In the last issue, we included an email from an online supervisee, Chris , to a supervisor in summarised form. I asked four online supervisors to respond to ‘Chris’ and their full replies are reproduced at the end of this article. Here is the original email from the Supervisee:

You will remember my client Jo, whom I brought to supervision a few weeks ago. I said at the time that I felt there was something that I wasn’t quite ‘getting’. Well, I have a horrible feeling that I am now discovering what it is and it’s leaving me not knowing quite how to handle it.

I think that the information that Jo gave on the intake form may be partly untrue – but I don’t know how much of it is or isn’t. For a start, I am pretty sure that the question about use of alcohol or non prescribed drugs was either a lie or way below the actual use – the answer said occasional alcohol intake with friends, and no drug use. In the last email, Jo was telling me about a night out and said:

‘As usual, the next morning I couldn’t really recall what had happened,…..’

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=19

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire PDF version of the article.

Jacqui

Jacqui.atkinson@ntlworld.com

I recently facilitated a Distance Credentialed Counselor training that was Career Counselor focused and many of the participants in the training stated that Linkedin has become an essential part of their work as a career counselor, often endorsing, recommending and linking with their career counseling students/clients. I pointed out the ethics regarding possible breach of confidentiality and dual relationships and several counselors stated that this just was not a concern and did not apply to their roles as career counselors on college campuses.

While we have established the Ethical Framework for the Use of Technology for Career and School Guidance we also realize that technology moves rapidly and so do expectations about its use. So I reached out to my colleague Lynn Atanasoff who is a Career Counselor at Penn State World Campus. Here is what she graciously shared:

If you use LinkedIn for your professional presence, then I think it becomes part of your professional counselor space. I don’t think that ethical (or legal) responsibilities cease. The same would be true of using BranchOut (a career networking app on Facebook http://branchout.com/ ). Likewise, when you link to someone, you always get additional suggestions of people to add to your L-I connections, just like any other social media. What if your client realizes you have several people in common – you start to blur boundaries and issues of trust and safety need to be considered. I think it’s a slippery slope professionally because if you are a career counselor, you’re taking on a dual role and of course there are client confidentiality issues.

You have to ask what this request is akin to in a face-to-face scenario – in my mind it’s akin to using your career counselor as a professional reference. I don’t believe this is an appropriate request given the nature of the relationship. Imagine giving a prospective employer the name of your counselor as a reference. Can you as a career counselor speak to the ability of a person to perform work tasks? I know that academic advisors sometimes write letters of recommendation based on academic performance, but I don’t think the same rules apply for a career counselor. Also, you have to ask yourself, if you would serve as a reference for one student, are you willing to do the same for all of the students with whom you work?

As the manager of a university L-I group where group members could also be career counseling clients, there are a some steps I’ve taken to set expectations.

1. When people join any L-I group, there is a welcome message. As a manager I include boundary expectations within the welcome message. The expectations part of the welcome include that even though I as a career counselor moderate the group, I will at no time accept social networking invitations or respond to blogs written by any student. I also state that I will never acknowledge that I’ve done career counseling with a student and I alert group members that their posts are public to the group. I encourage them to seek a confidential counseling exchange and I include the confidential way to contact me below the welcome message.  
2.  When students ask me to connect individually on L-I, I send an individual e-mail message to the student. I state the boundaries/ restate expectations. I thank the student for thinking of me but also explain my policy of not accepting social media invitations. In the message I explain that my reasons are because L-I is not confidential and it’s not intended for career counseling (i.e., it is a professional networking site). I provide information for how to reach me for a confidential exchange. Obviously an individual counselor will need to write something that sounds like him/her interacting in text. By that I mean the counselor needs to figure out the style and tone that fits with who s/he is as a counselor.
3. I have more recently included the same expectations directly on my L-I profile where there is “Advice for Contacting” me, which is a relatively new section of the L-I template. In the message I provide the appropriate channel to reach me and restate that L-I is not confidential or meant for career counseling exchanges.  

I do understand that there might be some career professionals who do interface with employers as much as students. Even in this kind of role, such as on a college campus, your job is not to place people in jobs (as would a staffing agency), rather find ways to broker relationships by creating ways the employers & students can interact (e.g.,http://www.naceweb.org/knowledge/principles/career-services-ethics.pdf). For instance, a career center could establish a group on L-I where employers and students can interact with one another.

