Xref: utzoo sci.psychology:1577 comp.society.futures:1102 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!phoenix!eliot From: eliot@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Eliot Handelman) Newsgroups: sci.psychology,comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Telepsych - BLYTHnet Keywords: online counselling Message-ID: <7292@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Date: 22 Mar 89 09:21:11 GMT References: <9045@dasys1.UUCP> Reply-To: eliot@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Eliot Handelman) Followup-To: sci.psychology Organization: Princeton University, NJ Lines: 128 In article <9045@dasys1.UUCP> tzippy@dasys1.UUCP (Tzipporah BenAvraham) writes: > If a therapist and client both have access to a keyboard and a modem, >they can dial up the Telepsych system. Wow, this sounds great! >With Telepsych, a client and >therapist can talk in person to each other, even if they are physically >unable to meet in person. Great! Now I don't have to listen to my therapist's rotten voice! It is useful for scheduling late-night or >early-morning hours, and for home-bound clients (the disabled, AIDs >patients, therapists who are traveling or recuperating from illness, etc.). Gee, that does sound pretty useful! >Telepsych records the session as it is typed, and files a transcript in the >therapists' confidential files. Wow! I guess the therapist will study the transcript later on and tell me what's wrong with me! They must work pretty hard! >The transcripts are garbled (scrambled) >for security before they are stored in archives. Boy, that'll prevent malfeasants from getting into the twisted details of my therapy! >No one except the >subscriber (not even the system operators) can read the transcripts. I'll bet he needs a special password, huh? > Questionnaires and informational files are also available to >therapists and, selectively, to clients. Can I read them over my modem too? There is a public domain software >section as well, with a variety of programs geared to the needs of >psychotherapists. This is great! For sure they're better than the doctor that comes with GNU emacs! > In addition, clients and therapists can use the system in between >online "visits," to leave notes about items for discussion at the next >meeting, reactions to the last meeting, to record a dream for the therapist >to read, etc. Holy cow! You mean, I can actually send mail by computer? That's just so incredibly rad! What'll they think of next! > Telepsych is also a way for people to participate in a therapeutic >support group, even if members of the group are all homebound, or in >distant locations. You mean, people just like me? I've made a lot of friends on 972-FUCK! Ordinarily, this could only be done with conference >calls, which are difficult and expensive to set up. Really! 972-FUCK costs a buck for the first minute! >Telepsych provides a >good alternative that is affordable and easy to use. I'm sold! When do we start? Once it is installed, >gaining access to a group meeting is automatic and simple. I knew it was too good to be true! This thing hasn't even been installed? The >Conference is like a series of open letters typed in by members of the >group. Great! Great! This is going to be better than usenet, which is a series of letters typed in by memebers of the group! Every person in the group can read what everyone else has written >and respond to it, at their own pace, and when it is convenient. Great, because the big problem with usenet is that I always find myself responding when it's most inconvenient! The group conference >is ideal for discussion groups that want to focus on specific topics, such >as recovering alcoholics, Vietnam veterans' PTSD support groups, cancer >patients, outpatient psychiatric patients, etc. Whoa! These people sound like the same ones who contribute to usenet! Only authorized group >members can take part in these conferences, so they provide privacy and a >sense of acceptance that encourages free expression and exploration. Oh I get it! So it's like a hand-picked usenet! Gee, I wonder if they'll accept me! > Anyone who subscribes to Telepsych can communicate with other >subscribers, using messages that one subscriber writes online to another. Great! Great! I want to communicate with other outpatient psychiatric patients! >Whenever subscribers call the system, they can collect their mail, read it >and respond to it online. Great! Great!! I'll look forward to getting mail from those outpatient pschiatric patients! I'll bet they have a lot of interesting things to say! > The system is available for use 21 hours a day. The only times you >can't access Telespych system are during the 3 hours when the lines are >shut down for maintenance. Great! That way I can get 3 hours sleep! >ZDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD? >3 TENTATIVE RATE SCHEDULE FOR TELEPSYCH 3 After looking at these rates, it may be cheaper to stick to 972-FUCK!