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Archived posts will remain here.
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Friday, September 19, 2008
Georgia State University Gets a Second Life!I received my Georgia State Alumni Magazine yesterday and was delighted
to learn how progressive Georgia State remains! I attended Georgia State in the 90's and received my Bachelor of
Science Degree in Mental Health and Human Services. I chose Georgia State because thier program was very experiential,
hands-on and practical. While the program no longer exists and has been replaced in the department with a BSW program,
I remain an alumni and a fan of GSU.
On the cover: A Second Life: The Virtual World Provides Ample Educational
Opportunities and inside, a three-page article about GSU's educational island. This information about Second Life is offered
on the GSU website:
IS&T of Georgia State University is proud to launch its faculty
development island in Second Life. Second Life, a 3D virtual world, offers immersive possibilities for learning. Students
may converse in real time with residents from Spain or France, view the art of the Sistine Chapel, walk on Mars, or let a
tsunami wave wash over them.
This island also offers instructors an area to learn about the Second Life environment
and how best to use it with their classes. Included on the island are tutorials, tips and helps, a best practices display
area and a sandbox to try new skills.
Second Life (SL), developed
by Linden Labs, provides a unique and flexible environment for instructors who are interested in online learning and computer-supported
collaborative work. It is a downloadable program that enables users to interact with each other through user-created avatars
and provides an high level of social interactivity between users. SL is not a game but rather an immersive learning simulation
that allows the users to learn new skills, learn in a social environment, and to learn the cultures and manners of a virtual
environment. Users may build objects, chat with each other, and learn and network with others from around the globe.
I am thrilled to see higher education present in Second Life. I co-founded the
Online Therapy Institute and immediately saw the benefit of offering a presence and an educational platform in Second Life. The
existence of colleges and universities in SL affirms the decision to open an office in a virtual world.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Peer Supervision for Online Counselors!
I am pleased to announce that the Online Therapy Institute is now offering peer supervision to online counselors via a secure and encrypted forum.
The Institute offers a clinical membership that includes access to the forum and a website listing. For more information
please visit the membership page!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Psychotherapy, Clnical Supervision and Forensic Mental Health- New Practice Opens in Rumson, NJ.
I have maintained a private practice in Georgia for nearly
10 years, and for the past five, I have traveled back and forth between New Jersey and Georgia. While I am licensed
in New Jersey and New York, I have not offered face-to-face services in the greater New York area until now.
My
new practice is located in Rumson, NJ. I am easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway and a short commute from
NYC. I offer psychotherapy, clinical supervision and forensic evaluation services.
My psychotherapy specialties include relationship issues such as infidelity or money matters, working with adolescent and
adult survivors of abuse, and substance abuse issues. Complimentary to my online counseling work, I also help people
understand the impact of technology on their lives and the lives of people they love. Internet addiction, social networks
such as MySpace and virtual worlds like Second Life are changing the way many people exist day to day- some folks
are impacted positively while others are having a difficult time managing.
My clinical supervision services are available
to graduates working toward New Jersey Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status or New York Licensed Mental Health
Counselor (LMHC) status. My specialties include forensic mental health, online counseling, abuse issues and addictions.
I also conduct forensic evaluations including substance abuse, domestic violence (violence risk), parental fitness
and child custody. Add-on services such as paternity tests and urine drug screens are available as well.
I look forward to serving Rumson and the surrounding communities! Call today for a free initial consultation! Confidential Voice Mail: 877.773.5591.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Google Lively- a New Virtual WorldGoogle announced last week their answer to Second Life.
Google Lively is a new virtual world where one can join, build an avatar and create another persona.
No doubt mental health support and therapeutic services will be offered at Google Lively keeping those of us with an interest
in avatar therapy very busy! I read an interesting article in the San Fransisco Chronicle on Sunday that stated IBM is working on the ability for avatars to teleport between
virtual worlds. It would seem that would blow the internet doors wide open! I will be exploring Google Lively very soon!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Podcasts about Mental Health and Psychology Podcasts are becoming more
and more popular. Easy to digest, podcasts often offer information in an easy-to-listen format, much like listening
to news or a story on the radio. Various mental health and medical organizations offer podcasts such as the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and the Medical University of South Carolina. Mental health practitioner Marcos Quinones offer podcasts on related topics as well.
This week's Scientific American 60-Second PSYCH podcast discusses topics related to e-therapy, avatar therapy and behavioral telehealth. Georgia Psychologist, Dr. Craig Kerley is mentioned as well as the Online Therapy Institute, both for having a presence in Second Life.
Podcasts are another way to receive the latest information on a variety
of topics. With many podcast directories available, it is easy to find a podcast on a specific mental health topic.
