Helen Spiers, head of counselling at Mable Therapy, explains how and why technology supports the mental health of children.
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt in the pandemic, it’s that technology has the power to connect, support and improve people’s lives when they’re at their lowest ebb. Face-to-face mental health services came to a standstill last year, at a time when the world, particularly children and young people, needed them most. When face-to-face sessions stopped, therapy moved online and mental health support was delivered straight into people’s homes, helping those who were isolating, or simply, isolated.
At our online children’s counselling service it had sometimes felt like a tough sell pre-pandemic, trying to convince counsellors, teachers and parents that online therapy works. Unsurprisingly, it was never the children who needed convincing, but for those born at a time when pac-man was considered cutting edge, the idea of children opening up over the screen was hard to comprehend. Once the pandemic hit, however, people gave online therapy a go and found that for the younger generation of ‘digital natives’, it actually helped them feel at ease.
The future of online therapy
Now restrictions are easing, people are asking whether online therapy is here to stay. In other words: is online therapy as good as face-to-face? Research has shown that outcomes are similar, with some suggesting they’re actually improved in online sessions. In Mable Therapy’s 2021 White Paper we collated this research into three key arguments in favour of online therapy:
Online therapy reduces anxiety and enhances engagement
In counselling we talk about the need to reduce the ‘power imbalance’. If the client sees us as an authority figure then they’re less likely to drop their defences and open up, something which is especially hard when counselling children. I remember as a face-to-face schools’ counsellor the first few sessions could be awkward. Nervous students, scared to make eye contact, not knowing what to do with themselves as they sat in my office. My job was to make them comfortable as quickly as possible, so the actual therapy could begin. I like to think I was pretty good at this when I had them, but some students didn’t make it through the door. The idea of sitting in a stranger’s office was so anxiety-inducing that they couldn’t face it.
Had those students been offered sessions in their bedroom, on their own device, with the power to turn it off if things got too awkward, I suspect it may have been different. Evidence shows that online counselling feels less stigmatising and young people are more likely to access it sooner. For many children with anxiety, their device is an escape, their happy place. If counsellors can engage with them in this psychologically safe place, then half the battle has been won.
Online therapy increases access to specialists and reduces waiting time
Even before the pandemic the statistics were worrying. Families were reportedly waiting over a year to receive mental health support for their children and this was worse in remote areas where access is more limited. Since the pandemic this picture has become worse. The decline in mental health has coincided with a significant reduction in access to face-to-face support, as services struggled to offer sessions in lockdown.
These long waiting lists and lack of support are another reason schools and parents have converted to online therapy. The ‘postcode lottery’ is removed for those living in overstretched or remote areas. It levels the playing field by giving access to specialists nationwide, so children get the right counsellor, not just the nearest counsellor. Online therapy also allows more flexibility meaning children can switch between home and school sessions. At Mable Therapy we’ve had occasions when a child who’s too anxious to go to school has had the session at home, giving them consistent access to vital support.
Creative and game-based software enhances the counselling experience
It’s easy to see why some counsellors are sceptical about online sessions. I’ve attended courses where they’ve suggested the child brings their own playdough to the zoom session or art is done by holding whiteboards up to the screen. Of course, this is a poor replacement for face-to-face, but online therapy using innovative software - designed specifically to achieve therapeutic outcomes - is a different story.
There’s a wealth of evidence that play-based therapy is highly effective with children and young people. When we combine it with children’s love of technology, engagement levels increase even more, as do the therapeutic results. At our service the games and creative resources are designed to reduce anxiety and improve self-esteem, and by gamifying sessions, we’re also improving our chances at engaging typically ‘hard to reach’ children and young people.
As a passionate advocate for online counselling, it’s sad that it took a global pandemic for people to see the benefits. I’m pleased that the spotlight is finally on online therapy and if the demand at our service is anything to go by, it looks like it’s here to stay.
