Online Counseling: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals

Providers and consumers of mental health services are increasingly making use of the internet to gather information, consult, and participate in psychotherapy. This Handbook gives practical insight into how professionals can translate their practice to an online medium. Divided into four sections, section one provides an overview of how the internet has become an integral part of people's lives, and the research to date on the use and effectiveness of counseling online, as well as idiosyncrasies of online behavior and communication. Section two discusses the "practical" aspects of counseling online, including technological issues, ethical and legal issues, and business issues. Section three focuses on performing psychotherapy online, including online treatment strategies and skills, working with online groups, online testing and assessment, and international and multicultural issues in online counseling. The last section discusses the future of online counseling.

The Handbook is intended for those professionals interested in the burgeoning telehealth movement and to those practicing therapists looking for ways to expand their practices online and/or to help round out treatment to specific patients who might benefit from online therapy in addition to traditional delivery.

* Foreword by Morgan Sammons and Patrick DeLeon, past president of the American Psychological Association
* The first comprehensive textbook designed to give clinicians and mental health students everything they need to understand and start providing mental health services via the Internet
* Each chapter includes study questions and key terms, making it ideal for use in graduate or continuing education settings
* Includes clear and comprehensive chapters on research and technology related to online counseling
* Contributors include past, present, and elected presidents of the International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO), the Inernet's leading resource for professionals interested in online counseling and other methods of delivering mental health services via the Internet