We continue to receive many inquiries about our online therapy training!
Our most popular course offerings
- Certified Cyber Therapist – CCT (30 clock hours)
- Specialist Certificate in Online Therapy (30 clock hours)
- Certified Cyber Facilitator– CCF (60 clock hours)
We offer training from a global perspective- our courses involve experiential and reflective learning in an asynchronous online environment. The student reads material and/or watches and listens to video, writing a response to the lesson question. The response indicates that the material has been conceptualized and the course facilitator (Kate or myself) gives written feedback throughout.
While our courses offer a general overview of licensing, jurisdiction and HIPAA for mental health practitioners in the United States, that is not the focus of our content. Because our students come from many different countries, we do not offer US-centric training. Instead we focus on the following:
- History of Online Counselling and Psychotherapy
- The Concept of Presence
- The Online Disinhibition Effect
- Written Communication Skills
- Anonymity and Fantasy
- History of Ethical Development
- Assessment and Intake Online
- Informed Consent and Privacy Policies
- Maintaining a Responsible Online Presence
- Working with Email
- Working with Chat and Instant Messaging
- Working with Audio Tools
- Working with Video Tools
- Closure and Discharge Online
- Virtual Reality and Avatars
- Marketing and Taking Your Services Online
If you are in the United States and you are seeking training or information that more specifically addresses issues related to HIPAA compliance, insurance reimbursement or licensing and certification questions, you may be better suited to contact the Telemental Health Institute or Person-Centered Tech.
Distance Credentialed Counselor
After 10 years of facilitating the Distance Credentialed Counselor training in the U.S. -both online and in-person, and after training literally thousands of therapists, and most of the people who obtained their DCC certification between 2005 and 2014, I am no longer conducting that training. The DCC is still available through the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) with a few providers who conduct the training that qualifies toward the credential. But, it is not me, or Online Therapy Institute. Many of you may know that Kate and I wrote the DCC curriculum and maintained updates from 2008 to 2014 but the curriculum that we created is not the curriculum or content in the current DCC trainings, just to be clear.
We have opted not to continue as a DCC facilitator because our scope at Online Therapy Institute has grown and our teachings about online therapy fit the broader remit of a global audience. Frankly, DeeAnna and I prefer to deconstruct the written exchanges in email therapy or discuss the various theoretical applications of avatar therapy than answer questions about crossing state lines or whether or not a certain technology is HIPAA compliant. These are important topics that need to be addressed but the deep dive on issues related to HIPAA, insurance reimbursement and jurisdiction- the legal-eze of telemental health in the United States- that’s not what we do.
And about those continuing education credits-
Our courses are for people who truly want to engage in further study on the topics of online therapy and cyberculture- and again, because our audience is global, with equal (if not more) practitioners from other countries, we are not currently offering CE for specific mental health disciplines in the United States. We do issue certificates of completion so you may be able to turn in your clock hour certificate and a letter that verifies our credentials to your licensing or certification board.
But really… Can I cross state lines?
Because so many of you continue to inquire, here’s my advice for licensed mental health practitioners in the United States.
- Call your licensing board and ask- and look up the rules as well.
- Call your discipline’s licensing board in your potential client’s state and ask.
- Call your malpractice insurance.
- If you plan to practice telemental health be sure to consult with a lawyer
- Ask specific questions- not just, “Can I practice online counseling across state line?”- Ask of your licensing board and your malpractice insurance carrier, “If I conduct email (video, phone…) therapy with my client who resides in another state and my client files a complaint to my licensing board, what will the licensing board do? Will my malpractice insurance cover the complaint or any lawsuit that may ensue?”
- Document everything.
This is your due diligence.
SO if you just want to dig in, analyse, discuss, debate, innovate-(you know, like some of us did in grad school) please join us! We would LOVE to have you on board!
DeeAnna & Kate