Online Therapy Tools Every Clinical Psychologist Needs Today

Technology has moved to the forefront of mental health. Practice management platforms empower more people to access psychological help and manage their mental health problems in ways that weren’t possible before. Specialized behavioral health tools simplify the process of a seamless virtual interface for clinical psychologists working to care for their patients in a constantly evolving field. Familiarizing yourself with the array of available online therapy tools is the first step to modernizing your practice and reaching more people with the care they need. Read this guide to get started.

An Online Therapy Toolbox for Clinical Psychologists

Mental health care was becoming increasingly digitized before the pandemic, but its growth has accelerated even more since then. In fact, 76% of psychologists reported moving their practice entirely online following the pandemic.

New advances in digital tools for mental health care have developed rapidly in response to this trend:

• Patient Portals: are apps that patients access from a computer or their mobile phone to connect to your practice. These provide easy-to-use front door services, from onboarding documentation to appointment scheduling and reminders. They increase patient engagement and help streamline your practice.
• Teletherapy and Text Therapy: are two online tools that make therapy more accessible and increase patient engagement. Of course, privacy and confidentiality are always top concerns for a clinical psychologist, whether you’re exchanging messages with clients using an instant messaging app or communicating via asynchronous methods like email, so be sure to use tools that prioritize security.
• Behavioral Health Electronic Record (EHR) System: that includes practice management features works as a comprehensive platform. You can connect for a virtual appointment from the same app that you use for documentation and billing, thereby rolling three separate processes into one.
• Data Collection: can take place at each visit with online assessments, making measurement-based care (MBC) straightforward. You can set up prompts for patients to complete a diagnostically appropriate assessment before each appointment. Then, you can track their responses over time and adapt their treatment plans accordingly.
• Practicing MBC: makes it easier to track patient responses to therapy. Monitoring, tracking, and self-management tools also keep patients engaged, which is why they are usually included in comprehensive EHR platforms specifically designed for mental health practices.
• Digitalized Documentation: through EHR platforms also simplifies notetaking. A sophisticated system like CarePaths integrates clinical records with patient assessments and billing to create a stress-free process for you from start to finish.

Although sometimes overlooked, the internet provides professional support and guidance. Estimates are anywhere from 21-67% of mental health professionals experience burnout and, as a result, report declines in their emotional and physical well-being. The good news is that being part of online communities can help combat that, whether through blogs like this, professional websites like www.apa.org, or social media groups.

Online Therapy Tools Benefit Patients Directly

Online tools have other benefits to patients besides improving patient engagement through patient portals, MBC practices, and easier access to services. The internet has opened up a world of opportunity for people with mental health problems to find information and support in their journey to recovery. Understanding one’s diagnosis, the importance of self-care, and what to expect from therapy results in better symptom management and a stronger therapeutic relationship.

Numerous patient advocacy and support groups also exist online and vary from officially organized groups like the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America to informal groups on social media. They all have one thing in common, though: they are easily available to anyone with internet access. An increasing number of apps are also marketed to promote mental health.

As a clinical psychologist, you deliver information that helps patients make informed decisions about where else they seek support. Providing patients with educational materials, surveys, and worksheets using custom documents is an ideal way to help your patients learn about their condition. You can create these with the online templates included in a behavioral health EHR platform like CarePaths.

Final Thoughts

Clinical psychologists today have access to a wide range of online therapy tools, and with teletherapy, they can reach people in all areas of the world and in all walks of life. Not only have online tools facilitated this increased accessibility but mental health televisits also show similar success rates to traditional face-to-face therapy.

These tools can be pieced together, but that time-consuming process doesn’t guarantee all the components will work in harmony. Behavioral health EHR platforms combined with practice management software ensure that your practice has a complete net of services that work seamlessly together.

At CarePaths we help psychologists work more efficiently and empower them to run their practices their way with a comprehensive suite of therapy tools like online scheduling, automatic reminders, assessments, secure messaging, and teletherapy. Learn how we can help you get up and running fast! Start your free trial today!