Navigating the Mental Health Internet

Lesson 4.1 Web Forums

While these online discussion forums are not organized as formal seminars with presentations, they still perform the same function of allowing professionals to exchange research findings, conference announcements, news, practices, controversies, and problematic cases.  Online mental health seminars cover cases, research, new publications, and conferences on a wide range of specialized topics, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (e.g., Prozac), Jungian therapy, and PTSD. Mental health professionals participate in online seminars to expand their personal knowledge and refine their professional skills.

Four types of online seminars (which means they are conducted over the Internet) are available: Web Forums, Mailing Lists, Chats, and Newsgroups.

Web Forums

A web forum is in essence a bulletin board that is available on a web page. These include threaded discussions where you can see all previous postings and can post your own message.

A good example of a web forum for mental health professionals is:
Behavior Online

Gilbert Levin, Ph.D., a Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, coordinates this site. Behavior Online offers an ongoing series of web forums, including Clinical Case Conferences and seminars on Affect Theory, Classical Adlerian Psychotherapy, Cognitive Therapy, Control Mastery Theory and Self Psychology, Ericksonian Therapy, EMDR, and several other topics. A master clinician/teacher of each orientation presents and moderates discussions. These conferences are open only to mental health professionals and graduate students. Pick out one Behavior Online web forum and read the threaded discussion.