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-   Psychology of Cyberspace (https://www.behavioronline.net/psychology-of-cyberspace/)
-   -   The first to post (https://www.behavioronline.net/psychology-of-cyberspace/82-post/)

John Suler July 27th, 2004 09:24 AM

Online psychotherapy
 
This is the problem with archiving old discussions and starting with a fresh, new discussion board: no one wants to be the first to post! :-)

Anna Freud August 1st, 2004 10:05 PM

2nd to post
 
Hello,

So you were the first! What is the topic? How about this:How effective is online therapy?

AJ

John Suler August 3rd, 2004 10:16 AM

Re: The first to post
 
Feel free to create that as a new topic. That issue came up in the welcome thread.

Anna Freud August 3rd, 2004 11:20 PM

Online therapy - Does it work?
 
John,

Were you "talking" to me in addressing what? Does online therapy work? As a person who has tried it a few times the word trauma comes to mind. It can be helpful in different ways. Though I had to weed through a few to find a competent therapist. As someone pointed out somewhere Dr. Freud sat behind the patient so he could not see if the client was crying or not. Todays therapists are so hung up on the senses thing. "We must see the client! We must hear the client!

If Dr, Grohol is lurking about, I am also a beginning therapist, not just a client, so you don't have to worry about me spilling my guts all over the screen.

Even though these online T's have their credentials listed some can be whacky and crazy and it is traumatic when a client finds those people.

Some of the benefits of online therapy is that one can post anytime and not wait for the next session. That is what i love. In f2f one is told to hold the thought or feeling...for the next session. But online one can type out their feelings and get a quicker reply. If one is crying or angry and the session is up, who wants to pull that emotion back up next week? It doesn't make sense.

Anyone care to comment?

A

Anna Freud August 5th, 2004 11:01 PM

GateKeeper
 
Hello Space Dwellers,

This site has got to be disappointing to the GateKeeper - John Suler. No one is posting. I check this site at least 3 times a day and nada! Where are the students? I know the real live therapists are busy and booked with 15 clients a day so we can excuse their presence. OK, its only been a month or so, so give it time, the tiny voice in my head is saying. Kids are busy shopping for college stuff. WHere is everyone else? I wonder if Charlie Manson is online? god, i don't even want to think about it. Would online therapy help him or is he too far gone?
A

John Suler August 6th, 2004 09:10 AM

Re: The first to post
 
This forum tends to move at a very asynchronous pace :-)

No doubt about it, online therapy can be helpful for some people. And for other people it's not the rigth choice of therapy. Here's an article you might find useful:

http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/myths.html

btw.... just to help Freud out a bit.... that's not the reason why Freud and other analysts sat behind their clients.

Anna Freud August 7th, 2004 07:41 PM

Online therapy
 
John,

Now that you are leaving on vacation who will be guarding the postings? Have you assigned a fill in?


Now to the important topics at hand. What were the reasons Freud sat behind his clients? I don't remember anything from Freud 101.

I went to the site where the myths of online therapy were listed. Give me a few days and i will be back with some arguments and you can read them 3 weeks from now. Hopefully I won't get carried away and post 67 messages.

Here is a question for you. Have you tried online therapy?
A

Jassmine August 8th, 2004 04:16 PM

Re: The first to post
 
Hi John,

I really enjoyed this article.

I think another reason why on-line therapy can be most helpful, is the fact that it is easier to "open up" to a "stranger". It lessens the emotional risk involved. A lot of people feel daunted at the thought of discussing their personal problems with someone in person. Also, I feel that just the act of "writing" and reading what they have written is very helpful. Sometimes it is just easier to get your thoughts down on paper than to try an verbalize them. I also feel that it makes one's thoughts and feelings less abstarct and easier to understand.

I am part of a cross dressing peer to peer support group, as my hubby is a cross dresser. I joined to try and assist some of the wives with their fears and concerns, as I am ok with his cross dressing. I have found that the support and encouragement on this forum to be exceptional. I just don't think we would have the same openess in a public group.

Thanks for the great read :) I strive to learn something new everyday :)

John Suler August 22nd, 2004 08:51 AM

Re: The first to post
 
Good points, Jassmine. The partial anonymity does help people open up online (the so-called "online disinhibition effect")... and writing can be very therapeutic for people... at least for people who have skills in reading and writing. I may have posted this previously, but here's an article I revised recently about the online disinhibition effect:

http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.html


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