Online Counseling: A Narrative and Critical Review of the Literature

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Volumn 69, Issue 9, 2013, Pages 994-1011

  Richards, Derek ^a   Viganó, Noemi ^b  

^a TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN   (Ireland)

^b Alliance Counselling   (Ireland)

Author keywords

Attitudes and experiences; Cyberbehaviors; Ethics; Online counseling; Outcomes and process research; Suitability and training; Therapeutic relationship

Indexed keywords

EID: 84880703647     PISSN: 00219762     EISSN: 10974679     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/jclp.21974     Document Type: Article

References (85)

1. Abroms, L. C., Gill, J., Windsor, R., & Simons-Morton, B. (2009). A process evaluation of e-mail counselling for smoking cessation in college students: Feasibility, acceptability and cost. Journal of Smoking Cessation, 4(1), 26-33.
2. Alemi, F., Haack, M. R., Nemes, S., Aughburns, R., Sinkule, J., & Neuhauser, D. (2007). Therapeutic emails. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2. doi:10.1186/1747-597x-2-7
3. Alleman, J. R. (2002). Online counseling: The Internet and mental health treatment. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 39(2), 199-209. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.39.2.199
4. American Psychiatric Association [APA]. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR) (4th ed.). Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
5. Anthony, K., & Goss, S. (2003). Conclusion In S. Goss & K. Anthony (Eds.), Technology in counselling and psychotherapy (pp. 195-208). London, UK: Palgrave.
6. Anthony, K., & Goss, S. (2009). Guidelines for online counselling and psychotherapy 3rd edition, including guidelines for online supervision. Rugby, UK: BACP.
7. Anthony, K., & Jamieson, A. (2005). Guidelines for online counselling and psychotherapy, 2nd edition, including guidelines for online supervision. Rugby, UK: BACP Publishing.
8. Bambling, M., King, R., Reid, W., & Wegner, K. (2008). Online counselling: The experience of counsellors providing synchronous single-session counselling to young people. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 8(2), 110-116. doi:10.1080/14733140802055011
9. Barak, A., & Bloch, N. (2006). Factors related to perceived helpfulness in supporting highly distressed individuals through an online support chat. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9, 60-68.
10. Barak, A., Hen, L., Boniel-Nissim, M., & Shapira, N. (2008). A comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of Internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26(2), 109-160. doi:10.1080/15228830802094429
11. Barak, A., Klein, B., & Proudfoot, J. (2009). Defining Internet-supported therapeutic interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 38(1), 4-17. doi:10.1007/s12160-009-9130-7
12. Barkham, M., Mellor-Clark, J., Connell, J., Evans, C., Evans, R., & Margison, F. (2010). Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) - The CORE measures and system: Measuring, monitoring and managing quality evaluation in the psychological therapies. In M. Barkham, G. E. Hardy & J. Mellor-Clark (Eds.), Developing and delivering practice-based evidence: A guide for the psychological therapies. (pp. 175-219): Wiley-Blackwell.
13. Beattie, A., Shaw, A., Kaur, S., & Kessler, D. (2009). Primary-care patients' expectations and experiences of online cognitive behavioural therapy for depression: A qualitative study. Health Expectations: An International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care & Health Policy, 12(1), 45-59. doi:10.1111/j.1369-7625.2008.00531.x
14. Bloom, J. W. (1998). The ethical practice of WebCounseling. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 26(1), 53-59. doi:10.1080/03069889800760061
15. Carlbring, P., Bohman, S., Brunt, A., Buhrman, M., Westling, B. E., Ekselius, L., & Andersson, G. (2006). Remote treatment of panic disorder: A randomized trail of Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy supplemented with telephone calls. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(12), 2119-2125.
16. Carlbring, P., Ekselius, L., & Andersson, G. (2003). Treatment of panic disorder via the Internet: A randomised trial of CBT v's applied relaxation. Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 34, 129-140.
17. Castelnuovo, G., Gaggioli, A., Mantovani, F., & Riva, G. (2003). New and old tools in psychotherapy: The use of technology for the integration of the traditional clinical treatments. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 40(1), 33-44. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.40.1-2.33
18. Cohen, G., & Kerr, B. (1998). Computer-mediated counseling: An empirical study of a new mental health treatment. Computers in Human Services, 15, 13-26.
