The Body-Mind Queendom - An Unusual Mental Health Site

Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.                      http://mentalhealth.about.com

This review was written in 1998 and revised in 2002.  As a male from the United States I found the Body-Mind Queendom from Quebec to be an unusual Internet mental health site.  I think it's a culture clash.  The founder of the site called herself "Cyberia Shrink." Her use of a pseudonym was controversial, since it made it difficult to know who she was and what her credentials were. I wrote her about this and she sent me a complete copy of her vita/resume.  Her philosophy is that she prefers her words to speak for her, rather than a degree which she might have.  Cyberia reveals her identity as Ilona Jerabek in the "fine print" on the site.

Jerabek is not a licensed psychologist or counselor (when I last checked) but she does have a graduate degree and she has published legitimate psychological research in peer-reviewed journals. I think that she can be considered a genuine expert in mental health. Besides, there are no laws or regulations governing the title "shrink."

The site has a distinctly female flavor. Not feminine, and not exactly feminist but female. Note the pun on "kingdom" in the site's name "Queendom." There are lots of women's health links and resources, and there was a section "just for ladies" which had a French counterpart "Royaume des Femmes."  This section included a computerized menstrual calendar for $14.95 (with a 45 day trial). 

Cyclic is the first computerized menstrual calendar and planner. It is one of a line of software designed specifically for women by a woman. It is a valuable "little helper" that will assist you in overcoming tedious day-counting on a calendar, errors in calculation and unpleasant surprises. (Body-Mind Queendom 1998)

Body-Mind Queendom also had a distinctly international flavor. Much of the information is available in both English and French. The graphics are also quite different than the slick graphics of many U.S. sites, or the generic graphics and animations which grace many sites. Most of the graphics appear to be original.

The site has always had a large collection of web-based psychological tests. Some of these tests are original tests written by Jerabek. Others have been collected from elsewhere on the Internet. The "Test Junkie" section included links to tests all over the Web.  Care is needed here in particular.  These links are from a variety of sites, and the quality varies.  Many of the tests on other sites have little information on their reliability or validity, and there is not always good interpretive material available to help you with your results.  Be sure to consider the source when taking any of these tests.  The updated site has a "Just for Fun Tests" page with tests such as "The Dumb Blonde Test." 

A French version of the test page also exists, containing tests such as "Test de personnalité de Type A," and "Test de Q.I." I've written previously about the issues surrounding psychological tests on the Internet. Body-Mind Queendom provides disclaimers about its tests along with some limited reliability and validity data.   

Many of the tests available through links at this site do not appear to meet the APA guidelines for psychological testing, however. (It should also be noted that a Canadian with graduate degree in a mental health-related field would not necessarily need to meet these guidelines.)

As the site has matured it has also lost some its original folksiness.  A section called "A Fine Kettle of Fish" once contained stories from readers with answers by Jerabek and by other readers.  Several young women wrote to ask whether they should have sex with men, for example.  Cyberia's answers are helpful and she avoids telling people what to do.  The section called Web Counselor (or Web Psychologist) was similar.  The distinction seems to be that this section is for questions where the former is for stories. Some questions/stories and answers appeared in both places.  The advice sections are now linked here.

The 2002 version of the site is simply called Queendom.com.  It is slicker, but less distinctive than the version reviewed in 1998.  I can't find any mention of 'Cyberia Shrink' or Ilona Jerabek on the site anymore.  Advice is dispensed by mental health professionals who get a free plug for their own website.

This site was also home of the Web Psychological Club. If you joined the club you got to vote on the best of several psychology-related websites which have been nominated. Sites receiving the highest ratings received an award.

This site is still going strong in 2002, and it deserves a visit.  In some ways it's a breath of fresh air from all-too serious mental health sites.  Be careful with the tests, though.

Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.                      http://mentalhealth.about.com

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