The creation of an online mental health tool that supports schema therapy clients and therapists was aided by A$ 50,000 grant from the Venture Catalyst program of the University of South Australia.
An Adelaide start-up built the platform thanks to the University’s Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) program.
The program provides financial assistance and support to entrepreneurs so that they can turn their business ideas into reality.
According to a recent report released, the online platform empowers people struggling with various issues to change negative life patterns.
Schema therapy helps identify emotional triggers and resulting behavioural patterns. It is particularly useful for those who have tried other methods which have been largely unsuccessful.
Schema therapy is an integrative psychotherapy combining theory and techniques from previously existing therapies.
These therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoanalytic object relations theory, attachment theory, and Gestalt therapy.
The platform is beneficial for both therapists and clients as it provides them a safe space.
With the platform, clients can go to a place where they can access therapy tools, even between sessions, in order to augment their therapy experience.
Schema therapists will benefit from this platform by providing an online framework for them.
Secure Nest can be used to support individual schema therapy, group schema therapy and as a self-help tool.
It was designed for those who are interested in understanding what drives emotional, thinking and behavioural patterns, and how these patterns can be changed.
The demand for schema therapy is high, with the waiting period reaching up to 12 months.
With the platform, clients who are waiting to be treated can use the program and eventually reduce the learning curve when therapy begins.
The self-education program is accessible to anyone wanting to learn about schema therapy and how it can benefit them.
It is through experiences like the self-education program that people can learn to make changes in their lives and relationships.
With Secure Nest, group schema therapists are able to offer a safe and creative platform for their clients, encouraging them to contact each other and working together on changing negative behavioural patterns.
The Venture Catalyst program has allowed the start-up to progress their idea from an early stage project to a working prototype that was recently piloted in South Australia and Europe.
The Venture Catalyst program model was changed in 2017 to support a larger cohort of would-be-founders to the process of starting a global start-up in Adelaide.
The new six-month program includes workshops, one-on-one mentoring, workspace, a stipend and the chance to pitch for a fully-funded overseas tour.