Internet therapy and self help groups - the pros and cons.
by Storm A. King & Danielle Moreggi
October, 1998This work is a chapter for the Academic Press book "Psychology and the Internet", edited by Jayne Gackenbach. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by Academic Press. This material may not be copied or reposted without explicit permission. (Copyright 1998 by Academic Press).
Cite as;
King, S. A & Moreggi, D. (1998). Internet therapy and self help groups - the pros and cons. In J. Gackenbach (Ed.), Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and Transpersonal Implications (pp. 77-109). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Table of Contents
11. The psychology of text based relationships.
11. A. The value of online group participation.111. Self-help online.
111. A. Review of the research on online self-help.1V. Support groups online.
1V A.. Hypothetical model.
1V. B. Discussion of hypothetical model case.
1V. C. Support for this model.V. Therapy Online.
V. A. Clinical Concerns of Online Therapy.
V. B. Survey data.
V. C. Ethical concerns.
V. D. Diagnostic Considerations.Chapter Summary:
This chapter will review the current efforts of mental health workers who offer fee based services over the, both by e-mail and in chat rooms. The ethical, legal and moral implications of this world-wide phenomena are evaluated. Statements from on-line practitioners that demonstrate ethical approaches are included. An overview of the types of and nature of on-line self-help, mutual aid groups is provided, and the nature of the interpersonal relationships in the forums is described. The positive aspects of involvement in such virtual support groups is delineated, and the drawbacks are reviewed.
The use of such groups as an adjunct to traditional therapy is set forth, and examples are given of the ability to connect peers with rare disorders, for which no real life self-help exists.Biographical Statement:
Storm A. King graduated from a a clinical psychology program. He has been researching the value of on-line support groups since 1993, and has published ethical guidelines for the reporting of the results of studies on Internet communities. He has suggested various ways that psychologist can use the Internet as an adjunct to therapy, and has developed protocols for using on-line self-help support groups as a training tool in the teaching of clinical psychology. He has used his extensive knowledge of the interpersonal aspects of relations to create a training course called "Integrating advanced
communication technology in clinical psychology practice."The information revolution rolls on, don't let it roll over you :-)
Created and maintained by Storm A. King
last updated 01/2006