19. Cook, J. E., & Doyle, C. (2002). Working alliance in online therapy as compared to face-to-face therapy: Preliminary results. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(2), 95-105. doi:10.1089/109493102753770480
20. Chester, A., & Glass, C. A. (2006). Online counselling: A descriptive analysis of therapy services on the Internet. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 34(2), 145-160. doi:10.1080/03069880600583170
21. Childress, C. (1998). Potential risks and benefits of online psychotherapeutic interventions Retrieved from http://www.ismho.org/issues/9801.htm
22. Day, S. X., & Schneider, P. L. (2002). Psychotherapy using distance technology: A comparison of face-to-face, video and audio treatment. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 49(4), 499-503.
23. Efstathiou, G. (2009). Students' psychological web consulting: Function and outcome evaluation. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 243-255.
24. Fenichel, M., Suler, J., Barak, A., Zelvin, E., Jones, G., Munro, K., Walker-Schmucker, W. (2002). Myths and realities of online clinical work. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(5), 481-497. doi:10.1089/109493102761022904
25. Finn, J., & Barak, A. (2010). A descriptive study of e-counsellor attitudes, ethics, and practice. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 10(4), 268-277. doi:10.1080/14733140903380847
26. Gelso, C., & Hayes, J. A. (1998). The psychotherapy relationship. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
27. Glueckauf, R. L., Fritz, S. P., Ecklund-Johnson, E. P., Liss, H. J., Dages, P., & Carney, P. (2002). Videoconferencing-based family counseling for rural teenagers with epilepsy: Phase 1 findings. Rehabilitation Psychology, 47, 49-72.
28. Goldberg, D. (1972). The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
29. Grohol, J. D. (1999). Best practices in eTherapy. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/best/best3.htm
30. Grohol, J. D. (2001). Best practices of eTherapy: Clarifying the definition of e-Therapy. Retrieved from www.psychcentral.com/best/best5/htm
31. Grohol, J. D. (2003). The Insider's Guide to Mental Health Resources Online. New York, NY: Guilford Publications, Inc.
32. Haberstroh, S., Parr, G., Bradley, L., Morgan-Fleming, B., & Gee, R. (2008). Facilitating online counseling: Perspectives from counselors in training. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 460-470.
33. Hanley, T. (2006). Developing youth-friendly online counselling services in the United Kingdom: A small scale investigation into the views of practitioners. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), 182-185. doi:10.1080/14733140600857535
34. Hanley, T. (2009). The working alliance in online therapy with young people: Preliminary findings. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 257-269. doi:10.1080/03069880902956991
35. Heinlen, K. T., Welfel, E. R., Richmond, E. N., & Rak, C. F. (2003). The scope of WebCounseling: A survey of services and compliance with NBCC Standards for the ethical practice of WebCounseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 81(1), 61-69.
36. Holmes, J., & Lisndley, R. (1989). The values of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
37. Hopps, S. L., Pépin, M., & Boisvert, J.-M. (2003). The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for loneliness via inter-relay-chat among people with physical disabilities. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 40(1), 136-147. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.40.1-2.136
38. Horvath, A. O., & Bedi, R. P. (2002). The alliance. In J. C. Norcross (Ed.), Psychotherapy relationships that work: Therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
39. International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO). (2000). Suggested principles for the online provision of mental health services Retrieved from https://www.ismho.org/suggestions.asp
40. Joinson, A. N. (2001). Self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication: The role of self-awareness and visual anonymity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31(2), 177-192. doi:10.1002/ejsp.36
41. Jones, J., & Stokes, A. (2009). Online counselling: A handbook for practitioners. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillian Ltd.
42. Kessler, D., Lewis, G., Kaur, S., Wiles, N., King, M., Weich, S., Peters, T. J. (2009). Therapist-delivered Internet psychotherapy for depression in primary care: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 374(9690), 628-634. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61257-5
