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Once you’re a Mantra member, you’ll discuss your symptoms and treatment options with your mental health provider via video chat.

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Christie M.

I just wanted to write and say thanks. After big life change I was feeling run down and paralyzed by my anxiety and depression again. I’ve never seen a real psychiatric specialist before, just my main doctor, and I feel like this made the difference. She’s been really responsive and knew all the right answers about changing medication.

Kelsey W.

Mantra has taught me that a mental health provider is nothing to be nervous about and they can even be relatable, funny, incredibly helpful, and that even the founders of this company care about my mental health journey. The most wonderful thing that I received from Mantra was Kelsey. The me that I felt like I had lost is back and she’s here to stay.

Robert M.

Mantra’s convenience is the reason I keep coming back. I used to plan my day around my in-person appointments and even miss class, but now with Mantra my appointments are at night and I can message my provider in between sessions if anything comes up.

Top quality mental health care. That's what our members say.

Across the country and indeed the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has upended people’s lives. Over 150 million Americans have been ordered to stay home, and the vast majority of them are not physically ill right now. This news still feels like a shock to the system, but as these radical changes shift from days to weeks and even months, the combination of widespread anxiety and social isolation will be a major strain on our mental health. Here’s what I’m doing (and what you can do) to maintain sanity during this insane time.

Coronavirus news is everywhere, and it is true that the facts are changing by the day. Naturally, I want to know about the latest number of cases, emerging science about the virus itself, and government plans to address the illness as well as the effects on the economy. However, being trapped at home makes the world feel small, and constantly reading about the coronavirus adds worry with little solace. A supervisor once told me that reading fiction is the best training for a psychiatrist. As we move from our own mind to another person’s point of view, we literally practice empathy. I have also come to realize that reading fiction transports me to another time and space (without exposing me to any viruses). This week, I finally read Tara Westover’s Educated. Reading about the Idaho mountains added a breath of fresh air to my small New York City apartment. 

Remember the mind and body are connected. Just because you can’t go to the gym doesn’t mean you can’t work out. I strongly prefer gyms or playing a sport, but these are not options right now. I’m focusing on what I can do from home: 5-minute yoga sequences in the morning to stay limber, and bodyweight workouts that do not require much space. The American Heart Association guidelines suggest we aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 times per week or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week. If you need people to help motivate you, many fitness studios and yoga classes are offering online streaming so that you can continue your group fitness class from the comfort and safety of your home. 

Do that project you’ve been putting off

Let’s face it: with the lack of commute to work and social events, most of us have more time on our hands than we’re used to. Especially for people who are feeling well and suffering from “cabin fever,” try to think of this time as an opportunity. We all have things we’ve been meaning to do when we get more time: clean out our closet, make a scrapbook, learn a language. Now is the time to work on these items. 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of coronavirus in history, but in your personal story it can also be the year you began something new. In my case, I’m working on improving my Gujarati skills to pass on the language of my parents to my newborn child.

Language and communication are the essence of what makes us different from every other animal species. While social distancing is the best public health strategy right now, social isolation runs counter to human nature. Perhaps that is why isolation is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, poor cognition, physical illness, and even premature death. I have family in 4 different states, and we’ve implemented a FamilyFaceTime on Saturdays at 12pm. It really is different (and better) to get dressed and look at one another in real-time. For many younger people reading this, a video-chat may feel intrusive in today’s text message-oriented culture, but remember, if they are a human on this planet, your friends and family are likely at home with more time on their hands too. While you’re at it, consider reaching out to people you care for but have lost touch with. Reconsider strained and estranged relationships in favor of burying the hatchet. Calamities like this one risk isolation and despair, but they are also an opportunity for mutual understanding and coming together.  

Extra time can make anyone stir crazy, but it is also an opportunity to consider what you want out of life. Introspection requires us to pause and think about who we are, what we believe in, and what we want out of life. Mindfulness and meditation using apps like Headspace and Calm can help with focusing our minds in the present moment. For people who find such exercises challenging, this reflection could take the form of journaling about where you are in your life and where you want to go. Finally, for people who have been considering it, now is an excellent time to start therapy - just be sure to find a provider using telehealth. 

College is a time of exploration, growth, and development. It has its own ups and downs. In that context, freshmen who were just getting their feet wet and seniors wrapping up their final semester (and everyone in between) have all been asked to halt everything, return home, and try to take their courses online. Naturally, much of the magic of college occurs in conversations, group meetings, clubs and extracurriculars, and class discussion. Feeling sad, disappointed, and even angry are all normal emotions to have during this time. If you are feeling particularly out of sorts, reach out to your college counseling center. They are likely still functioning (albeit online), and they can help you figure out the best way to get through this situation. 

Wherever you are, I hope these tips help you as we prepare for weeks and maybe even months of social distancing, lockdowns, and more time at home. Take care of yourself. Look after others. And above all, stay safe. 

