, the professional involved, how the actual online interaction occurs. It will address how professional associations and state boards view online therapy. It will discuss the related security and ethical issues, such as informed consent and confident confidentially. Include your opinion of the advantages and disadvantages of online therapy services. The three websites that have been chosen for this assignment are Live Person, My Therapy, and Online-Therapy. ONLINE THERAPY PAPER Online therapy can be beneficial to some but not all. How online counseling works is that the mental health community has come into the new age. As other agencies and organization are now starting to offer web-based services. It has come to the attention to the mental health industry to do the same and it has become quickly growing means of opening communication in what is now a very busy world. Where most busy is conducted and communicated with professional’s online nationwide, through email, Live chat, instead messaging, Skpye, or the internet. It is not recommend that online therapy be should be the only means of therapy, but with traditional therapy it can be very useful. Online therapy can be very affordable,...

Words: 1139 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy Daryl Hartlauer BSHS-375 06/18/2015 David B. Lagerson Online Therapy The purpose of this paper is to investigate and to report how on-line therapy is currently being implemented in treatment today. I will be looking at three different current services and how they are regulated, how they are implemented, security issues, ethical issues, and treatment facilitation. In my opinion on-line therapy offers some unique advantages both for the client and the therapist. There are however some considerations in regards to distance, such as therapy being provided across state or national boundaries, being able to maintain a secure environment as well as a loss of some valuable to cues in reading and evaluating the client. Breakthrough Behavioral Inc. Breakthrough.com is a website that offers to link up therapists and counselors with clients on a secure platform. There is no cost to the client or the provider for using this service. It uses HIPPA compliant technologies to protect the patients' privacy. There is direct billing through the site. There are clinical tools available to track and monitor the progress of outcomes. There is an integrated chat feature that works with most Internet Browsers. Clients who use Breakthrough are allowed to search through a list of available providers with biographies to match their needs. According to their press release, Breakthrough is currently available in ten states across the country, with five...

Words: 1267 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy Online Therapy Cathy L. Jacobs BSHS351 July 31, 2013 Denise Cooper Online Therapy Therapy as defined by the freedictionary.com is the treatment of physical, mental, or social disorders or disease, and any act, task, program, etc., which relieves tension. Online or in person both serve the same purpose; providing an outlet for an individual. Online therapy is relatively new, and it is convenient to the online community. There are several advantages and disadvantages of online therapy. Anonymity is considered an important asset for individuals who do not want a face- to- face meeting. Other advantages include access to mental health information to people in rural or remote; however, individual must have Internet access to a computer, provides accessibility to disabled and homebound individuals, and many of the sites are free or provide low cost sessions. Research of online therapy sites reveals several forms of therapy sessions such as online chat, e-mail, Skype, and texting. Online therapy is an asset to traditional therapy methods. Serenity Online Therapy Serenity offers e-mail counseling, and chat therapy. Carl Benedict, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor specializing in depression, anxiety, mental illness, and substance abuse, just to mention a few ...

Words: 1334 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy J Chav Online Therapy All kinds of people have discovered the benefits of using online counseling sessions for help dealing with problems such as anxiety and sexual problems in relationships as well as tackling depression and many other personal problems they find difficult that are impacting on their happiness and enjoyment of life One major advantage that you have when using an online therapy service in regards to confidentiality is anonymity, you can keep your identity hidden and keep your privacy, no one need know you are having therapy unlike normal face to face therapy when you could be seen attending sessions or meeting people you know going in or coming out of the office. The National Board for Certified Counselors is a not-for-profit, independent certification organization established in 1982. NBCC’s original and primary purposes are to establish and monitor a national certification system, to identify those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification, and to maintain a register of those counselors. The NBCC has established certain regulations that its members should adhere to regarding Online Therapy. The NBCC categorizes this as “Distance Professional Services”. National Certified Counselors, NCC, means that you will abide by a Code of Ethics. Among these include qualifications for the services provided, local, state and federal regulations, use of encryption and disclosure of potential hazards of distance...

