The Ask Shirelle website is designed to help users (primarily children ages 8-15) with social, developmental, and emotional issues that concern them. In the format of a fun and humorous “talking dog,” its mission is to help kids and their parents steer through the rocky shoals of these difficult years (as well as any adults who care to visit the site). It covers issues as light as movies and video games, and as heavy as bullying, drugs, early sexuality, and divorce. All in the persona of a friendly dog, “the only family member who truly sees and hears everything going on.” Ideally, children’s material would be read in conjunction with you, the parent, to elicit open conversation and growth through what can be a very difficult time. The site is overseen by a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles, Douglas Green, MA, MFT. However, it is a website for education and entertainment, and should not be considered psychotherapy in any sense. While it is our wish to print as much user content as possible, all letters and comments will be read before posting, in order to vet out any obscenities or inappropriate subject matter. We appreciate any feedback in cases where you feel we have been remiss in this. We intend to collect the following specific personal information from anyone who applies to join the “Pack”: their email address, account name (Pack Member Name), and password. While a person could go into the internal workings of the website and find a place to give more personal information (first and last name, Website, AIM, Yahoo IM, Jabber/Google Talk ID, and biographical information), we will delete this information whenever we find it. We also refuse to accept Pack Memberships using their real names; we delete their membership and notify them of this, requesting that they rejoin with a “Pack Name” to hide their identities. Some of the information we do accept may be disclosed to other Pack Members or made available to the general public who visits our Website, but it won’t be sold to third-parties or sponsors. Generally speaking, we seek to use your child’s Pack Member Name in place of their real name or email address in order to help to preserve their anonymity and allow them to discuss sensitive issues freely. Often issues will come up within a family that a parent wishes to discuss with some privacy. If you have such an issue, please feel free to write us, and we will respond directly to you, and not for public view. Please do understand, however, that responses may take a few days or more.
