Written by: OnlineTherapy.com Experts
Fact checked
Updated: Jun 07, 2022
Alex Alvarado
Alex Alvarado was inspired to make a difference in the lives of young people after watching his family struggle to find an affordable and accessible therapist for his younger brother, who was diagnosed with depression in high school. Having worked in the field of digital healthcare, he believed that technology could be an important part of the solution for teen mental health. In January 2020 he co-founded Daybreak Health, an online mental health center that helps teens build emotional wellbeing through individual video therapy and a mobile app that provides mental and behavioral health tools. Clinicians at Daybreak are specifically trained to work with this age group. They also provide classes for parents to better understand mental health issues and how they may be affecting their teens.
Dr. John M. Grohol, PsyD
Dr. Grohol is a pioneer in online mental health and psychology. Dr. Grohol is the founder of PsychCentral.com and was the first to publish online the diagnostic criteria for common mental disorders. His website helps lead the charge in breaking down the barriers of stigma associated with mental health and brings trusted resources and support communities to the internet. He is the author of The Insider’s Guide to Mental Health Resources Online and sits on the board for CyberPsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.
Roy Huggins, LPC, NCC
Roy Huggins specializes in counseling and technology. As a counselor and the creator of Person Centered Tech, he is a consultant to the mental health field for issues related to digital ethics quandaries, security and privacy. He is the author of numerous articles which are a must read for any mental health professional considering working online. He provides one on one and group consulting and can be reached through his site.
Marlene M. Maheu, PhD
Dr. Maheu has been a leading voice for ethical telemental health since 1994. She is a speaker and trainer and is the executive director of the TeleMental Health Institute, where she inspired the development of more than 90 hours of instructional materials in the field. She is also the founder and Editor-In-Chief of SelfhelpMagazine – an online award-winning portal providing free support to millions around the world. As the cofounder and president of the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS), she is leading the mission to responsibly advance the use of technology in the behavioral sciences. Her contribution to this field cannot be overstated.
Renée McDonald
Renée McDonald has 18 years of experience in the counseling, psychotherapy, coaching and training fields. As a private practitioner based in Australia, she is passionate about helping clients find balance and fulfillment in their lives, no matter where they live in the world. As director of Australia Online Therapy Training (AOTT), she also strives to help other therapists reach as many clients as possible, especially clients who may find it difficult to regularly attend in-person sessions due to distance or time concerns. AOTT offers tiered courses to walk therapists through the logistics of starting their own online practice and covers subjects such as how to connect with clients online, navigating online supervision and how to conduct group sessions online.
Jay Ostrowski, MA, NCC, LPC-S, DCC, ACS
Jay Ostrowski has a passion for serving and advancing the field of counseling. After growing his private practice into the largest practice in South Carolina, he founded Behavioral Health Innovation to consult with other counseling professionals and organizations – creating tailored solutions for their growth and success. He has been involved in the design and development of several well known online counseling software platforms and helped everyone from state agencies to private practitioners choose HIPAA and HITECH compliant technology for online counseling. He also developed Telemental Health Comparisons, a website that compares and contrasts all of the available platforms.
Carol Pulley, MA
After graduating with a clinical psychology degree, Pulley found more questions than answers when it came to opening a private practice. She also quickly realized that she was not alone in her need for answers, so she co-founded iTherapy, an online service to help teletherapists establish their own online practices. iTherapy provides tools and training aimed at assisting counselors with the technical and ethical components of starting and maintaining an online therapy practice. The platform also offers a clinical consult peer group where providers can discuss challenging cases, get feedback and learn from one another.
Philippa Weitz BEd, MSc, MBACP
Philippa Weitz is one of the leading experts in the UK on counselling and psychotherapy online. She has special interests in both the success of the online therapeutic relationship and security, confidentiality and jurisdiction. She lectures and teaches widely around working therapeutically and safely online. She has over 25 years of experience in mental health care and has had several leadership roles including the Standards and Ethics Officer for ACTO – The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online. She is the author of Psychotherapy 2.0: Where Psychotherapy and Technology Meet. She also provides an accredited training program: PWT Academy.
American Telemedicine Association
The American Telemedicine Association was founded in 1993 as a professional association dedicated to promoting the adoption of telemedicine, including telemental health. The group has a telemental health special interest group that includes clinicians, administrators and information technology professionals. The ATA also offers webinars, conferences and operates a forum for members to discuss current issues, ask questions and seek advice from other professionals.
ISMHO – International Society for Mental Health Online
ISMHO was formed in 1997 to promote the understanding, use and development of online communication, information and technology for the international mental health community. Over the years it has become the go-to place to learn about the changing field of telemental health. ISMHO provides an online forum for students, teachers, researchers, practitioners and online mental health professionals to discuss the issues that currently face our field. They have members in 27 countries throughout the world and represent an incredibly diverse approach to online counseling and the issues surrounding telemental health.
Telehealth Certification Institute
The Telehealth Certification Institute (TCI) was founded in 2014 to help behavioral health clinicians set up online practices and thus offer greater flexibility and access to clients seeking teletherapy and online behavioral health care. The institute offers specialized courses and a certificate program for both health care organizations and clinicians to assist them in navigating the ethical, legal, clinical and technological aspects of providing telehealth care. TCI is also approved by a number of professional associations as an approved continuing education provider.
Online Therapy Institute
Founded by Kate Anthony, MSc, DPsych, FBACP, and DeeAnna Merz Nagel, LMHC, in 2008, the Online Therapy Institute offers courses to therapists looking to build an online practice. Course topics include how to get started as an online therapist, how to deliver and design online counseling groups, and even a course on using avatars as a therapeutic intervention. Together Anthony and Merz Nagel have also shared their decades-worth of experience in telemental health by contributing to several academic chapters, peer-reviewed articles and three textbooks on telemental health.