Archive for December, 2008

… and the location is not too shabby either!

Lago Maggiore, Verbania-Intra, Italy

Below is a summary.  More information can be found at http://www.e-therapy.info/

Don’t forget to check the Online Therapy Institute’s Events Calendar for this and other related conferences!

The 14th Annual International CyberTherapy and CyberPsychology Conference (CT14) brings together researchers, clinicians, policy makers and funding agencies to share and discuss advancements in the growing disciplines of CyberTherapy & CyberPsychology.

 

The conference will seek input from a wider segment of the scientific community, and is interested in attracting experts in clinical therapy and rehabilitation, cognitive sciences, social sciences, and computer sciences interested in the meeting’s core topics: emerging applications of new media, design of new media and effects of new media.  

 

There is also an interest in continuing to design, evaluate and apply cutting edge technologies such as Ambient Intelligence, Augmented and Mixed Reality, Avatars, Shared Virtual Worlds, Video Game Virtual Reality (VGVR), Web 2.0 and 3.0,  3G and 4G mobile phones.

Want to keep up with the latest posts, blog, news and information about mental health and technology?  We can’t track it all but we make every effort to bookmark new and interesting information related to the Online Therapy Institute and news related to cyberpsychology, online counseling, avatar therapy and other related topics.  Check out our bookmarks at http://delicious.com/OnlineTherapyInstitute.  Do you know of a bookmark we should add?  Let us know!

DeeAnna

Today is World Aids Day which has prompted me to write about support forums online. The internet has changed the way some of us approach living with a new diagnosis. Now with the internet we have instant access to information that used to require library access. And the internet goes beyond just allowing access to information- people can communicate using a variety of delivery methods from email and chat to group chats, discussion boards and forums, videoconferencing and voice-over.

Since the internet’s inception the use of online support forums has become a mainstay. People can find support forums for nearly every mental, emotional or physical difficulty. Websites such as DailyStrength.org offer a one-stop portal to find peer support for many issues including HIV/AIDS.

At the Online Therapy Institute, we offer a Web Directory that lists several forums and other websites that promote peer support (people with like issues coming together to suppport one another). If you are a mental health professional, consider offering information to your clients about forums and discussion boards that might be helpful. Forums can be a great adjunct to therapy, offering support and information between sessions. If you are a person seeking information about a difficult diagnosis or situation, consider utilizing a forum online.

Be sure to consider privacy issues. While there are many forums available that are free to join, they may not be encrypted. Most are password protected, but even so, if the forum offers an RSS feed, you might find your post floating in cyberspace with personal information that you had hoped only to share among a few. Be sure you understand the limits of privacy and confidentiality when using a forum or discussion board.

DeeAnna Merz Nagel