Mind, Music, and Technology

Conducting therapy in SL was my intention when first joining a little over 2 years ago. But, after discussions with colleagues, I opted against, at least for the time being. Then, I discovered the possibilities of live music, and the course shifted quite notably.

At least as of this writing, I do not intend to conduct therapy in SL. The separation of psychiatric work in RL and musical endeavors in SL has been a useful one.

There is, though, some cross-over in meditation. I’ve occasionally taught and led a group on the subject of meditation. Also, the meditative improvised music provides its own therapeutic functions.

Still, the questions of how one would conduct therapy in SL, would it be possible, and what are the considerations involved have been on my mind. In this setting, I was asked to speak, over the last weekend, regarding mental health in SL.

The Second Life News Network has a report on the talk from Saturday. (One bit of clarification to the article: I do not presently do music-therapy work in RL.) I enjoyed meeting several of the therapists and discussing some of the issues involved. Contributers included Avalon Birke of Wellness Island, Ren Stonecutter who discussed PTSD treatment, Marly Milena who has a background in humanistic psychology, Amaya Summers who runs a suicide prevention and education group, and myself.

Resources I’ve found are provided below. If anyone has any thoughts about them, please let me know, as I have not involved myself with these locations enough to give a comprehensive discussion or evaluation.

** Please note, Second Life is still very analagous to the Wild West. If you plan to get involved with therapy, realize that virtual therapy does not replace real-world therapy and that any therapist you meet, especially in the virtual worlds, is worth investigating for credentials. Therapy is a process that involves the development of trust, not just with institutions, but also with the individuals of those institutions. Unfortunately, I cannot personally vouch for any online therapist as I have not been in RL contact with them or with their clients. **

Having said that, I do strongly applaud those willing to do the work in creating an environment where therapy can happen online. There has been a lot of work done from what I can tell, and it cannot have been easy. Here are some of the sites I’ve discovered:

Wellness Island

Wellness Island in SL
SL Counseling Online
SL Wellness Online

The SL location and the website have copies of a newsletter. The latest, for example, is about spirituality and mental health and includes an interview with Amaya Summers of Centering Place.