Online Therapy: Overcoming the Challenges

Course content available in articles and video.

Moving from in office therapy to online presents both challenges and advantages. Independent of technological, legal and ethical challenges, moving online requires awareness of what is needed to provide psychologically safe and effective treatment.

This introductory course, designed specifically for those new to online therapy or wanting to enhance their clinical skills, is based on a 1 hour video interview, which is also presented as audio and transcripts/texts. Dr. Weinberg, in his engaging interview, removes some of the mystique around making the transition from the office to the screen. He addresses in detail the four most common obstacles clinicians should be aware, providing strategies to overcome such obstacles. A sample TeleHealth Agreement is provided for reference.

REFERENCES:

Andersson, G. (2018). Internet interventions: Past, present and future. Internet interventions, 12: 181-188.
Dunn, K. (2014). The therapeutic alliance online. In P. Weitz (ed.) Psychotherapy 2.0: Where Psychotherapy and Technology Meet. pp. 75-88. London: Karnac.
Weinberg, H. & Rolnick A. (eds.) (2019) Theory and Practice of Online Therapy: Internet-delivered Interventions for Individuals, Families, Groups, and Organizations. New York: Routledge.

Educational Objectives

Identify obstacles that need to be overcome when moving from an in person to a virtual therapeutic relationship.
Apply clinical skills to address the four most common challenges when moving to online therapy.

Syllabus

Introduction to purpose of course and terminology
- Loss of Control of The Setting
- Loss of Body-to-Body Interaction
- Creating a Sense of Online Presence
- Learning to Ignore What is In The Background
Strategies for Overcoming The Four Obstacles
- Establishing Agreements
- Shifting Responsibility to Patients
- Utilizing Online Interactions and Disruptions to Establish Therapeutic Alliance
- Moving From Using Multiple Senses to Just Two
Naming Sensations and Observations
- Using Imagery
- Appropriate Self-Disclosure
- Using Distractions as Part of Therapy
- Deciding What to Ignore and What to Pay Attention To.
Summary and Conclusion

OTC100

April 23, 2020

Syllabus

Introduction to purpose of course and terminology
- Loss of Control of The Setting
- Loss of Body-to-Body Interaction
- Creating a Sense of Online Presence
- Learning to Ignore What is In The Background
Strategies for Overcoming The Four Obstacles
- Establishing Agreements
- Shifting Responsibility to Patients
- Utilizing Online Interactions and Disruptions to Establish Therapeutic Alliance
- Moving From Using Multiple Senses to Just Two
Naming Sensations and Observations
- Using Imagery
- Appropriate Self-Disclosure
- Using Distractions as Part of Therapy
- Deciding What to Ignore and What to Pay Attention To.
Summary and Conclusion