It is impossible to list anything approaching all web resources potentially useful for users of mental health services. The following alphabetical list, therefore, is nothing but a place to begin your search. I try to make descriptive but fair comments about each listing to help you decide if the listing might be helpful to you. Also, sometimes the exact Web addresses will change and other times whole organizations will drop out of the Web altogether. Be persistent and hopeful, however. Even if what you are looking for is not found right away, there is in all likelihood a useful database for you on the Web. It is just a matter of time before you find it.
American Psychiatric Association
The major national membership and credentialing body for (over 45,000)
psychiatrists, with linkages that may prove helpful for information of various
kinds. This organization will provide information about whether particular
therapists are psychiatrists (M.D.'s who have completed 4 year long training
programs called "residencies" in psychiatry), and whether they are
board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (which is
separate from the APA).
American Psychoanalytic Association
The major membership and credentialing body for (over 5,000) psychoanalysts, (M.D.'s
or Ph.D's with training in psychiatry, psychology, social work, or other
disciplines, who have completed a 4-6 year training program in a certified
Institute for Psychoanalysis, in addition to their other specialty training).
Has training institutes across the country which are often extremely helpful
because they contain psychiatric clinics. These provide evaluations of patients,
referral services to genuine experts, and low fee psychotherapy or
psychoanalytic treatment. Highly recommended source of information. This distinguished
web site is judged useful as well; for example, provides free Jourlit Book
Review Searching.
American
Psychological Association
The major national membership and credentialing body for Ph.D. level
psychologists, this distinguished organization is a major resource for
information on therapists and mental health topics, as well as links to other
resources. Highly recommended. The members of this group are divided up into
many subgroups, depending upon sub-specialization. For example, division 39 is
made up exclusively of psychologists who are involved in psychoanalysis.
Center for Body
Oriented Psychotherapy
Similar to the National Coalition of Arts Therapies Associations (see below),
but includes massage therapy as well. Although massage therapy can be extremely
useful for those with muscle-related problems, it does not seem accurate to me
to list it as a psychotherapeutic modality. Still, there are a number of body
oriented approaches that deserve attention with regard to mental health, and
this page will undoubtedly be useful to some individuals.
Chicago Psychoanalytic Society
Maintained by Dr. Leo Weinstein this is a site (currently "in
construction") listing virtually all Chicago psychoanalysts, which will
eventually have a full roster of its members, and other useful links as well.
Chicago area patients should keep posted on this resource. For those from other
areas, the local psychoanalytic institute, identifiable through the yellow
pages, or, via the American Psychoanalytic Association home page (listed above)
will be helpful.
Chicago Association for Psychoanalytic
Psychology
This site lists many psychoanalysts with psychology backgrounds and is an
excellent resource on the web. It is the psychology counterpart of the Chicago
Psychoanalytic Society.
Clinical
Psychology Resources
From the Dept. of Clinical and Applied Psychology, Univ. of Bonn, Germany, an
interesting data base of disorders, assessment, journal listings, and info on
behavioral medicine, organizations, starting points, psychotherapy, etc. If you
select the heading "psychotherapy" you will find a highly eclectic
listing of resources, links, html publications, and generally interesting
material to browse, which appears to be frequently updated and even scholarly.
John Grohol's Mental Health Page
A quite detailed review of the survey made by Consumer Reports (the magazine) in
which its readers indicated their overall satisfaction with psychotherapy. Many
details are discussed enhancing the public debate since the survey results were
first released. If this is a good sample article, then Grohol's MH Page is well
worth examining periodically.
Global health Network
Available also in Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish, this product of the
University of Pittsburgh provides a broad range of links to newsletters,
publications, focus subjects, etc. and is maintained by Amy Brenan. It appears
to be visited and updated frequently.
Group Psychotherapy Homepage
A well done introduction to group psychotherapy, how it works, who benefits, the
different kinds, how to chose a group psychotherpist, etc. The page is the baby
of Haim Weinberg (e-mail Haimw@tvision.net.il)
an Israeli clinical psychologist with a nice gift for concise summarizing.
Harv
ard Mental Health Letter
An example of how major university medical schools are attempting to provide
useful information on mental health topics. Vol 12/No. 10 has an interesting
article on Panic attacks and panic disorder.
Internet
Mental Health Resources
e-mail: stock022@maroon.tc.umn.edu
A positively humongous list of resources with links to everything. This is
really a gold mine of general and specific information you will really enjoy
using, with everything from soup to nuts.
Enjoy it!
Library of Congress
World Wide Web Page
The library's Web pages allow searches, the use of gopher menus, etc. A very
useful search engine from the U.S. government.
