The Age of Teletherapy: Points to Address in Virtual Mental Health Care

The Age of Teletherapy: Points to Address in Virtual Mental Health Care
Photo : The Age of Teletherapy: Points to Address in Virtual Mental Health Care

There is a strong image of therapy in most people's minds even if they've never received counseling themselves. You think of a quiet office, a couch and a therapist talking in a soft-spoken voice to their patient, helping them wander the labyrinth of their mind with intricate analytical theory. In reality, therapy is much different than the general public understands, and it's changing even more in the face of modern events and the rise of teletherapy.

In 2020, clinicians and mental health professionals were forced to close their offices and help patients from home. The distance was done for physical safety, but what of the mental wellness of their patients? The pandemic created a rise in substance abuse, relapse, depression and anxiety all with no physical space for people to seek help. Teletherapy has stepped up as a lifeline for thousands, and as 2021 unfolds, greater advancements will continue to reshape the entire field of mental healthcare as we know it.

Accessibility Is Top Priority

One of the greatest advantages of a digital provider platform is that it can reach anyone, anywhere. This leverages opportunity for clinicians to help people who may be averse to seeking in-person treatment. It also brings the highest quality of mental health care and support to individuals living in remote areas or who lack the ability to pay for or commute to a traditional office. Niche apps are rising and creating services that target specific populations, catering to the needs of individual demographics more deeply. Consider student-first services making virtual medical and mental care accessible. Their purpose is to not only reach more young adults in a way that feels natural but to also ensure better student healthcare in every domain.

Quality Assurance Is Paramount

With so many new apps rising and a greater demand on therapists, measurement of quality is more important than ever. Every counselor has their own style and approach to treating mental health symptoms, but the impact a low-quality service has on a client in many circumstances can have life-long consequences. Quality standards will need to be developed by industry leaders and implemented across the board. Patients often need more than virtual counseling, but they should still benefit from teletherapeutic interventions. The care that they receive can either be a solution or starting point, but it should not differ in terms of quality, attention, accuracy and care.

Ongoing Training Should Be Required

Licensed professionals will need to learn how to adapt their services to the virtual environment. Speaking to a client over the phone or video conference is not the same as being in an office; subtleties that may generally assist with connection and even diagnoses may go undetected when conducting therapy online. Rather than forcing clinicians to struggle through the change, there needs to be more free training resources available for licensed clinicians. Going forward, all aspiring mental health professionals preparing to enter the field should receive training in teletherapy. They need to not only understand how to naturally incorporate it into their therapeutic repertoire but also learn how to distinguish its limitations from traditional therapy.

Greater Collaboration Is Needed

Because so many people are turning to virtual providers after COVID-19, there may be a disconnect between starting care in a digital environment and transitioning to community-based services. The fact of the matter is that for many clients, teletherapy is only one part of a greater solution to the ongoing management of their symptoms. Going forward, there will need to be more collaboration with local healthcare providers to ensure patients can seamlessly transition into in-person counseling. Scale-up programs can also help those whose mental health symptoms are too severe for virtual counseling. A greater cross-collaborative provider network would prevent patients with more demanding needs from feeling abandoned by the system; this could also help decrease the number of patients who develop a negative attitude toward therapy based on personal, unhelpful and even demoralizing experiences.

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