So if you are tired of reading web pages, blogs, the paper or books, have a listen to a podcast for a change!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Upcoming: Psychotherapy Conference with Focus on Technology!Hi Everyone- I
will be presenting at the following conference (focus on mental health and technology) in November: THE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOTHERAPISTS Millennium III: Time, Transition And
THE HUMAN CONDITION Institute and Conference November
12 – 16, 2008 in historic and fabulous Savannah,
Georgia Friday, November 14, 2008 TIME AND TRANSITION:
TECHNOLOGY AND THE
HUMAN CONDITION with a Plenary Presentation: TECHNOLOGY, PRESENT AND FUTURE: USES
AND IMPLICATIONS
FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY The
plenary will be followed by break-out sessions and my session begins on Friday afternoon and continues with Part II on Sarturday
afternoon: The
Skills and Ethics of the Online Therapist (Part I) (6 hours total of ethics CE/CMEs; 3 hours per
day) Maximum 75 Participants Part I will focus on the application of technology
to the psychotherapy process, including ethical considerations regarding online psychotherapy. Issues related to client
intake, informed consent and confidentiality will be addressed, along with jurisdiction and scope of practice issues. And
Saturday The
Skills and Ethics of the Online Therapist (Part II) (6 hours of Ethics CE/CMEs; 3 hours per day)
Maximum 75 Participants Part II will focus on the process of psychotherapy via technology.
The disinhibition effect
will be discussed: with the lack of audio and/or visual cues, the client’s perceived sense of anonymity affects the process. We will examine the therapist’s
ethical responsibility regarding
titration of client emotional release and disclosure. DeeAnna
Merz Nagel is a psychotherapist,
consultant and national expert regarding online counseling.
She holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and is licensed to practice counseling in Georgia, New Jersey and New York. She is a Distance Credentialed
Counselor and Past President of
the International Society for Mental Health Online.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Second Annual Summit on Behavioral Telehealth 2008 Earlier this week I attended the Second Annual Summit on Behavioral
Telehealth at Harvard Medical School's Joseph B. Martin Conference Center. I had the privilege of attending last
year and again this year. My role at the conference was as an ISMHO (International Society for Mental Health Online)
exhibit booth representative. The Summit offers workshops on Disease Management and ways in which the medical community
is using technology in various forms for prevention and intervention strategies. While there were no specific offerings
related to online counseling and supervision, I was intrigued by two sessions in particular: Virtual Worlds and Social
Networking. John Lester (Pathfinder Linden) of Linden Labs spoke of various ways people are utilizing Second Life to
enhance mental health and quality of life and John Grohol of PsychCentral moderated a panel discussion about health-related
social networking websites.
The attendance this year and last was made up primarily of physicians but I did note
that this year the summit offered continuing education credits to psychologists and social workers in addition to CME credits. Hopefully
the yearly event will become more inclusive of all mental health practitioners in the future.
I plan to
attend future summits so stay tuned for my summary next year!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Therapy in a Virtual World...What?!
Yes, that's right. What about engaging in psychotherapy in a virtual world environment such as Second Life?
Therapists and consumers are already meeting for therapy sessions in virtual world settings. My initial impression
is that this could be an incredible offering for many people who might not oridnarily seek out therapy in the "real world." Secure
and encrypted virtual worlds (hint to Second Life...) would meet best practice standards in the field of pyschotherapy. At
any rate, it is another expansion of the use of technology in mental health! I will be interested in watching this method
of therapy delivery emerge!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Is my Pricacy at Risk if I Use Email to Communicate with my Counselor?The
possibility of your email exchange being intercepted is slim but why take unnecessary risks with your confidential
information? If you are communicating with your counselor through email exchanges and the information shared is like
therapy- and not just a housekeeping issue, like a change of appointment time, you might consider using an encrypted email
service. Encrypted email gives you a level of privacy far beyond standard email. Encryption does not guarantee
privacy, but you have less risk of private information being intercepted. Suggest to your counselor that you would feel
more comfortable in the future with encrypted communication.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
I Just Want to Talk to Someone...
Some online psychotherapists offer instant sessions. Other therapists like myself have forms to review and
fill out before the first session. Why do some therapists make themselves available immediately and others not?
I think it is a style preference really. I tend to think of an instant session as a crisis- I assume perhaps the person
is in emotional distress, needing assistance immediately and might be better served by a crisis hotline or 911. That
is why my website offers such resources should a person need assistance immediately. I know not everyone that seeks
an instant session is in crisis and may truly just want to talk to someone and get started right away. For me, I tend
to be able to assist people better if I have a little bit of background information first so I have a form on my site that
is similar to a form someone would fill out if he/she were to come to my office for a face-to-face visit. I also want
to know that my potential client has had an opportunity to review documents like Informed Consent. In this
way, the psychotherapy process online is very similar to the psychotherapy process face-to-face. In my practice, the
initial part of this relationship begins the same.
Some online psychotherapists offer instant sessions. Other therapists like myself have forms to review and
fill out before the first session. Why do some therapists make themselves available immediately and others not?
I think it is a style preference really. I tend to think of an instant session as a crisis- I assume perhaps the person
is in emotional distress, needing assistance immediately and might be better served by a crisis hotline or 911. That
is why my website offers such resources should a person need assistance immediately. I know not everyone that seeks
an instant session is in crisis and may truly just want to talk to someone and get started right away. For me, I tend
to be able to assist people better if I have a little bit of background information first so I have a form on my site that
is similar to a form someone would fill out if he/she were to come to my office for a face-to-face visit. I also want
to know that my potential client has had an opportunity to review documents like Informed Consent. In this
way, the psychotherapy process online is very similar to the psychotherapy process face-to-face. In my practice, the
initial part of this relationship begins the same.
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