eQuest: case study of a comprehensive online program for self-study and personal growth.

eQuest is an online program that guides participants through a variety of online activities in order to help them address some specific personal issue, as well as encourage self-insight on a broader level. These activities include locating and evaluating information, joining discussion/support groups, establishing one-on-one relationships with knowledgeable people, experimenting with different types of online communication, utilizing and evaluating online psychological tests, creating a personal web page, and experimenting with freeform browsing techniques. eQuest stimulates integrated learning by encouraging people to compare and combine what they discover in these different online activities, and to bring their online and offline lifestyles together. It includes educational/therapeutic exercises to help people prepare for and benefit from these activities. Unlike traditional forms of clinical intervention, in which a professional "does" psychotherapy with a client, the eQuest consultant assists people through the program, helps them evaluate their experiences, and encourages the integration process. Underlying all these therapeutic activities is a philosophy that advocates the therapeutic value of developing an online lifestyle and integrating it into one's offline life, while also recognizing the potential pitfalls of cyberspace.