E-mail as an adjunctive tool in psychotherapy: response and responsibility.
In a world of technological breakthroughs, it is not surprising that psychotherapists have, along with the general population, taken to the multiple possibilities offered by devices or systems that affect communication. E-mail, now an ever-present phenomenon of near "real time" interaction, provides a myriad of possibilities for enhanced dialogue in psychotherapy relationships. This paper will describe the growing phenomenon of e-mail as an adjunctive tool in psychotherapy practice by initially reviewing the most current of the recent literature. The authors will present a model for the adjunctive use of e-mail between patient and therapist. Case material will illustrate this model as applied to ongoing treatment, crisis intervention, and follow-up.
Peterson
Marsha R
MR
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Beck
Robert L
RL
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends