Over the course of the semester, my knowledge on online counseling has greatly increased. I now have a better understanding of what online counseling is, what it entails and what the implications are. Online counseling is so much more than just providing services using the internet. There are legal and ethical implications to consider and theoretical backgrounds to understand.

Today, not many therapists have completely integrated online counseling to their practices. Some use some aspects such as chat or email communication, but are not completely a online counseling practice. Over the next 5-10 years, I definitely see an increase in the number of certified, licensed online counselors. I think that over the next few years there will be a clearer definition and understanding of the ethical guidelines that are needed to practice counseling online, which is what is lacking right now from the field. Once there are clearer, more specified guidelines that therapists are required to follow, I think our society will definitely see an increase in the use of online counseling. Online counseling has so much to offer in regards to time management and accessibility; however it needs to be marketed appropriately and ethically.  

I definitely feel that video conferencing and emails will the most used tools for online counseling. With all the technology available on our personal phones today, video conferencing or chatting is not a difficult task. It can be done on the go and with ease.  Looking at my own future, I definitely will consider using technology in my practice. I am a fan of technology and see no reason not to use it to communicate with clients that are on the move and have time constraints.

Overall, in my opinion, the field of online counseling is definitely moving in the right direction and will soon be widely used. 

I have not yet started my internship for graduate school, and the only other internship i have had is during my undergrad. I worked with an agency called CASA but i basically did paperwork for them. The only place i can think of that can incorporate technology more is my current job.  The clients i work with are all Autistic, with varied levels of funcitonality. A few of my clients currently use ipads and ipods to communicate their wants and needs. It is amazing to see how a simple product like an ipad allows my clients to communicate who would otherwise be non- verbal. Everytime i think of technology and the field of Autism, i have one particular client that comes to mind. He is extremely high functioning, and has mentioned to me a couple of times that he would like to visit a therpaist, but doesnt want other staff members knowing of this. All through the course of this class, i keep thinking about how online counseling would be the best fit for him. He wouldnt have to leave the surroundings of his apartment, and wouldnt need to rely on staff to take him to the appointment. He has learned how to log onto a computer and send emails. Online video counseling would work wonders for him. The use of technology is pretty well incorporated in terms of communication with the agency's clients, however it would be of great help if we could incorportate online counseling for that one particular client as well as others of that functioning level. 

Over the past decade our society has seen a huge increase in technology usage and the inclusion of technology in our everyday lives. The field of counseling has also seen an increase in the use of technology with the increase knowledge and acceptance of online counseling. Authors  Aaron B Rochlen, Jason S. Zack and Cedric Speyer , in their article “ Online Therapy : Review of Relevant Definitions, Debates and Current Empirical Support “, define online counseling as any type of professional therapeutic interaction that makes use of the Internet to connect qualified mental health professionals and their clients. ((Rochlen, Zack & Speyer, 2004)  I agree with the authors on this definition, because online counseling is simply that. The use of the internet combined with a professional and a client to provide counseling services.  At first, online counseling seems like such a easy concept to put together. From an outside viewpoint, all you would need to be successful as an online counselor is the internet, email or IM connections and a client data base. It wasn't till we started out projects and discussion board posts in the class that i realized how much more goes into running and keeping a successful online counseling set up going.  

 The first thing that i learnt was that online counseling requires a lot more than an internet connection and a computer. Todays technology is advanced, yet there an individuals and software that can trump the advancement and result in security breaches and privacy leaks. Traditional therapy focusses on confidentiality, following ethical guidelines and privacy of clients . This carries over to online counseling as well. In my opinion, keeping confidentiality and ensuring privacy is much more difficult to ensure online than with traditional counseling. Once information is put in the vast space of web, it is unfortunately available for any individual who knows their way around the web. As counselors practicing online counseling, we need to find solutions and techniques to ensure that client information is not accessible by anyone. Safeguarding client information is an added challenge to online counseling. Through the course of the semester, i also realized that online counseling faces the challenge of jurisdictions as well. In one aspect online counseling makes the counselor available to a larger population. However with that said, state licensing limits the population that a counselor can work with. If u am a counselor licensed in the state of NY, and a client from Colorado wishes to seek my services, i unfortunately have to turn the client down, because legally i cannot provide services as i am not licensed in the state of Colorado. I am still unclear about the jurisdictions and how they work, but the way i see it, we are still limited to the individuals in our states of licensing. 

 For the past five years, i have been working with adults with autism, and have gotten the chance to witness first hand how technology plays a role in their lives in terms of communication. At some point in the future, i would love to see how online counseling can be used to work with individuals who are higher functioning and able to communicate. I currently work with an individual who is actually considering visiting a counselor. It actually got be thinking about how i can help him find a counselor who practices online counseling, because then he can work with the counselor from the group home and not worry about having a ride there or other staff knowing about his sessions. Definitely gave me something to think about and something to plan for toward the future . 

Exploring my fellow classmates e-portfolios and blackboard posts has really given me an insight into what others in the counseling field think and what their opinions are. We all are pretty much on the same page in regards to concerns and issues with online counseling, but what i find interesting is how we all come from different backgrounds and have different areas of interest.  For instance Tiffany mentioned in her e-portfolio that she is interested in pursuing a medical career after graduation. I found it very interesting to see how she connected concepts of online counseling to the field of medicine with the use of technology. Daniel in his post on blackboard on support groups stated that he is interested in pursuing a doctorate in Industrial Psychology and created his support group based on that. It was a nice change to see a support group for working individuals. Through the various blackboard posts and portfolio projects, many of questions and concerns were eased and answered. While typing this post i just realized that in a way our class group is like a support group in itself. We all share some amounts of the same concerns and questions and we all in a way find a way to answer each others questions through posts and bringing to light ideas and solutions. 

Reference : 

Rochlen, A., Zack, J., & Speyer, C. (2004). Online therapy: Review of relevant definitions, debates, and current empirical support. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 60(3), 269-283.

So far in the course, my knowledge on online counseling has drastically increased. Taking this course has made me realize the intricate details that go into making online counseling a successfull practice, and what the limitations are. This weeks tasks of finding websites, and creating our own mock website, really made me realize how even the most minute details can make or break a website and an  online practice.  Looking for already functioing websites allowed to sit in the ' clients ' seat and i got a sense of what potential clients will be looking for. Creating my own mock website, gave me the chance to think as a online counselor, and see what i would need to appeal to my clients. 

Online Counseling has always interested me and i am glad i get to learn more about it through this course. Confidentiality and privacy are my main concerns along with how insurance works with online counseling. I think online counseling is a great alternative to the traditional face to facce counseling process especially for individuals with disabilities, anxiety disorders and even those individuals who have non flexible work schedules. In my opinon online counsling will be widely accepted in the next few years and will open doors for the field of psychology.