My final point – it’s absolutely appropriate to help clients understand how to behave professionally on a networking site such as L-I – how to use it, when to use it, benefits and limitations, getting introduced to others, how to establish rapport online, etc.  – we want to empower people to further their own career development. I’m not sure that we do that by accepting L-I invitations.

Thanks to Lynn for the fab feedback and permission to blog her thoughts!

Follow Lynn on Twitter!  @PSUWC_Career

DeeAnna

The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television. ~ Andrew Ross

Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction

Clark Aldrich

Higher education institutions are increasingly delivering content online, but the content is often not sufficiently engaging. Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds provides a simple and practical guide to identifying when and what kind of games, simulations, and virtual environments should be used, how to get them, how to deploy them, and how to measure their effectiveness. Using frameworks, tips, case studies, real examples, and resources, this cutting-edge tool will help faculty members and instructional designers comfortably use games, simulations, and virtual environments to enhance learning.

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=72

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire PDF version of the article.

As clinicians, we are trained to assess for pathology in the clients we see. In essence this means determining what mental health disturbance is contributing to a person’s inability to function and integrate in an appropriate social manner. We endeavor to help our clients to develop coping skills so they may function socially in a way that allows them to acquire and maintain meaningful relationships. This sometimes requires a creative approach to exploring the client’s pathology and developing strategies that address their mental health needs in a holistic way. This is especially true when the presenting issue is around Internet use, online social networking and/or gaming. We are experiencing an evolution of interpersonal relations and as helping professionals we must look closer at how technology is impacting psychosocial development.

Generations X,Y, and Z (the “Net Generations”) include people who were born between approximately 1961 and 2010 and are comprised of the current and upcoming workforces and their preteen children. This group has always had knowledge of and access to computerized technology and its use for communication. As a result, it has become increasingly interwoven into their experience of daily life and productivity. Most public schools and the majority of colleges and universities teach and assign work that requires the use of computers and networks. Distance teaching via the Internet and conferencing technologies allow children and adults to learn from others all over the world. The majority of individuals who have matured during the last 4 decades have used digital/electronic technology and gaming for entertainment. During this time, computerized communication and social networking have increased at an accelerated rate. The most significant shifts have occurred in the last 10-15 years with the release of innovative networking and digital communications programs and devices that are being used and integrated as quickly as within a few weeks.

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=30

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire PDF version of the article.

Shawn Ware-Avant has provided mental health services to children, adolescents and adults for over a decade. She is skilled using both face-to-face and distance (online, e-mail and avatar) treatment methods and specializes in Online/Cyber Relationships and personal development (social, emotional, spiritual). Shawn also has a passion for treating attachment and regulation challenges (RAD, Autism, Sensory Integration Dysfunction) and enjoys assisting parents of children with disabilities (especially Autism). She is happily married, for 16 years, with 3 children, including a set of twins and a son on the autism spectrum. She works and resides in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

After over a dozen years using technology as a tool to assist the counseling process, I am finally seeing the signs that e-therapy (also referred to as online therapy, distance counseling, telemental health, telepsychology and a host of other terms) may become part of mainstream mental health and wellness delivery! Could it be?  I see headlines like Telemedicine on track for a mainstream breakthrough and I think we are almost there!

What has been most disappointing over the past decade, watching e-clinics come and go- many set up to serve direct to the consumer- is the apparent continuation of the stigma about seeking help for mental health issues. I say that because to date, third party payors such as insurance have not been consistent or abundant regarding mental health care reimbursement that is delivered via technology. And even though the services have been available online, potential clients of mental health have not sought out these services.

For a few of those years I would say that  this represented the fact that technology itself had not hit the mainstream and that was the explanation as to why people would not pay out of pocket for an online counseling session. So I waited. When Facebook hit about 600 million members and the proliferation of mobile devices hit the masses and people were still not reaching out online to pay for mental health interventions, it dawned on me (duh) that a stigma still exists.

One might say, “Why should we pay out of pocket for mental health? We don’t pay out of pocket for healthcare.” That is not totally true though. If I break my arm I am going to seek out care whether I have insurance or not. But most of us won’t pay out of pocket to aid a broken heart or heal from betrayal. And as with the broken arm, it may just be a temporary problem requiring short term intervention.

