History of online counseling and child development
The history of internet online advice began around forty years ago. The first twenty years of online counseling promoted the educational and therapeutic ideals of free sources. Many of these ideals, promoted by child psychologists and child behavior experts, began to provide learning opportunities for parents and educators. Like many other online services that began after the dawn of the Internet, the concept of online consultation between educational and research institutions was developed with the desire to promote a stronger learning environment. Below you will find an overview of the history of online advice. In October 1972, one of the first demonstrations of the Internet was a simulated psychotherapy session between computers at Stanford and UCLA. This …

History of online counseling and child development
The history of internet online advice began around forty years ago. The first twenty years of online counseling promoted the educational and therapeutic ideals of free sources. Many of these ideals, promoted by child psychologists and child behavior experts, began to provide learning opportunities for parents and educators. Like many other online services that began after the dawn of the Internet, the concept of online consultation between educational and research institutions was developed with the desire to promote a stronger learning environment. Below you will find an overview of the history of online advice.
In October 1972, one of the first demonstrations of the Internet was a simulated psychotherapy session between computers at Stanford and UCLA. This took place during the International Conference on Computer Communication.
In 1976, not long after the introduction of the first personal computers, computer bulletin board systems came into use.
Beginning in 1979, the first national online services, Source and Compu-serve, enabled nationwide online communications for PC users.
In 1986, Uncle Ezra (named after Ezra Cornell, the university's founder) was founded by Jerry Feist, then director of psychological services, and Steve Worona.
1995 John Grohol, Psy.D. began offering free mental health advice in a popular weekly public chat.
In 1995, paid mental health services began to appear online and offered to the public.
From 1995 to 1998, Sommers worked with over 300 people in his online practice, which spanned the globe from the Arctic Circle to Kuwait. David Sommers, Ph.D. can be seen as the first pioneer of “e-therapy”. He was the first to establish a paid internet service.
In 1997, the International Society for Mental Health Online was founded to promote the understanding, use and development of online communication, information and technology for the international mental health community.
At the beginning of the 21st century, interaction between psychologists and consumers on the Internet can be divided into two types:
Online counseling and e-therapy developed by numerous counselors and psychotherapists formed ongoing helping relationships that are currently developing through Internet means of communication.
Mental Health Counseling – Counselors and psychotherapists currently respond exclusively via the Internet to questions asked by the general population seeking professional psychological counseling.
Today, online counseling services help people worldwide. Although this service is still in its infancy, online counseling is becoming a viable option for individual or family counseling needs.
Alternative practitioner psychotherapy
The best place to find alternative practitioners psychotherapy is in our free alternative practitioner directory. To view all alternative psychotherapy practitioners, please click here.