Text Therapy Training for Mental Health Professionals

Welcome to the course

Imagine this: A single message appears on your screen—short, vague, maybe even just an emoji. You stare at it, trying to decipher its true meaning. Is this person in distress? Are they shutting down? Or are they simply saying “I’m fine” but really meaning the opposite?

Text therapy is filled with these moments. Unlike face-to-face conversations, there are no facial expressions and no vocal tones. That might sound limiting, but in reality, it is an opportunity. A well-placed message, a carefully chosen phrase, or even a thoughtful pause can create the kind of connection that makes someone feel truly heard.

So, whether you are new to text therapy, skeptical of its effectiveness, or already using it but looking to refine your skills, you are in the right place. This course is not just about sending messages. it is about making every word count.

With real-world examples and an AI-driven text therapy simulator, you'll learn to convey warmth and care through a screen, build strong therapeutic relationships, and gain confidence in text therapy, perhaps even becoming the go-to expert for decoding cryptic one-word replies.

Levels

Level 1: Foundations of text therapy – Integrating text into single-session interventions

This eleven-module course is designed for mental health practitioners and trained mental health volunteers who want to effectively incorporate text-based interventions into their practice.

Focusing on single-session interventions, such as crisis helplines, school counselling, and workplace mental health support, you will learn the core techniques of text therapy, such as how to build rapport, convey empathy, and structure effective therapeutic conversations.

Course outlines:

1. Introduction to text therapy
   • Understanding synchronous vs asynchronous text therapy
   • Benefits and challenges of text-based interventions
   • Ethical and professional considerations
2. Development of text therapy
   • Historical context and evolution
   • Future directions in text-based mental health support
3. Technology behind text therapy
   • The four key components of a secure chatroom
   • Is it truly secure?
4. Effectiveness of text counselling
   • Research on outcomes and best practices
   • Who benefits most from text therapy?
5. Theoretical foundations of text-based intervention
   • Online disinhibition effect and its impact on clients
   • Cognitive processing in text-based communication
6. Building online presence and connection via text
   • What is online presence?
   • Four key strategies for creating an online presence
7. Key techniques for text therapy (I)
   • Choosing language and tone
   • Managing pacing and response times
8. Key techniques for text therapy (II)
   • Using emojis and media appropriately in therapy
   • Considering cultural and accessibility factors
9. Structure of a single-session text intervention (I)
   • Introduction to single-session intervention
   • Understanding the “three-step framework”
   • Beginning phase – Building rapport
   • Middle phase – Implementing intervention strategies
10. Structure of a single-session text intervention (II)
    • Ending phase – Summarization and closure
11. AI-simulated text therapy practice for real-world scenarios

Level 2: Advanced Strategies – Integrating Text Therapy into Broader Practice

(Currently in development)

This advanced course focuses on integrating text therapy into structured therapeutic models, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Family Therapy.

Developer

Mo Kiu Wong, MCS, MA, RSW

Mo Kiu, a Registered Social Worker in Ontario, has nearly a decade of experience in psychotherapy, particularly in text-based interventions. With a Bachelor’s in Social Work, a Master’s in Family Counselling, and a Master’s in Computer Science, he is passionate about integrating clinical expertise with technology to enhance psychotherapy.

His journey in virtual therapy began at Hong Kong’s largest crisis support centre, where he developed a single-session text therapy framework and validated text-based family therapy using Bowenian Family Therapy. He also analyzed text conversations to improve support for frequent texters and individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder.

After moving to Canada, he joined CAMH and has contributed to developing online courses for 9-8-8 crisis workers. He later founded Virtrapy, an online therapy centre serving the community across Ontario.

While he spends a lot of time analyzing text-based communication, he promises not to judge anyone’s overuse of exclamation marks, or the occasional “lol” in a serious conversation.

Modules

You are free to start with any module, but we highly recommend beginning with the first one and completing them in order, as each module builds on the previous one. Skipping ahead may lead to gaps in understanding key concepts.

While there are no formal prerequisites for this course, basic counselling skills will help you get the most out of the training.

Please click the button below to access a module.