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New Ways to Get Therapy

By Kristen Domonell Additional reporting Jillian Lewis

Every now and then, life dishes up a doozy—perhaps you lose your job, your relationship breaks down or a major health problem knocks you sideways. Sometimes, you might just need some mental TLC to simply help you cope with life. Want the truth? Just about everyone can benefit from the unbiased advice of a professional at one time or another.

Yet for many people, the thought of making an appointment with a therapist is enough to induce a cold sweat. According to a study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, only 25 per cent of Americans who are referred to a psychologist for depression actually make an appointment. But there’s good news: traditional therapy is getting some user-friendly upgrades.

“The future of mental health is that it no longer has to be about sitting in the therapist’s office for 45 minutes a week,” says Dr Joyce Ho, an assistant professor at Northwestern and one of the study’s authors. Here are three alternatives to traditional therapy that make the process simpler.


Pick up the phone

For many people, the hardest part of therapy is leaving the house. The solution? Phone therapy! Ho and her team found that after 18 weeks of treatment, the same percentage of severely depressed patients in both the phone therapy and face-to-face groups no longer met the criteria for major depressive disorder. You can find an accredited psychologist on the Australian Psychological Society website (psychology.org.au) and ask if they offer phone consultations, or visit counsellingsydney.com.au, which lists therapists who offer phone (and online) sessions.

If you need immediate support because you’re having trouble coping, feeling depressed or suicidal, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 to speak to someone in confidence, free of charge.

RELATED: 9 Ways to Prevent Depression


Find support online

Most of us spend at least part of our day in front of a computer. And now that video-conferencing and Skype are so commonplace, therapists are starting to recognise how this technology can help them reach patients. Not only does it offer a feeling of anonymity, it’s convenient, too. And studies show online therapy is just as effective as face-to-face for treating everything from sleep disorders to depression. Here are a few places to start:

Anxiety online (anxietyonline.org.au)

For many people, dealing with anxiety is a daily struggle. This website, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, is part of the National eTherapy Centre. It provides information about anxiety disorders, as well as a free, automated psychological assessment and self-help programs, plus useful links to support organisations in every state and territory.

MoodGYM (moodgym.anu.edu.au)

Using online exercises, MoodGYM aims to prevent and treat depression with the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, which focuses on the relationship between thoughts and emotions. The interactive web program helps users work through stress or relationship break-ups, and teaches relaxation and meditation techniques.

Pretty Padded Room (prettypaddedroom.com)

The tongue-in-cheek name of this US-based website serves to “normalise” counselling. Specifically created for women, it aims to remove the stigma associated with seeing a therapist. You can talk online via video conference or through a “journal consult”, where the therapist writes a response to your online journal entry. Payment options vary from a one-off session to a regular monthly plan.

RELATED: Anxiety Disorders


Download an app

Researchers are hoping to make therapy as accessible as logging into your email, with several apps in development. At Harvard University in the US, psychologists recently created a smartphone app that helps patients train their brains against thinking habits that can cause anxiety disorders. Meanwhile, experts at Northwestern are working on a number of virtual technologies, including an app that spots symptoms of depression, then sends the user messages and suggestions.

Therapy programs aren’t quite ready for download yet, but psychologists are excited about the idea of a pocket professional that can prompt you when you need support. Until then, try these:

Activity Diary, $2.99

Behavioural activation technique is designed to assist with cognitive behavioural therapy, commonly used to treat depression, and this app helps monitor it. With two main components—activity monitoring and scheduling—it allows the user to keep track of their activity level in a diary so they can then discuss it with their therapist. The company behind it, CBTapps.com, also created the Thought Diary and Mood & Anxiety Diary apps.

Life Coach, 99c

This collection of practical tips aims to improve your quality of life and motivation levels by helping reduce daily stress, boost self-confidence and unlock more serenity and energy—just like having a mobile life coach
by your side. Sections include Conscious Eating—Easier Living, Healthy Back, Simplify Your Life and More Time for Yourself.

Goal Achiever, $5.49

If you find it difficult to keep on track with your long-term goals, this app may help you stay focused. When you add a goal, you also set the date for completion, to spur you into action as the countdown begins. Categories include career, family, education and spiritual targets, which can be as varied as “buy a house”, “get fit” or “travel to India”. What’s yours?

RELATED: How to Ease Anxiety