| Let me be completely frank: There will certainly be times when I will suggest that face to face contact with a local professional is going to be preferred and/or needed. In no such case will I ever hesitate to be blunt about the fact that my impression is that you need to go and see a professional therapist.
This is certainly going to be the case if I form the impression that inpatient treatment (hospitalization) is necessary. Treatment through the Internet is definitely appropriate for "outpatients" only.
It also can be the case when we have done all we can through Internet support that more seems to be needed. This will be the case when you need to release emotional energy in the presence of a caring facilitator. I frequently am able to suggest qualified therapists throughout North America.
I believe that written contact based upon accurate information provided by you the customer can be very helpful in many cases. It is especially useful for persons in remote areas, or people who simply are not going to use the services of a face-to-face practitioner.
In many instances, I believe that written contact may be all that is needed. Written contact offers sharing, caring, feedback, and advice. In professional circles among psychologists, it is widely accepted that, however "therapeutic" clients may find them to be, written exchanges cannot accurately be called "therapy".
There are essentially three methods of helping people change. From "shallow" to "deep", they are
- Teaching
- Counseling or offering advice
- Therapy
What differentiates therapy from the other methods of helping people change, in my opinion, is the in-depth exploration of the emotional themes of personal history and experience. In my opinion, the presence of this deep exploration defines the therapies, differentiating them from other methods of helping people (i.e., teaching, advising, and counseling).
When I form the opinion that an in-depth exploration of the emotional themes of your personal history would be best for you to do, I will quickly and clearly bring it to your attention. I will remind you that therapy needs to be conducted face-to-face.
Let me describe some of the forms therapy takes at my private practice:
- Traditional psychotherapy: Conducted during one-hour sessions, traditional psychotherapy is elegant but generally slow. At least, no one in 20 years has ever complained of it moving too quickly.
- Brief "Therapy": My position is not in agreement with many psychologists. I think I’m in the minority here. I believe that the brief "therapies" so in vogue today do not meet clinical standards for therapy. These one-, two-, or several-session interventions may be therapeutic, but in my opinion they do not qualify as therapy in any traditional sense.
- Altered state therapies: It is generally believed by those of us who practice altered state therapies that they accomplish the work of traditional psychotherapy in far less time and fewer sessions. At my private practice, I use only altered states that may be induced without using substances:
- Hypnotherapy: The altered state of hypnosis is entered through the use of a guided meditation called an "induction".
- Integrative Breathwork: The altered state is entered through using one of a number of breathing exercises.
- Heart-Centered™ Therapies: Heart-CenteredTM therapists™ are those who have taken extensive training through the Wellness Institute in Issaquah, Washington. Breathwork, hypnoisis, release therapy, and energetic psychodrama are just a few of the altered state techniques used and taught there.
- Relationship Therapy: People in relationship may seek help together. Both traditional and altered state therapies can be useful.
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