Definition
Building on previous definitions (APA 2013; Manhal-Baugus 2001; Rochlen et al. 2004), online therapy can be defined as the provision of psychological services via Internet, which can include, but is not limited to: interactive video-conferencing, chat, messaging, and email. Regardless of the delivery format, online therapy programs involve guidance provided by qualified mental health clinicians and the materials shared for the purpose of therapy (e.g., video clips, audio files, reading materials, emails, or texts) are developed by or with the advice of trained professionals. It is important to consider that online therapy is not a form of psychotherapy per se but rather a form of therapy delivery (e.g., a form of therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be delivered either in person or online). Online psychotherapy may be used to augment, or as an adjuvant to traditional...
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References and Further Reading
American Psychological Association. (2013). Guidelines for the practice of telepsychology. Honolulu: American Psychological Association’s (APA) Annual Convention.
Andersson, G., Cuijpers, P., Carlbring, P., Riper, H., & Hedman, E. (2014). Guided Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry, 13(3), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20151.
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Rochlen, A. B., Zack, J. S., & Speyer, C. (2004). Online therapy: Review of relevant definitions, debates, and current empirical support. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10263.
Taylor, C. B., & Luce, K. H. (2003). Computer- and Internet-based psychotherapy interventions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(1), 18–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.01214.
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Sucala, M.L. (2019). Online Therapy and E-Counselling. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_101952-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_101952-1
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