LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review

Literature Review

Working online provides counselling and therapy clients with several advantages in terms of choice of counsellors and 'meeting' arrangements (Volsky, Magoon, Norman, Hoyt, 1995). It also eliminates many of the overheads which clients normally have to pay for, as well as the investment of time necessary to get to a physical office (Rochlen, Zack, Speyer, 2004). It can offer new levels of security and privacy, in addition to providing special advantages for the therapeutic process itself (Reese, Abilene, 2002). In addition to the many Advantages of Counselling by Email and the Disadvantages of Counselling by Email, a few specific questions are worth pondering before deciding to try out online therapy or counselling services (Cook, Doyle, 2002). There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers to any of these questions, but reflecting on them may influence how appropriate you feel online therapy or counselling by email would be for you(Reese, Abilene, 2002).

Therapeutic process and counselling through internet is when a professional counsellor or psychotherapist talks with you over the Internet, to give you emotional support, mental health advice or some other professional service (Rochlen, Zack, Speyer, 2004). It could be one question, or an ongoing conversation; it could be by e-mail, chat, video or even Internet phone (Reese, Abilene, 2002)

Internet therapy is a viable alternative source of help when traditional psychotherapy is not accessible. It's effective. It's private. It's conducted by skilled, qualified, ethical professionals (Nickelson, Bargh, McKenna, 2004). And for some people, it's the only way they can get help from a professional therapist.

Technological advances make the application of computer-mediated communication a supervision tool for group psychotherapy training when students and faculty are at a distance (Newman, 2004). The use of telehealth, the delivery of health services over a distance via technology, continues to expand throughout the field of health services (Grigsby, 1997). Very few studies have empirically examined the effectiveness of this method of delivery (Mallen, Day, 2003).The purpose of this study was to examine one specific area of telehealth, psychotherapy and its effectiveness across three different modes of treatment delivery (face to face, two-way audio, and two-way video).

In this study, three treatment groups and one wait list control group were used (Maheu, Gordon, 2000). Clients in each of the three treatment groups received five sessions of psychotherapy. The clients communicated with their therapist through only one mode of communication, face-to-face, two-way audio, or two-way video. Dietary supplements at high doses as part of medical therapy have been controversial, but the evidence suggests that they play a significant role in prevention and treatment of diseases as well as protection from accelerated aging those results from oxygen free-radical damage, inflammation, and glycation(Leibert, Archer, Munson, York, 2006) (Leibert, Archer, Munson, York, 2006).

Communicating online introduces particular challenges for creating and sutaining a working relationship — and relying on computers as a communications medium can bring technology into the foreground of the counselling process as an unwelcome participant (King, Engi, Poulos, 1998).

Online therapy, defined as the provision of mental health services through ...