Become an Affiliate! A new way to partner with Online Therapy Institute!
We have offered our Get Verified and Get Promoted program for over a year now and we are please to offer yet another way to partner with Online Therapy Institute through our new Affiliate Program!
Training Innovation Affiliate Program
Put some extra in money in your pocket while spreading the word about Online Therapy Institute and Online Coach Institute’s training and practice building services! It’s our way of saying thank you for your kind referrals. As experts in teaching helping professionals how to integrate technology into their work with clients, our focus is to train and promote qualified practitioners and service providers who are dedicated to working ethically online. By spreading the word about our services, you can help to share important and valuable information – and be rewarded in return for sharing our mission! Do you know colleagues that could benefit from our online workshops? Do you know businesses that could benefit from becoming Verified and Promoted through us? Our workshops and advanced trainings are self-paced and affordable! We verify and promote products and services that represent our mission!
Make a difference by letting your colleagues know about the ethical and practical issues of working with clients online and let us reward you for your efforts. Preview our Products and Services offered through the Affiliate Program!
- The Training Innovation Affiliate Program pays you 10% of each product or service purchase you refer to us!
- Free access to the Training Innovation Affiliate Resource Center where you can generate links that will automatically track all of your sales!
- The best part…it’s COMPLETELY FREE to sign up!
Click below to become an affiliate today…it’s FAST and it’s FREE!
Training Innovation Affiliate Program
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Making the Most of your OTI/OCI FREE Membership!
I was making (one of) my daily visits to the Online Therapy Institute and Online Coach Institute social network today, and was reminded how great the technologies are in keeping like-minded people in touch and being easily able to spread news, articles, tweets and conference notifications.
Are YOU using your free social network membership as well as you might? Here’s a reminder of what benefits are waiting for you:
- See other member’s pics and profiles – search the membership to find colleagues and friends working in your field – and create and edit your own profile so people can find YOU. Remember, we have over 1150 members!
- Sign up for TILT magazine – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology – FREE quarterly publication
- Find us in Second Life – pop in and have a look around – and don’t forget to join us for our FREE monthly open-office hours to ask your questions. Remember – you don’t have to be IN Second Life to take part, you can view the livestream and chat to us through our partnership with OnlinEvents!
- Check out our member’s tweets from the homepage – constantly updated and streamed!
- Have a look at what other people are talking about at our FORUMS
- Add conferences and networking opportunities to our EVENT calendar
- Write your own BLOG – we welcome blogs about technology, coaching and therapy – and any mix of them!
- Link to our Facebook pages for TILT and both of the Institutes – get regular updates from us via your Facebook feed by clicking “like”
Finally – get your OWN website badge to display that you are part of a vibrant, dedicated, growing organisation looking after your Professional Development and Training needs.
Visit Online Therapy Institute & Online Coach Institute Social Network
I look forward to hearing more from our members through this great resource!
Kate
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Happy Holidays from Online Therapy Institute!
We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season! Here at Online Therapy Institute we are are preparing for a new year with much to offer!
What? Offer? Like What?
We have more courses coming, we will be launching a shiny new directory and getting verified will be a streamlined process that dovetails with promotion and marketing!
Our magazine is already planned thru mid 2012 with great articles coming your way! And of course you will still be able to find us in all the usual place – at our social network, twitter, Linkedin and Facebook!
We will continue our monthly Open Office Hours- which has been a huge success and gives people an opportunity to ask questions and listen to others interested in, and already doing the work!
Best Wishes during this holiday season!
Kate and DeeAnna
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Launch night of the new RAMP Guide for Online Services
It was my pleasure to be invited to the launch night of the new Risk Awareness and Management Programme (RAMP) for Delivering Mental Well-Being Services Online at the New Savoy Partnership Conference in London on the 24th November.
The lead author of the document, Dr Rachel O’Connell, gave a speech citing the Online Therapy Institute as one of the valuable contributors to the Guide, and we were proud to take part amongst such esteemed organisations such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vodafone, Facebook, NSPCC and TalkingSense. Our Ethical Framework for the Use of Social Media by Mental Health Professionals is referenced in the publication as one of many useful resources.
We look forward to taking part in more initiatives such as the RAMP Guide in working towards better online safety and the ethical provision of online services!
Kate
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Encrypting Health and Wellness Information
We receive many inquiries about encryption and many of the questions are with regard to finding a suitable platform to conduct online therapy. All therapeutic communication should be encrypted but what does that mean? Well, it means that the message is scrambled so that if anyone (a hacker, for instance) intercepts the message, it will not be readable. See the example below:
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Determining which platform to use, or whether or not to build an in-house solution can be confusing. In the United States, practitioners must be aware of HIPAA laws as well. While Online Therapy Institute is an international organization, HIPAA, for all of the confusion surrounding it, provides a solid stepping stone for practitioners everywhere in determining how to deliver services most confidentially.
