Mental Health Quick Bytes: ThisWayUp and MindSpot Virtual Clinic

15 June 2021

THISWAYUP

THISWAYUP is a suite of evidence-based diagnosis-specific online CBT courses from the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and the University of NSW. Yes its therapy delivered by a computer program via the internet!
As a health professional you can register online to become a TWU prescriber. When you prescribe the program, using the online clinicians hub, your patient/client is able to access the courses free of charge (it’s just under $60.00 per course if they don’t have a prescription).
You can also watch your patient/client’s progress through the course via the secure hub. Registered prescribers can also take a look inside each of the TWU courses to assess their likely value.

TWU is supported by a body of evidence that suggests it is as effective as face-to-face therapy for mild to moderate anxiety and depression.

Check out the evidence here https://thiswayup.org.au/research/
It’s also worth noting that THISWAYUP includes an excellent chronic pain management program https://thiswayup.org.au/courses/the-chronic-pain-course/.

The program was developed in collaboration with the Pain Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital.

MindSpot Virtual Clinic

Macquarie University’s MindSpot Virtual Clinic is online CBT with the extra bonus of some clinician guidance. Clinicians based at Macquarie Uni call or email users (user’s choice) after they register and again after completion of each of the lessons in their course.

MindSpot courses are free of charge and no referral is required.

Each course is designed to be completed over around eight weeks. There are breaks between sessions to allow people to practice the skills they have learnt in the sessions.

Available courses include three transdiagnostic “Wellbeing” courses for different age groups and one for indigenous users. MindSpot also offers three diagnosis-specific courses for OCD, PTSD and chronic pain.

Some tips when referring to online treatment programs include showing the patient/client the website on their phone or your desktop and helping them register. It also helps to make a definite follow-up appointment.
You can easily integrate program content into therapy. It will help them get the best out of the program and make your work easier as well.