| As more mental health services become available, it is not surprising that services are also becoming more readily available online. There are four major methods of conducting online therapy, ranging from formats with the most similarity to face-to-face therapy to those with the least fidelity: (a) videoconferencing, (b) real-time text exchange (chat), (c) e-mail, and (d) secure web-based message systems. As the field moves forward with online therapy, there are some areas of ethical concern, primarily regarding identify verification, crisis intervention, confidentiality and privacy, developing a therapeutic alliance, assessing suitability for online therapy, access to online services, cultural competence, legal concerns, and training and supervision.;The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize the best ethical treatment guidelines for online therapy from the following organizations: (a) American Counseling Association, (b) American Medical Association, (c) American Mental Health Counselors Association, (d) American Telemedicine Association, (e) International Society for Mental Health Online, (f) National Board for Certified Counselors, (g) Ohio Psychological Association, and (h) Telepsychology Task Force. I have identified emergent themes and provided recommendations for best practices when conducting online therapy. |
