Online Group Psychotherapy: Theoretical, Practical and Legal Considerations

Online group therapy is already here! If you are leading groups and want to go online, or if you are leading online groups and want to learn more about online group dynamics, how to overcome the “screen barrier”, and how to avoid legal complications and common mistakes while leading a therapy group on the Internet – this is the course for you.

This is an introductory course about online group therapy. It includes a two-hour audio recording by Dr. Haim Weinberg, an internationally renowned group therapist and an expert in online groups, who co-edited the book Theory and Practice of Online Therapy. The course identifies the legal and ethical considerations in doing online groups, describes two forms of those groups (synchronic, through video, and a-synchronic, through text and email), relates to group dynamics on Internet forums, and thoroughly analyses the main difficulties in leading online groups: the problem with the setting, the disembodied environment, the question of presence, and ignoring the background. Practical advice is given regarding how to overcome these obstacles. Clinical vignettes are included to enrich the learning experience. A sample Online Group Therapy Agreement and references are provided, but they not part of the course. Transcript is provided for the audio.