A 2015 study (Brown, 2015) showed that the average American adult spends around 11+ hours on electronic devices per day. With an increasingly large amount of communication being done online, why not bring therapy into the electronic age? Online therapy has many benefits and has already proven to be effective. There are many trained professionals who are ready to provide different methods of counsel to many people. First I will discuss the benefits of e-therapy and how it’s already proven to be effective, next I will talk about the different methods of counsel available. Finally I will discuss some concerns surrounding e-therapy and possible solutions, and some problems that the movement still is faced with.
Different Types of E-therapy
E-therapy
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Probably the most obvious one is that in some cases observable behaviors aren’t present. Eye contact and body language are key in examining feelings that people aren’t always forthcoming with. If the therapist isn’t able to view clothing or hygiene habits they miss out on some good insight into the mental state of the person. A possible solution to this is to conduct an extensive face to face initial meeting, when possible, so that the therapist has a base to go on before making any diagnosis. Another cause for concern in e-therapy is how can it be ensured that therapists who are proficient in verbal communication are also well versed in text based communication? A crucial part to this method of treatment is that the therapist needs to be able to convey emotion and clear context even though they may not be speaking verbally. To ensure that they are able to do this the licensing board, or some form of committee, could set up a simulation where those interested in e-therapy must prove that they possess the necessary skills. There is also the concern that the ease of access would make it so patients don’t attempt to self soothe, one patient said “There’s that comfort of carrying your doctor around with you like a security blanket, but because he’s more accessible, I feel like I need him less” (Hoffman, 2011). In traditional face to face therapy the provider sometimes must get …show more content…
For example, therapists are licensed differently depending on the state. So if therapy is being conducted across state lines, should the therapists or the clients’ licensing laws apply? If the therapists’ state license laws are followed then the patient might not be getting the same quality of care that would be guaranteed to them in their own state. Following the clients’ laws doesn’t make sense, how can they follow the laws that they were never licensed for? It could be argued that the therapist must be licensed in both their state and the clients state, but that would significantly cut down on the amount of available e-therapists. It’s a pain to get licenses in one state, not many people would willingly go through that all over again. One of the most common roadblocks for online therapy is insurance companies. More insurance companies are starting to cover e-therapy than ever before, but it’s still a struggle and not all are on board just yet. There’s no easy solution to this problem since insurance companies operate on their own. Since this form of therapy is still a relatively new concept it will most likely just take time and more studies that show the benefits before this problem really goes away. The final problem facing e-therapy isn’t something that can be fixed. Medication cannot be prescribed through online therapy. This is
“Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of our Era”, “‘Plug In’ Better: A Manifesto”, and “Your Brain on Computers”: A Critical Analysis of the Efficacy of the Methods by which the Authors Convey Their Ideas Technology and our exposure to it are changing our lives; of this there is no doubt. The issue regarding what form that change will take and the effects of it on our physical and emotional health, however, are more contentious, and experts’ opinions on it run the gamut. In “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of our Era”, neurologist Dr. Richard Restak examines what effect technology has on our brains, and posits that technology, as well as the increasing demand on our brains to perform multiple tasks at once, is causing a decrease In “‘Plug In’ Better: A Manifesto”, technology writer and commentator Dr. Alexandra Samuel states that she believe that there is a middle ground between completely “plugging in” and “unplugging”. She states that we should approach our online interactions in the same ways we approach our offline ones.
Montague and Asan (2013) did a field study where 100 patients’ ages 18 through 65 were observed and video recorded during their visit in a primary health clinic. The researchers wanted to see how much communication and eye contact the physicians would do with their patients when using paper charting compared to using computer charting in the EHR. The results of the study showed that physicians paid more attention to the EHR on the computer then they did their actual patients 46.5% of the time and 79% when they used paper charting (Montague & Asan, 2013). The studies showed that EHRs could hinder communication between patients and their
When it comes to the topic of technological advances, most of us agree that they are beneficial to humans. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether or not Generation Z is at risk. Whereas, some are convinced that we have become cyborgs and are enslaved to devices that lie in our pockets. Others however, maintain that it can be both beneficial and detrimental. In “We Are All Cyborgs Now,” Amber Case argues that, although there are challenges with online socialization, being able to connect online helps to humanize us in new ways. In “Generation Z: online and at risk” Nicholas Kardaras disagrees, asserting that people with addictive personalities, particularly young people, are risking their mental health by favoring their online connections over their ordinary ones.
