Times are changing, and with them, our perception of what psychological well-being means.

Perhaps that is why today there are resources such as Psonríe, a digital platform that can be accessed through an app and allows you to get psychological assistance online and on the spot, without having to make an appointment. This is an idea as interesting and useful as it is simple, and it owes its existence not only to the latest technological developments, but also to recent cultural changes about what it means for most people to go to the psychologist.

Interview with Psonrie’s team: the revolution of psychological assistance without waiting

On this occasion we spoke to the team of professionals behind Psonríe , so that they could explain to us the vision they have about this type of service and the way in which society has changed to the point of making this type of application possible.

What is the main idea behind the development of Psonrie’s digital platform?

Psonríe was born with a clear objective, to normalize psychological therapy making it accessible to anyone, whether it be for financial or time reasons.

We want to make known the benefits of psychology, to strip it of the prejudices that surround it (it’s for crazy people, it’s pseudo-science…) and make it available to everyone.

There have been many cultural changes in recent decades. What effect has this had on the way people go to the psychologist?

The collective imagination places the psychologist as the professional who treats “the crazy”. This lack of knowledge about the real task of the psychologist means that, when we need this professional, we do not come to benefit from his knowledge to improve and facilitate our lives.

We do not doubt that if we have the flu we will go to a doctor and we are not ashamed to admit it, it is normal. With the psychologist it should be like that. We should not feel ashamed to go to the professional who will help us to rationalize and objectify a complicated situation of our life and manage to use the best resources at our disposal to overcome it.

But fortunately, this is changing, and more and more influential people are talking about their experience in therapy and the importance of psychology in their professional and personal lives both on television and on social networks.

The diffusion and normalization of psychology makes it easier for us to turn to it without fear or prejudice.

Is psychotherapy being used for a variety of reasons?

It is becoming increasingly clear to us that this area of knowledge is present in all areas of human life: personal and couple relationships, work, sport, health, self-knowledge, life crises, child rearing… issues that have nothing to do with a pathology, that affect us all at some point in our lives and that, until now, we were obliged to carry out in silence and solitude.

A psychologist helps us to face these vital milestones in a way that will reduce their negative impact, the duration of the process, and we will be able to take advantage of the situation to acquire tools that will serve us in the future.

How do technological advances help to facilitate access to this type of professional assistance service?

The apps are the newest method to contact a psychologist without having to go to the office. According to the app, you can do it anonymously if you wish, through a chat, voice call and even video call.

Being able to do this from home, without travelling, reduces the excuse of “laziness” and allows us to have a longer-term contact with our psychologist without distance or time problems getting in our way.

What are the main advantages that this system offers to psychologists?

The psychologist, by reducing the cost of renting the consultation space can lower the price of their sessions making it more affordable for those who do not have sufficient resources, can continue with a user despite the fact that he or she moves or travels and can attend to users from any part of the world expanding their professional experience and reaching anyone without limit.

What is the future of technology applied to psychology?

Well used technology will always help us to improve the services we have at present.

In the case of psychology, robots are already appearing that read our emotions and Artificial Intelligence that give us general advice according to our consultation thanks to the data provided by the Big Data. But in a discipline where the human aspect is indispensable, a robot or an A.I. has to be completely at the service of the professional to improve its effectiveness, but in no way can it replace it.