Protocols for security and appropriate platforms to assure safety and misuse.Professional and legal considerations and issues of jurisdiction.Specific issues relating to working online.The following areas are the principal focus of the guidelines: These guidelines are of relevance to all practitioners engaging in distance therapy, and should be read and considered alongside the IACP Code of Ethics and Practice for Counsellors/ Psychotherapists/Supervisors. As technology is evolving at a very fast pace, it would be impossible to provide information here about every facet of it, or to give answers to the many issues which individual practitioners may encounter while using it. There are diverse reasons for this preference, including issues of distance, time constraints or inability to access therapy within a specific area. In addition, there are many clients who, for various reasons, find online provision of therapy preferable to the traditional face to face counselling method. Nor does it suggest that all practitioners will wish to pursue technological methods for helping clients, though it is difficult to see how awareness of its potential and usefulness could possibly be avoided. This is not to suggest that it can, or should, supersede conventional face to face therapy with clients. Online provision of psychological therapies is increasingly used by practitioners of various theoretical orientations, and research in the field indicates that many clients value it and benefit from it. Though the guidelines are primarily intended for practitioners, they are equally relevant to anyone, including service managers, interested in the provision of online therapy. They too are referred to as practitioners throughout. The second section (Part 2) refers to the work of supervisors who also use distance therapy in their work. The first section of the document (Part 1) deals specifically with the work of counsellors/psychotherapists (referred to throughout as practitioners) who use technology in their work with clients. The guidelines contained in this document are intended for counsellors/psychotherapists who provide therapy and/or supervision using technology or via the internet. IACP Recommended Approach for Online Counselling and Psychotherapy Introduction

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