Mutual Trust
Mutual trust is one of the most crucial dynamics surrounding an online relationship between e-therapist and e-patient. I say "mutual" because it goes both ways:
- E-patients need assurance that you are a bonafide therapist.
- E-therapists want some assurance that the patient is bonafide.
On this page Ill list the things you must do to help your e-patients trust you. The next page covers issues about you trusting your e-patients.
Information you must provide
For the protection of consumers, certain information must be included on e-therapy sites. Please be sure all of the following information is available on your site, where prospective clients can read it before deciding whether to pay for your services.
Information about you - the therapist:
Unfortunately, internet users have learned all too well that there are some frauds out there in cyberspace. They have no way of knowing whether you really are who you say you are, and whether you really are a qualified therapist, unless you prove it. Saying "I am a professional therapist" is not enough. It is essential that you put their minds at ease by providing them with real-world information that they can verify independently.
You must give prospective clients enough information to
independently verify your credentials, and
contact you offline if necessary. |
At minimum, you must provide:
- your real name
- the city, state and country where you practice. It is not necessary to provide your street address.
- your professional office telephone number
- your discipline (i.e. psychologist, marriage-family therapist, social worker, pastoral counselor etc.)
- your credentials (official certification, license and/or other credentials) with enough details so that the client can contact the credentialing organization to verify this information
Information about your services:
To avoid misunderstanding, be very clear about what you are providing and what will be required from the e-patient. Minimum information:
- State whether the inquirer will receive a personal private response from you, and if so, when they can expect your response (i.e. 24 hours, 48 hours, 3 weeks, etc.).
- Explain how you will communicate: e-mail, chat, video, web messaging, or other
- State whether you offer security encryption for e-mail, chat and/or web messaging. I strongly advise that you do.
- Provide clear, unambiguous information about fees and payment options.
- Inform prospective e-patients about the limitations of e-therapy (such as what problems require face-to-face treatment), and the limitations of confidentiality, both generally and with regard to Internet privacy.
Next: Trusting your e-patient: anonymity pros and cons>>
