Counseling Through Telecommunication

1255 Words6 Pages
Introduction The development of the Internet has completely changed the way we communicate with one another. The Internet has bridged gaps between people, cultures, societies, and even nations. It “has changed our style of relating to one another, not only in terms of technique, but also in terms of expression, language, and social exchange.” (Attridge, 2004, p. 87) That being said, it would be foolish to not use the internet in the counseling profession as well, after all, its is a profession based in communication. Counseling through The Internet is anything from email exchange from therapist to client to actual sessions being conducted through “chat” or live video. Therapists who use telecommunication sometimes refer to it as Internet counseling, Internet Therapy, Cyber Counseling, Cyber Therapy, e-Therapy, NetCounseling, WebCounseling, among others (Attridge, 2004). This type of therapy allows the therapist to branch out and increase their client base. This would also be helpful when it comes to scheduling and clients that travel. However, there are many ethical implications to working on the Internet, and proper precautions must be taken. Challenges of Telecommunication The first challenge telecommunication is that it can be a strain on the client- therapist relationship. The lack of face-to-face therapy in person is that it can inhibit the ability to foster and maintain trust. The lack of personal contact can also make it difficult to for the counselor to effectively engage in their personal style within the online environment. Internet delivery mediums in general do not allow for certain therapeutic techniques; especially those that rely on verbal or visual cues. Some therapists feel this takes away the humanistic side of therapy and does not allow for proper emotional expression from the client to trigger the needed response from the therapist. Using
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