The Use of Telephone and on Line Technology in Assessment, Counseling, and Therapy

Abstract With the technological explosion has come new ways of providing counseling services. The use of telephone, on line, and video for counseling is increasing at a rapid rate. In the last few years, the need for reducing the costs of providing services to those who are not near counseling centers; those that have time and scheduling restraints; as well as a host of other issues have increased the interest in other approaches besides face-to-face. As a response, the utilization of technology in new and innovative ways has emerged. The telephone and video have become common tools in providing services in the fields of medicine, counseling, and Employee Assistance. With this new technology, ethical questions arise, as well as regulatory and professional issues. A few of the professional organizations have done preliminary work on standards to regulate their members’ utilization of the telephone and other technologies. An exploration of the literature gives the reader a panoramic view of the history and the trends of the new technology of telephonies.