How Teletherapy Is Changing the Face of Mental Health Care

Less than a decade ago, an appointment with your therapist meant the usual: driving to their clinic, an anxious wait among other patients and months-old magazines, trying to appear as calm and measured as possible. Then the pandemic arrived and cleared everyone from the waiting room. Today, we adjust to a new reality: teletherapy. 

COVID-19 didn’t create teletherapy; it just sped up our adoption. We’ve entered a new era of mental health care, one we hope will be defined by accessibility, flexibility, and innovation. Let’s explore how teletherapy is changing the face of mental health care. 

Before and after: The evolution of mental health care

To say the history of mental health care in the United States is complex is a gross understatement. Its origins begin during the Civil War, when the term mental hygiene was first coined. For much of the 20th century, mental health care was limited to asylums and institutions, with little connection to the wider healthcare community or public. In the 1960s, a movement toward deinstitutionalization appeared, aiming to make mental health services more accessible. Even then, a lack of funding and cohesion hampered meaningful progress. 

Fast forward to the early 2000s, and therapy had become more available, mainly through private practices and outpatient clinics. Still, barriers remained; stigma, geography, and financial costs were some of the main ones. Virtual options did exist, but were seldom embraced. That was, until a certain event in 2020.  

The Catalyst: COVID-19

Again, the pandemic didn’t invent teletherapy; it simply thrust it to the front of everyone’s mind. Suddenly, in-person treatment was deemed unsafe or impractical; getting help meant turning to digital platforms. Policies and insurance measures were hastily adjusted to enable this transition to happen at scale.

The data reflects this. Telehealth use amongst psychologists accelerated during the pandemic, increasing from 21% t0 86%. Major platforms like Talkspace, Amwell, and BetterHelp help drive this adoption, offering millions of Americans accessible mental health support.    

Accessibility redefined

This shift has enabled more people than ever to access online clinical mental health counseling. Which is great, considering the geographic, economic, and social divides that exist in the US. The result: meaningful impacts for people who’ve historically faced these divides. These include:

• Rural residents. This is especially true for people who live hours from the nearest clinic or provider.

• People of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and other minorities. These communities benefit from culturally competent mental health support, which is often limited to cities.  

• Busy professionals and parents. The flexibility teletherapy provides works well with competing schedules.

• College students and teens. Given their aptitude with devices, they already feel comfortable engaging and communicating this way.  

More than convenience: The benefits of teletherapy

While convenience is a significant benefit of teletherapy, it’s not the only one worth considering. Here are some more benefits that are shaping mental health support:

It’s flexible

This runs parallel with convenience. Teletherapy offers people more access to evening and weekend appointments, which takes one ball out of the life admin juggle. 

There’s less stigma

The fear of being seen – and being judged – in a waiting room is real. At the very least, teletherapy allows people to open up from a space they’re comfortable in, both physically and emotionally. 

More provider options

This is especially beneficial, as it means people can access specialists who share a similar background or who give support interstate.

It’s more affordable

While this isn’t necessarily the case with every therapist, overall, teletherapy has brought about more affordable support, owing to things like reduced overheads for therapists.   

 

Challenges remain

Of course, teletherapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Certain limitations and concerns remain. Here are a few:

• Tech barriers. Not everyone has reliable internet access, nor the digital literacy to navigate online sessions. 

• State licensing laws. Unsurprisingly, this is still an issue. Efforts like the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) are working to address this.

• Insurance variability. Depending on your provider and your plan, teletherapy coverage differs widely.

• Clinical limitations. Sometimes, an in-person session is the most appropriate form of support; for example, severe cases or crises requiring in-person intervention.

The road ahead

As we move ahead, it appears certain that teletherapy will remain a central pillar of mental health care. Hybrid models are being embraced more and more as people lean toward the flexibility of choosing a virtual session one week and an in-person session the week after. 

At the same time, app innovations that utilize AI or text-based support continue to broaden the reach and potential of teletherapy. What teletherapy has done is help normalize mental health care, at least to some degree. Many now view it as part of their wellness schedule, the same way they view online fitness classes. Deservedly, mental health services are becoming services we regularly access, without shame. 

Teletherapy’s more than just a technological shift; it’s a broader movement toward more accessible and inclusive mental health care. Removing barriers like location and context enables more people than ever to get the support they need. This is critical, given that nearly 1 in 5 American adults experiences mental illness each year. 

The key to this support is innovation and adaptation. In the same way technology adjusts to meet the demands of its users, so must healthcare use this technology. If the two can progress together, the future of mental health care remains bright and equitable.