This study will focus on the experiences of therapists who utilize the Internet in their professional or personal roles and who may have had extra-therapeutic contact with their clients on the Internet. The goal of the research is to obtain information from multidisciplinary mental health practitioners in order to understand the frequency of such contacts and their effects on the therapeutic relationship. We hope this data could be used to clarify ethical guidelines for therapists in their use of the Internet and social networking websites. This questionnaire is completely anonymous.

This study is being conducted by Keely Kolmes, Psy.D. and Daniel Taube, J.D., Ph.D., and has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Alliant International University.

Procedures

If you choose to participate in this study, you first will be asked to provide basic sociodemographic information. You will then be asked to answer a number of multiple choice and brief essay questions regarding your experiences encountering your clients on the Internet. Completion of these materials should take approximately 15 minutes, with a maximum of 25 minutes, depending upon how extensively you choose to respond and the extent to which you have had encounters with your clients on the Internet. At no point during the questionnaire will your name be requested. All information shared will remain anonymous, provided you do not submit your name along with your completed information. If you should decide to contact the researchers and inform us that you have participated, the fact of your participation will still be confidential, and we will not be able to link your name with your survey responses.

Also note that some questions require an answer, while others do not. If you try to move ahead in the survey without responding to one of the required questions, the page will not advance and you will see RED text above the question, reminding you that “This question requires an answer.” You will need to correct the answer before moving ahead.

You will notice that there is a progress bar at the top of each page which will show the percentage of questions you have completed. If you need to take a break from the study, you will have the option of returning later to finish it.

Benefits

Participation in the study will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your previous experiences with clients and your encounters with them on the Internet and to express your feelings about both the positive and negative impact of these experiences. Given the anonymous nature of this study, participation may also provide you with an opportunity to articulate your thoughts and feelings associated with the intersection of online social networking and mental health treatment.