What are the other signs the stigma still exists? People are paying for coaches, psychics, intuitives and other healing interventions. They pay full fees out of pocket, with no expectation of insurance reimbursement.to buy hope, healing and help from a variety of professionals, both trained and untrained but less so from mental health professionals. While it is good that others are helping, there are some mental health issues that are not temporary and require specific interventions from properly trained mental health providers. And many providers are providing excellent services online via email, chat, audio and video- and now interventions are extending to virtual worlds and gaming.

I know when insurance reimbursement becomes the rule rather than the exception we will see much more uptake of online counseling. In the meantime, if you have the funds and you want quality mental health intervention, consider online options. If you see a counselor already, ask if he/she can deliver services via technology rather than miss a session due to travel, scheduling or other reasons that may cause you to cancel.

The Use of Technology in Mental Health- it’s not just the name of a textbook!

DeeAnna

Virtual Ability is a community of support for people with many kinds of chronic illnesses and disabilities. It resides in the virtual world Second Life. Its function in the virtual world is supported by a nonprofit corporation, Virtual Ability, Inc.

Geographic communities and communities of interest have been widely studied from many perspectives, including social, anthropological, economic, and developmental. Communities within virtual environments are now being examined as those environments become more pervasive, with related research in varied electronic environments dating back over a decade.

In all usages of the term “community,” the affective bonds among members seem to be the most significant defining characteristic (Jones 1997). McMillan and Chavis (1986) outlined a four-dimensional framework describing these bonds. The dimensions include: feelings of membership and belonging; feelings of having and being influenced by the community; feelings of being supported and providing support; and feelings of relationships and emotional connection.

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=58

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire article.

Alice Krueger is president of Virtual Ability, Inc., a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support the participation of persons with disabilities in virtual worlds. She has taught primary through college-level science and special education, conducted educational research for a national laboratory, and has published several academic articles about virtual world participation by persons with disabilities.

I often get asked how to use social media to market a mental health practice. Currently, there are many options to market a practice, and my preferred social media platform is Twitter.

Why Twitter?

Twitter is simple and easy to use. It’s free and can be a powerful community builder. Twitter also does not require a great deal of time to use and can be leveraged throughout the day to connect with others.

Here are 6 ways to use Twitter to market your practice:

1. Complete your profile with a recent picture of yourself, a brief bio about you and your practice. Use the first person to describe yourself. Make sure your account links to your website.
2. Decide on the professional focus of your account. Will you tweet about general mental health or something more specific? The more niched your focus, the better chance to attract your right clients.
3. Do a search on Twitter for the things you are interested in. Type in “depression”, “bipolar”, “online therapy” and see what comes up. Twitter is a powerful search tool. When you see people tweeting things that look interested follow them, so you can receive more of their tweets.

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=68

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire article.

Dr. Susan Giurleo is a psychologist who blogs about health care, small business and social media marketing at http://drsusangiurleo.com. You can connect with her on Twitter at @SusanGiurleo

NEWS FROM THE TRAINING ROOM!

We have launched a new list of  Specialist Certificate Tracks- areas of specialty or concentration! Why?

Because people have asked us for our core training tailored to a specific audience, so we took the most requested topics and a few of our personal favorites and created new offerings!

Each Track consists of 30 hours of course work. The pre-requisite for these varying Tracks is a
30 hour Foundational Cyberculture Series.

View the list here and let us know what is most interesting to you!

• Online Therapy
• Online Coaching
• Online Supervision
• Avatar Identities
• Human Resources
• Peer Support
• Children & Youth
• Cultural Arts
• Dystopian  Studies
• Intuitive Studies

Be sure to check out the details here: http://onlinetherapyinstitute.com/online-training/ Our Certified Professional Coach Training is gaining traction so if you are looking to become a credentialed coach, we offer an online program that qualifies toward the Board Certified  Coach Credential  as well. Here’s where to find out more:http://onlinetherapyinstitute. com/certified-professional-coach/

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COURSE DISCOUNT!