states how our emotions such as empathy are starting to deplete, for example, psychologist Sara Konrath and her team at the University of Michigan, found there has been a 40 percent decline in empathy among college students. Although the article discusses how we can substitute technology with solitude, it is specified as an uneasy task to break the addiction we have developed for our phones. She believes solitude is important for human thoughts to expand and grow. Sherry Turkle’s article gives the impression that we need to utilize our advanced technology as a tool rather than allow it to silence our natural emotions for those of the virtual
Prinz, L., Cramer, M. & Englund, A. (2008). Telehealth: A policy analysis for quality, impact on
Implementing technology in a clinical setting is not easy and cannot be successful without a well-organized system. It is important that healthcare providers understand the electronic medication administration record (eMAR) and its role in improving patient safety. One of the most significant aspects of healthcare is the safety of our patients. Medication errors account for 44,000-98,000 deaths per year, more deaths than those caused by highway accidents or breast cancer. Several health information technologies help to reduce the number of medication errors that occur. Once of these technologies is bar-code-assisted medication administration (BCMA). These systems are designed to ensure that the right drug is being administered via the right
The very first thing we learned about at the beginning of the quarter in MCP 630, Theory and Techniques of Counseling Psychotherapy, was that becoming a professional counselor or psychologist requires the therapist to develop a personal theory of counseling. Such a theory encompasses a variety of theories, extensive knowledge within the field, experience, ethical foundation, and personal attributes. When personal models of therapy were discussed initially in class on the first day, a few therapies came to mind right away that I knew I would want to include in my personal model of therapy, such as Client-Centered Therapy, Behavior Therapy, and Cognitive Therapy. Yet as the quarter went on and
Many practices across the globe have strict prohibitions against having any intimate relationship with any sort of client. Mixing emotion and intense connection between that of a therapist and a client is extremely dangerous. If anything, negative were to occur during said relationship, things such as suicide or loss of will to succeed will come into fruition. Abstaining from personal relationships like these limits any negative fallouts per said realm of dual
...ing online counseling also tends to break down some of the barriers that typically prevent potential clients from showing up at the office do. Online counseling also allows for more flexibility, both for the counselor and the client. The same holds true for online supervision.technology gives those clients the ability to access services in nontraditional ways and in ways that work for their schedule. The advent of social media allows counselors to become their own advertising specialists instead of hiring one” (Shallcross, 2011).
Mishna, F., Bogo, M., Root, J., Sawyer, J., & Khoury-kassabri, M. (2012). "It just crept in": The digital age and implications for social work practice. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(3), 277-286. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10615-012-0383-4
Technology has changed the existing cultural climate of social work practice and advocacy. Much of the manner in which technology has challenged social interactions is a direct result of the use of information technology for communication in innovative patterns and exchanges (Baker, Warburton, Hodgkin, & Pascal, 2014). Social work practitioners are developing their skillsets to embrace societal evolvement as a matter of adaptability. The power of technology brings about collective practice, increased awareness, promotes social justice, and elicits the changes intended by social work advocacy (Bent-Goodley, 2015). Although there is resistance in embracing technology, much of the strengths are in current and future technological
There are many who would choose electronics over face to face. “The internet has ushered in an era in which people are able to communicate with more people, faster and in more ways than before” (“online and offline” 1). “The percentages of teens that interact with one another on social networking websites is seventy three percent, that is unbelievable” (Ferriter 1). “Also there are over five hundred billion minutes per month on Facebook, and that is not just teens but all ages” (Ferriter 2). “On twitter there are fifty million messages that are posted each day” (Ferriter 2). Not to mention “YouTube has twenty four hours of new video uploaded every minute and receives two billion daily page views” (Ferriter 2). Many also agree that social media allows talking to or seeing loved ones that are far away and too hard to drive to see. Connecting online can not only help yourself but also others. While on a blogging website cr...
It is important not to let technology interrupt what is important for mental health. Next time while at the dinner table put the phone down and communicate with family members. Try to limit time on the internet and simply do as many activities as possible without technology. Technology may help the world but is not beneficial when it comes to the people using it, technology is truly taking a turn for the
Johnson, William D. "Internet and Modern Society." Dept. of Medicine. 24 Jan. 2006. University of Wyoming. 2 June 2008 .
We invest more in talking online than talking face to face. Overuse of machines has numerous negative impacts, for example, creating physical/behavioral sicknesses, harming family connections and diminishing scholarly study. Above all else, when a computer turns into the essential issue of an individual's life, they experience a conversion in behavior; they feel that they cannot live without a computer. The normal thing to see with youngsters who have been permitted to invest an excess of time on the computer, optically watching TV, or playing video games and when it is to stop, they have temper tantrums. But it is not only a matter of behavioral progressions when individuals can’t tear themselves away from the screen long enough to join in with whatever possible action, it can take a toll on their comfort and health.