Text Therapy: Coming of Age

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” - Rudyard Kipling

And even the smallest of words can be enough to give one hope! Text therapy is an internet based mental health counselling which is done by texting with professional therapists and counsellors online. It is also referred to as e-therapy, internet-therapy or distance-therapy.

Nowadays when technology, diversification and discoveries have contributed to financial, emotional and social pressures, e.g. the demands of the workplace and hectic schedules; they have also provided us with more innovative methods to deal with all that stress. Text therapy is one of its products for treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

A recent South Korean study suggests that more than 10 percent of internet-using teens are at risk of depression. This may explain the increase in the number of services, like TickTalkTo, YourDost, TalkSpace etc. that enable people to get in touch with mental health professionals online and get help.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, only 38 percent of adults with mental health problems get the treatment they need. Of the two-thirds of those who are referred to therapy but never go, price is the main barrier.

With our daily life struggles, text therapy is one of the best options which is becoming popular and here is why :

• Texting : Texting is already a part of our lifestyle, we rarely call our loved ones but enjoy texting with them. So texting is a great idea for venting and seeking professional help with hectic schedules. Also It is easier to look at previous messages and progress than taking notes every time.
• Pocket Therapist : It is easily accessible through our smartphones and good internet connection. An easy way to reach out and share our problems, worries, anxieties and fears.
• Availability : We are able to text the therapist anytime, whenever we want to, or according to our need. So we don’t have to worry about our therapist going on a vacation (unlike Bob!)
• Location : We don’t have to specially go to see a therapist, we can text from anywhere — office, home etc.. And it is a better option if we don’t have any trained or experienced therapist available in our locality.
• Anonymity : We can access it privately, without others knowing that we are receiving therapy, if we don’t want to share it.
• No Stigma : Even though there has been a lot of efforts to improve mental health status but there is still a stigma attached to visiting a therapist. Text therapy frees us from that stigma and we can talk about things that we need to, without being judged.
• Convenience : We don’t have to go from one place to the other to get therapy, or commit to a fixed time schedule. It is really straightforward and simple than face to face therapy and can fit around our time and schedule.
• Time to Contemplate : Although it is an instant service, but while texting, individual does not necessarily have to respond right away, so therapists and clients can take more time to think and respond to difficult issues.
• Affordable : It is far more economical than the traditional therapy.
• Flexible : Text therapy makes it easier for people to convey to the counsellor if they are having trouble in coping up with current counselling techniques than it would be in face to face counselling. So there is more scope for making the counselling process more flexible according to the need of the individual.
• Wider range of population: For people who are always on the move, introverts, people who find it difficult to go out and initiate conversations e.g. people with agoraphobia or social anxiety, it is difficult to maintain a steady relationship with the counsellor in-person. But with text therapy it is more convenient for them to get help and work on their issues step by step.

According to a study there was no significant between-group difference (online vs. face-to-face group) for any of the pre to post treatment measurement for depression.

Another study provides support for the effectiveness of Internet CBT in a psychiatric setting for patients with panic disorder, and suggests that it is equally effective as the more widely used group administered CBT in reducing panic-and agoraphobia symptoms, as well as being more cost effective with respect to therapist time.

A Comprehensive Review and a Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Internet-Based Psychotherapeutic Interventions provides strong support for the adoption of online psychological interventions as a legitimate therapeutic activity and suggest several insights in regard to its application.

Though there are still many shortcomings in this process like lack of in-person relationship, where the counsellor is not able to read the non verbal cues. And it is not yet practicable to handle serious mental health issues on this platform but there is a lot of potential in this therapy and scope for future research and development. It can also be helpful in overcoming the stigma attached to mental health.

“It’s never overreacting to ask for what you want and need.” — Amy Poehler