Technology Ethics and Distance Counseling

The use of counseling technology and electronic communication between clients and counselors has received increasing attention. While there is great potential in using the internet to deliver counseling services, it is critical that counselors are aware of the ethical implications whenever they use technology to interact with clients. The chapter focuses on the ethical use of counseling technology and provision of distance counseling services. It identifies common ethical tensions underlying the decision to use technology when providing counseling services. The chapter promotes the critical-evaluative thinking underlying e-professionalism and technology ethics as necessary habits in the digital age. A focus on accessibility is critical because we are all dependent on digital technology as a necessary form of assistive technology to function in a digital society. Social media has become the way people communicate, and thus counselors need to inform clients about the inherent threats to privacy and confidentiality.