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Winter 2009/10 | Vol 13 No 2

Note from the Editor

How comfortable are you with technology? It’s an important question for mental health and addiction professionals to ask themselves because the Internet is having a big impact on clinical work. In traditional face-to-face practice, therapists are hearing about their clients’ online experiences, just as therapists online are working with clients on issues in their “offline” lives.

The Internet has become a common and prevalent resource for everyone. Individuals with mental health or addiction issues and their families often turn to the Internet to find information, share experiences or express themselves. Mental health and addiction professionals are also starting to take advantage of the possibilities of the Internet, running along a continuum from information dissemination to prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare.

This issue of CrossCurrents examines some of these areas, and considers the possibilities and pitfalls of the Internet for clinical work. Avril Roberts examines how online self-assessment offers a unique opportunity to help people access care. Lesley Young introduces us to the “Net generation” and explores the implications of the Internet for working with young clients. In another story, Anne Ptasznik takes us into the world of mental health bloggers, including the controversial “pro-ana” bloggers. With new technology come new ethical concerns, which Patricia Nicholson explores in her story about how social networks are blurring the lines between private and professional boundaries. We also see technology in action, with one online counsellor and her client describing how they develop a therapeutic rapport online. In the Last Word column, Hilarie Cash, executive director of ReSTART: Internet Addiction Recovery, North America’s first inpatient “detox” centre for Internet addiction, argues that Internet addiction is a valid disorder requiring specialized treatment. Visit the Last Word column at www.camhcrosscurrents.net to have your say in this debate.

Hema Zbogar
tel 416 595-6714
hema_zbogar@camh.net