(I-Newswire) October 18, 2009 - The Center for Online Counseling and Psychotherapy (COCP) launched its website today, answering the growing need for professional continuing education in topics related to telemental health, commonly known as "online counseling," and "online therapy" or "online psychotherapy." The Center also provides training in telepsychiatry issues, particularly those related to the delivery of medical consultation directly to patients or video-based communication from one practitioner to another.
The Center is the first of its kind – a professional continuing education center exclusively devoted to:
1. Online counseling, psychotherapy and medical consultation;
2. Internet Psychology, the study of online-related behavior, such as compulsive online gambling, gaming, shopping, pornography, infidelity, and overuse, or what some people call Internet addiction;
3. Educating professionals about developing and maintaining a professional online presence.
Courses and Certification Programs
Today COCP launched its website, www.centerforonlinecounseling.com, where professionals can browse the Center’s range of courses and certification programs. Courses range in topics from 50 years of scientific research in the fields of Telehealth and Telemedicine, to Equipment in the Psychotechnologies, Specialized Online Practices, Legal & Ethical Issues and Online Marketing.
Both researchers and practitioners can choose from certification programs offering individual certificates for:
1. Online Counseling and Psychotherapy
2. Online Psychology
3. Professionalism in Telemental Health
Practitioners can also opt for a combined Certification in Telemental Health that combines all three specialty areas and connotes the broadest of all training available to professionals who want to fully understand and utilize the Internet and the other "psychothechnologies" (technologies used in mental health) to expand their reach to new clients and their specific technology-related needs.
Courses and certification from COCP are currently available on a beta-phase price point with discounted rates available in exchange for product and course feedback. All courses are available online, via recorded webinar and teleworkshop.
All courses then can be attended live or in MP3 format. Professionals can "learn-on-the-go," that is, anytime and anywhere. Rather than being required to attend a workshop, participants can join from the comfort of their desktop, either at home or from the office. By so doing, they spare them selves the expense of:
• inconvenient travel
• meals
• accommodations
• time away from the family or office
• and being confined to a training room for the entire training period.
Both content and surrounding paperwork can be downloaded and processed conveniently and efficiently online.
Popular Demand vs. Professional Requirements
The Center’s Executive Director, Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D., describes the growing desire of clients and patients to have contact with their treating professionals online as well as the interest of professionals to start developing creative revenue streams from the comfort of their home or office via the new telecommunication technologies, such as the internet.
Dr. Maheu's goal is to help move professionals forward adoption of the new technologies, yet adhere to the many legal and ethical mandates that define how to deliver services in new ways and via new technologies. She advocates careful attentions to the letter and spirit of state and federal law as well as ethical guidelines, as published by all the national associations for psychiatry, psychology, counseling and social work.
She stated:
With already more than 2,000,000 websites using "online counseling" as an identifying keyword for consumers to find them, and more than 110,000 consumers the phrase "online counseling" every month in Google's website, the need is self-evident. The problem is that most professionals seem to be practicing with new and emerging technologies without relevant training.
Our faculty members have been training for an average of 15 years as independent experts in face-to-face settings, such as professional association conventions and meetings. The time is now, then, for us to join energies and bring our combined training experience to the Internet.
Now professionals can access our webinars and teleworkshops, earn their certification and begin delivering the types of service that will bring mental health care into this century, both safely and responsibly.
Some of the pivotal issues are further elucidated in Dr. Maheu's recent interviews with:
• US News & World Report: http://budurl.com/bfdj and
• CNN: http://budurl.com/4874
About Telemental Health Institute, Inc.
Telemental Health Institute, Inc. (THI) is devoted to the advancement of Telemental Health through service, education, and direct patient care. It is a sister company to Pioneer Development Resources, Inc. an online publishing and professional web development company established in 1996 and the current publisher of the renown SelfhelpMagazine, (www.selfhelpmagazine.com), one of the world's largest and most trusted self-help and psychology portals since 1994. Its mailing address is 711 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada, Suite 6, 89701. Telephone: 866-425-1998; FAX: 480-393-5570.
For more information about The Center for Online Counseling and Psychotherapy, please visit
www.centerforonlinecounseling.com or contact Dr. Maheu at drm@centerforonlinecounseling.com.
About The Center for Online Counseling and Psychotherapy:
The Center is the first of its kind – a professional continuing education center
Company Contact Information
The Center for Online Counseling and Psychotherapy
Marlene M. Maheu
711 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada, Suite 6, 89701
89701
Phone : 866-425-1998
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