E-Counselling, E-Therapy, Therapy Online

The wide diffusion of new communication technologies, empowered by the use of the web, is changing the traditional modalities of working, of dealing with commercial exchanges, of offering services, of socializing. Structures, institutions, services and performances are undergoing the inescapable processes of deconstruction and digitizing, and are urged to the use of the cyberspace; people search for information concerning psychological care, health and wellbeing; services and professional performances are offered directly online. As a consequence, the professionals of the psychological sectors are urged to adapt and supply their psychological interventions according to this new dimension.
But, notwithstanding the advantages, those technologies entail some levels of criticality. Both clients and professionals feel that, added to the fear for a subversion of our traditional relationships, it is the confusion and uncertainty given by a chaotic and unregulated offer for both services and performances, and involving the efficiency and dependability of the psychological interventions.
All this aspects have produced two opposite effects: either an uncritical acceptance of logics, procedures, and instruments which do not belong to the psychological profession, or the total refuse of the new technologies. In the meantime, there has not been occasion to reflect and analyse the relationship among the conveniences offered by the new communication technologies and the psychological processes they involve. On the contrary, we consider it is necessary to regain the specificity of our profession, by reflecting on shape and content it could assume inside this new context.
The present symposium is aimed at reinforcing and integrating those researches aimed at exploring the state-of-the-art of the online psychological interventions. More in details, we will present the results of our researches in: drawing an updated map of the online psychological services offered in Italy; analysing the representations that psychologists have of the online psychological interventions; conducting an inquiry on the expectations of the “clients” on the psychological services; studying the effects of a psychological service offered to “native digit” generations.
Our researches start by drawing a conceptual map of the reality of the psychological interventions in the cyberspace, reporting limits and potentialities of these new forms of intervention. It would then focus on identifying general principles able to guarantee the high quality and competency of the professionals of the psychological sector; drawing guidelines, clear and coherent with the ethics of the profession, addressed to both the government decision-makers and our committee; identifying possible perspectives for the future of our profession

Objective: The study examined the relative efficacy of online (NET) versus clinic (CLIN) delivery of
cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescents. Method: Participants
included 115 clinically anxious adolescents aged 12 to 18 years and their parent(s). Adolescents
were randomly assigned to NET, CLIN, or wait list control (WLC) conditions. The treatment groups
received equivalent CBT content. Clinical diagnostic interviews and questionnaire assessments were
completed 12 weeks after baseline and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Results: Assessment at 12 weeks
post-baseline showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety diagnoses and anxiety symptoms for
both NET and CLIN conditions compared with the WLC. These improvements were maintained or
further enhanced for both conditions, with minimal differences between them, at 6- and 12-month
follow-ups. Seventy-eight percent of adolescents in the NET group (completer sample) no longer met
criteria for the principal anxiety diagnosis at 12-month follow-up compared with 80.6% in the CLIN
group. Ratings of treatment credibility from both parents and adolescents were high for NET and
equivalent to CLIN. Satisfaction ratings by adolescents were equivalent for NET and CLIN conditions,
whereas parents indicated slightly higher satisfaction ratings for the CLIN format. Conclusions: Online
delivery of CBT, with minimal therapist support, is equally efficacious as clinic-based, face-to-face
therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders among adolescents. This approach offers a credible
alternative to clinic-based therapy, with benefits of reduced therapist time and greater accessibility for
families who have difficulty accessing clinic-based CBT.
Keywords: adolescent, anxiety, cognitive behavior therapy, computer, online

Online networking is a growing way of connecting with others, both personally and professionally. The purpose of this survey study was to gain information regarding the online professional networking practices between family therapists. To do this, a survey was administered to family therapists across the United States inquiring about the frequency with which they interact with other professionals via various forms of online communications. Demographics were reported with regard to what methods family therapists used to communicate
with other therapists and how frequently. General and feminist-based implications for professional engagement, training, and ethics are provided.