This link provides excellent information about encryption based on HIPAA requirements and sets the standard for encryption services across the globe. The document was written by the American Medical Association to address telehealth and PHI (Protected Health Information) but serves as a guide for any person or organization seeking to encrypt mental health services.
Caution! This document contains a lot of tech speak but don’t be afraid! If you are not tech savvy, pass this along to your IT department or ask questions of the 3rd party platform based on this document’s contents.
http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/psa/hipaa-phi-encryption.pdf
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Are you an Online Therapist? Help us with research! We need your input!
We want to find out more about how you work with clients online!
Have you ever wondered if other practitioners require a face-to-face session prior to distance sessions? Perhaps you are curious about the number of practitioners offering services outside their own state/province. Steven Starks, a graduate student in mental health counseling at Walden University, has proposed a survey investigating current practices, knowledge, and training in distance counseling.
The survey design was a collaborative effort, incorporating the input of DeeAnna Merz Nagel, Kate Anthony, and Stephen Goss. Your responses are completely anonymous and the results will be published in Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology (TILT) Magazine. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
To participate in the survey, you must be able to practice independently in your geographical/jurisdictional area. Your participation is vital to this project as a large number of respondents will yield a more realistic picture of current trends in the industry.
If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email Steven Starks at skrats6@yahoo.com.
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DEADLINE FOR SURVEY COMPLETION: DECEMBER 31, 2011
COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE:
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When Virtual Reality Meets Offline Life
Research Review by Stephen Goss, Ph.D.
Stephen Goss’s new article in the November 2011 issue of TILT gives a small sampling of the wealth of research materials that have been developed over the past two decades. For reasons of space, his full Reference List appears here!
It has long been known that behaviours learned or practiced in virtual environments have the potential to impact on offline behaviour and that these carry clear implications for their relevance to counselling, psychotherapy and coaching. This brief article can only give a small sampling of the wealth of research materials that have been developed over the past two decades.
As long ago as the mid-1990s, when contemporary reports still described virtual environments as being in their infancy (McComas et al, 1998), Riva et al (1998) already noted that “Virtual Reality (VR) offers the potential to develop human testing and training environments that allow for the precise control of complex stimulus presentations in which human cognitive and functional performance can be accurately assessed and rehabilitated.”…read the complete article…
References
Anthony, K. (2000) Counselling in Cyberspace. BACP Counselling Journal. 11(10), pp. 625-627.
Anthony, K., Nagel, D.M. and Goss, S. (2010) The Use of Technology in Mental Health: Applications, Ethics and Practice. Springfield, Il.: CC Thomas.
Anton, R., Opris, D., Dobrean, A., David, D. And Rizzo, A. (2009) Virtual reality in the rehabilitation of attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. Proceedings of the IEEE Virtual Rehabilitation 2009 International Conference, June 29-July 2, Haifa, Israel.
Balandin, S. (2011) Participation by adults with lifelong disability: More than a trip to the bowling alley. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 13(3), pp. 207-217.
Botella C. (et al.), (1998) Virtual reality treatment of claustrophobia: a case report, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), February, pp. 239-246.
Botella, C. (et al.) (2000) Virtual reality in the treatment of claustrophobic fear: a controlled, multiple-baseline design. Behavior Therapy 31, pp. 583–595.
Botella, C., Breton-Lopez, J., Quero, S., Banos, R. M., Garcia-Palacios, A., Zaragoza, I. and Alcaniz, M. (2011) Treating cockroach phobia using a serious game on a mobile phone and augmented reality exposure: A single case study. Computers in Human Behavior. 27(1), pp. 217-227.
Bouchard, S. (2011) Could virtual reality be effective in treating children with phobias? Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 11(2), pp. 207-213.
Bunning, K., Heath, B. and Minnion, A. (2009) Communication and Empowerment: A Place for Rich and Multiple Media? Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 22(4), pp. 370-379.
Davis, D. (2011) Exploring the media effects of three-dimensional online immersive worlds and how they impact both virtual and real social capital. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences. 72(1-A), p. 17.
Difede, J. and Hoffman, H.G. (2002) Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for World Trade Center Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report. Cyber Psychology and Behaviour, 5(6), pp. 529-535 Available at http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/hunter/wtcbrenda.pdf. Accessed 11th October, 2011.