Ravi N. Shah (@RaviShahMD) is assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Co-Founder of Mantra Health. 

Tips from a Psychiatrist on Coping at Home During Coronavirus

An old adage of psychotherapy is that as therapists, we must “meet the patient where they are at.” Right now, because of the coronavirus pandemic, students are no longer on campus, but they are online. As college counseling professionals, our delivery of behavioral health services has changed drastically as a result of social distancing requirements. In order to continue to provide care to students, providers now meet with student clients through telehealth platforms, such as videoconferencing or phone.

While our times are challenging, this is also a unique opportunity for those who have had little exposure to using telehealth in higher education counseling to begin their journey. In this article, I am excited to share what I have learned in my time providing telehealth services through HIPAA-compliant platforms for Penn State College of Medicine (PSU-COM). I hope this post will be useful in helping those who are ready to take the next steps in providing care to students using telehealth. 

Here are some suggestions as you contemplate a move to telemental health at your university counseling center.

Select your platform & keep it simple. All universities are in the same boat. Consult with your director or other higher education counseling professionals who are using various software platforms to understand your options related to costs and different features. From my own experience, Doxy.me was a great place to get my feet wet. It is free, HIPAA-compliant, and it has a virtual waiting room. Clients can sign up for an account easily and it allows you to send out a message through your email to alert the client to join the session. The Department of Health and Human Services have suspended requirements for HIPAA-compliant platforms. As long as the service is private, it is acceptable during the national emergency. Fortunately, most platforms for telemental health have been built to be very user friendly and applicable to a wide range of populations. From a practical standpoint, you only need a laptop or desktop computer with a video camera, internet, and limited computer skills. The companies who make these platforms also have customer service links and contact numbers for technical support.  

Have a back-up plan. One of the most important things I’ve learned during my telehealth practice at PSU COM is to have multiple back-up plans in the case of a technology failure, which I review explicitly with the client via email or text. Common technology failures are due to the strength of the internet connection or a problem with the computer itself, both of which are not related to the telehealth platform itself. I notice the connection issue is often related to capacity (I have too many tabs open and programs running at once, or the student is not connected to a strong wifi network). If the issue cannot be resolved, I often move to a phone session or reschedule if that is the student’s preference. 

Know your state laws & protect privacy. It is essential to know your state’s laws regarding telehealth. Given the national emergency, federal and state laws have been dramatically changed to support the use of telehealth. As a general best practice, you should have at least two security barriers to protect student PHI and visit information. I use multiple passwords and encrypt all notes in the case my laptop is misplaced or stolen. I have also found it helpful to reach out to my state board with additional questions related to telehealth practice laws or ethics. They often have helpful answers, point me to a board related document, or tell me that they have “not thought of that specific issue related to telehealth” and that guidance will be coming. 

Know the research that supports your telehealth practice. Sharing that there is sound research to support treatment via telehealth may help both new and existing student clients feel comfortable starting or making the transition to a virtual environment. For example, a recent study showed that online group counseling which employed CBT is just as effective as F2F (Weinberg & Rolnick, 2020). Additionally, a current study by a colleague of mine at Oregon State University found that online counseling through a video application was just as effective as F2F counseling in treating mild to moderate anxiety as assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Finally, the same online clients were able to achieve an equal level of connection with their counselor as their F2F counterparts, as assessed by the Therapeutic Bond Scale (Novella, 2019). 


There are recommended best practices when utilizing technology with your student clients. One seminal textbook that I would recommend is the Theory and Practice of Online Therapy by Weinber & Rolnick. It has been very helpful in my learning and growth as a telehealth practitioner. I will summarize a few best practices here:

Pay attention to the practical concerns and details of online counseling, as they make a difference. Find a video camera that you are comfortable operating, keeping video placement with the student client in mind. I do this overtly in session, so the student feels I am maintaining good eye contact. Furthermore, I let the student know that I take notes in session and elicit any concern they may have with my breaking eye contact with them. As mentioned above, it is also very important to discuss a back-up plan for what happens if the technology fails, the call is dropped, and is then resumed. Lastly and most importantly, because of a potential lack in proximity to the student client, discuss your crisis response protocols during the intake session with the student and have your emergency policy and procedure explicitly written in your counseling center’s disclosure statement. Providers should also be sure to confirm the student’s current physical location in the case of an emergency.

Have fun with the technology and play with the features. Most of my student clients at PSU COM have also seamlessly made the transition to virtual sessions. Telehealth vendors build their product to easily fit into a provider's workflow without compromising quality of care, and taking advantage of the features related to the video applications has potentiated the effectiveness of my sessions. For example, I often share links to evidence-based educational websites through my platform’s chat feature to increase my student’s resources and health knowledge. I also share my screen with my client during a session and present a video clip that highlights a concept of our work.