Objective: Counselling within educational settings has now become commonplace. As with the advent of the use of new technologies in teaching, such developments are also impacting the broader support structures available to students. One development is the move of schools to offer pupils access to online counselling services. To date, such practices have received little attention, and this paper synthesises the existing empirical research literature in this area. Design: A systematic review of the literature was conducted which focused upon synchronous chat counselling for 11-to 25-year-olds. Method: Key bibliographic databases were searched for relevant papers. These were assessed for relevance and quality prior to being included into the analysis. The final selection of studies was analysed for key themes. Results: In all, 19 papers met the inclusion criteria. The thematic synthesis identified four higher order themes: (1) developing safe and youth-friendly online services, (2) online client characteristics, (3) in-session online processes and (4) session alliance and outcome. Conclusion: These themes outline the varied challenges and opportunities present within this developing practice. Each is initially discussed alongside existing literature related to online counselling before the implications for educational providers are explicitly considered. Ultimately, it is concluded that online counselling for students has much potential, however, those commissioning such services need to be mindful of common pitfalls.

This paper reflects upon the history of online counselling and psychotherapy research. It provides a reflection upon the growing body of research in this field and discusses the impact of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic upon it. It specifically argues that the pandemic has been an evolutionary catalyst for developments in online therapy. Therapeutic practices, and attitudes towards them, have changed in ways that will alter the shape and form of therapies in the future. As a consequence, research into online therapeutic work needs to be responsive and adapt to this changing world. Counselling and psychotherapy researchers therefore have to situate themselves in a way that allows them to keep one foot in the present and one foot in the future to stay abreast of technological developments. There may be a reluctance to do so from some areas in the therapeutic profession, but their presence might prove vital in ensuring that ethical sensitivity, which acknowledges and values the complexity of the human experience, remains at the foreground of psychological support.

This study presents a model integrating perspectives from migration, help-seeking behaviour and technology adoption in examining the adoption of online counselling for migrant workers. The model suggests that adoption of online counselling among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is driven by a felt need and nature of location. Expressed concerns typically related to marital and relationship issues, family and parenting, homesickness and loneliness, work-related, and cultural adjustment. Majority of site users were based in the Middle East. A second factor influencing online counselling adoption is technology acceptance and adoption. In particular, data from non-users reveal that access to technology and lack of skills are major barriers to use indicating technology. Finally, the interviews also highlight the cultural barriers and misconceptions that may hinder migrant workers from seeking online counselling. However, site users report positive feedback about the site in providing social support to OFWs.

Technological advancement has improved several facets of human life. However, with the sophistication of technology, the ethical complexities pertaining to mental health services have intensified. In particular, the utilization of the online therapy is a pertinent issue within the counselling domain that is in need of further exploration. The following paper will identify the key ethical issues related to online therapy, offer a literature review on the topic, and provide a summary and conclusion based upon the relevant findings.

Yeni Koronavirüs Hastalığı (COVID-19), virüse (2019-nCoV) bağlı ilk vaka bildiriminin yapıldığı günden bu yana dek dünya çapında belli bazı bölgeler hariç her yere yayılarak bireysel ve toplumsal hayatı felce uğratmıştır. Devletler virüse bağlı oluşan hasarlara karşı önlem amaçlı olarak sosyal, ekonomik ve politik birçok olağanüstü düzenlemeyi gündemlerinin merkezine oturtmuşlardır. Dünya Sağlık Örgütü’nün (DSÖ) COVID-19’u pandemi ilan etmesini takiben devletler aldıkları önlemleri sıkılaştırmaya başlamışlardır. Sosyal izolasyon ve karantina uygulamaları temelinde, hayat neredeyse tamamen bir içe kapanış sergilemiş ve sosyal ilişkilerin online platformlar ile telefon görüşmeleri aracılığıyla sürdürülmesi zorunlu kılınmıştır. Bu süreçte özellikle belli işkollarında ve eğitim sektöründe zorunlu bir ara verilmek durumunda kalınmıştır. 2019-nCoV’un bireysel ve toplumsal hayat üzerinde yarattığı baskı sonucu alınan sıkı önlemlerin sebep oldukları bunalım ve yoğun stres, hem bireyler hem de toplum açısından bu sağlık krizine yönelik psikososyal müdahaleleri zorunlu kılmıştır. Pandemiye ilişkin yanlış bilgilerin sosyal medya platformları aracılığıyla yayılması, kamuoyu nezdinde bir infial uyandırmıştır. Bu da, hayatın neredeyse tamamen online olduğu bu dönemde alınan ve alınacak tedbirler ile pandemiye ilişkin güncel bilgilerin kamuoyuyla şeffaf bir şekilde paylaşılması hususlarındaki tartışmaları beraberinde getirmiştir.

