TELE-SUPPORT PYSCHOTHERAPY
Tele-Support Psychotherapy (TSP) is a new SEEK GSP innovation that being evaluated among the youth in Kampala District. In this program, we deliver first line psychological treatments remotely, using mobile technology such as phone, video, emails, or messages.
With support from USAID (DIV), the original GSP training manual and counseling guide were subjected to various changes in order to adapt it for online use with youth during the Covid-19 pandemic. To this end, the following changes were made: (1) Training in group dynamics has been eliminated from this manual. (2) A training module on confidentiality when conducting online psychotherapy sessions has been introduced in this manual. (3) A training module on mental health, stress, and well-being has been introduced in this manual to demonstrate how normal mental health shifts to abnormal. (4) While the entry point to therapy is having significant depression symptoms, TSP trainees not only receive training in depression but also in other common emotional problems like excessive anxiety, fear, anger, and hazardous alcohol use. These problems are often co-morbid with depression and have been documented in the Covid-19 pandemic. (5) A training module on domestic violence has been introduced in this manual given the increase in domestic violence cases during the Covid-19 pandemic.