There has been exponential growth in use of the Internet to deliver therapeutic and supportive human services. Online interventions are known by a variety of names, including online practice, e-therapy and others. All refer to the delivery of services over the Internet through a variety of delivery systems including asynchronous email, video and chat communication, and closed-circuit video conferencing. They include services delivered by professionals such as psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counsellors and nurses as well as self-help groups with a therapeutic purpose and supportive services provided by trained volunteers.
This book presents the most current research on online practice. Topics include: descriptions of innovative online practice, evaluation studies of online practice with specific disorders, meta-analysis of the effectiveness of online practice, education and training of online practitioners, methods for the delivery of online practice, organizational policy and ethical issues related to online practice, online crisis intervention and hotline services, and considerations for meeting legal and ethical requirements of online practice.
This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Technology in Human Services.