Five Online Tools Psychologists Shouldn't Miss
Are you in the process of growing your psychology practice? There are a lot of free resources online to take a look at. You might find one that helps you work better with a patient that challenges you.
Worksheets
Look for worksheets for yourself and your patients. They are helpful for diagnosis issues as well as working through specific things. You might find worksheets that help people clarify their values or ideas, for instance. You can find worksheets that double as a journal for patients, allowing them to record their moods or actions for a specific week. Whatever you want your patients to work on for their homework, you can likely find a resource for it online.
Online Videos
Videos are a helpful resource to direct patients to. Some popular ones are those that include guided meditations or instructions to do various psychology exercises. Although you will explain them when you ask patients to do them, they may forget. Some patients respond better to video than they do to written or verbal instructions.
Quizzes
Quizzes are a good diagnostic tool for patients, although they should never substitute for in-person sessions. If you are trying to attract patients to come visit you, you might direct them to online assessments that can help them see the need for treatment. Also encourage them to schedule an appointment with you to discuss their concerns, since no quiz can help them cure a mental disorder on their own.
Health and Medical Websites
Many psychological issues can have medical causes. The development of an anxiety order can come after a health problem that changes the body and brain chemistry. Likewise, things like stress or depression can make certain medical conditions worse. You aren't a doctor, but it can be helpful for you to be aware of certain health problems your patients are having and whether they could be at all related to their mental illness. Thus, online symptom checkers and volumes about health/mental illness connections can be a great tool to use.
The psychology community online can be extremely helpful to you and your practice. If there is an activity that you have wanted your patients to do, chances are that some other psychologist has had the same idea. That's why it's a great idea to look for online tools for psychologists before you spend a long time reinventing the wheel and creating your own work tools.