More and more counsellors are incorporating technology like a digital homework app into their practice. This is especially important as the shift to online counselling became a necessity in the year 2020. As the industry embraces virtual counselling, digital tools are essential to ensure patients are staying on-track between sessions.
That’s why a digital homework app is a game-changer. It comes with many surprising benefits for both counsellors and their patients.
Better relationships with patients lead to better outcomes
Research has shown that better relationships between patients and their counsellors leads to better counselling outcomes. A meta-analysis found that many factors like agreeing on therapy goals, applying patient feedback, and repairing ruptures are as vital to a positive outcome as the treatment method used. In short, more communication and trust leads to better counselling outcomes. It also makes counsellors more in-tune with their patient’s needs, leading to higher responsiveness. A digital homework app is a touchpoint that can significantly strengthen the counsellor-patient relationship by increasing connection.
Stay connected to patience outside of counselling sessions
For many, counselling progress can feel stagnant outside of sessions. It’s a feeling that’s familiar for many patients: they leave a counselling session, they feel a weight off their shoulders — but a return to the same environment can lead to relapses in negative thoughts and feelings. Adding a channel of connection between sessions via a digital homework app helps patients stay in the same mindset they found during their session.
It’s also a great way to stay connected while maintaining professional boundaries. Many counsellors don’t feel comfortable giving out their number and opening a constant channel of personal communication with patients. Digital homework apps allow a solution: the relationship stays open, but professional.
An easy way to follow-up
Research suggests that therapists who don’t consistently follow-up on homework assignments are less likely to generate patient regard for the activity. That’s because counselling can feel ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for many patients as soon as they leave sessions. It’s all too easy to forget about homework or put it off — especially when working through difficult thoughts and feelings. Adding a digital homework app to a patient’s toolbox helps them stay on-track, take ownership of their progress, and keep their goals top-of-mind. So you can work towards growth together.
Embrace technology with a homework app
Technology is here to stay in the world of counselling. A digital homework app like Therachat is an innovative tool counsellors can use to support their clients from a distance. It offers features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises. It’s a way to stay connected to your clients and support them as they meet their goals.
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