This book provides foundational knowledge and skills pertaining to ethical and evidence-based practice for mental health providers engaging in or considering using distance modalities to treat clients. Targeting day-to-day application, the book explains the core functions of Telemental Health counseling (TMH) and its use across a broad spectrum of mental health modalities and settings. Using the framework of the American Counseling Association divisions, American School Counselors Association, and Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs core areas to examine TMH, the book provides instructions to develop skills that readers can apply directly to their own counseling interactions. Providing a wealth of information based on empirical and impartial views, the book helps readers examine the benefits and risks of distance counseling in various settings. It encompasses the history of TMH, ethical codes, legal guidelines, and recent research. Case studies and opportunities for self-reflection enable readers to envision distance counseling in real-world contexts, ask critical questions, and form conclusions about its utility in their practice. The book includes critical content pertaining to the COVID-19 crisis, expands the view of distance counseling to include such varied professionals as mental health, school, family, couple, rehabilitation, addiction specialists, etc. It presents abundant case studies to provide context and practical application, addresses the positive and negative aspects of practicing distance counseling and includes ethical issues in each chapter pertaining to designated core areas or specialty. The book presents Questions of Practice to foster critical thinking regarding the use of TMH in specific roles or functions and offers Voices from the Field with real-world examples focusing on practicing TMH within the designated core areas or specialties. It emphasizes ethical, practical, and logistical TMH practice in all chapters.
