As a consequence of this fast-paced lifestyle we lead, depression and anxiety are taking a serious toll on the mental health condition of people. Social media, where people constantly share their lives, makes people feel lonely and unfulfilled. The worst part is that in those darkest hours of loneliness, depression, and self-degradation are the only thoughts present that keep people company. Yet, there’s always something good in the bad.
Legend has it – fight fire with fire. So, just like Instagram made us virtual citizens, why can’t we have virtual therapy to fight the depression that occurs? In this text, we’ll discuss the virtual sessions at TalkSpace, where people can take the weight off their backs in a remote manner. Also, we’ll get to the question of how Talkspace handles patients who need their medications and can Talkspace therapists prescribe medication.
What is Talkspace?
Talkspace is an online therapy platform on a text and video chat basis where therapists hold sessions just like in person. It covers numerous mental health therapy services. People who struggle with anxiety, eating disorders, depression, emotional response to queer, addiction, or family and friends relationship problems find this platform super convenient.
Talkspace is best known for teen counseling. Teenagers are prone to depression, and self-deprecating especially these days of social media. Also, being a teenager and having scheduled to see a psychologist is still a sensitive topic.
In this sense, Talkspace is super convenient because it operates in a private and remote module which gives a kind of anonymity to the patients. No one will know they see therapists, and they have constant touch with their counselors, determined to heal them.
Preventing traumas during adolescence is key in people’s development because if they don’t prevent them in time, it can detach the person from the world or build a wall around them. Besides, teenagers raised in digital eras can overcome the trauma in the language they understand. They don’t feel uncomfortable speaking to their friends on Skype, and online therapies come only naturally to them.
Besides counseling, Talkspace has a psychiatric service. Patients struggling with bipolar disorder and nerve issues can get professional help from experienced psychiatrists and nurses.
Thus, patients can chat online with their therapists, and they will follow the clinical symptoms through an online symptom tracker. Also, patients will be exposed to a happy virtual environment like the Happify app.
These apps tend to restore the trust in them again, or at least comfort them and spare their mind from ugly thoughts. Additionally, they locate the means for occasion planning, financial stability, legal counsel, and employee assistance.
Which mental health conditions can be addressed with Talkspace’s online psychiatry services?
Talkspace’s online psychiatry services are equipped to address a wide range of mental health conditions, providing accessible and convenient support for individuals seeking help. Some of the mental health conditions that can be effectively addressed through Talkspace’s platform include:
Stress: Whether it’s work-related stress, family issues, or daily life challenges, Talkspace’s psychiatry services offer strategies to manage and alleviate stress.
Anxiety Disorder & Social Anxiety: Therapists can help individuals manage symptoms of anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Depression: Talkspace offers support for individuals experiencing symptoms of depression, helping them navigate through their emotions and regain a sense of well-being.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Psychiatrists can provide guidance and treatment plans to manage the intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors associated with OCD.
Bipolar Disorder: The platform offers assistance in managing the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, including mood stabilization and medication management.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Therapists can help individuals process traumatic experiences and develop coping mechanisms to alleviate symptoms of PTSD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Online psychiatry services can assist in diagnosing and managing ADHD, offering strategies to improve focus and executive function.
Insomnia: Psychiatrists can address sleep-related issues, providing guidance and treatment options to improve sleep quality and duration.
Are Therapists Allowed to Prescribe Medication?
No, therapists cannot prescribe medication for the patients, regardless of which situation they’re in. What therapists can do is recommend a medical alternative or other therapy assessment. In worst cases scenarios, they have to contact the psychiatrists and explain the situation in detail to them. Afterward, the psychiatrists will take it. Therapists can diagnose mental health symptoms and illness and prepare a treatment plan, but they cannot prescribe medicine to others.
To be able to prescribe medicine, therapists must have a master’s degree and permission from licensing boards.
Therapists work in many areas at clinics, at offices, at home – basically, everywhere they have private spots where there’s a place to make a conversation with their patients. Usually, the therapy session includes:
- Play therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- animal-assisted treatment
- dialectical behavioral therapy
Even personalized therapy that will suit the patients. Therapists cannot prescribe or order medicines, but they can refer you for medication management or other therapy assessments.
Can Therapists at Talkspace Prescribe Medication?
Talkspace therapists may provide helpful sessions, talks, or counsel, but they cannot prescribe controlled substances like Adderall, Ativan, Xanax, Concerta, Librium, Klonopin, Ritalin, and Lithium.
To prevent substance abuse, and due to the sensitivity of the long-distance therapy, Talkspace medication is reduced to lighter doses, usually based on vegetative ingredients.
What Kind of Medications are Prescribed on Talkspace?
Patients can get every medication except the above-mentioned controlled substances. At Talkspace, the focus of curing depression and anxiety is basically on sessions and opening up. Such therapies work to open up the bottled emotions and prevent them from turning into panic attacks.
However, other patients who need their daily medications cannot get them online. Talkspace cares to prevent enlarging substance abuse, but they know that sometimes patients have to get their dose. They did their research and realized that 4/5 of the psychotropic drugs get prescriptions from doctors who aren’t qualified. To prevent the growth of these numbers, Talkspace trains its team to become experts in mental health conditions and treatments.
Thus, here at Talkspace, you’d get private and individual care for your problems, and you’ll know that the doctors are professionals diligently practicing medicine.
Mental Health Doctors Who Can Prescribe Medication
Only doctors who have a license to practice medicine can prescribe psychotropic drugs. If a patient needs their dose of medicine, and the online psychologist, or intern psychiatrist who has no legal right to prescribe medicine – they will reassign the patient to other doctors in the area.
Talkspace has an entire network of prescribers whose focus is on psychiatric evaluation. They have their methods of battling the negative emotions are online therapy sessions and medication but constantly keep an eye on the patients. The patients can easily cross the line from addiction to drug abuse. Mental health prescriptions online can pose a serious threat to people fighting depression. So, to avoid further and more serious problems, Talkspace stays too calm on this side.
Can Talkspace Prescribe Medication?
They can prescribe medication, except for several psychotropic meds.
Talkspace played this part too carefully, knowing the history of online mental health care and prescription. Talkspace prescriptions are based on online therapy and light medication.
Due to remote sessions and online counseling, Talkspace doesn’t prescribe psychotropic drugs. In case a therapist notices the patient needs their dose, they must redirect them to a qualified and licensed psychiatrist who can give the right medicine. By no means therapists can prescribe the medicine – regardless if they should only continue the diagnosis. Therapists can make the diagnosis, and send it to the psychiatrist. Onward, the psychiatrist takes it from there.
What is the difference between therapy and psychiatry?
Therapy and psychiatry are both mental health treatments, but they differ in their approaches and providers. Therapy, typically delivered by psychologists or licensed therapists, focuses on talk-based techniques, offering emotional support, coping strategies, and behavior modification to address various mental health issues.
Psychiatry, on the other hand, involves medical doctors (psychiatrists) who can prescribe medication, diagnose complex mental health conditions, and provide a comprehensive approach that combines therapy with medication management when necessary. Essentially, therapy primarily employs talk and counseling, while psychiatry includes medication management and a broader medical perspective.
Conclusion
Talkspace offers a valuable online platform for mental health support, catering to a wide range of conditions through therapy and psychiatry services. While therapists can provide essential counseling and support, they cannot prescribe medication. Instead, Talkspace ensures patients get the appropriate medication through a network of licensed psychiatrists, maintaining a focus on safe and effective treatment for those seeking help in their mental health journey.
