Elizabeth Beck

The latest Creative Therapy Session podcast featured a topic that I have always been interested in, but always felt hesitant to bring up during my schooling. I felt that the idea of conducting art therapy sessions online would have been a taboo topic in a program that emphasized the presence of the therapist with the client in order to foster a therapeutic relationship, not to mention the fact that I had no idea how one could go about making artwork online.

In this fourth episode of the podcast, Melissa Solorzano, ATR, interviews Kate Collie, PhD, ATR, RPsych, about the work she does in the emerging field of cyber counseling and the way she combines tele-therapy with art therapy. During the interview, Melissa and Kate discuss many of the questions described above and more.

Thank you Melissa for getting this interview! I believe that cyber therapy is a field that is not only emerging, but is here to stay and will only grow bigger, and for this reason its something that needs to be addressed and talked about extensively amongst the psychological community. Like it or not, there therapists like Kate who offer online group therapy services for people who live in remote areas, and there are also therapists who have set up shop in virtual communities like Second Life. Not only must we begin exploring the effect working virtually has on the therapeutic alliance, transference, picking up nuances during sessions, curative factors in therapy, socialization etc…, but we must also remember issues such as confidentiality and technological limitations (i.e., whether someone has a computer, speed of internet, malfunctioning software). Other questions to consider; is there a difference between being present in a therapy session as an avitar versus through a webcam where the therapist and client can see each other’s faces? What are the differences between text forms of communication (email, instant messaging) versus hearing someone’s voice through a microphone during an online therapeutic session? Are there populations that online sessions are more suited for than others? Is online therapy more effective than no therapy at all?

Its certain that a new frontier in therapy is already here and cannot be ignored. To quote Heidi Klum from Project Runway, “either you’re in or you’re out!”. I certainly don’t want to be left behind by technology, if in fact there are ways to work around all the issues discussed above and more.

If you haven’t checked out Melissa Solorzano’s podcast, Creative Therapy Sessions, you are missing out. So far there are 2 shows that are accessible through Itunes. The first one focuses on Dance Movement Therapy and the second on Art Therapy with children who are at risk for developing drug and alcohol problems.

I find these podcasts to be both inspirational and helpful in my everyday art therapy practice. The directives that are mentioned in these podcasts are useful and practical. In the first show, for example, Rena Kornblum, MCAT, ADTR, DTRL explains techniques for deep breathing and helping people feel connected to their bodies, which can be helpful before beginning additional therapeutic work. In the second available podcast, Mary Ellen McAlevey ATR-BC discusses art therapy techniques that she uses both with children and their families in order to help increase one’s personal understanding through the exploration of emotions, trust and aspects of the self.

I look forward to the next Creative Therapy Session!

I commute 2 hours a day from the Castro Valley back to San Francisco. Recently, I’ve been getting into listening to podcasts…and it occurred to me…wouldn’t it be awesome if there was an art therapy podcast? Well…there isn’t, as far as I know. But I think I may have found the next best thing. Shrink Rap Radio hosted by Dr. Dave deals with a broad range of topics in relation to psychology. Anything from therapeutic doll making, to gestalt therapy, to American Sign Language for babies. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying, and I encourage anyone wanting a good psyc podcast to check this one out.

Dr. Dave also does another podcast called Wise Counsel, which I’ve also been getting into. He interviews some of psychology’s living greats like Yalom and Barlow. I know I’m probably just a psyc nerd, but I find it really exciting to hear these great thinkers who influenced modern psychology discuss their theories and their works.