6 Best online therapy resources

To keep up with the digital age, there is no wonder that therapy resources have expanded to the online world. For some individuals, therapy is vital to managing negative thoughts and behaviours to improve a person’s understanding of themselves and their mental health. The limitless nature of the internet means there is an endless selection of online therapy resources.

This raises the question; what are the best online therapy resources? We will be running through some of the best and most useful online therapy resources and explain the benefits of online therapy.

What online therapy resources are there?

There is an increase in the demand for therapy over the past few years. Between 2013/14 and 2023/2024, the number of referrals has increased from 1.1 million to 1.8 million, with more than 1.2 million beginning treatment.

While it’s positive to see more people seeking treatment for their mental health, the issue can be accessibility. NHS referral waiting times can take up to 18 weeks, which is why it’s vital to have a variety of accessible online therapy resources to support people with their mental wellbeing.

Much like face-to-face therapy, there are a multitude of options online therapy resources available. Here are just a few examples:

Talking therapies

Online talking therapies can be conducted through phone calls, video calls, live chats and more. The purpose behind talking therapies is to provide people a safe space where they can feel comfortable expressing their feelings with a trained professional.

Having a qualified expert listen and respond to a person’s thoughts and feelings can help a person process difficult emotions such as grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, etc and work to develop effective coping strategies. Through this, the person partaking in the talking therapy can enhance their quality of life by taking ownership of their mental health and overcome negative emotions and moods to succeed.

The option of online talking therapies makes it far more accessible, especially to those with additional responsibilities such as work or family commitments. It can be done from home, in a working environment, or wherever a person feels comfortable.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a school of therapy that can be conducted through talking therapies. The practice focuses on helping individuals identify psychological challenges and negative behaviours. This enables people to confront and challenge negative patterns and thoughts, by reframing them in a positive manner.

It can be accessed through dedicated apps such as SilverCloud at any time from any location, as long as there is an active internet connection. Through structured modules led by interactive tools, people can stay actively engaged and focused on improving their mental health.

Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic therapies

Unconscious thoughts can be a little trickier to comprehend and tackle. But that is the aim of Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic therapy. By assessing past experiences, a trained expert can analyse how these manifest into unconscious thoughts and attitudes in the present day. This can provide insight into a person's relationship and understanding of the external world, specific events and relationships, etc.

The relationship between the patient and the practitioner is central to this form of therapy as it involves vulnerable and personal topics and is often a long-term form of therapy. Therefore, online options will typically take place over video calls, to provide a more personable connection and understanding. To find a therapist that can conduct this form of virtual therapy, users can connect with a counsellor through the UKCP or Counselling Directory.

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

CFT is primarily focused on people who struggle with increased levels of shame, self-consciousness and tend to criticise themselves, possibly unnecessarily. It aims to reverse these behaviours and instead refocus a person’s mind on self-compassion. Usually, this is conducted via techniques like mindfulness through breathing exercises and imagery. This is done in the hopes of strengthening the soothing system and prevent an overactive threat system which could be the root of mental health issues.

Top 6 best online therapy resources:

1. EAP solution-focused counselling

One of the best ways to access online therapy resources is through an Employee Assistance Programmes, such as HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s very own EAP. There are a variety of online therapy tools that can be accessed via an EAP, such as CBT, solution-focused counselling, legal and financial advice and much more. The support provided by trained experts may typically be solution based and will focus on helping you overcome present issues rather than historic issues that may require more time. Many organisations and employers will provide this to support with mental health and alleviate stress in the workplace.

2. Digital CBT (SilverCloud)

SilverCloud’s CBT therapy is accessible through HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s EAP service. An accessible service that can be used by people independently in their own time to work on their mental health or can link them with a wellbeing coach for additional support. It can be accessed via a mobile app and allows users to easily manage their mental health journey and reprogramme negative thoughts.

3. Wisdom app

Wisdom is HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s exclusive app to help those with access to the EAP manage their wellbeing. Through this app, users can access expert support from a team of trained and accredited counsellors, 24/7, 365-days a year. This support can be accessed via a call or live chat, whichever suits best.

As well as this, users can access a host of additional content to support on their wellbeing journey. This includes a range of articles, podcasts, breathing techniques, yoga and exercise routines, recipes and more. To assist users with tracking their wellbeing, they can also access trackers including mood trackers, hydration and exercise trackers and mini health checks to stay on top of their physical and mental wellbeing.

4. Self-help CBT (NHS)

Through the use of online resources provided by the National Health Service, people can access ‘guided self-help’ through self-managed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This is an excellent resource for those new to CBT as it introduces the technique, an explanation of its aims and how it can be managed and links to specific goals. This resource offers a convenient option to users as they can use it as they wish and refer to specific resources for certain goals they may have related to therapy.

5. Rightsteps (menopause)

This resource is a little more specific than the previous options. Rightsteps CBT programme is intended to specifically support those experiencing menopause. This specific form of CBT for those experiencing menopause was developed in collaboration with menopause expert, Professor Myra Hunter a Clinical Health Psychologist at King’s College London.

This was done in order to develop a professional and reliable from of therapy to help manage symptoms associated with menopause and people’s mental wellbeing throughout this period. Menopause can lead to hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety and fatigue, all of which can impact sleep and physical wellbeing and have a knock-on effect of declining mental wellbeing. Through therapist-led counselling to help combat negative thoughts and alter low moods, it can help overcome issue such as anxiety and depression to support a person through menopause.

6. Samaritans online live chat

Slightly different to the other resources mentioned, The Samaritans online service is typically used in the case of a mental health emergency. With trained responders who are well equipped to support in a crisis scenario in real-time, they can support with negative feelings and even suicidal thoughts. This does not always have to be over a phone call as they can also support via a live chat function for when a phone call isn’t an option.

What to look for in an online therapy resource

When looking for an online therapy resource, it is vital to identify the assistance you need. This can be difficult when you or an employee is in the midst of a mental health battle, combatting low moods, anxiety and brain-fog. But having the right support for your issues can help you to reach a solution sooner rather than later.

Beyond the purpose however, you need a service that is reliable and trustworthy. Ensuring that a service and the therapists that they connect you with are accredited by professional bodies such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) is crucial. Accredited counsellors, such as those with HA | Wisdom Wellbeing means you will be accessing a level of expertise required to effectively assist and support you through your issues. Once you have this level of trust, you can get into the nitty gritty and work out which form of communication works best for you, what sessions are most effective and building out a schedule for your therapy.

How an Employee Assistance Programme can help

With access to HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), users can reliably access support from trained counsellors to support them with a litany of issue that impact their wellbeing. From solution based-counselling to help handle stress, overcome mental health conditions such as stress, depression and anxiety, to more complex issues regarding relationships, legal or financial matters, users can access support 24/7, 365-days a year.

To help further support people with their mental wellbeing, users also receive exclusive access to the Wisdom app. As mentioned previously, this resource can be seen as a secure on-stop shop to help manage their wellbeing on a daily basis by accessing counselling in combination with the resource available on the app.

As well as helping overcome everyday mental health battles, users can also access a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) service to be on-site and manage workplace specialist counselling alongside 24-hour telephone support.

Conclusion

The modern world now revolves around digital mediums. Therapy is no different. There may still be a stigma around online therapy resources as opposed to face-to-face counselling, but statistics show it can be just as effective. With 80% of participants showing improved symptoms of anxiety and depression and a 65% recovery rate, online therapy resources provide an effective avenue of wellbeing treatment that can be relied upon.