This article has 3 objectives: (a) to chart current Thai sexual/gender-minority terminology and identities, (b) to identify challenges in the lives of sexual/gender minorities in Thailand, and (c) to evaluate how both identities and challenges are reflected in voluntary-sector counseling. The author summarizes terminology and issues from existing Thai and foreign studies and reports the results of a qualitative inquiry into the state of counseling in 3 Thai nongovernmental organizations. The Thai sexual/gender-minority identities charted include săaaw-pràphêet-soong/kàthoey gay (king, queen, quing), torn (one way, two way, gay), dee, les (king, queen), and bi. These individuals face a number of challenges, such as legal nonacknowledgment, prevention of HIV, insufficient health and psychological services, discrimination, and troubled relationships. In the voluntary sector, HIV/AIDS counseling is the service most often emphasized, but all of the challenges that these minorities face need to be addressed through both services and continued activism to effect societal changes.

The widespread internet availability has led to an exponential increase of e-therapy, which is able to reach even remote and crisis populations worldwide. Mental Health organizations are incorporating treatment guidelines to enable the use of video-conferencing e-therapy across borders. This research was conducted to determine how e-therapy via audio and video-conferencing influences corrective experiences after an average of 1.5 years in therapy. The research consisted of three narrative interviews, including 23 semi-structured questions relating to the e-therapy context. The results were analyzed through a series of qualitative analysis coding, which were then condensed into major categories. The methodology of this research is centered on grounded theory for the analysis. The results of this study outlines how many of the common characteristic factors of e-therapy such as internet disconnections, the disinhibition effect, and the initial reasons for therapy such as language can actually create an early feeling of familiarity and a stronger bonding of the therapeutic alliance.

Much has been written about online communication between therapists and clients, particularly regarding the feasibility, ethics, and frequency of such practices. Little, however, has been published with regard to electronic communication patterns between therapists and their supervisors. The purpose of this study was to understand if and how electronic communication is used between marriage and family therapy (MFT) supervisees and supervisors. To accomplish this, we administered a mixed data survey to MFT supervisors and supervisees across the United States regarding frequency of interaction via electronic methods. We also assessed comfort level with online supervision, how supervisory participants make determinations when to use online supervision, and when online communication is believed to be most appropriate within MFT supervision. We report both qualitative and quantitative findings regarding the use of online technologies in supervision. Implications for research, training, and supervision are discussed.

Technology is being incorporated into the clinical practice, supervision, and professional networking of family therapy professionals. Yet, the challenge is in integrating such technologies in ways that are purposeful, informed, ethical, and ultimately beneficial, especially as there remains little literature or educational opportunities focused on how to do so. Participants will have the opportunity to review the latest research and scholarly literature focused upon couple and family therapy technological clinical, supervisory, and professional networking practices. Beyond this, participants will also have a chance to learn, apply, and take away practical tools for use in engaging in couple and family therapy technology practices in an ethical manner.

In terms of general acceptance, online therapy is today where online education was around 1990. Speaking from my perspective as a veteran distance educator who lived through the period when distance education slowly became mainstream, I am predicting that online therapy's mainstreaming will follow a similar pattern.

The following paper describes the rationale for creating an online therapy program of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for students at the University of Florida who are struggling with stress and anxiety. In addition, the paper discusses the unique challenges of the instructional design process of creating psychoeducational materials through cognitive task analysis and heuristics. Preliminary evidence suggests that higher education institutions may wish to implement similar programs in order to increase efficiency and serve both on-campus and distance students. In recent years, college and university counseling centers nationwide have reported a trend toward greater student distress and a corresponding increase in counseling services utilization (American College Health Association, 2014; AUCCCD, 2013). Commonly used methods of attempting to meet increased demand for services (i.e., increase therapist caseloads, reduce session frequency, waitlists) are often associated with less than optimal outcomes for students accessing them, while also leaving many more students without the treatment they need (Gallagher, 2011). Given the trend toward increased use of technology in the academic and personal lives of students, we decided to develop a treatment solution that leverages computer-based learning environments, text messaging, and synchronous video conferencing to support clients who may need clinical support services but who live at a distance or cannot find the time to meet at a therapist's office. Because of privacy and confidentiality concerns, we did not believe that social media was an appropriate tool to use in the context of telemental health. We labeled this approach Therapist-Assisted Online (TAO), based on international treatment models, which combine online psychoeducational treatment materials with brief therapist contact. In contrast to online self-help alone, therapist-assisted treatments result in increased client treatment, engagement, compliance, and completion rates (Andersson & Cuijpers, 2009; Berger et al., 2011; Spek et al., 2007). Despite the limited nature of this contact, clients report high levels of treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliances comparable to traditional counseling (Andrews, Cuijpers, Craske, McEvoy, & Titov, 2010). Another aspect that makes