43. King, R., Bambling, M., Lloyd, C., Gomurra, R., Smith, S., Reid, W., & Wegner, K. (2006). Online counselling: The motives and experiences of young people who choose the Internet instead of face to face or telephone counselling. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), 169-174. doi:10.1080/14733140600848179
44. King, R., Bambling, M., Reid, W., & Thomas, L. (2006). Telephone and online counseling for young people: A naturalistic comparison of session outcome, session impact and therapeutic alliance. [Australian]. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 6(175-181).
45. Knaevelsrud, C., & Maercker, A. (2006). Does the quality of the working alliance predict treatment outcome in online psychotherapy for traumatized patients. Journal of Medical Internet Treatment, 8(4).
46. Kraus, R., Striker, G., & Zack, J. S. (2010). Online counselling: A handbook for mental health professionals. San Diego, CA: Elsevier.
47. Leibert, T., Archer, J., Munson, J., & York, G. (2006). An exploratory study of client perceptions of Internet counseling and the therapeutic alliance. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 28(1), 69-83.
48. Maheu, M., Pulier, M., Wilhelm, F., & McMenamin, J. (2004). The mental health professional and the new technologies: A handbook for practice today. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
49. Mallen, M. J., Vogel, D. L., Rochlen, A. B., & Day, S. X. (2005). Online counseling: Reviewing the literature from a counseling psychology framework. The Counseling Psychologist, 33, 819-871.
50. Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., & Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(3), 438-450. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.68.3.438
51. McKenna, K. Y. A., & Bargh, J. A. (2000). Plan 9 from cyberspace: The implications of the Internet for personality and social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(1), 57-75. doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0401_6
52. McMurtry, S. L., & Hudson, W. W. (2000). The Client Satisfaction Inventory: Results of an initial validation study. Research on Social Work Practice, 10(5), 644-663.
53. Michaud, P., & Colom, P. (2003). Implementation and evaluation of an Internet health site for adolescents in Switzerland. The Journal of adolescent health: Official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 33(4), 287-290.
54. Mitchell, J. E., Crosby, R. D., Wonderlich, S. A., Crow, S., Lancaster, K., Simonich, H., Myers, T. C. (2008). A randomized trial comparing the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa delivered via telemedicine versus face-to-face. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(5), 581-592. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.02.004
55. Murphy, L. J., & Mitchell, D. L. (1998). When writing helps to heal: E-mail as therapy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 26(1), 21-32. doi:10.1080/03069889800760031
56. Murphy, L. J., Parnass, P., Mitchell, D. L., Hallett, R., Cayley, P., & Seagram, S. (2009). Client satisfaction and outcome comparisons of online and face-to-face counselling methods. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcp041
57. Newman, M. G., Szkodny, L. E., Llera, S. J., & Przeworski, A. (2011). A review of technology-assisted self-help and minimal contact therapies for anxiety and depression: Is human contact necessary for therapeutic efficacy? Clinical Psychology Review, 31(1), 89-103. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.09.008
58. Pennebaker, J. W., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., & Glaser, R. (1988). Disclosure of traumas and immune function: Health implications for psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(2), 239-245.
59. Prado, S., & Meyer, S. B. (2004). Evaluation of the working alliance of an asynchronous therapy via the Internet (unpublished master's thesis). University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo.
60. Reynolds, D. A. J., Jr., Stiles, W. B., & Grohol, J. M. (2006). An investigation of session impact and alliance in Internet based psychotherapy: Preliminary results. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), 164-168. doi:10.1080/14733140600853617
61. Richards, D. (2009). Features and benefits of online counselling: Trinity College online mental health community. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 231-242. doi:10.1080/03069880902956975
62. Richards, D., & Richardson, T. (2012). Computer-based psychological treatments for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(4), 329-342. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2012.02.004
63. Richards, D., & Viganó, N. (2012). Online Counseling. In Y. Zheng (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Cyber Behavior (Vol. 1, pp. 699-713). New York, NY: IGI Global.
