I conducted my first online counseling session back in February 2006.
At that time, since the dominant type of internet connection was still dial-up, online sessions were exclusively text-based — through Skype and/or ICQ, and sometimes even by email.
Starting around 2008-2009, along with the development of communication technologies, I began to conduct online sessions also via audio-video connection — initially only via Skype. Later, with the emergence and improvement of platforms such as Viber, WhatsApp, and Messenger, the range of communication tools I used for online counseling and psychotherapy expanded significantly.
Today, approximately 40-45% of my clients receive services online — from various countries and language groups (the majority being Armenians living abroad).
Of course, today no one is surprised by online psychological services, and, alongside other technological innovations, it is mostly perceived as a normal phenomenon.
However, at the very beginning, things were not so straightforward. As I mentioned, when I started my private practice as a psychologist in 2006, I also began offering online counseling almost simultaneously. At that time, there was significant skepticism towards this format (both in terms of technique and effectiveness) among almost all representatives of the older generation, while most young people had a vague idea about it or considered it a tool for the distant future.
This was despite the fact that, even back then, in other parts of the world — particularly in North America — online services were already part of the healthcare system, their effectiveness had been scientifically validated, and new therapeutic tools based on VR (Virtual Reality) technologies were entering the market.
Nevertheless, I was convinced that over time, all of this would become relevant in our region as well. And that time, of course, came — even earlier than I expected.
Taking all this into account, as well as based on the experience of psychological services in developed countries, I have formed certain forecasts (although it is said that making predictions is the most ungrateful task), which I would like to share:
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Psychological services will increasingly shift towards IT technologies over time, and online services will become dominant. This will be facilitated not only by the rapid development of the IT sector but also by globalization, the active involvement of our region in the international labor market, and the greater mobility of people.
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In the not-so-distant future, VR/AR/MR technologies will gradually play an increasingly significant role in the toolkit of online services.
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The need to implement online payment systems will also grow. Among these, the most practical and universal option remains vPOS (Virtual POS Terminal), which allows instant online payments from anywhere in the world and in any currency — the only condition being that the payer has a Visa or MasterCard.
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The development and widespread implementation of such services in the psychological services market will further accelerate the freelance-ization of the field: more and more specialists will prefer and have the opportunity to work independently, having their fully autonomous private practice.
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As a result, classical psychological centers, in the traditional sense — with a physical address, space, and multiple specialists working on site — will gradually lose their relevance. These centers will be replaced or transformed into “professional networks” (such as Hilfmann Psychological Services). In this new model, such structures will serve purely organizational, legal, and representative functions, while the specialists will be de facto independent and mobile.
So, what can be done today if you are a mental health specialist?
Based on the above, I believe the following steps can be outlined:
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It is advisable to at least consider the option of registering as a legal entity (Individual Entrepreneur or LLC)in the near future.
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Regardless of whether you currently work in a psychological center or clinic, start thinking today about promoting and marketing your professional services (SMM – Social Media Marketing will help).
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Look for professional networks you can join (even in the future) or start building your own.
Of course, these are only my approximate forecasts and cannot serve as an absolute guideline for the future transformations of the field. However, I believe they are unlikely to deviate significantly from the general vector of development. At the very least, they can serve as a source of insight for specialists in the field.
P.S. As for the so-called therapy based on mobile apps and without professionals — that is an entirely different topic, and I will address it another time. 😊
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VR/AR/MR – Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality / Mixed Reality
** As an example of vPOS usage, you can refer to the online payment page of Hilfmann Psychological Services
*** SMM – Social Media Marketing