About Therapy Online

Worldwide Therapy Online Inc. is a company founded by Lawrence J. Murphy and Dan L. Mitchell in 1995. We are the ground breakers in online counselling ethics and the delivery of internet-based counselling services.

Our work has been recognized by academics, hailed by colleagues, and covered by press around the world. Dr. John Bloom, former Chairperson, Webcounseling Ethics Committee, National Board for Certified Counselors, writes

"Without doubt, Mitchell and his partner, Lawrence Murphy, have gone farther than any other WebCounselors known to me in their attempts to offer professional, ethical services ⁽¹⁾."

We have worked hard to establish our reputation. We have authored several significant publications, including a chapter in the recent text Cybercounseling and Cyberlearning: Strategies and Resources for the Millennium. This book, published by the American Counseling Association and ERIC/CASS, was a best seller at the 2001 conference of the ACA, and continues to be in high demand.

Therapy Online Mission Statement

Our mission is to joyfully improve
the personal, relational, and spiritual
welfare of humanity –
those near us
(ourselves, our immediate families and colleagues)
and those around the world
(our clients, customers and contacts)...

by engaging in means that are consistent with personal human caring, outstanding ethics and integrity, and
by taking leadership in applying innovative technological methods

Our initial article, "When writing helps to heal: E-mail as therapy," was published in the peer reviewed British Journal of Guidance and Counselling in February of 1998 and is the first article of its kind to explore the practice of text-based therapy.

When the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), a 29,000 member American organization, first developed their code of ethics for WebCounselors (now called The Practice of Internet Counseling), they asked us to participate. In explaining their decision to consult with Therapy Online, Executive Director Dr.Thomas Clawson said:

Media coverage of Therapy Online's work has been extensive. This is due in part to our having leveraged a particularly exciting invitation. When President Clinton was re-elected, the inaugural celebrations included a technology pavilion that spanned the Mall in Washington, D.C. This pavilion showcased the most innovative and exciting of technological applications. One section of this pavilion focused on internet technology and mental health services. Therapy Online was one of only a dozen or so companies invited to take part.

Indeed, the Financial Times (Oct. 10, 1998) reported that, because of Therapy Online’s leadership in resolving ethical concerns, the company "was invited by President Bill Clinton to exhibit its programme at the presidential inaugural in January 1997."

For more than a year now, we have been focused on developing a new marketing direction for Therapy Online. We have spent a great deal of time defining target markets for online counselling and developing innovative marketing strategies. This work is relevant to any counselling agency or EAP firm that is either online already, or planning to go online in the near future.

Professionals and the lay public alike recognize Therapy Online's sterling reputation. By maintaining links with the academic community, participating in ongoing effectiveness research, and by insisting that ethics remain the first priority, Therapy Online has continued to grow and improve in its services. We intend on remaining the leaders and the innovators. We intend to be the model for the world of professional, ethical, and effective online counselling services.

⁽¹⁾ Murphy and Mitchell are quoted liberally in Bloom, J. W. (2000), Technology and web counseling. In H. Hackney (Ed.), Practice issues for the beginning counselor (pp.183 - 202). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.