64. Robinson, P. H., & Serfaty, M. A. (2001). The use of e-mail in the identification of bulimia nervosa and its treatment. European Eating Disorders Review, 9(3), 182-193. doi:10.1002/erv.411
65. Robinson, P. H., & Serfaty, M. A. (2008). Getting better byte by byte: A pilot randomised controlled trial of email therapy for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. European Eating Disorders Review, 16(2), 84-93. doi:10.1002/erv.818
66. Rochlen, A. B., Beretvas, S. N., & Zack, J. S. (2004). The Online and Face-to-Face Counseling Attitudes Scales: A validation study. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 37(2), 95-111.
67. Rochlen, A. B., Zack, J. S., & Speyer, C. (2004). Online therapy: Review of relevant definitions, debates, and current empirical support. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60(3), 269-283. doi:10.1002/jclp.10263
68. Sampson, J. P., Kolodinsky, R. W., & Greeno, B. P. (1997). Counseling and the information highway: Future possibilities and potential problems. Journal of Counseling & Development, 75(3), 203-212.
69. Shapiro, D. E., & Schulman, C. E. (1996). Ethic and legal issues in e-mail therapy. Ethics & Behavior, 6(2), 107-124. doi:10.1207/s15327019eb0602_3
70. Shaw, H. E., & Shaw, S. F. (2006). Critical ethical issues in online counseling: Assessing current practices with an ethical intent checklist. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(1), 41-53.
71. Sheese, B. E., Brown, E. L., & Graziano, W. G. (2004). Emotional expression in cyberspace: Searching for moderators of the Pennebaker disclosure effect via e-Mail. Health Psychology, 23(5), 457-464. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.23.5.457
72. Simpson, S. G. (2009). Psychotherapy via videoconferencing: A review. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 271-286.
73. Simpson, S. G., Bell, L., Knox, J., & Mitchell, D. (2005). Therapy via videoconferencing: A route to client empowerment? Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 12(2), 156-165. doi:10.1002/cpp.436
74. Simpson, S. G., Deans, G., & Brebner, E. (2001). The delivery of a tele-psychology service to Shetland. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 8(2), 130-135. doi:10.1002/cpp.279
75. Skinner, A., & Zack, J. S. (2004). Counseling and the Internet. American Behavioural Scientist, 48(4), 434-446.
76. Strecher, V. J., Shiffman, S., & West, R. (2005). Randomized controlled trial of a web-based computer-tailored smoking cessation program as a supplement to nicotine patch therapy. Addiction, 100(5), 682-688. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01093.x
77. Ström, L., Pattersson, R., & Andersson, G. (2004). Internet-based treatment for insomnia: A controlled evaluation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 113-120.
78. Suler, J. (2000). Psychotherapy in Cyberspace: A 5-dimensional model of online and computer-mediated psychotherapy. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 3(2), 151-159. doi:10.1089/109493100315996
79. Suler, J. (2004). The online disinhibition effect. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(3), 321-326. doi:10.1089/1094931041291295
80. Vernmark, K., Lenndin, J., Bjärehed, J., Carlsson, M., Karlsson, J., Öberg, J., Andersson, G. (2010). Internet administered guided self-help versus individualized e-mail therapy: A randomized trial of two versions of CBT for major depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(5), 368-376. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2010.01.005
81. Wangberg, S. C., Gammon, D., & Spitznogle, K. (2007). In the eyes of the beholder: Exploring psychologists' attitudes towards and use of e-therapy in Norway. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(3), 418-423. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9937
82. Wright, J., & Chung, M. C. (2001). Mastery or mystery? Therapeutic writing: A review of the literature. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 29(3), 277-291. doi:10.1080/03069880120073003
83. Young, K. S. (2005). An empirical examination of client attitudes towards online counseling. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 8(2), 172-177. doi:10.1089/cpb.2005.8.172
84. Zabinski, M. F., Wilfley, D. E., Calfas, K. J., Winzelberg, A. J., & Taylor, C. B. (2004). An interactive psychoeducational intervention for women at risk of developing an eating disorder. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 72, 914-919.
85. Zabinski, M. F., Wilfley, D. E., Pung, M. A., Winzelberg, A. J., Eldredge, K., & Taylor, C. B. (2001). An interactive Internet-based intervention for women at risk of eating disorders: A pilot study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30(2), 129-137. doi:10.1002/eat.1065