Introduction

What comes to mind when you think about therapy for psychological problems? You might picture someone lying on a couch talking about his childhood while the therapist sits and takes notes, à la Sigmund Freud. But can you envision a therapy session in which someone is wearing virtual reality headgear to conquer a fear of snakes?

In this chapter, you will see that approaches to therapy include both psychological and biological interventions, all with the goal of alleviating distress. Because psychological challenges can originate from various sources—biology, genetics, childhood experiences, conditioning, and sociocultural influences—psychologists have developed many different therapeutic techniques and approaches. Therapy that is accessible online, via an app, is becoming increasingly popular; it allows individuals to access the care and support they need, at a time and place that is convenient to them. Tranquility is an app developed by co-founders Dr. Alissa Pencer (Clinical Psychologist) and Joel Muise that is now free to all Nova Scotian’s 16+ who are experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety and/or depression.