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Therapy
in Cyberspace: Law
and Ethics, of an Online Clinical Practice Michael Fenichel, Ph.D.
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A course for 6 hours of continuing education
This course fulfills Law and Ethics requirements
This course looks at the Law and Ethics, Myths and Realities, Technical Difficulties, Formulations and Processes of an Online Clinical Practice.
Beginning with the pandemic lockdowns, many psychologists scrambled to convert their practices to online formats. This course looks at the law and ethics, myths and realities, technical difficulties, formulations and processes of an online clinical practice, including an in-depth examination of the importance of HIPAA compliance of telehealth remote communications.
We explore how the legal and ethical standards of psychotherapy are impacted by the therapeutic relationship being online, rather than face to face, providing key recommendations for clinicians on providing telepsychology services both ethically and legally.
The courses emphasizes the need for practitioners to develop competence in both clinical and technological domains, showing how informed consent processes must be revised for virtual settings, and to familiarize the student with the difficulties of cross-jurisdictional legal compliance. Techniques for how to address emergency/crisis management at a distance, and how to assess and respond to a suicidal client are discussed. The course also describes how to implement secure documentation practices, assess modality appropriateness for each client, maintain clear online boundaries (including social media), and supports clinician self-care.
Managing risk, ensuring competent use of technology, handling crises remotely, and clear communication about confidentiality and data security are covered as the author offers guidance on best practices for ethical teletherapy, with a focus on professional standards and risk mitigation.
- We explore how the legal and ethical standards of psychotherapy are impacted by the therapeutic relationship being online, rather than face to face.
- We look at the Myths and Realities of an online clinical practice:
- Online therapy is impossible, period
- Online therapy consists almost exclusively of e-mail exchanges
- Text-only is inadequate to convey a richness of human experience
- Suicide prevention and crisis intervention are impossible online
- Effective online counseling for serious disorders is not possible
- Geography doesn't matter when providing mental health services online
- Online clinical work always involves one counselor or therapist working with individuals and groups
- Online principles are the same as offline principles
- Online training and peer supervision are ineffective
- Any clinician experienced in face to face work can do online work
- We will examine the Nuts and Bolts, Benefits, Limitations and Future Directions of Online Support Groups
- Technical Difficulties, Formulations and Processes will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
In this 6 unit course clinicians will:
Learning objectives
1. Define Law and Ethics as they apply to an Online Practice
2. Describe HIPAA Compliance as it applies to an Online Practice
3. Demonstrate that your work is in accordance with APA Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology
4. Analyze the Myths and Realities of Online Clinical Work
5. Articulate Technical Difficulties, Formulations and Processes as they pertain to an Online Practice and what you have done to overcome them
6. Describe Critical Issues in Cybercounseling
7. Define the Nuts and Bolts, Benefits, Limitations and Future Directions of Online Support
8. Explain the concepts of Psychologist Competence, Ethical, Legal and Administrative Considerations, Clinical Considerations, and Education, Training and Supervision as defined in the APA Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology
is approved by the:
APA - www.psychceu.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
www.psychceu.com
maintains responsibility for the program.
how it works
Due to the wonders of technology, the minute you submit your order over our secure line, it is encrypted, and processed safely and securely by Authorize.net, a secure web processor. Or, if you prefer, call us toll-free 888-777-3773.
From the course:
Required therapist skills for effective online communication
Practical skills
Emotional skills
- Fast or touch-typing
- Comfort with Internet modalities and software programs (e.g.,IM, chat, email, downloading the latest browser)
- Curiosity and courage to investigate and alter parts of your computer you might not normally bother with (e.g. adjusting the configuration, adding hardware, etc.).
- Comfort responding swiftly when necessary (or tolerating delays between messages)
- Ability to accumulate, store, and use appropriate web links
- Ability to receive, store, and protect communications from clients
- Knowledge of encryption and other privacy technology
- Expressive writing, facility with both language and other available visual cues
- Training/expertise as mental health professional, with a theoretical base to draw upon
- Comfort describing own and others' feelings in text
- Comfort in a text-only environment
- Ability to make effective therapeutic interventions using only text
- Awareness of how client perceives therapist online
- Skill at clarifying accuracy of online communication
- Love of being online
- Experience with online relationships (synchronous and non-synchronous)
- Flexibility in approach and conceptualization of therapeutic relationships (e.g., believing it's possible to form therapeutic relationships without visual cues or employing traditional psychodynamic, frameworks, concepts, and techniques)
- Confidence with technology and role as online authority
- Tolerance for computer glitches
- Ability to move between modalities (virtual and f2f) in response to client need and circumstances
- Ability to handle acting-out behavior and intensity of emotion as expressed in client messages (ranging from frustration and anxiety to client projections, anger, boundary and abandonment issues, etc.)
Required client characteristics
- Comfort online
- Ability to contract and maintain a shared working relationship online
- Ability to clarify miscommunications, in both directions
- Motivated
- At least moderately fast typist (or has voice technology)
- Reasonably expressive writer, adequate reading/comprehension skills
- Credit card, willing to use it online
Copyright © Michael Fenichel, Ph.D.
All
material included in this course is either in the public domain,
or used with express permission. Take the test online!
Michael A. Fenichel, Ph.D., is a Clinical/School Psychologist, specializing in Learning, Communication, and Interpersonal Relationships. He is a Licensed Psychologist, State of New York, in private practice, School and Outpatient Clinic Practice, and Consultation.
Defining influences and activities: Clinical work with individuals, groups
and families; fifteen years plus in schools, clinics, and private consultation
in areas of cognitive and emotional functioning, disability and forensic evaluation;
participation in NIMH-funded international study of long-term psycho-social adjustment
among de-institutionalized psychiatric patients (Fountain House); leadership
positions within professional unions and psychological associations (e.g., 1999
President, New York State Psychological Association, School Psychology Division);
training and supervision responsibilities for school districts, professional
psychology associations, and university graduate psychology departments, as well
as private practice; recent involvement in presenting forums and training on
causes of violence, in collaboration with the American Psychological Association
and MTV; staff development activities and seminar presentations on the use and
study of the Internet for educational and mental health activities; establishment
of hundreds of web sites in the areas of mental health, adolescence, Internet,
and education; Founding member and 2001 President, International Society of Mental
Health Online.
www.psychceu.com adheres
to the American Psychological Association's
Ethical Principles of Psychologists. Our courses
are carefully screened by our Planning Committee to adhere to
APA standards. We also require authors who compose Internet courses
specifically for us to follow APA ethical standards.
www.psychceu.com maintains
responsibility for the program.
Print out your own certificate!
This course counts as a 'regular' (not self-study) course by the CA BBS!
888-777-3773
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