Virtual Therapy Support

Pros

Proactive, positive nurturing of self help skills, that can be used throughout the week to remain calm and grounded
Opportunity to connect with therapist/mental health practitioner which provides stability and security
Can add social element by running group sessions - gives sense of solidarity

Cons

Access to internet and technologies needed e.g. smartphones, tablets, communication platforms
Resolving support issues is challenging

Suitable for

‍

People who are isolated
People experiencing anxiety
People that have a minimal level of English (or higher)

Summary

This guidance wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of SOLACE, TimePeace and GOVAN Community Projects.

Virtual therapy involves providing evidence-based therapeutic support for people online or by telephone. Sessions can be held individually or in a group setting, depending on participants' needs. An example of individual therapy is 1-on-1 counselling sessions between a therapist or mental health practitioner and an individual.

Examples of group therapy include stress management groups which may cover topics such as stress reduction and help with sleep. As they are held online, people will require access to digital technologies with fast internet, and knowledge on using communication platforms.

Requirements

Staff/Volunteer requirements

IT support
Need credit card to top-up people's phones with data
Sessions held once a week for 1 hour
Before the session, text messages sent day before and on the day to remind participants
After the session, record attendance for monitoring and evaluation and ensure follow-up is given for any additional resources people need

Participant requirements

Crucial to provide participants with practical support to increase digital skills and confidence
Support is needed to set up devices, email addresses and how to use the apps required
Need data/credit on phones

Staff/Volunteer training

Trained therapists or mental health practitioners needed to run sessions, skilled in running online therapy
Administrative capacity needed to top-up phones, send reminder messages, record data
Interpretation may be needed for individual sessions or group sessions delivered in language groups

TIPS

Some people may prefer individual therapy sessions rather than groups. Providing both and offering choice increases engagement.
Run an initial trial session and seek ongoing feedback from participants and staff/volunteers on how to improve the sessions in the future.

Helpful resources

Migration Yorkshire Information Hub

World Health Organisation

‍NHS.UK

Feedback

“We have also learnt that our community members felt safer in engaging with individual therapeutic support rather than group support.“
‍

GOVAN

“Lockdown has exacerbated the fragile situation many of our community members find themselves in. We experienced a spike in members seeking mental health support.”

TimePeace

“The main reasons for seeking therapeutic support are the impact of hotel accommodation/support worries, the asylum process, family difficulties, mental health deterioration and reductions in support, isolation and the impact of coronavirus.”