BACKGROUND: Due to limited reporting of intervention rationale, little is known about what distinguishes a good intervention from a poor one. To support improved design, there is a need for comprehensive reports on novel and complex theory-based interventions. Specifically, the emerging trend of just-in-time tailoring of content in response to change in target behavior or emotional state is promising.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to give a systematic and comprehensive description of the treatment rationale of an online alcohol intervention called Balance.

METHODS: We used the intervention mapping protocol to describe the treatment rationale of Balance. The intervention targets at-risk drinking, and it is delivered by email, mobile phone text messaging, and tailored interactive webpages combining text, pictures, and prerecorded audio.

RESULTS: The rationale of the current treatment was derived from a self-regulation perspective, and the overarching idea was to support continued self-regulation throughout the behavior change process. Maintaining the change efforts over time and coping adaptively during critical moments (eg, immediately before and after a lapse) are key factors to successful behavior change. Important elements of the treatment rationale to achieving these elements were: (1) emotion regulation as an inoculation strategy against self-regulation failure, (2) avoiding lapses by adaptive coping, and (3) avoiding relapse by resuming the change efforts after a lapse. Two distinct and complementary delivery strategies were used, including a day-to-day tunnel approach in combination with just-in-time therapy. The tunnel strategy was in accordance with the need for continuous self-regulation and it functions as a platform from which just-in-time therapy was launched. Just-in-time therapy was used to support coping during critical moments, and started when the client reports either low self-efficacy or that they were drinking above target levels.

CONCLUSIONS: The descriptions of the treatment rationale for Balance, the alcohol intervention reported herein, provides an intervention blueprint that will aid in interpreting the results from future program evaluations. It will ease comparisons of program rationales across interventions, and may assist intervention development. By putting just-in-time therapy within a complete theoretical and practical context, including the tunnel delivery strategy and the self-regulation perspective, we have contributed to an understanding of how multiple delivery strategies in eHealth interventions can be combined. Additionally, this is a call for action to improve the reporting practices within eHealth research. Possible ways to achieve such improvement include using a systematic and structured approach, and for intervention reports to be published after peer-review and separately from evaluation reports.

La capillarizzazione dei sistemi di comunicazione multimediali, in particolare quelli inerenti le tecnologie web-based, sta amplificando le possibilità di interconnessione in modo esponenziale. La rete ha prodotto una modificazione del rapporto spazio/tempo che ha esteso la comunicazione oltre i limiti dell’appartenenza territoriale, stravolgendo le fondamenta entro le quali abbiamo concepito la relazione sociale. I nuovi mezzi di comunicazione denaturalizzano la relazione invitandoci ad osservarla da una prospettiva storica, a capirne il codice, la costruzione sociale, ad analizzarla come una tecnologia con differenti format, setting, regole del gioco. In alcune professioni, in particolare quelle psicologiche, questa tecnologia ha prodotto un fenomeno nuovo: la possibilità di svincolare il professionista dal consolidato punto d’Archimede dell’incontro vis a vis, alterando alcune premesse ritenute al contempo fondanti la relazione clinica e indispensabili per il successo terapeutico: la psicologia clinica, si è consolidata storicamente, attraverso specifiche pratiche e  strumenti che sono assurti a veri e propri fattori terapeutici dell’attività stessa (si pensi ad es. al lettino dello psicoanalista) in assenza dei quali non appare possibile realizzare un’alleanza e produrre cambiamento. Scopo del simposio è cominciare una ricognizione sistematica sullo stato dell’arte della consulenza online, delimitarne il campo d’azione, riflettere sulla differenza tra dogmi e strumenti necessari all’intervento clinico e accennare ad una risposta -prevalentemente in termini di efficacia- all’annosa questione della perseguibilità della consulenza e della psicoterapia online che ci viene offerta dalla ricerca empirica in psicoterapia, ancoraggio che potrebbe fornire il mezzo necessario in campo etico e professionale a superare rischi di incorrere tra la scilla della deregolamentazione e la cariddi dell’imbalsamazione professionale.

