In response to your peers, discuss the positive impacts of using online counseling services.
1# Teletherapy has been around for many years. I started becoming more popular once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I think that counseling via the Internet has its pros and cons. In the other course I am currently taking, we discussed how teletherapy has become popular, the advantages and disadvantages, and how we think it will help us in our practice. I see how teletherapy can be effective and how it can be ineffective. Some specific ethical questions that need to be raised are privacy, confidentiality, security issues/data breaches, and being able to observe the clients’ body language. There are many more ethical questions that should be raised with teletherapy. “Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security Issues Among concerns about privacy, confidentiality, security, and safety in online psychotherapy, one relates to using unsecured websites or unencrypted communication tools, like commercially available software that is easily hacked. Data security may also be compromised when technology fails, with potential breaches of confidentiality that might extend beyond the therapist’s control (Stoll et al., 2020).” ” Ethical issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, self-disclosure, boundaries, and multiple relationships can have special significance when Internet technologies are involved. A significant ethical concern pertains to who is actually on the other end when providing distance counseling (Corey, 2019).” I would be comfortable with using this form of technology in my counseling practice. I think that teletherapy can be very effective and beneficial as office-based therapy.
Question: What are some drawbacks to online therapy?
2# Counseling via the Internet is a form of online therapy that can benefit people who need mental health support. There are many advantages available with this option of treatment. First, online therapy can be more accessible, convenient, and affordable than in-person therapy, providing a greater choice of therapists to suit different needs and preferences. It can also help reduce stigma and barriers associated with seeking help for mental health issues (Cherry, 2022).
However, online therapy also poses some challenges and ethical issues that may need to be addressed. Some disadvantages and concerns of online therapy include that it may not provide the same level of rapport, intimacy, and nonverbal communication as in-person therapy (Cherry, 2022). Because of the lack of familiarity, online treatment may not be suitable for people with severe or complex mental health problems or needing medication or crisis intervention. There may be confidentiality, security, and privacy issues, especially if the online platform is not encrypted or secure (Stringer, n.d.).
How would you handle a patients mental health crisis, thorough online counseling?