Controversy
There is a split between within the counseling field on the validity of online counseling. Some practitioners have suggested that online counseling cannot be considered psychotherapy, while scientific journals such as The Lancet have published studies that demonstrate that online cognitive behavioral therapy is as effective as traditional "in-person" therapy for the treatment of depression. Over 30 years ago, when distance technology first made an appearance in the research literature, similar complaints were lodged against telephone therapy. However a 2000 study established that over 98% of psychologists who were members of the American Psychological Association used the telephone as a regular means of therapy, including 69% who conducted psychotherapy on the telephone and 79% who used it for emergency consultations. A 2003 study concluded that telephone therapy outcomes were not significantly different from face-to-face therapy.
Read more about this topic: Online Counseling
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