Virtual therapy makes accessing mental health services convenient and accessible from within your own home – this is particularly advantageous for rural dwellers or people having trouble with finding transportation options.
Online therapy provides convenient, confidential and accessible care for residents living in Ontario. Furthermore, this approach can save both time and money.
Convenience
Virtual therapy offers Ontario residents access to mental health support at any time and from any location – meaning therapy sessions can fit easily into busy schedules without needing to travel physically to another location.
Computer or smart devices allow for secure video conferencing with therapists; sometimes you may also connect via phone call or audio transmission.
Virtual therapy sessions allow clients and therapists to discuss any topic they wish, screen sharing collaborative worksheets, and short educational videos.
Therapy sessions designed specifically for children and teens often utilize games, drawing, and other activities to explore feelings, learn coping mechanisms, and face fears head on. This allows children to feel secure within themselves. Family members may also wish to attend so they can witness what their loved one is learning in therapy sessions.
Confidentiality
If you are struggling with anxiety, depression or trauma symptoms, virtual therapy Ontario provides an innovative solution. Here you can connect with a psychotherapist from the privacy of your own home – keeping therapy private while giving yourself flexibility in scheduling sessions when best suits you.
Confidentiality is an integral component of psychotherapy practice and an obligation owed by all health professionals (including psychotherapists in Ontario).
Client confidentiality policies extend to all forms of care, including virtual and telephone-based services; however, there may be exceptions to PHIPA’s duty of confidentiality as stipulated herein.
Accessibility
The World Wide Web should be designed so as to be accessible for people with physical, mental, sensory, speech or cognitive disabilities.
Assuring the use of assistive technology (e.g. screen readers, screen magnifiers and voice recognition software) by those using these services allows them to perceive, understand, navigate and interact with websites, apps, electronic documents and other digital content in an accessible manner.
Accessibility is both legal and ethically required under the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US. Businesses failing to follow accessibility guidelines could face penalties under this act for failing to do so.
Virtual therapy offers people who are experiencing challenges with their mental health an ideal option to connect with a trained therapist at an affordable price. Plus, virtual sessions don’t take up as much physical space.
Cost
Cost can often be prohibitive when it comes to therapy services. This is particularly true if your insurance does not cover them or you have a high-deductible health plan.
Yet there are options available to those searching for affordable therapy without compromising on quality or convenience. Certain programs even allow users to utilize their health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) funds for virtual sessions.
One such program is TranQool, a Toronto-based service that allows users to connect with therapists remotely using telemedicine at an hourly cost of $80 and with coverage by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
Shafii also outlined that this program provides discounted services for children and youth under 25. Therapists working for them are accredited professionals who work pro bono or at an agreed sliding scale rate, according to Shafii.
Access to mental health care is a major public health priority in Canada, with approximately one fifth of Canadians currently suffering from a mental illness at any one time. Funding psychological services may enhance timely access and bring long-term societal savings through reduced hospital visits, disability reduction and productivity increases (Vasilidis et al. 2017)
