Telehealth & Psychology of the Web:
Conducting Psychotherapy in Cyberspace

2 CE Credits - Online Course - $19.00

Developed by Telehealth Expert, John Suler, Ph.D.

CE Credits for Psychologists, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs & LCSWs (BBS) Social Workers (ASWB),
Counselors (NBCC, NAADAC, CALPCC), Nurses (BRN) & More

This course is also offered as part of a TeleMental Health & Digital Ethics Certificate of 26 CE Credits.

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GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION

Psychotherapy and the Internet are bound to meet -- in the 21st century any therapist ignoring the web is fighting a tidal wave. However, many therapists are very much in the dark about how and whether to treat clients online, as well as other issues around conducting therapy in the digital age. Even if one's practice remains face-to-face (as most of ours do), the Internet comes into therapy in the form of emails, online support groups, text messages, smartphone therapeutically related applications, and the like.

Interacting online is quite different than doing so in person - facial expressions are absent from text communication; interactions have the option of being asynchronatic; even video chat does not afford the option of a warm handshake or hug. Nevertheless, the Internet holds a draw that keeps billions of us online for hours a day - often, all day long. More and more of us are conducting and receiving therapy with the aid of text messages, email, video chat and more. For example, the virtual world of Second Life offers people several types of virtual psychotherapies.

This course is a follow-up to our course on Psychology of the Internet and Online Gaming and a complementary course to our course on Telehealth: The New Standard. It provides an in-depth look at the intersection of psychology and the Internet.

This advanced level course can be taken independent of any preliminary courses. It consists of seven short articles written by telehealth expert, Dr. John Suler. These are split into four sections: Introduction; Psychology of Cyberspace; Conducting Therapy Online; Resources. The Introductory section gives context for deeper exploration of performing therapy online. The second section, Psychology of Cyberspace, details the special features of online and text communication. The third section, Conducting Therapy Online, provides guidance for therapists about online groups and avatar psychotherapy. Finally, we provide useful online resources for further study on the subject of Psychology of the Web.

Educational Objectives:

Integrate 21st Century technology effectively into one's therapy practice.
Appraise the appropriateness of conducting therapy online with various clients.
Summarize the unique complexities and opportunities presented by 21st century technology.
Apply the best medium to treat various presenting issues.
Discuss the unique aspects of text-only communication.
Review the important aspects of online communication (not only text) and how they influence therapy online.

Course Syllabus:

Introduction

Common concerns about therapy in cyberspace
Questions to explore: How personality types show up online

Psychology of Cyberspace

Special features of text communication

The absence of face-to-face cues
Temporal fluidity: Synchronicity and asynchronicity
Disinhibition Effect
Fluid and transcended space
Social multiplicity
Recordability: Archives and quoted text
Media disruptions

Special features of online communication

You Don't Know Me (dissociative anonymity)
You Can't See Me (invisibility)
See You Later (asynchronicity)
It's All in My Head (solipsistic introjection)
It's Just a Game (dissociative imagination)
We're Equals (minimizing authority)
Personality Variables
True Self?
Self Constellations Across Media
Altering Self Boundary

Conducting Therapy Online

How the afore-described aspects of online communication manifest in online groups
The role and responsibility of a therapist facilitator of an online group
Areas to be familiar with before facilitating a group online:

Structure, Purpose, Product
Integrating Online and Offline
Pacing
Leadership
Rules of Conduct
Membership and Identity
The Dynamics of TextTalk
The Media

Resources

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Telehealthv
Outfits That Provide Platforms for "Tele-Mental Health"
Use of Skype in Telehealth
Telehealth Technologies
Telehealth Guidelines
Codes of Ethics
Psychotherapists' Professional Associations on Telehealth
Telemedicine Reimbursment Handbook by CA Telemedicine & eHealth Center (CTEC)
State Licensing Boards
Federal Resources, Laws, and Regulations
Medicare & Medicaid: Reimbursement of Telehealth
Professional Telehealth Associations
Online Telehealth Publications and Journal
Much more

For Author's Bio, Click Here.