Be intentional in increasing your understanding and awareness of empirically validated differences between online and face to face counseling (F2F), and how it may impact your clinical practice. Interestingly, research has shown that online counseling environments increase the sense of anonymity and decrease self-control in client populations, leading individuals to be more honest, spontaneous, and open in virtual environments (Weinber & Rolnick, 2020). It may take some time to understand how the delivery of your clinical interventions translates in a virtual medium with college students.  

You may need to adjust some of your theoretical orientation to allow for the psychology of the internet. For example, if you are a dynamically oriented therapist, the concepts of transference or resistance may present differently with student clients when you are providing telehealth in a virtual environment (Weinber & Rolnick, 2020). In addition, the use of long silences as an intervention may come off as a glitch in the technology rather than the pregnant pause of an in-person session. 

I hope this short introduction to telehealth has been helpful. My aim was to provide an accurate representation of my own experience using telehealth, and further reduce perceived barriers for those who are new to using technology in their university counseling center practice. I also believe there will be continued demand for face to face counseling, but because of the current health crisis and the pace of technological innovation, the present moment is a great time to add to your clinical offerings at your institution, and give telehealth a try.  

Novella, J. K. (2019). A Comparison of Online and In-Person Counseling Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for College Students with Mild to Moderate Anxiety. 

Weinberg, H., & Rolnick, A. (2020). Theory and practice of online therapy.

Telehealth 101: Getting up to speed on telehealth for college counseling centers

Prescription medications do work for anxiety symptoms, but they aren't the answer for everyone. Some people don’t like the idea of taking medications or want to try more other reasonable alternatives first. Finally, some people have had partial benefit from medications and are looking for other options to keep feeling better. Here we outline some of the best non-medication options for anxiety. 

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. The basic idea is to identify the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that result in cycles of anxiety in order to develop skills aimed at interrupting this cycle. CBT teaches you to gain control of anxiety by identifying negative thought patterns. Then, your therapist teaches you to change behavior and develop new coping skills. There is evidence that Computer-Based CBT (cCBT) is effective in treating anxiety, but extensive studies have not yet been done to see if the results are the same as face-to-face therapy. That said, if you don't have access to face-to-face sessions, it may be worth trying. 


CBT isn't the only form of therapy that can help anxiety. Other options include Psychodynamic therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). 

Some herbs and supplements have been found to have positive effects on reducing anxiety. These generally come with less risk of serious side effects, but it's important to remember that even natural forms of treatment can have side effects. One study found that Omega-3 Fatty Acids were able to reduce anxiety symptoms by 20 percent. Other supplements and herbs that could be helpful include:

Supplements like Zinc, B6, B12, and Vitamins A, C, E, and D 

Some of the most popular alternative treatments for anxiety are below. 

Aromatherapy is healing treatments through the use of essential oils. Oils are extracted from natural plants. Then you can use them by inhaling them using diffusers, inhalers, or spritzers. You can also apply them on your skin through oils or creams. 

Studies have found that aromatherapy can help to lower anxiety levels. One study found that the use of aromatherapy decreased anxiety in patients before operations. Some oils found to be effective include bergamot, clary sage, lavender, sweet orange, ylang ylang, and rose.  


Mindfulness is when your mind fully engages with what's happening in the present. When you practice mindfulness, you don't pass judgment on your feelings. Instead, you observe them. 

One study that reviewed 47 trials with over 3,500 participants found that mindfulness medication provided moderate levels of improvement in anxiety. Results persisted beyond 8 weeks, demonstrating some durability in the effect. 

Some forms of therapy, including MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) and ACT, include learning the practice of mindfulness. But you can also learn how to practice mindfulness meditation on your own. If you're interested in learning how, there are plenty of apps. One example is Stop, Breathe & Think. 



Having good self-care habits can improve your mental health and reduce your anxiety. This includes habits like:

All these things can help you to lower your stress and anxiety levels and boost your mood.


Journaling can be an effective addition to your treatment for anxiety. It allows you to track your symptoms and feelings as well as spot patterns in your life. Generating a personal narrative is a key component to many psychotherapies, so it makes sense that journaling might provide benefits in terms of personal growth. Finally, you can also use journals to track your homework and progress from CBT sessions with your therapist. 


Finding the right treatment for anxiety for you

Every situation is unique. The above options may help you improve and manage your anxiety alone, or they may represent a complement to other parts of your treatment. If you're on prescription medicine, these other treatments can still be beneficial. If you’ve tried these methods and remain with persistent, distressing worry or anxiety, it may be time to try medications. Often, medications can help turn the volume of anxiety down so that it becomes easier to practice mindfulness or participate in therapy. 

The most popular non-medication treatments for anxiety

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Top quality mental health care. That's what our members say.

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Parked Thoughts

Tips from a Psychiatrist on Coping at Home During Coronavirus

Telehealth 101: Getting up to speed on telehealth for college counseling centers

The most popular non-medication treatments for anxiety