Das zentrale Thema des DGPPN-Kongresses 2014 lautete „Herausforderungen durch den demographischen
Wandel – psychische Erkrankungen heute und morgen“. Hierbei wurden die neuesten medizinischen und
therapeutischen Entwicklungen, so auch internetbasierte psychotherapeutische Interventionen (IPI1
), vorgestellt.
Im Interesse einer umfassenden wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und ethisch verantwortungsvollen Versorgung
von Patienten mit psychischen Störungen gibt es vermehrt Bemühungen um einen Ansatz psychotherapeutischer
Hilfe über das Internet. Die Forschung konzentrierte sich bisher auf die Untersuchung der Wirksamkeit
verschiedener Angebote von IPI und vernachlässigte die systematische Beforschung ethischer Aspekte, also
des potenziellen Nutzens, möglicher Risiken und Hürden, aber auch darüber hinausgehender ethischer Kriterien
wie Gerechtigkeit, Krisenmanagement oder Fürsorge im Umgang mit IPI. Diese Forschungslage bildete
sich auch auf dem letzten DGPPN Kongress in Berlin ab. Es wurden neue Formen von Internettherapien
oder Präventionsmaßnahmen sowie die Beforschung deren Wirksamkeit vorgestellt und diskutiert. Ethische
Aspekte hierzu fanden sich aber dennoch zwischen den Zeilen. So behandelten die Vorträge unter anderem
auch Bedürfnisse potenzieller Nutzer, Einstellungen von Ärzten und Psychotherapeuten zu IPI und Fragen der
ethischen Verantwortung bzgl. einzelner ethischer Gesichtspunkte, wie beispielsweise Nichtschädigung. Es
wird im Ausblick ein eigenes Forschungsprojekt vorgestellt, welches sich speziell den ethischen Fragen bei
IPI widmet.

The cyberspace creates an infrastructure to build relationships, so the counselling practitioners has taken the initiative to maximize their services. An alternative service helps through this virtual interaction is created and practiced called e-counselling. In order to see the effectiveness of e-counselling approach compared to face-to-face counselling, the objectives of this study are to identify client changes in face-to-face approach, to identify client changes in e-counselling approach and to identify the significant differences in client changes towards both counselling approaches. This quantitative research applied the Quasi-Experimental Non-equivalent Control Group Pre-test/Post-test Design with n=60 clients in two groups. This study measured changes that occurred in clients after counselling. The findings demonstrated that n=19 clients in the face-to-face counselling approach showed positive scores change after counselling and remaining n=11 subjects showed negative score changes. While in e-counselling approach, n=28 of the 30 clients participated showed positive changes after counselling. The mean difference in scores of the two study groups showed that the mean difference in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Based on the findings of this study, it is empirically proven that E-counselling approach is as effective as Face-to-Face counselling in term of client changes. This is another finding that support the effectiveness of E-counselling.

Online therapy sessions and other forms of digital mental health services (DMH) have seen a sharp spike in new users since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having little access to their social networks and support systems, people have had to turn to digital tools and spaces to cope with their experiences of anxiety and loss. With no clear end to the pandemic in sight, many of us are likely to remain reliant upon DMH for the foreseeable future. As such, it is important to articulate some of the specific ways in which the pandemic is affecting our self and world-relation, such that we can identify how DMH services are best able to accommodate some of the newly emerging needs of their users. In this paper I will identify a specific type of loss brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and present it as an important concept for DMH. I refer to this loss as loss of perceptual world-familiarity. Loss of perceptual world-familiarity entails a breakdown in the ongoing effortless responsiveness to our perceptual environment that characterizes much of our everyday lives. To cash this out I will turn to insights from the phenomenological tradition. Initially, my project is descriptive. I aim to bring out how loss of perceptual world-familiarity is a distinctive form of loss that is deeply pervasive yet easily overlooked-hence the relevance of explicating it for DMH purposes. But I will also venture into the space of the normative, offering some reasons for seeing perceptual world-familiarity as a component of well-being. I conclude the paper with a discussion of how loss of perceptual world-familiarity affects the therapeutic setting now that most if not all therapeutic interactions have transitioned to online spaces and I explore the potential to augment these spaces with social interaction technologies. Throughout, my discussion aims to do justice to the reality that perceptual world-familiarity is not an evenly distributed phenomenon, that factors like disability, gender and race affect its robustness, and that this ought to be reckoned with when seeking to incorporate the phenomenon into or mitigate it through DMH services.

