I am interested in trying a counseling service/psychologist/marriage
and family counselor for myself via the Internet. Someone I could
contact via the Internet, and get replys from via the Internet.  No
office visits requiered. Money is not an issue.  Not sure where to
start looking.  Any way to ensure a decent reputable site?  My
"problem" area is being married to an alcoholic.

Hello -

Thank you for your question.  If you require any further clarification
or information, please don't hesitate to ask.

A service called "Metanoia" is a "comprehensive, independent consumer
guide to the psychotherapists and counselors who provide services over
the Internet. This guide is compiled by consumers, for consumers, and
lists only experienced, credentialed therapists:

Metanoia
http://www.metanoia.org/imhs/who.htm

The site rates counselors from 1 to 3 stars.  The following is a large
selection of the 3-star counselors listed; many of them are members of
the International Society for Mental Health Online.  I have personally
visited each site to verify its presence on the net:

Headworks - http://www.headworks.com/
Richard Sansbury, PhD. Psychologist, located in Calverton, Maryland.
Therapist provides verifiable credential, offline contact info.  Cost:
US$60 per hour available in packages of 1, 3 or 4 hours. Credit card,
check or MO.  Meets all consumer safety criteria and more.  ISMHO
member

Conscious Choices - http://www.cybertherapy.com/
Peter J. Chechele, M.A., MFCC. Marriage, Family & Child Counselor,
located in San Francisco, CA. Therapist provides verifiable
credential, offline contact info.  Cost: US$25.00 per e-mail reply or
US$90 per hour chat; US$100 for 5 e-mails, US$200 for one month of
unlimited e-mails. Credit card (secure form).
Meets all consumer safety criteria and more.  ISMHO member

Gary S. Stofle, LISW - http://members.aol.com/stofle/index.htm
Gary Stofle, LISW, CSWR. Psychotherapist located in Central Ohio.
Therapist provides verifiable credential, offline contact info.  Cost:
US$45 per hour chat; no charge for e-mail between chat sessions.
Credit card (PayPal secure form).  Meets all consumer safety criteria
and more.  ISMHO member

Dear Shrink - http://www.dearshrink.com
Ron Sterling, M.D., psychiatrist located in Seattle, WA. Therapist
provides verifiable credential, offline contact info.  Cost: US$25 per
short e-mail exchange (15-20 min.); US$45 per long e-mail exchange
(25-30 min.). Credit card (secure form).  Meets all consumer safety
criteria and more.    ISMHO member

Personal-Counselor - http://www.personal-counselor.com/
Laura S. Diallo, Ph.D. Psychologist, located in Bethesda, MD.
Therapist provides verifiable credential, offline contact info.  Cost:
US$90 per hour reading/ writing e-mail.  Credit card (PayPal secure
form), online check, check or MO.  ISMHO member

Marriage Matters - http://www.marriagematters.com
Jacqueline Gay, MSW, ACSW, LCSW. Social worker counselor, located in
Reno, NV. Therapist provides verifiable credential, no offline contact
info.  Cost: Initial evaluation US$60 individual, US$120 couple; US$60
per hour thereafter. One month unlimited e-mail US$250 individual,
US$500 couple.


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Additional Link:
National Directory of Online Counselors
http://www.etherapyweb.com/

Search strategy:
"online counseling"
"online marriage counseling"
"online marital counseling"

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Request for Answer Clarification by rintin-ga on 21 Oct 2004 07:27 PDT

Hi,  I thought I was done. But!!!!  I need a really secure private way
to send  and receive from whom ever I decide on to use for counseling.
 This Google Answer system works so great, my husband can't log on to
my account.  But in contacting a counselor If I just e-mail whom ever
I choose I can't figure out any way they could e-mail me back where my
husband couldn't easily intentionally or accidentally access it. 
Neither my husband nor I are very computer literate, but we both can
certainly do our normal regular e-mail.  We just have the one computer
we share.  Could I set up some personal e-mail account through our
current service provider????  Or would my husband just one day say
what is this icon, what is this account and I would have to try to
explain away that???  Is there any counselor who has some system
through their own web page where I have to log on to their web page to
access them and log on to their web page to get their reply???  I
checked a few counselors out from your list and they all seeemed to
say e-mail

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Clarification of Answer by jbf777-ga on 21 Oct 2004 08:40 PDT

Hello -

Thank you for the rating.

The best thing to do in this case is to indeed create another email
address, but you don't necessarily have to do it through your
provider.  You can create one on the free web-based services such as
Yahoo or Hotmail.  Just be sure to either close your browser after
checking email, or make sure it doesn't save your log-in settings. 
The safest thing to do is to close your browser.

Sign up with Yahoo at this link:
http://edit.yahoo.com/config/eval_register?.v=&.intl=&new=1&.done=&.src=ym&.partner=&.p=&promo=&.last=

Sign up wtih Hotmail at this link:
https://registernet.passport.net/reg.srf?id=2&lc=1033&rollrs=11&sl=1

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you,

jbf777

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Request for Answer Clarification by rintin-ga on 21 Oct 2004 18:39 PDT

Hi,  thanks,  I wanted to give you a tip, I think because I already
rated your response I can't get to that page again?  I was kind of in
a hurry when I rated you.   So let me know how to tip you, I will read
over the reply section more carefully next time.  thanks

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Clarification of Answer by jbf777-ga on 22 Oct 2004 11:13 PDT

rintin -

Thanks for offering.  Once a question is rated, there's no way to get
back to that screen.  What you can do is open a new question to my
attention for $2, and then after I "answer" it, you can add any
additional amount to the $2 that you'd like in the form of a tip.

Thanks,

jbf777

You might try http://seattlebuzz.net  The people who post there are
rarely abusive and occassional good advice is received and it is free.