Further adventures in online counseling

[Art Matthews, MA LPC DCC]

Today I finished day one of a two-day training for Distance Credentialed Counselor. I found it very satisfying and eye opening. Some things I thought I was doing "right" I may need to look at more closely and some things that I knew were problematic are confirmed to be problematic.

The training has given me more structure and guidance on how to make a go of this (though realistically it's not going to be a full-time job for anyone without a major advertising budget and a team of top-notch I.T. geeks). Don't want to scare anyone off, but realistically... how do you find a particular grain of sand on the beach? That's about the best analogy to finding a particular website on the internet anymore.

I felt in many ways, I'm a bit ahead of the curve on understanding the technology side and how the technology can be used, but there are several practical questions I hadn't paid much attention to because I was relying on the sites I'm working with to provide a lot of the structure, policy and procedure. One site I'm on has developed with the client (and counseling) in mind where the other was developed for other disciplines and counseling seems to have been tossed in without much thought as to the unique needs counselors and counseling clients have. I'm hoping that with the addition of legal counsel in the US that LP will look more closely at their end of the operation and concede that more works needs to be done in developing the Professional Counseling area to meet legal and ethical standards.

Or not, maybe they will look for loopholes that keep them out of the risk and the Experts burdened with all of the risk.

Remember what your mamma told ya, "If it sounds too good to be true..."

Short blog post, more tomorrow after the end of the training. I'm pumped!

A

[Art Matthews, MA LPC DCC]

I'm really glad I went to this training. I have so many ideas that my head's swimming a bit. Oh and Harvey... I found the Iowa law where they are also regulating online counseling to their residents. That's California and Iowa... waiting to hear from Illinois.

645—31.18(154D) Marital and family therapy and mental health counselor services subject to regulation. Marital and family therapy and mental health counselor services provided to an individual
in this state through telephonic, electronic or other means, regardless of the location of the marital and family therapy and mental health counselor, shall constitute the practice of marital and family therapy and mental health counseling and shall be subject to regulation in Iowa.

[DeeAnna Merz Nagel]

Glad you are enjoying the training! Harvey is a great trainer! For anyone else who has their interest peaked, Harvey Schmelter-Davis and myself will be facilitating Distance Credentialed Counselor trainings in the months to come. The full DCC training can be found here: . My 2009 schedule can be found here: .

Art- I am looking forward to your feedback on day 2.

DeeAnna

[Harvey Schmelter-Davis]

Thanks Art,
Harvey

[DeeAnna Merz Nagel]

Art, I am glad you have found the training to be helpful so far. Harvey is a great trainer! Hope Day 2 is just as insightful!

DeeAnna