Hi all,
I'm a PhD candidate in clinical psychology who just started building a new website to address this issue. If anyone here is interested in telepsychotherapy (therapy using any form of digital communication), I'm currently looking for a talented dev/designer to join me as cofounder. It's an exciting time for my field, and I think with the right mix of innovation and professional standards, the mental health world will soon see a revolution in the types of services we offer and the populations we treat.
The Birgit et al. article is just one of a growing number of studies that supports the efficacy of telepsychotherapy. It's true that --as some commentators have mentioned-- the study has limitations. That can be said about a vast majority of RCTs and other clinical-science studies. But we can expect to see more and more of this research in the coming years. A number of professional mental health organizations have recently formed task forces and developed guidelines for ehealth practitioners, and those in the legal realm are working on reducing regulatory/statutory barriers to telemedicine.
There are, of course, certain limits to telepsychotherapy. For example, it's not a replacement for in-person treatment of individuals with severe mental illness (e.g., suicidal tendencies). However, it carries a world of potential, both for developing new multimodal services and for reaching persons who would not otherwise receive services. Medicare already reimburses teletherapy for persons in rural areas.
I can be reached at cerark@gmail.com - would be happy to hear from anyone who is interested in discussing further.