Article Technology-Assisted Counseling for Couples and Families Lee A. Teufel-Prida 1 , Marissa Raglin 1 , Samantha C. Long 1 , and Dawn M. Wirick 1 Abstract Examines current literature on technology-assisted counseling for couples and families. The authors offer a critique of current technology-assisted practices for couples and families and in addition provide examples of current technology-assisted practices for couples and families. The authors summarize terminology in the literature, ethics and ethical and legal issues, and history regarding technology-assisted counseling in relation to couple and families. There are recommendations and future directions for advancing practice, theory, and research in technology-assisted counseling for couples and families. Keywords technology-assisted counseling, couples and families, ethical considerations The use of various technology forms to conduct counseling for couples and families is an increasing area of interest and deliv- ery method for counselors. The increase in usage is reported to have begun in earnest in 1995, as reported by the American Distance Counseling Association (ADCA). Couple and family counselors experience clients that desire counseling yet strug- gle to carve out the time or travel to services due to conflicting agendas around work and extracurriculars and family obliga- tion. To put it differently, clients today have access to 10,000 mental health applications (Torous & Roberts, 2017) for ado- lescent and adult use via the phone, tablet, or computer use. Similarly, 226.1 million Americans own a smartphone (Poush- ter, 2017); making access to mental health applications essen- tially limitless. However, there is a shortage of counselors who utilize technology as part of their counseling practice (Olfson, 2016). The American Counseling Association (ACA), the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC), and the American Association of Marriage and Fam- ily Therapist (AAMFT) have addressed the ethics associated with the use of technology when counseling. This overall increase in technology-assisted services also results in an increase in terminology around the various aspects of use of technology in counseling. Consequently, there are multiple delivery methods and populations that can be served via the use of technology-assisted counseling. For the purposes of this article, an overview of current technology-assisted practices for couples and families is offered. Discussion section and topics include a summary of terminology in the literature about technology-assisted counseling specific to couples and families, platforms of technology-assisted counseling, ethical and legal issues of technology-assisted counseling for couples and families coun- seling, and history regarding technology-assisted counseling in relation to couple and families. The review concludes with recommendations for practice, theory, and research in technology-assisted counseling for couples and families are made. The purpose of this article is to synthesize important results into a coherent review that demonstrates main themes, strengths, and weaknesses of current literature in the field of technology-assisted counseling. By critically evaluating the current terminology, services provided, and status of ethical discussions surrounding technology-assisted counseling for couples and families, the authors will define and clarify any inconsistencies in the literature and inform future research. Review of the Literature Terminology As technology continues to grow, the counseling field works to incorporate technology in an ethically sound way. Clinicians are acknowledging that counseling may not only occur face-to- face (FtF; ACA, 2014). Terminology regarding using technol- ogy in a therapeutic manner has been called many different things across mental health organizations, state boards, and even ethical codes. Ostrowski and Collins (2016) discussed the 1 The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA Corresponding Author: Lee A. Teufel-Prida, The Family Institute at Northwestern University, 618 Library Place, Evanston, IL 60201, USA. Email: lee.teufelprida@northwestern.edu The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families 1-9 ª The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1066480718770152 journals.sagepub.com/home/tfj