Online psychotherapy as a legal application for Bitcoin

[neptop]

First of all: I do not know how a psychotherapy works, so I don't know whether this would actually make sense.

However, a friend recently talked to me about convincing someone to start a psychotherapy. It was about a person, that appears to have depressions, being suicidal and stuff. She told me that he pretty much convinced him to do so, but now he is afraid of his image, losing his job and things like that.

Wouldn't it make sense to offer these kinds of therapies online, in a non-trackable way? Who knows, maybe this would even solve the problem with pedophiles.

I thought about a chat. One could use Tor. One could also use VOIP or even video, if it's not about absolute anonymity. No idea, how many people would be interested in this, but from what I see there are lots of depressed people with the crisis and stuff.

Would this work?

[1715386095]

1715386095

[322i0n]

therapists practice under similar confidentiality and privacy laws as doctors so anonymity would not really improve anything there. there is much evidence that says that the therapeutic relationship is the primary factor influencing positive outcomes. online therapy inhibits the therapeutic relationship so that's another negative.despite this many practitioners do offer online therapy and bitcoin could be an option for them.

I am working on establishing another means of treatment for psychological problems which people will be able to access and pay for through btc. this will something that is evidence based and anonymous.

[wareen]

I am working on establishing another means of treatment for psychological problems which people will be able to access and pay for through btc.

Wouldn't happen to involve Silk Road now would it?

Seriously though, I think online psychotherapy would be great - with an increasing part of people's social interaction being done online, I don't see the inhibition of the therapeutic relationship as that big of a problem. One thing I do worry about though is that non-professionals who only claim to be psychotherapists could case much harm in serious cases.

[322i0n]

yeah, agreed with above.

also i hope i dont come across too dismissive of the OP's idea

there is a place for online therapy. but personally i think it is a really dodgy area, for both the practitioner and the client and not consistent with evidence base.

I hear silk road does some excellent psycho-pharmaceuticals 

if any one is interested i also admin a forum @ http://psychology-forum.com

[repentance]

There are a lot of free mental health resources online.  There are also mental health professionals who offer online services for a fee.  I suspect that charging anonymous clients would be an ethical minefield for mental health professionals as the therapeutic relationship creates a legal duty of care to the patient.  Most reputable clinical psychologists would probably avoid such services for ethical reasons, leaving the less qualified and less reputable "psychotherapists" and "counsellors" peddling their wares to the emotionally vulnerable and unstable.

[MaxSan]

rock and a hard place. Yeh its a great idea but red tape would stopt his from anyone actually properly qualifed in the scene to do it.

[Bimmerhead]

I think it is an interesting idea you have.

As a variation, consider http://blahtherapy.com/ but where the venters could reward the listeners with btc tips.  This would both incentivise the listeners to give good advice and serve as a ranking or feedback system whereby venters could determine whether they want to talk to a given listener or not.

[cbeast]

Mo money. Mo money.