Durkin, K. (2010) Videogames and Young People With Developmental Disorders. Review of General Psychology. 14(2), pp. 122-140.
Gilbert, R., Murphy, N. and Avalos, M.C. (2011) Realism, idealization, and potential negative impact of 3D virtual relationships. Computers in Human Behavior. 27(5), pp. 2039-2046.
Gorini, A., Gaggioli, A., Vigna, C. and Riva, G. (2011) A second life for eHealth: Prospects for the use of 3-D virtual worlds in clinical psychology. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 10(3), pp. 88-98.
Green-Hamann, S., Campbell Eichhorn, K. and Sherblom, J.C. (2011) An exploration of why people participate in Second Life social support groups. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 16(4), pp. 465-491.
Ku, J., Han, K., Lee, H., Jang, H., Kim, K., Park, S., Kim, J., Kim, C., Kim, I. and Kim, S. (2007) VR-based conversation training program for patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary clinical trial. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 10(4), pp. 567-574.
Jarrold, W.L., Solomon, M., Bailenson, J., Gwaltney, M., Ozonoff, S., and Mundy, P.C. (2010) Using virtual reality to provide controlled ecologically valid social interaction paradigms for studying cognitive control and initiating joint attention. Paper presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), Philadelphia, May.
McComas, J., Pivik, J. and Laflamme, M. (1998) Current uses of virtual reality for children with disabilities. In G. Riva, B.K. Wiederhold and E. Molinari (Eds) Virtual Environments in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience: Methods and Techniques in Advanced Patient-therapist Interaction. Amsterdam, NL: IOP.
Mundy, P. (2010) Virtual reality: An intervention for autism. UC Davis Medical Center. Available at http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/features/2010-2011/09/20100916_MIND_virtual-autism.html. Accessed 11th October, 2011.
Parsons, T., Bowerly, T., Buckwalter, J., and Rizzo, A. (2007) A controlled clinical comparison of attention performance in children with ADHD in a virtual reality. Child Neuropsychology, 13, pp. 363-381.
Parsons, T. and Rizzo, A. (2008) Affective outcomes of virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety and specific phobias: a metaanalysis. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 39, pp. 250-61.
Powers, M. and Emmelkamp, P. (2007) Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22, pp. 561-9.
Riva, G., Wiederhold, B.K. and Molinari, E. (Eds) (1998) Virtual Environments in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience: Methods and Techniques in Advanced Patient-therapist Interaction. Amsterdam, NL: IOP.
Rizzo A., Newman B., Parsons T., Reger G., Difede J., Rothbaum B.O., Mclay R.N., Holloway K., Graap K., Newman B., Spitalnick J., Bordnick P., Johnston S. and Gahm G. (2009) Development and Clinical Results from the Virtual Iraq Exposure Therapy Application for PTSD. Proceedings of the IEEE Virtual Rehabilitation 2009 International Conference, June 29-July 2, Haifa, Israel.
Segal, R., Bhatia, M. and Drapeau, M. (2011) Therapists’ perception of benefits and costs of using virtual reality treatments. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 14(1-2), pp. 29-34.
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based simulation games. Personnel Psychology. 64(2), pp. 489-528.
Sri Kalyanaraman, S., Penn, D., Ivory, J. and Judge, A. (2010) The Virtual Doppelganger: Effects of a Virtual Reality Simulator on Perceptions of Schizophrenia. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease. 198(6), pp. 437-443.
Standen, P.J. and Cromby, P.J. (1995) Can students with developmental disabilities use Virtual Reality to learn skills which will transfer to the real world? Paper presented at Virtual Reality and Persons with Disabilities Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Stendal, K., Balandin, S. and Molka-Danielsen, J. (2011) Virtual worlds: A new opportunity for people with lifelong disability? Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. 36(1), pp. 80-83.
Yellowlees, (2006) Education About Hallucinations Using an Internet Virtual Reality System: A Qualitative Survey. Academic Psychiatry. 30, pp. 534-539.
Reger, G.M., Holloway, K.M., Candy, C., Rothbaum, B.O., Difede, J., Rizzo, A.A., Gahm, G. (2011) Effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy for active duty soldiers in a military mental health clinic. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 24(1), pp. 93–96.
This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology published by the Online Therapy Institute.
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EAPA 2011 Technology and Innovation!
