What are psychoeducational groups?
Psychoeducational Group Therapy is a type of group learning that aims to educate students about psychological health and provide them with skills that improve their mental health. The curriculum for such groups is grounded in evidenced-based treatments that have been proven to provide positive outcomes for participants. Psychoeducational groups are an effective treatment for a broad range of issues and are appropriate for both mild to acute issues. They’ve also been shown to be effective for a diverse population of students.
How many people are in your hives (groups) ?
TheraHive specializes in bringing together online groups of six to ten people for short term treatment programs that deliver results. Groups of this size have been proven to be more committed, engaged, and effective at attaining goals. The small size also allows our coaches to provide students with personal attention while also allowing students to benefit from interaction with their peers.
When students sign up for TheraHive, a specialist conducts an interview to assess their background, issues, goals, and other factors so that we can optimally match them with other students that will be part of their hive.
What is blended learning (and a flipped classroom)?
Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational experiences with live instructor led training. At TheraHive this includes on-demand video content, reading material, quizzes, assessments, community engagement, and live sessions at which students participate in deep dive discussions, exercises, and role plays. Outside of scheduled live sessions, this approach allows students to learn in a self-paced manner. We also offer optional 1:1 coaching for students that miss a live session or require additional support.
The “flipped classroom” is a form of blended learning that intentionally shifts instruction to a learner-centered model in which time in the classroom is used to explore topics in greater depth and create meaningful learning opportunities while students are initially introduced to new topics outside of the classroom.
Are your hives (groups) private and confidential?
Yes, all data and student information are private and confidential. TheraHive is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of students' records. While we are not a healthcare provider we comply with many of the same standards set by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Each hive member signs a contract and agrees to maintaining the privacy of all other students, however, due to the nature of groups TheraHive cannot guarantee the discretion of all group members. Because of this, we hide the full name of all students in our groups and show only the first name and last initial for each group member. In addition, we support the use of filters and lenses which allow you to obscure your identity from other students without eliminating the group’s ability to see and recognize facial expressions (example below):
Finally, we discourage members of a hive from sharing personal contact information with each other, at least until their course is complete. We recognize that some students form a strong bond with their peers during our courses and we encourage members to continue to communicate and support each other. We enable hive members to do this through our platform but recognize that it is ultimately up to their discretion when it comes to sharing personal information.
Can I stay anonymous in my group?
Yes. It’s your right to choose to stay anonymous or not.
How many hours of work are required each week?
This depends on the specifics of the course you’re taking but most of our courses include less than an hour of self-paced learning each week and one hour of live learning. With that in mind, we expect that students will practice the skills they are learning at every opportunity between live sessions so that they can bring their experiences to the live session for discussion and feedback.
How long are our blended group learning programs?
The length of the program depends on the learning path that you’re on. For example, our DBT course is a 6 month program.
Can I quit the group after I’ve started the course?
The success of each of our hives depends in part on each member’s commitment to support their peers during the duration of the course. This is why we ask students to commit to completing the course they are in. That said, sometimes students have to exit their hive for unexpected reasons. When this happens we work to minimize the disruption for other members of the hive.
Under certain circumstances members that must exit a hive will be given an opportunity to join a new hive at no additional cost. Payment for courses that are already underway, however, are not refundable.
What issues can TheraHive help with?
We aim to help students with a broad range of mental health issues from anxiety to depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), eating disorders, bi-polar disorder, substance abuse, emotion regulation, and over control. That said, this will be possible as we expand our course offerings over time. You can browse our planned courses and join the waitlist if there’s a course that you think is relevant to the issues you’re dealing with.
What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, was originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan as a psychotherapy approach for individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BPD) but it has since been shown to be effective for a broad range of diagnoses. It’s considered an “evidence-based” approach because it has shown to be highly effective though research studies. Skills groups are part of the DBT treatment protocol. Our course is similar to these skills groups but they are psychoeducational learning groups and not therapy groups. As such they are led by trained coaches and not by licensed therapists. That said, the skills content is grounded in the same research, and skills manual.
How do I pay for courses?
Payment for our learning paths are made in advance via credit card.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not accept insurance, or handle insurance claims, since we are not a healthcare provider.
What should I do in the event of a crisis?
We are concerned about your well-being but we are not a crisis intervention or hotline. So, if you are having a crisis, a life threatening issue, or in need of immediate help please reach out to the following numbers:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8355 or Online chat: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/
24/7 Crisis Line: Text HOME to 741741 or call 1-800-273-8255
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill: 1-800-950-NAMI
National Alcohol and Drug Use Hotline: 1-800-662-4357
Local Emergency Services: 911
In addition, the following websites may be helpful in identifying potential therapists for you:
https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
Can I log into the platform after graduation?
Yes, you can subscribe to our platform after graduation to continue accessing all on-demand curriculum and learning materials.
After signing up for a course, how long does it take to match in a group?
This will depend on the volume of incoming group applications that we have for the course in question and how much flexibility you have for the live-session timing. Generally speaking, we try to enroll students in a hive within a month.
Can TheraHive replace face to face individual therapy?
Our service is not intended to replace individual therapy. That said, for some people psychoeducational learning is enough to address their goals. In other cases, they supplement individual therapy with our courses.
How is my privacy protected?
We maintain HIPAA compliant systems and policies and we only engage with technology providers that offer compliance with HIPAA standards.
How does the weekly live session work?
Each week you’ll be asked to join a live video conferencing session via a HIPAA compliant version of Zoom. Your coach will host the live session and will admit you to the call. Once the session is started, your therapist may present material, lead group discussion, and run exercises and role plays. During the session students are expected to be on camera and actively engaged.
If I miss the live session, what should I do?
We recommend that you attend each session but we understand that sometimes missing a session is unavoidable. Live sessions are not recorded to protect the privacy of students so we recommend that students schedule a 1:1 make up session with their coach.
Will group members be allowed to connect with each other?
We discourage members of a hive from sharing personal contact information with each other, at least until their learning path is complete. We recognize that some students form a strong bond with their peers during our training and we encourage members to continue to communicate and support each other. We enable hive members to do this through our platform but recognize that it is ultimately up to their discretion when it comes to sharing personal information.
What is expected from Hive members?
TheraHive courses depend on consistent participation, trust, and close interaction between hive members. Following this, when you sign up for our courses you’ll be asked to commit to doing everything you reasonably can to complete all self-paced learning and attending all live sessions. In addition, you’ll be expected to:
- Respect the privacy of their hive members
- Avoid aggressive behavior and verbal attacks
- Interact in a respectful manner and avoid sharing defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials.
- Avoid posting commercial messages
- Avoid sharing personally identifiable information
- Participate in an engaged and appropriate manner—do not come to sessions in an inebriated state.
What technology do I need to participate in this program?
In order to participate in TheraHive courses, students must have a sufficient internet connection that supports group video conferencing. In addition, they must have a computer, phone, or other device capable of browsing contemporary websites.
