Online therapy and
industry statistics

The facts behind e-therapy and what it can do to help you become healthier and happier

Key Stats

1 M

1 in 5

Canadians Experience some Type of Mental Illness

$ 1 B

Annual cost

Economic Burden of Mental Health in Canada

$ 1 B

missing

Total Cost of Unmet Canadian Psychotherapy Needs

Wait Times too Long – Unavailable Therapists – Cost Factor

Why Online Therapy?

What is it about?

Online therapy is a flexible, easy way to talk with a licensed mental health professional via online chat or video. Individuals sign up on a website, then find their therapist and schedule a session. We leverage technology by using the Internet and video or chat functions to conduct a live session between an individual and a therapist, when, and where, they feel most comfortable engaging..

Technology can change people’s lives if it makes it easy to access a psychologist when and where needed. Screen reader support enabled.

Benefits

Convenience : just find a place with an Internet connection (house, school, work, travel, etc.)
Greater discretion : as we choose where we speak
Accessibility : no more waiting times and difficulty finding a therapist
Confidentiality & security : encrypted communication between therapists and individuals
Cheaper : pay only for the time needed – 20, 40, 60 or 80 minutes

Efficiency of Online Therapy

Several research papers, mostly from the Telemental Health Institute’s bibliography, indicate that remote therapy is an acceptable alternative to, or even equivalent to, traditional office care.

An online study of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) conducted between 2000 and 2012, with participants who were in therapy for periods ranging from eight weeks to two years, reveals that CBT online effectively reduces mental illness symptoms. In some cases, it is even more effective than in-person therapy.

A study from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and the University of Leipzig in Germany, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, shows that Internet psychotherapy can be just as beneficial as traditional therapy.

Researchers in South Carolina have found that veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) respond as well to videoconferencing therapy as to treatment received in office.

Online therapy and industry statistics