Library Resources
Web library resources available at this site include links to Journals (full
text and titles), Library Catalogs, Library of Congress Web, other Web interface
libraries, Libcat (library resource guide), and listings of scholarly societies.
Medweb
An extremely important website with connections to a vast number of other highly
useful resources, not only mental health, psychiatry and psychology, but an
unbelievable number of links to seemingly every other medical link possible.
Emory University is to be congratulated for this one. For example, after
selecting mental health listings, look under the subhead of "consumer
health," which includes specific links on ADD, anxiety, autism, death and
grief, emotional support, phobia, etc. Noteworthy is Mental Health Infosource
(see separate listing here).
Mental Health
Web page of the Inst. of Psychiatry and the Maudsley Hospital London, with potpourri
of linkages, some useful, some idiosyncratic.
Mental Health
Directory
An extensive listing of miscellaneous items on the net, including mental health
organizations, calendars of events and meetings, events by city, and useful
information. Recommended, this is compiled by Myron Pulier, M.D. at mpulier@interport.net.
Mental Health Infosource
From CME Inc. and Psychiatric Times, Dr. J. Grold has compiled a useful listing
that mixes classifieds with continuing education, patient advocacy, resources
(incl. drug manufacturers, managed care, etc.), FAQ's, and the latest news, news
groups, and conference information. The "resource" selection seems
rather limited however, compared to others on this master list.
National
Association of Social Workers, Inc.
202-408-8600
750 First Street, NE (Suite 700)
Washington, DC 20002-4241
The major national membership and credentialing organization for social workers,
with information about therapists, and psychotherapy topics. Links back to a
health organization page and something called Good Health Web.
National Coalition of Arts Therapies
Associations
410-997-4040
Retrievable under the search term "psychotherapy" this group
represents art, dance/movement, drama, and music therapy, along with
psychodrama, modalities of treatment which in this author's experience were used
in hospitals two decades ago as part of activities therapy programs. This kind
of therapy can greatly enhance more traditional psychotherapy, that is, as a
supplement, depending upon the training and character of the therapist, and
should not be depreciated. Although not generally where to begin treatment of
the emotionally ill, this organization is important and deserves attention.
National Institute of Health (NIH)
The is the mother of all government health related agencies, itself a division
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (with a link on this page).
Through NIH you should be able to locate its 24 separate institutes, centers,
and divisions (one of which is the National Institute of Mental Health. NIMH is
responsible for much of the research on mental illness in this country.) NIH's
budget in 1996 was more than $12,000,000,000!
Pink
Practice
England based counseling for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender
patients. Claims to be able to provide psychotherapy by e-mail, something this
author sees as dubious. Does not describe in any detail the background training
of its counselors. Still, sites for gays are crucial and deserve to be credited
with addressing important community needs.
Psychoanalytic
Connection
A private listing of psychoanalytic resources with links to the Brill Library,
the American (see above) and Canadian Psychoanalytic Associations, the American
Psychological Association (see above) and Behavior Online. Appears to be the
beginning of a significant resource for psychoanalysis.
PsychScapes
WorldWise Inc.
Interesting listing of therapists, mental health workshops and conferences,
books and tapes, etc. mostly of commercial interest. Difficult to tell how
valuable this is currently, but may help some find therapists nearby based upon
brief descriptions of the listed therapists (who pay small amounts for their
listing).
Self Psychology Page
Information, discussion, and original publications related to the psychoanalytic
self psychology of Heinz Kohut and contemporary developments (such as
intersubjective systems theory of Robert Stolorow). Includes a reprint of
the first lecture in Kohut's (Tolpin and Tolpin, Eds.) The Chicago Institute
Lectures. [DPW]
Silvan S. Tompkins Institute
Suite 2403
255 South 17th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6224
Information about affect theory, brief psychotherapy, and related topics by
Donald L. Nathanson, M.D., who established the Inst. after being inspired by the
late Michael Basch, M.D. For those interested in learning about psychotherapy
Dr. Basch's writings (for example, Doing Psychotherapy) are highly recommended.
They are quite readable and your therefore do not need anyone to explain to you
what Dr. Basch meant in his various writings.
Web Links for medical and mental
health problems
In addition to links to general health information, the mental health links
cover many special and general mental health issues, from addictions,
Alzheimer's, and attention deficit disorder, to bipolar illness, depression, and
eating disorders, etc. An extensive listing maintained by Jeanine Wade, Ph.D.
from Austin, Texas (mmjm@bga.com).
Fred Levin's Psychotherapy Newsletter | Chicago Psychoanalytic Society