That One Clock App? It Is About Time

Hello, my name is Edna and I am a Tik Tok Therapist. Like many who may read this, as a seasoned Licensed Mental Health Counselor and private practice owner, I had to rethink my entire business and counseling model last March. Over the course of a weekend, my office went from hosting 45 in-person sessions weekly to all sessions over teletherapy, something we were not prepared or trained to do. So we buckled down and got familiar with technology.

For most of quarantine, I powered through telesession after session and had the usual worklife struggle while managing my practice, supervision, parenting three children in virtual school and marriage in a fast-paced/full stop world. Zoom, zoom. My social events, concerts and other forms of downtime were cancelled, so I felt higher anxiety and the load of counseling people in pain provided no outlet for that energy. Early on, I wanted to find the humor, so I created a Facebook Group for my friends called “Quirky Quarantine Memes. ” My girlfriends met occasionally on Fridays through Zoom and those laughs and tears are cherished in my mind. They joked about social media keeping them positive and distracted and I secretly and briefly wished I had chosen teaching so I could look forward to summers off. My workload did not slow down like others’ had and at times, it was busier than before. process what life had evolved to as Counselors, no social outlet and no plans to look forward to, I was at a point where I was ready for something different. My daughters had been making Tik Tok dance videos all summer and I had even gotten in on one. Then in late July, I downloaded the App. A social media app that helps users create 15 second to 1 minute videos and then shares them with complete strangers. My husband is a vigilant government employee and reminded me that Tik Tok may be taken away and maybe that made it all the more exciting.

Week 3 of Tik Tok, I was scrolling and noticed there were other mental health professionals with accounts solely dedicated to disseminating mental health information. They did it in a relevant, sometimes funny, but educational way. They were on Tik Tok for all of Quarantine and some even longer and had upwards of 100,000 followers. Up to that point, I had made silly voiceover and dance videos and reorganized my panty with small views and even less likes. Since my daughter, my youngest cousin and a few Girl Scouts followed, I kept the content PG. At the end of July, while I was waiting for my teletherapy client to sign in, I thought I could make a quick video for educational purposes celebrating my client reaching a goal using the Dora the Explorer song “We Did It. ” It quickly had 300 views and I focused my content, followed other Tik Tok Therapists and honed in. I was hooked.

Since early August, I have made over 500 videos addressing depression, anxiety, the counseling process itself, the role of a counselor, the feelings experienced in counseling, topics to bring up to your child, teenager and spouse and marriage tips as I am trained to Level II of the Gottman Approach. According to analytics, my videos have been viewed over 2 million times. My most viral (just me) video is where I outline who cannot be your therapist. The first time posting had 107,000 views, was shared 41 times, received 15,000 likes and has generated 312 comments inquiring to know more or to express disagreement. To professionals, this is common sense, basic ethics information, but to viewers it creates an emotional reaction.

We Tik Tok Therapists have been able to educate others on Suicide Awareness and Prevention in September, as well as Domestic Violence, ADHD, Autism and others in October. Tik Tok Therapists support, inspire and bring positivity to an uncertain world and counterbalance the idea that people are alone in all of ‘this.” The TT Therapists are from the US, Canada, Europe and beyond. They are as diverse and the populations we serve. We reach young people and middle-aged people. We encourage those in pain to reach out for support, to talk to someone and that mental health professionals are humans with complex lives and their own hurts. To me, it provides a release of creative energy, a professional support system, motivation and a goal. I am a Creator of necessary, relevant mental health content that is desperately needed at this time in society where people are unsure what is real, true or honest and in a world that is bracing for a second pandemic of mental illness and traumatized medical professionals. A world that up until now has stigmatized mental illness and was not really sure what mental health means anyway. Tik Tok Therapists are normalizing, providing re-assurance and encouragement that mental health matters.

#TherapyTikTok---It is not just a social platform, but dare I say movement. So, let’s move (and dance) and spread the awareness of mental health.

Written By: Edna Schaefer, LMHC

Edna is based in Northeast Florida and specializes in ADHD, anxiety, grief and life transitions for ages 2 to 72. As a Counselor Educator, she enjoys hosting Masters students in practicum and has been a qualifiedsupervisor for FL Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns since 2008.