In psychotherapy, it can often be more challenging to try and reach out to someone who isn’t sure their motivations for being in therapy, like teens. Sometimes a teenager might be “forced” into therapy by their parents, or may feel like they need therapy, but don’t know how or where to begin.

What if there was a way to reach out to a teenager some other way, like through email?

Well, that’s exactly what some therapists in England decided to examine and what they found shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who sees how the next generation is communicating online:

This article describes e-mail therapy with a teenager whom professionals found difficult to communicate with and understand. Anne had a 4-year history of low mood and unpredictable self-harming behavior that in the past had led to admission to a secure unit. Therapy involved weekly e-mails over a 3-month period and ended when she was transferred to adult services.

The article focuses on how e-mail enabled engagement to occur. The therapeutic relationship allowed Anne to explore and understand past experiences, and start resolving present problems. Diagnosis also became clearer.

In this case, email therapy worked and helped engage the teen in psychotherapy, showing that e-therapy can help engage someone who otherwise might have a difficult time engaging in psychotherapy.

Reference

Roy H, Gillett T. (2008). E-mail: a new technique for forming a therapeutic alliance with high-risk young people failing to engage with mental health services? A case study. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry, 13(1):95-103.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 15 Jun 2008
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.