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OpenTherapi

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INTRODUCTION

In 2017, the brothers José María and María Sancho launched OpenTherapi, a comprehensive service for the development of online psychological therapy. Both in their 30s, José María is an electronic engineer and María is a psychologist. Since 2016, they started working on this idea because many patients had the need of running online therapy. For that reason, they decided to design and implement something innovative guaranteeing security and privacy. The platform allows professionals to run their own virtual consultation with a single click. They have the possibility to access to a wide range of tools that facilitate the management and care of their patients online. "It is all encrypted and totally secure to guarantee privacy in the therapeutic relationship", as explained by Sanchos, who pointed out that “we offer the security of the video calls, a gateway so that payments can be made, a calendar for patients to fix appointments, as well as a virtual waiting room where the professional can put the contents necessary for the patient to view. All this is 100% online, without downloads or installation”.

SUSTAINABILITY

Patients from all over the world will be able to reach experts thanks to OpenTherapi. Psychologists will have a public profile that can be edited to improve positioning along with patient ratings, which will help experts to attract more and more people.

In June 2018, OpenTherapi was awarded a prize in the 'Business Creation' category, for projects less than three years old, at the fifth edition of the Andalusia Enterprise Awards in Seville. These awards aim to recognise the most innovative Andalusian companies with the greatest potential for growth and development of those linked to the Andalusia Enterprise Centre (CADE) network.

Winner also in the 10th edition of the UPO Emprende Competition, in the 'Best Start-up/Business Project' category at the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville; in February 2018, they won the 1st edition of the WomenUP Competition. AirBnB and ImpactHub Madrid, as well as being awarded prizes in the 7th edition of the Young Entrepreneurial Psychologists Award. Entrepreneurial Business Initiative Category' of the Psychofoundation (Foundation of the General Council of Psychology of Spain).

TRADITION AND INNOVATION

This project is part of the 2017 call of the Minerva Programme, an entrepreneurship programme promoted by the Andalusian Regional Government and Vodafone, which encourages business projects in the technology sector in the Andalusian region. OpenTherapi works automatically in most popular browsers, without the need to download additional software or plugins. OpenTherapi makes it easy to find the specialized professionals for each patient to contribute to their assessments. “Teletherapy can be an important tool to help people learn more about psychological health” told the founders in an interview to a local newspaper. Some people may feel more comfortable undergoing therapy in a digital setting, especially younger people who are more intimately familiar with such methods of communication, especially when privacy is assured.

Therapists can treat clients from anywhere in the world, differently from in-person sessions. It is important to understand your therapist's qualifications and experience before you begin the treatment process.

LANDSCAPE

The founders are from Trigueros, a small village in the province of Huelva, Andalusia. A rural area dedicated to cereal, vine and olive farming.

“From our point of view in Spain there is still a long way to go” they affirm. To begin with, there is no regulation in the field of online mental health, which means that many professionals carry out therapy online using tools that are neither safe nor guarantee the privacy of the therapeutic relationship.

This problem has been echoed by professional psychology associations and the 'Guide for the practice of Telepsychology' published by the General Council of Psychology in Spain or 'Recommendations on psychological intervention through the Internet' of the Official College of Psychology of Western Andalusia has been published. Key steps to become aware and start to put solutions in place.

VALUES AND STANDARDS

“Sometimes, when we talk about mental health problems, society tends to relate it to severe disorders such as schizophrenia. But in reality, the term refers to a state of balance and well-being between the individual and his or her environment. This state allows the individual in question to participate fully in all areas of his life to achieve a good quality of life”.

That’s why for OpenTherapi it is essential to take care of our health, both physical and mental. Pay attention to the warning signs and prevent them as much as possible. Let's break taboos and talk about it!

SCALABILITY AND RESILIENCE

It goes without saying that the current coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and is impacting on society and the world in lots of different ways. That’s why nowadays, more than ever, being able to access online mental health therapy is so important. Also, another important factor is that people are now unwilling or unable to access face-to-face therapy.

“It’s completely understandable if people need some time to adjust to the concept of online therapy but remember, your therapist is there to help and guide you during this time and has your best interests at heart” they argued.

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