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Background: Blended care psychotherapy (BCP) combines face-to-face psychotherapy with #Digital interventions, such as videoconferencing, #Apps, or virtual reality, which can be incorporated in various ways and at different stages of the therapeutic process. Despite its increasing implementation, conceptual and terminological inconsistencies continue to impede a shared understanding of the competencies required for its effective delivery. Objective: This theoretical paper introduces a framework of psychotherapeutic competencies in BCP, designed to provide conceptual clarity. Methods: The framework was developed in four steps. (1) An exploratory literature search was conducted to identify existing competence and educational frameworks relevant to psychotherapy, #Digitalization, and educational psychology. (2) These models informed a preliminary theoretical framework. (3) This preliminary framework was critically reviewed and refined in an expert workshop with 5 licensed psychotherapists and researchers experienced in BCP. (4) Lastly, findings from a systematic review of 35 studies on BCP competencies were integrated, resulting in the final 8-domain framework. Results: The resulting framework comprises of BCP (eg, face-to-face, videoconferencing, and #Apps), (knowledge, skills, and attitudes), as well as 8 (Creation of Setting and Infrastructure; Transfer of Communication and Methods; Therapeutic Relationship; Self-Regulation, Self-Confidence, and Self-Care; Data Security, Legal Issues, Ethics, and Safety; Technological Aspects; Scientific Knowledge and Methods; and Individual and Cultural Diversity). Conclusions: This conceptual contribution aims to strengthen the theoretical foundation of BCP, support competence-based education for psychotherapists, and guide future research toward the empirical validation and refinement of BCP-specific competencies.

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Discover VergeTAB for occupational and behavioural therapy. Support regulation, attention, sequencing and functional independence with therapist-guided activities.

See how Manipal students embraced digital rehabilitation training through hands-on client management, teletherapy, scheduling, and real-world platform use.

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Background: Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) is an effective and scalable alternative to face-to-face psychotherapy, but its reach is constrained by the time therapists spend reviewing patient input and manually drafting written responses. Studies suggest that large language models (LLMs) may be capable of generating high-quality therapeutic text, with the potential to support therapists in delivering treatment. Their suitability as therapist-support tools in structured iCBT, however, remains insufficiently studied. Objective: This study aims to assess the quality of LLM-generated iCBT responses to patient messages by comparing them to the quality of responses produced by humans. Methods: In a preregistered blinded clinician rating experiment, experienced clinicians assessed the quality of human-produced vs LLM-generated therapist responses within a simulated iCBT treatment for functional somatic disorder. Raters were exposed to a stimulus material consisting of 5 fictitious patient messages, each paired with 1 human and 1 LLM-generated response. Raters assessed message/response pairs on 5 quality dimensions (overall quality, helpfulness, empathy, professionalism, and protocol adherence) and were asked to indicate the source of the response (human/LLM). Analyses were primarily descriptive, supplemented by exploratory statistical tests and descriptive thematic content analysis of open-ended text fields. The full preregistered study protocol is available at Open Science Framework. Results: A total of 61 raters provided data, while 54 were eligible and included for analysis. Human- and LLM-generated responses were rated similarly across quality dimensions on a 1-5 scale: overall quality (LLM: mean 4.00, SD 0.54 vs human: mean 3.96, SD 0.53; d=0.06), helpfulness (LLM: mean 3.85, SD 0.57 vs human: mean 3.93, SD 0.49; d=0.13), professionalism (LLM: mean 4.25, SD 0.53 vs human: mean 4.11, SD 0.53; d=0.24), protocol adherence (LLM: mean 4.13, SD 0.52 vs human: mean 4.13, SD 0.54; d=0.03) and empathy (LLM: mean 4.31, SD 0.47 vs human: mean 4.08, SD 0.50; d=0.42). Raters correctly identified the source of human-generated responses (mean 79%, SD 19.65%) more accurately than LLM-generated responses (mean 63%, SD 21.30%). In all, 30/54 (55%) raters responded to one or more open text fields. Qualitative analysis indicated that LLM-generated responses were perceived as polished but also generic and at times excessively empathetic. Conclusions: LLM-generated responses were judged to be of comparable quality to those written by human therapists, though qualitative feedback indicated they were at times generic and insufficiently challenging. These findings provide initial support for the feasibility of using LLMs as therapist-support tools in iCBT, but further research is needed to determine whether their integration yields tangible clinical and organizational benefits.

A fully self-guided, internet-delivered attachment-based compassion therapy improved overall quality of life and reduced preoccupied attachment compared with a waiting-list control in adults with chro...

Learn how digital tools can help grow your private therapy practice, attract more families, simplify documentation, track progress, and build long-term success.

Explore inclusive education digital projects and hybrid therapy initiatives by XceptionalLEARNING, supporting special schools, community programs, and intervention ecosystems.

Explore how Samvaad session redefined rehabilitation delivery through digital tools, clinical workflows, and future-ready therapy practices.

Background Digital therapy applications offer great potential to improve the therapeutic care of patients with musculoskeletal complaints and contribute to maintaining their ability to work. Aim of…

Shiromaru kun is a popular Japanese animated character and content creator known for eating hearty meals, or the original, classic tonkotsu broth earlier from