About Therapy Online

This page was written by Dan L. Mitchell,
Senior Counsellor at Therapy Online

Therapy Online began offering its services in 1995 on a modem-accessed local bulletin board service. Since the beginning, we have worked hard to be leaders in the field of online counselling by:

• carefully examining existing ethical codes for counselling
• applying those codes to our online counselling practice
• developing new ethics specifically for online counselling
• taking leadership in the field of counselling by developing effective online counselling skills
• publishing professional articles on online counselling skills and practical issues
• offering training to other counsellors at conferences and workshops

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."

We have written 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 most recent ACA conference, and continues to be in high demand. Our seminal work, "When writing helps to heal: E-mail as therapy," was published in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling in February of 1998 and is the first article of its kind to explore the practice of e-mail therapy.

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

"In monitoring therapy services on the World Wide Web, we discovered one, among over 1,000, which impressed us as having an exemplary system of protecting clients. That site is www.therapyonline.ca (T. W. Clawson, personal communication, September 15, 1997)."

When President Clinton was re-elected in 1997, the inauguration celebrations included a technology pavilion that covered 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 online services 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."

Each of our counsellors hold a minimum of a Master's degree, have at least seven years of professional counselling experience, and are active members of a recognized professional counselling organization. I invite you to find out more about our counsellors.

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