The Online Therapy Institute is an online training institution and community that trains therapists, coaches, and other professionals how to use online tools and online therapy. It is also the publisher of TILT Magazine -- Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.
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Background
The Online Therapy Institute was founded in 2008 by Kate Anthony and DeeAnna Merz Nagel, both of whom work as co-Directors of the Institute. The two maintain separate offices, Nagel's in New Jersey and Anthony's in Scotland. Nagel has a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Mental Health and Human Services. Anthony has a doctorate in psychotherapy as well as a master of science in therapeutic counseling, and a bachelor of science in Psychology. Both are previous presidents of the International Society for Mental Health Online. Their joint publications include Therapy Online: A Practical Guide by Anthony and Nagel, and The Use of Technology in Mental Health: Applications, Ethics and Practice by Anthony, Nagel, and Stephen Goss.
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Programs and guidelines
The Institute instructs practitioners on how to use avatar therapy, email, video calling, and other online strategies as a part of their practice, including methods of protecting their sessions against hackers. The Institute has also provided informal guidelines that help therapists maintain proper practices, such as obtaining informed consent and vary dynamics of client openness when it comes to online therapy. Anthony is also a co-author of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's guidelines for online counselling and psychotherapy, including online supervision.
DeAngelis in Monitor on Psychology, an American Psychology Association publication, described the Online Therapy Institute as offering "a variety of training programs on legal, ethical and practice issues of such practice. The institute also hosts a 40-hour intensive avatar-therapy class ... that offers a certificate of completion. In addition, five hour courses are available". Soon after the Institute's founding, it was described in Scientific American as "a reputable think tank for clinician avatars". The Institute also offers an online community where professionals can exchange regarding situations they encounter while practising online therapy. While the Institute does not recommend the use of Second Life for therapy because it is not encrypted, it does offer its educational programs for therapists in the Second Life online environment.
Philosophy
Nagel has stated that online therapy can be beneficial for individuals who feel wary of in-person therapy after a traumatic event. Anthony has stated that this is possible in part due to the disinhibition effect. She has also stated that this same effect can allow online social media sites to create new sensitivities in patients that must be accounted for. In addition, the Institute teaches therapists to ensure the lack of full visual or verbal communication that occurs over video or email does not negatively affect how the message of the therapy is received by the patient. The Institute recommends use of encrypted channels for online communication and that patients be warned about the safety issues surrounding non-encrypted devices like cellular phones.
Tilt Magazine
In addition to offering educational courses and best-practice resources, the Institute publishes TILT Magazine: Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology, an online magazine which is edited by Nagel and Anthony. Founded in September 2010, the magazine is published quarterly and is distributed for free.
Media
Anthony was interviewed by the television show Web Therapy on September 12, 2011. Nagel was interviewed on issues pertaining to online communities, including Second Life and Nagel maintains a Twitter account to distribute information about online therapy. Psych Central named the account one of the top ten psychology related accounts on Twitter in 2009. Nagel has also been interviewed advocating the positive contribution that online therapy can have for human resources departments and employee mental health in the workplace, the use of online therapy with military veterans, and other trends in the types of clients favouring online therapy over more traditional methods such as university students. Among these interviews, Nagel was interviewed by Emmy-winner Mark Joyella regarding the use of Second Life.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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