1
ABSTRACT
Background: Internet-based self-help interventions are identified as an effective method not only in depression but also in the treatment of anxiety. A previous study found evidence on the specific mechanism of action of web-based PST for depression, however, there is no studies on the role of problem-solving in the treatment of anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to investigate further the mechanism of change of a web-based PST intervention for the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Methods: In this RCT study, adults reporting mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression were randomized to Internet-based problem-solving therapy (n=106) or to a “non-directive support” control group (n=110). Change in outcome measures (depression and anxiety symptoms) and mediating variables (problem-solving skills, mastery) was assessed at baseline, 1.5 months, 3-months and 12-months follow-up.
Results: Web-based PST led to higher improvement in depressive symptoms at post-treatment compared to the non-directive support control group. Differences in improvement were no longer present at 3-months and 12-months follow-up. In addition, treatment- specific factors of PST did not mediate the improvement in either depression or anxiety. We found that positive problem orientation mediated the effect of the online, non-directive support in reducing anxiety symptoms.
Conclusions: This study found support for the role of positive problem orientation as a non-specific factor in the mechanism of therapeutic change in anxiety. Future studies should address difficulties in online intervention research, such as high attrition rate, in order to effectively establish specific mechanism of change of online self-help interventions.

Technology use in the practice of couple and family therapy has many advantages. The use of online and technology-based modes of communication for therapy, however, presents several valid ethical concerns. In a survey of 226 licensed Marriage and Family Counselors, students, and supervisors, participants were asked to identify ethical concerns and drawbacks of online therapy. Five themes related to this topic emerged: (a) confidentiality, (b) impact to the therapeutic relationship, (c) licensing and liability issues, (d) issues related to crises and risky clinical situations, and (e) training and education. Implications for practice, training, and research are discussed.

The impact of exchanges and client-therapist alliance of online therapy text exchanges were compared to previously published results in face-to-face therapy, and the moderating effects of four participant factors found significant in previously published face-to-face studies were investigated using statistical mixed-effect modeling analytic techniques. Therapists (N = 30) and clients (N = 30) engaged in online therapy were recruited from private practitioner sites, e-clinics, online counseling centers, and mental-health-related discussion boards. In a naturalistic design, they each visited an online site weekly and completed the standard impact and alliance questionnaires for at least 6 weeks. Results indicated that the impact of exchanges and client-therapist alliance in text therapy was similar to, but in some respects more positive than, previous evaluations of face-to-face therapy. The significance of participant factors previously found to influence impact and alliance in face-to-face therapy (client symptom severity, social support, therapist theoretical orientation, and therapist experience) was not replicated, except that therapists with the more symptomatic clients rated their text exchanges as less smooth and comfortable. Although its small size and naturalistic design impose limitations on sensitivity and generalizability, this study provides some insights into treatment impact and the alliance in online therapy.

Ana Pinto-Coelho is an addiction counsellor who has gained her degree from the University of Oxford.  She is committed to advancing her profession in Portugal.
Being the daughter of a well-known Portuguese journalist, her life has been devoted to the discipline of communication, and everything related to this. She started working very early in life while studying at the same time. She graduated with a degree Marketing and Advertising (by IADE), and have gone on to work as an events producer, then as a music band agent. Later on she has started her own PR company with two partners and has organised various events, some of which are cultural  while others are mainly for private companies. Aside from that, she is also a book editor and a researcher. Pinto-Coelho is the writer of an animation series produced for the national TV (RTP) channel which will be released on 2016.
Currently, she runs a private practice in Lisbon, Portugal and her commitment is to help individuals, and their families, who are struggling with addiction. She believes that counselling  is a both an effective and safe means to self-understanding,  and ultimately recovery.  For this reason, she has called her clinic Safe Place.