Since the 2020 pandemic, more and more kids are struggling with their mental health, and school counselors can’t keep up. Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts have skyrocketed among elementary, middle, and high schoolers, but the number of counselors in schools has relatively stayed the same. 

Even if there is one school counselor for one hundred kids, that counselor couldn’t possibly hope to have meaningful, consistent one-on-one time with every child who needs it. For some schools, this means finding unique solutions, particularly online therapy. 

Online tech companies created specifically for schools have begun meeting the need for more providers by providing licensed professionals specializing in children’s mental health and easy, kid-friendly interfaces for students to use. These tech companies provide licensed, professional child therapists for the school to use through virtual therapy. Now, in 2024, 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy through provider contracts that total more than $70 million.

This strategy has proved especially helpful for rural and lower-income schools where the kids may not typically have access to this sort of professional counseling. Parents and school teachers are already seeing positive results. 

The Benefits of Online Counseling Options

When it comes to seeking support for your mental health, online counseling offers a range of significant advantages that can transform your path to healing and resilience. Here are some of the compelling benefits that online counseling can provide:

1. Privacy and Comfort: Meeting someone new for the first time is hard for anyone, especially kids. Doing therapy in their own room can be a huge help in making them feel comfortable. 
2. Flexible Scheduling: Instead of coordinating with just one counselor, children and their parents can choose from many therapists to find the right fit for them. 
3. Reduced Stigma: It can be stressful and embarrassing for many young people to be called to the counselor’s office during a school day; the mental health stigma is still strong. Virtual therapy options give kids the privacy they want. 
4. Accessible in Rural and Lower-Income Areas: Mental health care still isn’t accessible to many US children. Telehealth helps remove that barrier. 
5. Continuity of Care: Therapy doesn’t have to end on the weekends or during summer break. If kids need year-round care, they can have it. 

Parents, teachers, and kids have seen the positive impact of using telehealth counseling services, and it is likely a trend that is here to stay. It can help kids manage stressful school days or work through mental health issues. Online therapy is even a good option for mental illnesses such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• OCD
• ADHD
• Eating Disorders
• Phobias 
• PTSD and Trauma

This is not a complete list. If your child is struggling with their mental health, online therapy may be able to help. 

Telehealth Therapy for Kids in Atlanta

If your school district doesn’t offer therapy for kids, you can find online child therapy through other mental health practices. There has been a similar boom in telehealth counseling practices that provide therapy for children, adults, individuals, and couples. When looking for a therapist this way, make sure you take into consideration a therapist’s specialty and experience, as well as who the child will be the most comfortable with. For example, will they be more likely to open up around a younger female? Or someone from their own religious or cultural background? 

A good place to look for virtual therapists for kids is through online directories. Lifebulb Counseling and Therapy, for example, offers comprehensive, effective therapy for teenagers and therapy for children in and around the Atlanta area. Choose from over 100 therapists and build a healthier future for your child today. 

Published by: Khy Talara