(updated to June 2020 to reflect the changes in online services due to Covid-19)It seems like every day there is a new digital product or invention that causes us to use our phones more, be on the computer, and stay involved in a digital world. Many of these products are made to keep you focused on screens and the digital world, using things like notifications, alerts and messages. There are studies that show the more we stay connected to the digital world, especially with more “social” apps, the more we are actually becoming isolated, and it can affect our mental health. But is there also a place in the world for digital products and services that can help mental health? The answer is, Yes.
Manage many mental health needs with online therapy
Online therapy, in many forms, can help improve mental health and well-being, communication skills, motor skills, and even daily life skills. These are through teletherapy services such as online Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, as well as counseling. In fact, there are many ways that counseling is utilizing the online world to help support mental health and well-being. A recent article from US News shares some of the benefits of going online with your therapy, such as more access and affordability. And this is just the beginning. Here are three examples.
Teletherapy for online mental health and counseling
Teletherapy gives schools a way to provide mental health services. Social work, counseling and other mental health needs will increase as students resume school during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many school districts may have difficulty finding candidates for these positions or getting their own school-based counselors online quickly and comfortably. The teletherapy platform model of delivery can be used to provide students with counseling, social work, or psych as needed in their IEPs.Watch this Facebook Live from June 25, 2020, as E-Therapy’s Annmarie Iascone explains how E-Therapy’s teletherapy services can help. E-Therapy is equipped to fill the gap with experienced counselors and mental health specialists. Or if your school has on-site counselors, E-Therapy can license our teletherapy platform and train them quickly to provide services via teletherapy. In a world that is going more digital and online each day, online therapy can be used to help you gain more access and improve mental well-being. Rather than staying isolated or ignoring mental health, for you or your school, online therapy can help you connect in a way that matters most.
Online counseling
- Telehealth, the field teletherapy comes from, is a way of bringing healthcare professionals to you virtually. There are many counselors who utilize this approach through apps and sites such as TalkSpace and BetterHelp.
- Other counselors can incorporate this into their private practice model, either combining virtual and in-person sessions, or only virtual.
Mental health apps for your phone and tablet
Apps make it super easy to access mental health resources anywhere, any time. Most of these apps help you improve your mental health using tools, such as meditation and mindfulness, during your day. These focus on giving you tools and practices to improve overall well-being, rather than one-on-one therapy. A few examples are popular apps such as:
- HeadSpace
- Calm
- Pacifica
There are also apps such as TalkSpace, that offer therapy services, mixed with these mindfulness techniques in an app form.
E-Therapy provides schools with counselors
At E-Therapy, we connect highly trained counselors with schools in need, to provide these therapy-based mental health services, or we train your school-based counselors to become teletherapy experts using our E-Therapy STAR Platform. You can find out more about joining the E-Therapy counseling team, or schedule a demo to see how it could work for your school here.
