Consent for Treatment

Care Recipient: Before you select a therapist, please review the information below on the Platform Services and their expected benefits, costs, potential risks, and alternatives. By proceeding to use the Platform and Platform Services, you acknowledge understanding and agreement to this “Consent for Treatment” document.

Services

1) Messaging Therapy is a form of psychological treatment, like psychotherapy, which addresses problems related to thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors through communication with a therapist trained in helping individuals resolve such issues. In traditional “face-to-face” therapy, the therapist and client are in the same room together. With messaging therapy, the therapist and client communicate remotely via text messages (or an online chat portal) and send and receive their messages at different times. Messaging therapy has the advantage of enabling you to communicate anytime you feel it would be useful. However, the lack of face-to-face interaction can make the communication needed to develop a strong working relationship with your therapist more challenging.

2) Teletherapy is psychotherapy conducted over video conferencing. Teletherapy can be limited to scheduled sessions or supplemented with messaging therapy. The “face-to-face” interaction of video sessions can contribute to stronger working relationships.

3) Progress Monitoring are tools, such as questionnaires and assessments, to assess your well-being, level of distress, and/or progress. This information can help you and your therapist understand what is effective and make adjustments as needed.

Benefits of Psychological Treatment

Benefits of messaging therapy, teletherapy, and/or traditional psychotherapy can include: improved communication and interpersonal skills, increased self-acceptance and self-esteem, ability to change self-defeating behaviors, improved management of emotions, relief from depression, anxiety, and/or or other symptoms, reduction of negative thoughts, increased confidence, and/or improved decision-making skills. Studies have shown online counseling can be as effective as in person counseling.

Specific Benefits of Messaging Therapy & Teletherapy

Messaging therapy and teletherapy are usually more affordable than traditional psychotherapy. This will vary depending on the services available in your community and/or your particular health insurance benefits. Messaging therapy is usually more affordable than teletherapy.

With messaging therapy and/or teletherapy, you also do not need to visit a therapist office and may have a wider range of therapists to choose from. You can also receive services in your home, or from any other convenient location with internet capabilities. With messaging therapy, you can also communicate with your therapist at your convenience and do not need to wait until your next session to send a message. You will receive feedback from your therapist multiple times a week.

Risks of Treatment

Talking about feelings in therapy may bring up feelings from your past that may not feel comfortable. You may also experience emotions related to processing past experiences, present, and/or future situations. If this occurs, it is very important to discuss these feelings with your therapist. If you do not feel the treatment you are receiving is helpful, you can also discuss this with your therapist and they should advise you about other treatment options.

Limitations of Messaging Therapy & Teletherapy

• The services of this platform are not recommended for clients who are or are at risk of harming others, becoming suicidal, and/or homicidal. The services of this platform are also not recommended for those who are severely impaired and/or experiencing an emergency or crisis event.

• If you are experiencing more distress and/or not progressing in therapy, you should discuss with your therapist other treatment options.

Alternatives to Online Treatment

1) Traditional (i.e. face-to-face, or in-person) Counseling

2) Medication

3) Community-Support Groups

Feel free to discuss other alternatives with your therapist at any time.

Updated: April 10, 2020