Virtual IOP California

Virtual mental healthcare is relatively new as a concept and new to practice. But, with numerous studies from organizations like Yale and Harvard showing that telehealth can be as effective as face-to-face visits, there’s no reason not to use it.

In fact, both organizations adopted telehealth as a means of moving froward with treatment and with studies during the rise of the 2020 pandemic.

When the situation is right, telehealth can be every bit as effective as face-to-face care. Our Virtual IOP delivers the same expert-guided therapy, evidence-based curriculum, and peer support featured in our on-site programs, offered in a flexible format for people across California.

Most importantly, not all research is new. In 2017, a systematic review of over 156 articles published in PubMed, Embase, and Science Direct showed that most studies reflect positively on telemedicine. In fact, many consistently recommend virtual healthcare as a faster, more convenient, and cheaper alternative to face-to-face – making quality psychological care accessible, even to people who don’t live near the facilities and experts they need

Another study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, found that synchronous (real time) telemental healthcare is acceptable and as effective as in-person services, providing the quality of the video and audio is good. That study noted that conferencing is more effective on younger generations who are more adept with video calling – and there may be a technology barrier with persons over 50. At Compassion Recovery, we tackle this barrier by ensuring that every person signing up for our treatment receives training in how to use the app and the services – so you get quality results.

Most importantly, in one of the largest studies of telemental health – conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs between 2006 and 2010 – utilization of virtual mental health treatment decreased hospitalization by 25%. Virtual treatment works.

Virtual IOP offers a structured, comprehensive treatment program with multiple weekly group therapy sessions, individual therapy, and specialized services like yoga therapy and family work. It follows an evidence-based curriculum similar to in-person IOP.

Online therapy usually consists of less frequent one-on-one sessions without the same level of peer support, structured programming, or multidisciplinary care. Our Virtual IOP provides a more immersive, community-driven approach to recovery for individuals across California. 

Online mental health counseling normally involves shifting face-to-face meetings to virtual ones. This naturally creates some changes to therapy, especially in the early days of that therapy. For example, most people have a harder time connecting to their therapist or counselor online than they would in person. You can resolve that by having additional sessions to get to know each other, by ensuring that video is turned on, and by doing exercises or social games to get to know each other.

While online therapy offers many benefits, it also comes with its own set of challenges. These obstacles can affect the overall effectiveness of the session and the connection between the therapist and patient. Let’s explore some of the common issues faced during virtual therapy.

• An immediate sense of connection aided by physical proximity;
• The potential of poor Internet connection or speed;
• The potential of poor familiarity with video calling services;
• The potential of disruption of service due to Internet, static, etc;
• Less attention paid to behavioral cues from patients.

On the other hand, each of these obstacles is relatively easily overcome – meaning that you can easily experience quality virtual therapy, in an environment where you connect with your therapist, and where everyone can benefit from treatment.