Ethical guidelines

Before setting up a web page or beginning an online practice, you should familiarize yourself with various existing sets of ethical guidelines that pertain to e-therapy. Reading the documents in this list will give you important guidance for your online practice.

• International Society for Mental Health Online, 2000: Suggested Principles for the Online Provision of Mental Health Services
  
  
• American Counseling Association, 1999: Ethical Standards for Internet Online Counseling
  
  
• National Board of Certified Counselors, 1997: Standards for the Ethical Practice of Web Counseling
  
  
• Internet Health Coalition, 2000: e-Health Code of Ethics
  
  
• Health on the Net Foundation, 1997: HON Code of Conduct for Medical and Health Websites
  
  
• American Medical Informatics Association, 1998: Guidelines for the Clinical Use of Electronic Mail with Patients
  
  
• American Psychological Association, 1997: Services by Telephone, Teleconferencing, and Internet
  
  
• John Grohol, PsyD: Best Practices in E-Therapy (Definition & Scope, Legal & Licensing Issues, Confidentiality & Privacy), and Potential Risks and Benefits of Online Psychotherapeutic Interventions