On more and more platforms psychologists to offer advice via video chat. Can this replace the visit to a practice?
A large part of the client Generation Smartphone “is”, – said the psychologist photo: Reuters
If Pia Klaus starts at 9 o’clock in the morning, your day, makes you relax on your Sofa, open the Laptop, plugged in headphones in the ears, and Skype opens. In the case of their clients in Germany, it’s midnight then, because Klaus lives in Byron Bay, Australia. “The time difference is not a Problem – on the contrary. Some have insomnia, night panic attacks. And I’m there.“ The 28-Year-old is a psychologist, your practice, the Internet.
On platforms such as myonline therapy or mentavio you created Profiles. People who search the net for psychological help, where you can access your appointment calendar, free Slots to choose and book a session. Your resume is available, certificates of completion and certificates as pdf-files download. Under “areas of focus” lists your consulting topics, from A as in alcohol abuse, to Z as in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Klaus takes 70 euros per hour, first consultation free of charge. Five stars out of five lights under your profile picture.
The offer of psychological counselling in the network has been growing for years. Daniel Bosch, the founder of the platform mentavio, established, among other things, with a lack of outpatient Fund therapy courses in Germany. According to a survey conducted by the Federal chamber of psychotherapists, the waiting time is in this country an average of 20 weeks. “Online you can get within minutes of the experts on the screen,” he says.
Due to the so-called remote treatment ban, also a Psychotherapist, authorized to diagnose, using scientific methods, and treat, are allowed to offer on platforms such as mentavio or myonline therapy consultations. Nevertheless, the term “therapy” shows up on some of these platforms, and suggests that you are not authorized to make diagnoses, since a personal contact with the patient. And it will change as rapidly. Although the legislature has Recently decided that a Psychotherapist can settle in the future, video office hours, the complete psychotherapy shifts to the Internet, is not foreseeable.
Since Pia Klaus as a psychologist may be the only advice, the Internet means no restriction. The Same is true for your Clients. The were mostly the “Generation Smartphone” and would find a video telephony commonplace. “Some want to remain anonymous and only via E-Mail to communicate – the falls, especially to the Younger easier. The idea to entertain on a weekly basis in a practice about his feelings, and, for many, is very daunting.“ To start a real therapy, is always an admission that something is wrong and often too large a hurdle. The conversation with the adviser on the Internet, however, is low-threshold and less binding, must be paid for but out of their own pocket.
A study of the Barmer Ersatzkasse, every fourth young person has mental health problems. The Younger wanted to deal with their problems in a familiar environment through the usual channels of communication – technical difficulties included, says Klaus. Clear the connection from breaking. “But I’m not a hypnosis. This is rather a good Icebreaker. If the picture is freezing time, we laugh, both short-and after that it runs super relaxed.“
The Online consultations are booming, because there is a therapy place for a long
waiting for “totally relaxed,” says Maike the sessions with a psychologist, she has chosen a couple of weeks ago on myonline therapy. The 27-Year-old lives in Rome and wants to confide in a therapist in your native language. “I’m in my comfort zone, with my tea, my handkerchiefs. I could have also put to bed.“ The meetings were, as she says, how in-depth conversations with the girlfriend. But occasional Skype Dates can result in a cosy atmosphere to the concrete?
Stephanie Bauer conducts research at the University of Heidelberg to e-Mental-Health. The term stands for the application of Computer, Smartphone or Tablets in the treatment of mental illness. It considers psychological advice on the net for a contemporary development, especially in relation to long waiting times and under-served areas.
farmer emphasized, however, that they are not suitable for people with serious mental illnesses, and in many cases not a substitute for conventional psychotherapy. “The website needs to point out that the advice has limits. It also detects whether the offer is legitimate.“ Failure to understand the term “therapy was beyond”, which suggests that the video chat, go on consultations, and outpatient psychotherapy. Also, you should check the professional qualifications of the consultants: In contrast to the so-called life coaches who are allowed to create, on some platforms, now also Profiles, the professional title “psychologist” or “psychotherapist” law.
Pia Klaus knows that they must educate their clients. “I get in the initial consultation an impression of whether the Online consultation is sufficient. If not, I recommend another Form of therapy.“ Some of their Clients would have wanted to this time, is already a practice, ask a question, fill in the time until initiation of therapy.
“If we remember, the client belongs to in the outpatient area, we investigate, whether the members of the us have in the vicinity of the Person a practice, and teach,” says Beatrice Ohms. The therapist has founded three years ago, the platform myonline therapy, because they wanted to be moved from Munich to Paris and contact with their German patients maintain. The consultant would be linked to your website! each other well and are all working well on an outpatient basis. Myonline therapy is a small to merit their practices can, and you don’t want to replace it.
Ohms wishes that the Online-consulting in the future of the funds. Your page will more and more popular from year to year. Meanwhile, there were about a thousand views in a month.
This is e-Mental Health for health insurance companies long since no longer New. Since a couple of years, several funds offer your clients their own digital self-help programs. With moodgym, get.on or the depression coach should learn people with mild to moderate Depression, better deal with your condition. What sounds like self-optimization, and a Fitness App that is based according to the doctors sheet on the desire of the mentally Ill alone. The programs are designed to help with regular Exercises to give the day structure and liberate themselves from dangerous patterns of thought, it is called on the corresponding web pages.
“in the Meantime there is an Abundance of such Offers and it has become confusing,” says Bauer. Users should carefully investigate who developed the Intervention and whether the effectiveness has been proven in many scientific studies. “And here, too, the danger that mentally ill people believe to have found help. Even though you actually need an intensive therapeutic measure.“
While Germany fremdelt with the concept of video chat therapy, is experimenting in the US with Artificial intelligence. Researchers at the Stanford University programmed in the past year, the so-called woebot, a grief-Chatbot, to be on social networks to reach and encouraging.
Pia Klaus thinks about it a little more. “Therapy has so much to do with real empathy.” Cannot replace – and is palpable, where people acted with each other. Whether you are in a room or connected to each other through the Internet, because no role at all.
