Onlineberatung und internetbasierte Psychotherapie

The internet has established itself as an everyday medium of communication, whereby patterns for the use of information and services relevant to health can be documented. Therefore also allowing questions regarding the possibilities and limit limitations of internet intervention in clinical psychology and psychotherapy to be also posed. Although specialist discourse is limited to conceptional analysis due to the lack of theoretical concepts and weak empirical data, there is a basis for the realization of a system of net-supported psychological advice and psychotherapy. Our present contribution has the goal of introducing some current exemplary concepts.Furthermore, effects on the therapeutic process and setting will be described and necessary quality criteria clarified.Finally, perspectives on counseling and therapy through the internet will be formulated.The authors conclude that online, counseling will take on an important function in the exchange of information and although useful in the initiation of therapy, will have to be considered separately from online therapy.Both methods – although instrumental in closing gaps within the socio-psychological care-system – can not substitute classical psychotherapy.