Reflections on EAPA 2011
I attended EAPA 2011 this week to conduct a pre-conference training, the Distance Credentialed Counselor training for therapists obtaining the certification. I arrived on Monday in Denver and trained all day Tuesday and Wednesday. The first day of the conference officially began on Thursday and on this day, I presented with Lyle Labardee, CEO of LifeOptions Group on new innovations in the delivery of mental health via technology. Lyle demonstrated LifeOptions’ feature-rich, LifeCounselor, web application. LifeCounselor was recently deployed by the State of Wyoming Department of Mental Health for the citizens of Wyoming, and by the New York State Bar Association – Lawyer Assistance Program.
For our breakout session, we had well over 100 in attendance and the audience was very engaged. I talked about innovations in videoconference delivery and offered screenshots from Breakthrough.com. I also talked in general about in vivo virtual reality therapy and discussed some of the efforts of the military and the work of Walter Greenleaf. I gave everyone a quick “tour” of the Online Therapy Institute’s space in Second Life and also talked about the documentaries, Life 2.0 and Login2Life, suggesting both of these films as excellent ways to learn more about the cyberculture of virtual worlds and gaming. I also touched a bit on avatar therapy and the use of artificial intelligence. We packed a lot of information in our 90 minute presentation.
Afterward I went to the exhibit hall for the Marketplace Opening Reception. Many vendors were there and if they weren’t displaying something about technology, everyone was talking about technology (or walking into people as they gazed down at their smart phones)! With more and more people inquiring about technology, training and ethics, I am wondering, is there a change in the air? Is the climate shifting?
DeeAnna
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World Mental Health Day – reducing stigma with Ruby Wax Losing It
I recently went to see Ruby Wax’s show “Losing It” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival up the road from me here in Scotland UK. Although it was only on my list of “things that I might want to see” out of the 1000’s of shows available during the Fringe, I am incredibly glad that my first choice (can’t even remember what that was now) was fully booked, as Ruby and her colleague Judith Owen were in the venue next door, so we grabbed some seats.
The following show had us in fits of laughter and floods of tears in turn. This incredibly moving show is essentially Ruby Wax’s own story of her breakdown. As her website states, “This show gives you the chance to explore the ups and downs of mental illness, its stigmas and the freedom you discover when you share the darkest moments of your life.”
Of particular interest to me as a mental health professional is the way Ruby and Judith use the show to tackle mental health stigma, and in honour of WMHD, I thought I would share some resources with you (the end of the show is an open forum for the audience to share their own experiences and ask questions – this also takes place at London Venues regularly which I hope to take part in onmy next trip down south).
Firstly, sign up for updates and developments about Losing It is working towards reducing stigma of mental health here.
And why not follow the work on Twitter by following @rubywaxlosingit and @judithowen. @TimeToChange is another great programme to end mental health discrimination – see their website here.
You can also join in the World Mental Health Day Blog Party over at PsychCentral, where you get a nice shiny logo!
Have fun destigmatising Mental Health today! Remember the hashtag #worldmentalhealthday to keep up to date with what is happening in your area 
Kate
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EAPA 2011 World Conference- Adapt Technology to your services! Early Bird Discount continues!
EAPA’s 2011 World EAP Conference in Denver, CO
“Reaching New Heights: The Unfolding Landscape of Employee Assistance,” will take place at the Hyatt Regency Denver & Colorado Convention Center, October 26 – 29, 2011. Pre-Conference Trainings are October 25 and 26, 2011.
The Early Bird discount is available through Tuesday, September 6, 2011.
For more information, click here.
Learn how to adapt technology to your EAP services!
The agenda offers many sessions this year that focus on technology.
DeeAnna Nagel will be facilitating a pre-conference training again this year at the EAPA conference in Denver. She will conduct a 2-day Distance Credentialed Counselor training Tue Oct 25 and Wed Oct 26.
On Thur Oct 27, DeeAnna will participate in a panel discussion with Cedric Speyer, Warren Shepell and Lyle Labardee. This panel discussion is entitled Online Innovations for a New Generation of Clients.
Looking through the conference preview book here are other sessions related to technology that will be of interest to many participants!
- Ethical Practice at Light Speed: Online Direct Services to Individual EAP Clients is a presentation that will be presented by Lisa Cooper-Lucas and EAPA’s Ethics Educational Panel.
- Helping the EA Professional Address Cybersex will be presented by Westin Edwards
- Top Ten Web Secrets for the Next Decade: What Every Professional Should Know will be presented by Marina London
- Using Cutting Edge Technology to Expand the EAP’s Role for Generations to Come will be presented by Kristine Van Hoof-Haines
- Do Interactive Online Screening Tools Enhance Your EA Services? will be presented by Dirk Antonissen
Take a glance through the EAPA Confrerence Preview Book!
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