Until recently, the most individuals might be incredulous about the idea texting back and forth with a therapist for extended periods of time at their convenience. For those who wish to have that service, the aforementioned has been a reality for a few years thanks to an online therapy service called Talkspace. It’s as if they are texting with a friend, but one who is specially trained in helping overcome challenges, who is tirelessly listening to their concerns and patiently responding, composing constructive messages about their particular problems.
Talkspace is an online therapy platform that offers its users access to therapists via the internet. Oren Frank is the co-founder and chief executive officer of the platform that is leading the text-therapy industry. Founded in 2012, it reports having helped a million individuals since then – 70% of whom have never been in therapy before – with issues such as eating disorders, anxiety, personality disorders, depression, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and family problems.
Online counseling is not for everyone. However, it is a less expensive alternative to the out-of-pocket payments for traditional therapy. It is also a platform that offers greater anonymity and flexible scheduling, and Talkspace is one of the biggest players in this field. With Talkspace, Frank aims to make therapy accessible for all individuals. Furthermore, he hopes that by bringing more on board with Talkspace’s services, he will help rid mental illness of the stigma that has burdened communities for so long. As such, the company not only highlights the importance of addressing and treating mental illness with the priority and urgency that it deserves, but it also points out that anyone can benefit from therapy.
The National Institutes of Mental Health reported that in 2014, an estimated 44 million adults suffered from some kind of mental illness. That’s just over 18% of all the adults in the U.S. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fewer than half of them receive treatment. The numbers highlight the fact that tens of millions of individuals remain completely untreated every year. According to Frank, Talkspace aims to address that very issue.
According to the Talkspace website, with their online service, “anyone can get therapy without traveling to an office – and for significantly less money than traditional therapy.” It is often referred to as e-therapy, distance therapy, internet therapy, and web therapy. Users are connected to therapists and online therapy networks that use several different mediums – including texting, live video, voice messages, and audio messaging – to offer counseling. While the term “online therapy” may seem impersonal at first, several studies have highlighted the efficacy of therapy via the internet, so much so that it has become a viable alternative to the in-office setting of brick-and-mortar therapy.
Talkspace makes it possible for its users to get the help they need from several devices that use banking-grade encryption to keep the user-therapist interaction safe and confidential. The Talkspace therapy paradigm involves several easy steps. The users first go through an assessment to get paired with a therapist who will meet their therapy needs. Users are linked to live consultation with a therapist who ask questions, screen their responses, and guides them through the sign-up process.
After the matching process is complete, users choose the appropriate payment plan, after which therapy can begin. During the treatment, therapists typically respond once or twice a day. Talkspace also offers its clients a live video meeting for about 10 minutes upon starting, as well as the option to record, send, and receive audio messages. This helps clients create strong bonds with therapists, as they feel more able to connect to that person by hearing their voice from time to time.
Consumers are now better equipped to make more informed decisions thanks to an app evaluation model developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The report contains ten questions for consumers to ask and weigh risks and benefits, such as: Is there a privacy policy? What data is collected? Can you opt out? What security measures are in place? Is data encrypted on the device and the server? Does it say it meets HIPAA privacy standards? After answering these questions, consumers should be better equipped to score the app for themselves and see if the privacy settings meet their comfort levels.
Talkspace’s Oren Frank says that the company goes to “great lengths to make sure that Talkspace is as secure as is precisely technologically possible,” adding to that the fact that the service has never had security breach issues.
Frank co-founded Talkspace with a vision to make psychotherapy both accessible and affordable for a billion individuals in need worldwide. At first a B2C company, Talkspace developed something called “Unlimited Messaging Therapy,” which is a new platform that gets rid of all the major hurdles on the way to outpatient mental health. According to the team at Talkspace, it is not their aim to replace in-office therapy. The aim was to make therapy available to as many individuals as possible, so they can benefit and overcome their daily challenges in an environment that is free from stigma and judgment.
So how does Talkspace actually achieve these aims?
According to John Torous, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical school and chair of the APA apps review workgroup, mental health apps can improve client outcomes, but he warns consumers to beware of a service that is relatively new. And Frank did not disagree with this view, stating that “like any new industry, [online therapy] poses new questions and challenges.”
“Digital psychology” is based on interactions that rely on interactive software, such as texting, FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Vsee. This software is especially helpful for individuals who live in remote areas where there are no mental health clinics or for those who are concerned about remaining anonymous (i.e. a young gay person struggling with coming out or someone who has been sexually assaulted). It’s also useful for those who are uneasy about opening up and disclosing intimate information in person to a stranger. Perhaps the biggest benefit of these apps is that they make otherwise expensive therapy sessions relatively accessible by being fairly inexpensive. This means that these apps are a way to help those who would otherwise be priced out.
