How the Technological Revolution Will Change Therapy

Many therapists use e-mail to interact with clients. The advantages to this process are that e-mail maximizes client access to the therapist while minimizing the intrusion of client contact into the therapist s personal time. Homework assignments can be discussed and clarified between sessions, and between-session questions answered. In addition, e-mail introduces the possibility that a client can access a therapist hundreds or even thousands of miles away. I am a firm believer that face-to-face therapy is ideal for many important reasons (e.g., developing the therapeutic alliance), but in those instances in which clients are isolated from good care, e-mail therapy can be a very attractive option. This option allows the possibility for equal access to the best available treatment and therapy resources even if those resources are not available to the client locally. In addition, as interactive telephones become more standard, therapy by phone may allow distance therapy to become more personalized, and this medium may ultimately supplant e-mail as a way to seek therapy from a distance. 

The down side, however, is that many online systems are not secure, so there has been great concern about client privacy s being compromised by using e-mail. Many systems have been working on upgrading their security, so the concern about protecting confidentiality online may eventually be reasonably satisfied. Presumably the same concerns will need to be addressed with regard to interactive phones. 

Finally, virtual reality technology will allow clients to do imaginal exposure virtually. For example, virtual programs can be written that allow the client to face (virtually speaking) all the tough and risky situations in session that they will face outside. They will be able to practice drug refusal skills, alternative ways to act, and new skills in the face of virtually exposed high-risk experiences. Virtual reality will provide a more realistic way to conduct exposure to cues 

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