Words: 1795 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Online Therapy

...Online Therapy The new millennium brought on tremendous changes through the internet. Information is accessible easily online along with numerous services. The Human Services realm has begun to offer services via internet. Services offered by online counseling are for anger management, depression, child hood, trauma and HIV and AIDS. In this thesis I will discuss the services provided by each site, the experts the form of communication used through the online services and regulations or guidelines that each must adhere to. The three online services I decided to use were Ericka Russina, MA, LPC, NCC; Serenity Online Therapy and Sunrise Therapy. Each website offers a synopsis of the services provided, the provider and background information. The http://www.licensedcounselor.com/onlinetx3.html website which is for Erica Russina provides services via internet and in the office. The website states “Online therapy may serve as a bridge to overcoming these barriers for those who may be deaf, ill, live in remote areas with few resources, are afraid of the "stigma",” (Rusina, 2012). However the site also mentions that an individual is experiencing an actual crisis to contact the local emergency agency. The prospective client can review the website, check the counselor’s credentials, rates and fees, and determine if the services provided are needed. Once the decision has been made the individual can then agree to the online therapy review the disclaimer, submit the request for therapy...

Words: 1107 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Online Therapy

...ONLINE THEREPY PAPER BSHS/375 VALERIE AVERA CHERYL ELLINGTON SERENITY ONLINE THEREPY: SERENITY ONLINE THEREPY PROVIDES MANY SERVICES SUCH AS PHONE THEREPY AND CHAT THEREPY, AND EMAIL THEREPY, AND VIDEO THEREPY. THE ONLINE SERVICES ARE RUN BY CARL BENEDICT, LCPC. THE COUNSELING IS SIMPLE, HE BELIEVES IN THE FACT THAT WISDOM IS IN EACH OF US. THE APPROACH IS TO GET YOU TO PROCESS THROUGH ACTIVE LISTENING AND REDICOVERING THE WISDOM INSIDE OF YOU. CARL TEACHES SKILLS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP MANAGE YOUR FEELINGS, INORDER FOR YOU TO CREATE A MORE FULFILLING LIFE. VIDEO THEREPY AND PHONE THEREPY: THE VIDEO AND PHONE THEREPY SESSIONS ARE 50 MINUTES PER SESSION, VIA SKYPE VIDEO OR PHONE. (YOU CAN ALSO HAVE SESSIONS BY CELL PHONE, OR LANDLINE PHONE IF THIS BETTER SUITS YOUR NEEDS) WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT HE WILL CALL YOU VIA VIDEO SKYPE, OR CELL OR LANDLINE SERVICE, THIS IS FREE IF BOTH OF YOU USE SKYPE. BEING ABLE TO MEET WITH CLIENTS FACE TO FACE OR VOICE TO VOICE THEREPY HAS THE SAME AFFECT AS HIM MEETING FACE TO FACE IN HIS OFFICE AT THE OUT PATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC IN THE HOSPITAL THAT HE HAS HIS DAY JOB. CHAT THEREPY: THESE THERAPY SESSIONS LAST 60 MINUTES INCLUDING TEXT THEREPY SESSIONS, AND INSTANT MESSAGING, ALL THESE SESSIONS ARE SET UP IN A SECURE PRIVATE CHAT ROOM (SKYPE,INSTANT MESSAGEING) THERES IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK ALONG WITH THE SAME FLEXABILITY THAT FACE TO FACE AND ADDRESSING ISSUES. TRANSCRIPTS FROM THESE SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO...

Words: 1108 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Online Therapy Paper

...Online Therapy Paper BSHS 352 Professor Joyce Henderson University of Phoenix Online Introduction Therapy can be a client's greatest force in gaining control of their issues and over their life in general. Normally it is been seen as a counseling session held in the privacy of a professional's office with an appointment in the book. In recent years therapy has gone high-tech and taken to the internet. There are several reasons for this including; convenience, cost effectiveness and time management. Online therapy has added many opportunities for clients and professionals alike. On the web today there are a countless amounts of online therapy organizations available for anyone and everyone to take advantage of if needed. To gain knowledge the ins and outs of online therapy we will look further into some of these online therapy organizations, what they offer, to whom they serve, the rights of clients, obligations of the professional, ethical and security issues, and last but least the advantages and disadvantages to online therapy. Examination of Online Websites The Online Therapy organization is focused around helping anyone and almost any issue possible. The website covers all issues that range from weight loss, depression, insomnia, relationships and more (Online-therapy.com, 2011). It offers 8 week step by step online sessions as well as daily feedback from the professional, live support, chat forum to communicate with others, and tests to monitor progress along the...

Words: 1277 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Online Therapy Sites

...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...

Words: 1588 - Pages: 7