Online Intervention
Online interventions aim to help people in need to rebuild or improve their mental health and well-being. Whether it is psychological counselling or psychotherapy, online interventions differ from a traditional consultation in the means of communication used: phone conversations, e-mail exchanges, online messaging, video calls and/or a self-help programme are often used in various combinations and also in conjunction with face-to-face sessions.
To get the most out of online interventions, you need to be comfortable using a number of different tools (smartphone, computer, apps) and have confidence in these means of communication. Online interventions are not suitable in the following circumstances: an urgent crisis, risk of suicide, dissocia-tion or acute psychosis, as well as withdrawal from alcohol or drugs.
- The provider’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address must be indicated.
- The provider’s qualifications, training, skills and titles must be clearly displayed.
- The offer must be accompanied by a clear description, and the target objectives must be indicated.
- The offer’s rates and accepted payment methods must be clearly displayed. Rates should be identical to the amount charged for a traditional consultation, as the service provided is the same.
- The general terms and conditions of sale (GTCS) that apply to the offer must be published on the service provider’s website.
- All information relevant to data security and potential security risks, how data is recorded, the extent and retention of data, and the clients’ rights must be communicated by the ser-vice provider.
- Psychologists must maintain the highest standards of encryption (encrypted data storage, protected access via a strong password that is changed regularly, antivirus software, firewalls, regular security updates, back-ups).