Talkspace CEO Oren Frank
“Proper, effective mental health apps – when constructed properly – can fill in some of these gaps, provide some of the therapy interventions, and make it easier for people to get the help they deserve to live a better quality of life,” says Steven Chan, MD, who is a UCSF physician as well as vice chair of the APA apps review workgroup.
Users report that there are many benefits to Talkspace and that they love it for several reasons. It is convenient, as it can be used on-the-go. This is particularly appropriate for clients who use it for couples’ therapy and whose schedules do not always align. The platform makes it easier for both parties to participate without a hassle. Furthermore, clients report liking the service because they do not have to wait a week for the next appointment. “You can offload anywhere, any time,” one reports. Users have the luxury of talking to someone almost immediately. There is neither a limit nor a bad time to text a Talkspace therapist. Users also find the matching convenient, because they are only matched with therapists who have specific skills in the needed areas and are thus much better equipped to truly address their concerns. However, should the client-therapist match not suit the user, they have the option to switch therapists whenever they want to. This is easily done via a simple click on the “change therapist” tab. There is no set number of times a therapist can be switched– the main point is for users to find someone who suits them. The most convenient aspect of switching is that therapy does not start from the very beginning. Switching in real life means going through the laborious task of re-introductions and repeating stories several times – these tasks can be exhausting. A therapist switch on Talkspace avoids all that, as the chatroom automatically saves all prior conversations regardless of how many times a therapist has been switched.
Users also like the fact that they can choose how to communicate with their therapist, whether via text, voice or video message, or live video. This is particularly important, since different individuals have different communication styles. While some function better in a face-to-face setting and have no problems addressing issues out loud, others prefer the written form. Furthermore, the luxury of having a check-in twice a day – morning and evening – allows users to truly reflect on the communication. This is liberating, as sessions are not limited to everything the clients can think of at that one moment. Rather, clients have the convenience to communicate more frequently on a daily basis.
Another perk is that users can freeze their accounts for up to 30 days. This is particularly convenient for clients who may either feel exhausted or simply cannot afford to make a payment. Freezing the membership does not mean users will lose all prior interactions. Rather, conversations with therapists and therapy sessions are paused upon freezing and are available after the freezing period. Lastly, users report liking Talkspace for its cost effectiveness. It is much more affordable than in-person therapy.
On the Talkspace website blog, Oren Frank writes, “Remember: therapy doesn’t just have to be about venting your innermost thoughts or digging into childhood memories. It’s also about practical, everyday strategies for managing stress, meeting goals, and living a happier life. Therapy is not just for the powerful or wealthy — therapy is not just for CEOs. Having a therapist simply provides a designated person for you to talk to, who is trained to listen and help you make positive changes… Whether you’re dealing with mental illness, inevitable ups and downs in your relationships, or career decisions (or indecisions), Talkspace is for you. Therapy is for you. And now, we’re trying to provide therapy for all.”
Talkspace is also employee-focused; it works exclusively with licensed mental health professionals. According to Frank, he makes it a point to have his business’ services tested by about 10 percent of a customer’s employees, most of whom opt to try out the messaging service. This comes at a time when employers are taking mental health into more serious consideration, as studies have indicated increased frequencies of depression and anxiety among millennials with deleterious impacts on productivity.
This year, Talkspace has hired a chief medical officer, Neil Leibowitz, who will help build its enterprise business and begin prescribing medications via the company app. Leibowitz was previously senior medical director at UnitedHealth. Furthermore, Frank brought Leibowitz on board to enable Talkspace’s psychiatrists to prescribe medicines using the video tool feature. According to Leibowitz’s statement for CNBC, he was “initially skeptical about Talkspace, in part because it represented something new and different.” However, his decision to ultimately join Talkspace came after getting to know both the team and the product.
Overall, Talkspace is a virtual messaging platform between individuals or couples and licensed therapists. The app gives users access to qualified therapists from the convenience of their home, desk, couch, — or during and situation that may be stressful — at a frequency of several times a day. By virtue of being an online and completely discreet platform, it overcomes the hurdle of the awkwardness that people may feel when attending a therapy session.
Ultimately, Talkspace is a service for anyone who is thinking about seeking therapy or wants a convenient way to resolve issues without the pressure of visiting a clinic or therapist’s office. It is also convenient for couples or individuals who want to work through problems without having to sit down and discuss intimate points face-to-face. In particular, it is convenient for those who are more comfortable communicating their thoughts and feelings via text and email rather than in person.
Dil Bole Oberoi
