Recommendations for Policy and Practice of Telepsychotherapy and E-Mental Health in Europe and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a great need for the use of telepsychotherapy and other interventions using psychological theories and techniques to support both mental and physical health E-mental health presents a wide range of opportunities in mental health care to overcome barriers for receiving conventional psychological care, especially when psychotherapists and clients find themselves in (self)quarantine resulting from a pandemic For many psychotherapists and clients, the current situation provides a first experience with e-mental health and reliance on telepsychotherapy or other means of technology to provide or receive care, respectively Psychotherapeutic circumstances may often be suboptimal, with psychotherapists and clients experiencing difficulties finding a private space or sufficient time for an undisturbed consultation This article aims to highlight recommendations on how to create the best possible context in which e-mental health supplements and enhances current services for clients These recommendations are grouped according to 3 categories of key stakeholders: psychotherapists, health services and regulatory agencies, and developers This article focuses on (a) how to make optimal use of technology in psychotherapeutic practice;(b) how to integrate e-mental health into the health care system to allow for a safe, transparent, and effective environment for (self) care;and (c) how to develop e-mental health applications