A Note From the Managing Editors… Welcome, or welcome back, to TILT – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology. Our feature article this issue considers the role of gaming in our clients’ lives and the links that gaming has with psychotherapy and counselling. Whether you are a gamer yourself, or know of friends or relatives who play video games, it is likely that you have come across at least some of the media coverage of the “perils” of playing games such as World of Warcraft avidly, and the addictive nature of them. Mike Langlois discusses the positive side of gaming and virtual reality as a metaphor for life itself, and how “there is a world of real feelings in those virtual worlds, and we psychotherapists need to pay attention to them”. Mike’s own blog at www.gamertherapist.com has a gaming element to it, where one can score experience points for “checking in”, sharing links on sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and earn badges for using the Web 2.0 facilities available. We also have a personal understanding of the concept of “presence”, as experienced by Joy Waddington. Joy was moved to write having considered the articles in Issue Three of TILT, and we welcome her personal considerations on the differing levels that the concept of presence can operate on. David Haniff gives us an overview of cutting edge technology and its use in aiding people with mental health issues. He also flags up the importance of the need for large scale research programs to assess the impact of services delivered electronically to those who are receptive to using technology. Our aim continues, issue by issue, to keep you up-to-date with developments in innovations in service delivery; publish interesting articles; provide resources; and feature members and friends of the Online Therapy Institute and the Online Coach Institute. All our other regular columnists are here, with useful and entertaining comment on online supervision, marketing; coaching; research; film culture; legalities; and new innovations. We also have our member’s responses to our last Ethical Dilemma, and a new one for you to consider and to post responses at our social network forums for publication in Issue Six. Our featured “Day in Life” therapist and coach are Kate Scahill and Lori Boxer – we hope you find it as interesting to hear about their work as we do. Also, our resident cartoonist, Wounded Genius, has given us another brilliant take on therapy to make you laugh along the way. If you haven't visited our Linkedin Group, we recommend dropping by! Many dynamic conversations are going on from how to begin offering online therapy, to whether or not virtual world experiences are "real"! We hope you enjoy our fifth issue, whatever professional world you inhabit. All feedback is heartily welcomed at the OTI/OCI social network!
Managing Editors
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