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Our self- directed coach courses are a big hit at the Institute for Life Coach Training (ILCT)! (AND they qualify toward the ICF self-directed allowance for coursework!) See our ILCT offerings! Purchase through ILCT and receive $25.00 off! Use Coupon Code TiLT (offer ends June 1, 2013).

http://lifecoachtraining. com/index.php/programs/ self_directed/

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IN OTHER TRAINING NEWS…

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where are we facilitating workshops live? Check out our Upcoming Events! http://onlinetherapyinstitute.com/events/

DeeAnna is facilitating  Distance Credentialed Counselor trainings in:

August 22, 2013
University of Phoenix – Washington, DC

September 12, 2013
University of Phoenix – Orlando, FL

September 19, 2013
University of Phoenix – Schaumburg, IL

October 10, 2013
Ridgeview Institute – Smyrna, GA

November 6, 2013
University of Phoenix – Philadelphia, PA

For details check out: http://www.readyminds.com/training/dcc_event. asp

Or email: ReadyMindsTraining@phoenix.edu

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MEDIA, PUBLICATIONS & BLOGS

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Kate  was  the subject of Coaching  Today’s “In Focus” feature, describing how her career started and developed, and about her role as Executive Specialist for  Online Coaching  for  the  British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s Coaching Division.

Kate   and   DeeAnna  published AppreciatingCyberculture and the Virtual  Self Within in Self
& Society,  the  Journal of  the  Association for Humanistic Psychology.

Clara Lang, the fictitious therapist featured in our book,  Therapy Online: A Practical  Guide, is now featured at www.claralang.com. Her blog features posts by Online Therapy Institute’s Specialist Certificate students. Check out her website and blog!

Stay tuned! LoriAnn Stretch has joined Kate and DeeAnna in editing a new textbook: The Use of Technology in Clinical Supervision and Training: Mental Health Applications to be published late 2013/ early 2014 by Charles C. Thomas Publishers.

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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

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Find out all the ways to join our community by checking out our community page!
http://onlinetherapyinstitute.com/community/

The latest issue of TILT is out AND a $25 discount offer!

HOT TOPICS:

• Online Therapy and Patient Engagement
• Unlocking the Client’s Internal Dialogue with Virtual Worlds
• Social Skills Groups in the Virtual World
• News from the CyberStreet
• Research Review
• Guilt-Free Pleasures
• Reel Culture
• Student Spotlight
• CyberSupervision
• New Innovations: How to Start Using Apps in Therapy and Coaching
• Marketing Toolbox: 3 Myths & Facts About SEO
• Online Workshop Modules
• For the Love of Books
• Advertiser’s CyberMarket

To download TILT Magazine Issue 14, click here.

Read Our Magazine Today!

• Online Therapy and Patient Engagement
• Unlocking the Client’s Internal Dialogue with Virtual Worlds
• Social Skills Groups in the Virtual World
• Skype & HIPAA: The Vexing Question
• News from the CyberStreet
• Research Review
• Guilt-Free Pleasures
• Reel Culture
• Student Spotlight
• CyberSupervision
• New Innovations: How to Start Using Apps in Therapy and Coaching
• Marketing Toolbox: 3 Myths & Facts About SEO
• Online Workshop Modules
• For the Love of Books
• Advertiser’s CyberMarket

To download TILT Magazine Issue 14, click here.

Read Our Magazine Today!

Login2Life is a documentary that reviews various uses of Second Life and World of Warcraft from a positive lens and captures the essence of online community and real relationships in cyberspace. As the news across the globe is filled with the negative consequences of gaming and technology, and as the helping professions debate about how the constant connectivity of our culture is breaking down our ability as humans to form real and lasting relationships, Login2Life busily and rather diminutively demonstrates how avatars can offer new life for many.

Take for instance Corey, a quadriplegic whose world literally came crashing down around him after a devastating car accident. Now with the aid of his mother and other personal care assistants, he remains at home most of the time with limited mobility. And yet he experiences rich and meaningful encounters in the game World of Warcraft. His mother becomes involved in Second Life and finds an outlet for her story- the story of her son and his disability.

There is Kevin, who makes a living by simulating sex acts in real life so that avatars within virtual worlds can experience a sexual connection with someone else. He is part of the virtual sex industry and in the process, helps people who may not have the opportunity for sexual expression due to disability or other life circumstances to be able to engage in sexual expression and connection.

… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltiss8?mode=window&pageNumber=47

This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.

Click here to read the entire article.

Kate Anthony, DPsych, FBACP and DeeAnna Nagel, LPC, DCC are joint Managing Editors of TILT Magazine and co-founders of the Online Therapy Institute and the Online Coach Institute.