{"id":35022,"date":"2017-06-19T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T15:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=35022"},"modified":"2017-06-21T11:53:11","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T18:53:11","slug":"technology-to-support-therapy-4-mental-health-apps-reviewed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/technology-to-support-therapy-4-mental-health-apps-reviewed-0619175","title":{"rendered":"Technology to Support Therapy: 4 Mental Health Apps Reviewed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SideIt may be fair to wonder whether technology supports mental health, but there is little doubt some technology has the potential to support treatment efforts. HIPAA-compliant video chat and screen-sharing software enables people to receive mental health services they might otherwise not receive. Several software programs help professionals maintain more efficient and secure notes and billing. Even some apps offer benefit to those working on improving their mental health. A few such apps are reviewed here to give an idea of what is available in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

Anxiety Release Based on EMDR<\/strong><\/p>\n

This app costs $4.99. It offers a brain training session, an introduction in which users are encouraged to become aware of their body sensations and familiar with alternating tones in each ear intended to mimic bilateral stimulation used in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)<\/a>. It is best to use headphones with this app. Guided meditative sessions to relieve anxiety<\/a> follow. Before and after each, users are prompted to identify their level of anxiety on a zero-to-10 scale. The app contains three anxiety-release sessions. The first two are narrated while tones alternate in each ear and correlating light spots alternate left and right on the screen. The third session is not narrated. It also walks users through the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153safe place\u00e2\u20ac\u009d resource often used in EMDR. If the Logbook feature is enabled, the app will record the user\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anxiety level before and after each session to track progress over time.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
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The app is not a substitute for EMDR sessions with a licensed mental health professional who has received adequate training. EMDR is far more complex than the app, which does not include elements critical to EMDR. The alternating lights on the app are not far enough apart to generate the same eye movements as would be used in an EMDR session. However, users may find the app useful for relieving some anxiety symptoms.<\/p>\n

Brain Waves – Binaural Beats<\/strong><\/p>\n

This free app is meant to help people with sleep, relaxation<\/a>, focus, and other brain functions. It is based on the 1839 discovery of binaural beats, whereby two different waveforms are presented in stereophonic earphones to each ear, with the perception of a third \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beat\u00e2\u20ac\u009d frequency occurring as the difference between the two auditory inputs (Atwater, 1995). Research indicates particular brain states generate particular brain waves<\/a>, but there is much debate over whether these waves can generate brain states.<\/p>\n

Specific brain waves correlate with the following activity levels:<\/p>\n