PsychTech Part 1: Mental Therapy

Hi everyone! I wanted to announce the start of my 7 part series: PsychTech. In this series, I closely examine the intersection between psychology and technology, especially its benefits in creating equitable change and improving patient outcomes.

Today’s piece will focus on technology and its impact on accessibility to psychological and mental therapy.

In the digital age, patients that need therapy are no longer forced to physically go to a therapy center to get the help they need. With access to online and digital options for therapy, the barrier of making a trip and driving back and forth to a therapist is completely removed. Back when there was no online therapy, many people that needed help were unable to get it due to the sheer inconvenience of in-person therapy. This is exacerbated by the fact that many have strenuous time and work commitments that simply don’t make it feasible to attend an in-person session.

Now, as a result of technology, online therapy options, such as: video calls, text messages, and phone calls, allow users to get 24/7 assistance, thus accommodating the often busy schedules of patients.

But even beyond accessibility, the use of technology for online forms of therapy presents itself as a more economically and financially sustainable option for many. Traditional in-person therapy is relatively expensive, which creates a tough financial impediment for those that want therapy, but need to make rent. On the other hand, teletherapy and online support groups are amuch more cost-effective option and is a perfect fit for those with financial struggles.

Overall, this expanded accessibility allows therapists to reach far more clients and help even more people with their own struggles. For the future, technology will continue to be a key actor in the expansion of accessibility to psychological therapy!

See everyone in Part 2 of my Newsletter!

-Alan Lu