Texas Universities to Launch Online Counseling
Faced with soaring demand for mental health services from students struggling with depression and anxiety, three Texas universities plan to launch an online counseling program this fall replacing face-to-face therapy with informational videos, online exercises and video consultations that cut the time spent on each individual by nearly 70 percent.
Texas A&M University, the University of North Texas and Baylor University hope the online service will help reach more students using 10- to 20-minute video conferences with counselors — a fraction of traditional 50-minute face-to-face sessions. But some psychology experts worry that the shortened sessions won't provide much help and will come with privacy risks.
Developed in 2012 by a former University of Florida counseling center director, the Therapist Assisted Online program asks students to complete online modules from among more than a dozen topics like mindfulness and positive psychology. Counselors follow their progress through an online dashboard and regular mental health assessments before checking in via a weekly video conference.
The program is designed for patients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression, the top two concerns on college campuses, according to a 2015 survey by the American College Health Association.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/16/texas-universities-launch-online-counseling-progra/
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