Virtual World Consultancy
Kate and DeeAnna educate about the impact of technology on mental health ranging from online counseling skills to blogging, social networks and virtual worlds. These trainings occur within organizational and employer settings through continuing education opportunities and at conferences, conventions and symposiums.
The ability to thoroughly demonstrate technology such as the Second Life virtual world platform is sometimes difficult due to time constraints, technological set up or other issues that confine the learning process. We now offer individual consultation inworld on the topics listed below.
We are available to meet with mental health clinicians, teachers and other professionals to discuss basics of working inworld.
We meet with you inworld and discuss basics about how Second Life works, what communicating as an avatar is like, and what the benefits and disadvantages of working inworld might be for professionals.
We also provide insight into “being” in a virtual world. While you may not choose to provide services inworld, your client, customer or student’s “second life” may be influencing and impacting how he or she maneuvers in their “first life.” Having the experience of being inworld will assist you in better understanding your clientele and other peer professionals who have an avatar presence.
We are available to meet with clients, trainees and supervisees who wish to experience communicating as an avatar.
If you are an existing client or supervisee you may wish to experience being inworld. You may want to learn to communicate as an avatar and realize what it might be like to be in a virtual world setting with someone that you have already identified as safe.
While this experience can be an extension of the therapeutic process, Kate and DeeAnna limit meetings inworld to consultative and educative endeavors. Clients and supervisees are encouraged not to discuss personal matters inworld due to issues of confidentiality.
We are available to meet with individuals who want a better understanding of the emotional impact of having an identity in a virtual world.
You may be a partner or parent, family member or friend who is experiencing misunderstandings, confusion, or curiosity about others’ presence in Second Life. We can assist you in understanding avatars, inworld experiences and the blurred lines that may occur when someone maintains a first and second life. If you have a presence in Second Life already and you are struggling with identity blurs with increasing difficulty separating your first life from your second life, we can assist you through a process similar to avatar therapy. We educate Second Lifers who experience emotional responses to their created “other” life. If you find yourself experiencing radically different or new emotions since embarking in the virtual world, if you have a difficult time separating your second life from your first, or if your second life is hidden, causing additional stress in your life, we can help.
For more information: How We Work in Second Life and Avatar Therapy Specialist Certificate
Cost consideration: Contact info@onlinetherapyinstitute.com for pricing. General session times range from 30 minutes to 2 hours in length.
