Internet Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy training is available in many different avenues. You can train traditionally through college classes, sitting in a classroom with a lecturer. You can also complete a home-based program at your own pace with book-based curriculum and study. In our modern world, however, possibly one of the most effective ways to train for a psychotherapy career is through internet training. Colleges and universities now offer many online-based programs for many curricula including psychotherapy. Not only that, there are career colleges and online programs specifically designed for psychotherapy training.

When looking for a good psychotherapy training program either through traditional schooling or via the internet, consider the following as guidelines to find a good program:

• The school or program is state and/or nationally certified
• The school or program has the degree level(s) you need or want
• The school or program has a schedule that works with yours
• The school or program offers career counseling or placement
• The school or program has good reviews from professionals and students

It is important that the above considerations are an integral part of your psychotherapy training research. It is wise to attend a school or program that is accredited by the proper organization(s) and that offers a range of curricula you want to learn about and that is specific to your training needs.

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With the emerging global community and an internet presence even in remote jungles and mountain villages, we all live in an age of exponential changes. It is no surprise that there has been a corresponding pressure on the psyches and equilibriums of just about every living human being.

In response to that pressure, the field of psychotherapy has grown itself up, from the seemingly narrow minded Victorian context of Freudian analysis to more recent scientific advances in mapping brain function. Techniques have ranged from passive and remote interpretation to more active interventions such as EMDR and DBT.

Baby boomers have played a large role in turning psychotherapy into a household word; a term reserved not just for the mentally ill, but also for the “worried well”. And managed care has capitalized further by applying the medical, disease-based model onto the practice, requiring any and all users of health insurance to declare a diagnosis worthy of treatment. That is to say, it is a model of treatment provided by licensed and credentialed practitioners who must authorize and frequently request sessions through a complicated and laborious set of rules in order to be reimbursed–and only then, at a discounted rate.

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Online Internet Psychotherapy and Counseling through Skype is becoming more popular than ever for busy people. As a professional online psychotherapist, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of clients who prefer to have therapy sessions in the comfort of their own homes rather than driving to a therapist’s office. All say that they find online sessions using Skype or other videocam formats to be less intimidating than face-to-face sessions and that they feel generally more relaxed and in charge of the process. This is good, because the purpose of any form of therapy, teaching or coaching is to give you the tools you need to better manage emotional suffering so that you can live a happier life.

It is surprising how effective Skype therapy sessions are. Although client and therapist may be thousands of miles apart, it feels like you are in the same room. This format is becoming very popular for people in remote areas or people who are unable to leave home for one reason or another. It is a lifeline for those with agoraphobia, who are trying to learn how to cope with venturing out. In Australia, for example, internet therapy is very common, because so many people live in isolated communities where there are few, if any, counselors. Interestingly, many of my clients live in New York and LA. In their case, there are plenty of therapists available, but the competition is so high that they cannot afford their rates.

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