Episode 8 - Online Mental Health Action Committee

Michelle Franklyn Davies is the CEO of OLMHAC which stands for Online Mental Health Action Committee, an organization whose mission is to strengthen and improve the self-efficacy of low income communities in times of major disaster events. OLMHAC provides on line mental health services to victims of disasters. Through the formation of Neighborhood Resilience Centers (NRC), OLMHAC aims to provide training and access to internet-based, mental health-focused disaster relief services. For further information our listeners might like to visit the OLMHAC website at http://www.olmhac.org/

I am fortunate to catch Michele during her stop over in London on her way to Amsterdam for a symposium presentation on OLMHAC at the First International E-Mental Health Summit. If you would like to contact Michelle directly her email address is michelle@olmhac.org

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Episode 7 - Fit for purpose? Online work inappropriate for some? A therapist or client decision on ‘fit’?

Show Guests: Dave

In episode 7, the discussion focus on a general assumption that online work is unsuitable for some clients e.g. it is often quoted that it would be inappropriate for those who are in crisis, or suicidal. These are stated without further in depth examination or evidence. How are inappropriateness determined and based on which evidence, evidence translated from face2face studies, if it is...is it comparable? And when we mentioned ‘online helping intervention’ do we need to qualifying specifically what type of online services may be inappropriate or appropriate and for whom. Are counsellors/therapists the only people to determined if it is appropriate or do clients/users have a part to play?. Given that there are various methods of helping underpinned by the various theoretical explanation for certain presenting problems/needs, client groups, gathered from the wealth of face2face literature, does it.. or should this efficacy be taken for granted and assume that it does translate itself directly onto the online environment? Should we question if there are any unique outcomes that is peculiar to online environment having a distinct advantage over face2face etc.

The above provide the framework for us to explore the various related issues and we started our conversation using the contents of an email forwarded by Sue Whitlock who unfortunately were not able to join the show but was keen to share her thoughts on the topic for discussion. This provided us with a starting point for our discussion.

You can contact me at chewalex@hotmail.com to leave your thoughts, views and opinions. You are welcome to leave your comments here. You can contact ACTO, the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online at http://www.acto-uk.org/

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You can also view the recording of the live broadcast of the above episode here

SCHEDULING CHANGES

Due to a last minute changes in my holiday plans, I had to reschedule some changes in the dates and order of the webcasts. Please click here or on the link above for the lastest updates.

The next webcast will be at Creative Frequency - In Conversation on the 30th August 2008 at 0900 hrs BST. The theme of the discussion will be around "symbols" in creative arts therapy. I look forward to your company and having a conversation with you.

Episode 6 - Online security

Show Guests:
Gill J

In episode 6, we reflected on online/internet security. We considered if our current ‘over emphasis’ for ‘online security’ may reflects in many ways our need for the psychological security not dissimilar to Maslow's safety needs when we, humans yearn for the familiar, predictable and a consistent world order. We may react and engage in behaviours that does not match the level of realistic risks in our attempt to ameliorate our anxiety of a relatively unfamiliar and new environment of cyberspace which challenges us more at an emotional than a practical or pragmatic level. 

This is the first of the five webcast planned for the second series. Please refer to the new schedule of future webcasts and I do hope you can join us in our future discussions as well as looking forward to your suggestions of themes in online counselling and therapy that you would like to listen to in future broadcasts. You can contact me at chewalex@hotmail.com or leave your comments here. You can contact ACTO, the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online at http://www.acto-uk.org/

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You can also view the recording of the live broadcast of the above episode here

In Conversation - Inaugural Webcast for Creative Arts Therapy

You might like to know that this Saturday I am starting a regular live Internet webcast for Creative Arts Therapies and I am hoping that listeners of Therapeutic Airwaves may find it interesting as well and you may decide to join us. The show starts 09.00 hours BST Saturday 19th July 2008 and will hosted at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/creative-frequency The show has no specific topic or subject however, to get listeners ‘warm up’ I will kick off the show with a five to ten minutes (fingers tightly crossed) hopefully,……… ramblings, reflections, provocations, around a very loose theme which the audience may then be enticed to engage in further ‘conversation’ with whatever thoughts, associations, feelings etc may be aroused or arise from the initial sound bite. This Saturday’s theme is about ‘rituals’. For further information please visit http://creativefrequency.blogspot.com

A summer/autumn schedule of both Therapeutic Airwaves and Creative Frequency shows are now available. The next Therapeutic Airwaves webcast will be 2^nd August 2008. Click on the link for the new schedule.

So wherever you are in the global village, counsellors or therapists, if you have some time to spare on Saturday pull up a chair, turn on your computer, have your mug of coffee, or wine depending on which time of the day or night in your neck of the wood and join me ‘In Conversation’  -  Alex Chew

Episode 5 - Creative Arts Therapy Online

Show Guests:
Gill, Rosie, Petrus,

In episode 5, we explore the realm of imagination in healing. If the main processes of Creative Arts Therapy is the working within the imaginative realm to access the healing and growth potential that lies in the unconscious and collective conscious of the psyche, it would seem natural to tap into the imaginative therapeutic space that is offered by cyberspace. To utilise creative arts therapy online is not limited or constrained by the technology but only by ones own imagination to use what is already available and accessible between client and therapist in a creative and novel way. It is not technology that drives creativity, it is creativity that drives technology.

We have come to the end of our first series of five broadcast. A listing of the new schedule will be made available soon and my hope is that maybe you can join us in our future discussions and I look forward to suggestion of themes in online counselling and therapy that you would like to listen to in future broadcasts. You can contact me at chewalex@hotmail.com or leave your comments here. You can contact ACTO, the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online at http://www.acto-uk.org/

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You can also view the recording of the live broadcast of the above episode here

Episode 4 - Telepresence A Core Condition For Therapy?

Show Guests: Chris, John, Petrus,

In episode 4, the critical questions and challenges were being explored and discussed with regards to telepresence. Is the digital creation and duplication of stimuli by technology to engaged our five senses the only or desired extension and development of an online counselling and therapy encounter? Is this an attempt to recreate a 'face-to-face' encounter digitally? Or could we be missing the point of what actually constitute a transformative encounter in terms of current thinking and conceptions of time and space?, Is it an encounter with the 'Other' or is it an encounter with the 'Self' or are both experience the one and same thing thing? Should the virtual space be the medium which allows silence to speak and resonate? Is healing an immersion in the total awareness of the present moment rather than about presence? etc. etc, questions which we hope we may continue to explore and discuss in future broadcast.

Maybe you can join us in our discussion as I would love to hear your views and opinions. All feedback, comments, suggestions of future themes for discussion are very welcome. You can contact me at chewalex@hotmail.com or leave your comments here. You can contact ACTO, the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online at http://www.acto-uk.org/

REMEMBER
Our next live broadcast Express Yourself – Exhibitionist or Artists? - Creative Arts Therapies Online, Therapy Or Aesthetics?
is on Sunday 2^nd March 2008 at 0900 hours GMT.

Click on the player to listen to the podcast.... or point to icon below and use the right button on your mouse to click and choose 'Save Target As..' to download the Mp3 file

You can also view the recording of the live broadcast of the above episode here