Clinician hub

ēquilia is the result of a collaboration between Quebec and Ontario in the Canadian adaptation of the Australian THIS WAY UP platform, renowned for its evidence-based iCBT programs.  

As a joint non-profit initiative of researchers and clinicians from the University of Sherbrooke, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS and the Hôpital Monfort, our mission is to reduce the burden of anxiety and depressive disorders by offering programs that are accessible online.  

To learn more about ēquilia, click here.

Any registered or licensed health professional in Ontario and Quebec can register as a clinician with ēquilia. It is free and easy to do! 

The majority of clinicians using ēquilia are GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals. 

When you prescribe our programs to your clients, you retain clinical responsibility for them. We therefore recommend that you be authorized by your professional order to offer care to people struggling with mental health problems. 

If you regularly encounter elevated anxiety and depression symptoms in the clients you work with but are not able to provide appropriate clinical support yourself, you can recommend that your clients complete our programs as ‘self-help’ without prescribing them. 

When you register as a clinician, you will receive our Programs Handbook, which outlines the clinical content of each of our programs to assist you with treatment planning. 

Additionally, you gain access to all program materials when you prescribe a specific program, or you can email us to request a preview of our programs. 

Yes! Our programs are suitable as a stand-alone online intervention for those with mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, and as an adjunct or complementary intervention for those with severe symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder. 

Please note that our programs are not suitable as a stand-alone intervention for the following individuals: 

• Those who are currently suicidal or are at risk of harming themselves or others. 
• Those with acute symptoms of bipolar disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia. 
• Those who are regularly taking benzodiazepines and/or atypical antipsychotics. 
• Those with acute substance use disorders. 

• Those in severe distress or currently managing acutely stressful life circumstances. 

All of these individuals require a thorough assessment to determine if and how a self-paced online program can add value to their treatment. 

Our programs are free of charge. 

By registering as an ēquilia clinician, you will gain access to our secure online platform and will be able to prescribe our programs. Using your Clinician Dashboard, you will be able to: 

• Prescribe a program of iCBT treatment for a particular condition by sending your client an e-mail which contains the instructions on how to sign up to a program that you’ve recommended; 
• Monitor your clients’ progress through their lesson completion and their scores on mental health questionnaires, which clients fill out prior to each lesson (e.g., K10, PHQ8, GAD7); 
• Access, preview, and incorporate program materials (e.g., PDF Lesson Summaries, Action Plans, Extra Resources) into your in-person or telehealth treatment; 
• Provide support to your clients if they are falling behind or if their scores remain elevated throughout the program; 
• Discharge your clients from their online CBT treatment once they complete their program. 

In addition, you will be able to access free learning materials designed to help you integrate internet-delivered CBT into your routine practice safely and with confidence. 

Our team is on hand to provide registered ēquilia clinicians with guidance on using iCBT in their routine clinical practice. 

There are two main ways your clients can enroll in an ēquilia program. 

Option 1. Your clients can enroll in a ‘self-help’ program on their own. This option is not linked to the Clinician Portal, and you will not have access to their progress. 

Option 2. You can give your clients access to a program by ‘prescribing’ it for them. They will then be able to enroll in a ‘supervised’ program, and you will be able to monitor them throughout. 

The term ‘supervised’ refers to the fact that your client is completing their program under ‘supervision’ or monitoring from you and can contact you if they wish to discuss how they’re going. 

It also means that if your client scores highly on a measure of distress (K10) and/or depression (PHQ8) that they complete prior to each lesson, you will receive an email alert advising you of this. 

From our experience, clinical supervision is often about providing your client with encouragement to complete the program, helping them overcome barriers to adherence, and supporting them in tailoring and practicing the skills taught. 

By registering as an ēquilia clinician, you will gain access to our secure online platform and will be able to give your clients free access to our programs. Using your Clinician Dashboard, you will be able to: 

• Prescribe a program of iCBT treatment for a particular condition by sending your client an e-mail which contains the instructions on how to sign up to a program that you’ve recommended; 
• Monitor your clients’ progress through their lesson completion and their scores on mental health questionnaires, which clients fill out prior to each lesson (e.g., K10, PHQ8, GAD7); 
• Access, preview, and incorporate program materials (e.g., PDF Lesson Summaries, Action Plans, Extra Resources) into your in-person or telehealth treatment; 
• Provide support to your clients if they are falling behind or if their scores remain elevated throughout the program; 
• Discharge your clients from their online CBT treatment once they complete their program. 

In addition, you will be able to access free learning materials designed to help you integrate internet-delivered CBT into your routine practice safely and with confidence. 

Our team is on hand to provide registered ēquilia clinicians with guidance on using iCBT in their routine clinical practice. 

You will also have access to a range of CBT resources and worksheets that are commonly used within CBT and within our own iCBT programs. These are available for you to download and send to your clients. 

To find out more, head to our Clinician Resources page to preview and download some handouts for you and your clients. 

You will gain access to our iCBT Foundations Program for Clinicians. This was written for clinicians who may wish to become more familiar with, or review their understanding of the cognitive behavioural model and the core CBT skills that are taught in our programs. 

Prescribing a program to a client is like prescribing any other active treatment – you retain clinical responsibility. It is anticipated that you check in with them regularly to monitor how they’re going until they complete their program and can be ‘discharged’ from their online intervention. 

Because our programs are fully automated, it only takes a small amount of time to check in with your clients to help them stay motivated and on track. 

While it’s not a requirement, our research shows that regular phone or email contact with a client who is completing an online CBT program significantly improves adherence and, therefore, clinical outcomes. 

To assist you with monitoring and ‘supervising’ your clients, you are able to view their scores and progress throughout the program from your Clinician Dashboard. 

You will also receive an automated e-mail ‘alert’ should one of your clients score highly on a measure of distress (K10) and/or depression (PHQ8).  

You will then be able to use your clinical judgment on how best to follow up and manage that patient’s treatment. 

We generally recommend that people work through one program at a time. This typically means that they will be more likely to focus, complete the program and gain maximum benefit. Doing multiple programs simultaneously can be overwhelming and lead to lower adherence. 

As comorbidity is common, if your client presents with both low mood and anxiety symptoms, you could consider prescribing the Depression and Anxiety Program to start with. This is our most popular program as it targets both conditions at once. 

Alternatively, you could prescribe the program that targets the problem that is most distressing, interfering with functioning, or that your client is more motivated to address first. After your client has completed their first program, you can then review with them their response to treatment and recommend the next steps, whether this be another ēquilia program or face-to-face CBT. 

All of our programs are fully automated, which means that your clients are guided through their program by our system, and we are here to provide technical support and assistance. 

Our programs have been designed to enhance and support self-guided learning, making it simple for your clients to learn practical CBT skills step by step. 

Before each lesson, your clients complete validated mental health questionnaires designed to measure their well-being. 

If their scores are high on measures of distress (K10) and/or depression (PHQ8), they receive automatic email alerts with crisis support numbers and advice to seek additional help from their clinician to address how they feel. 

They also receive email and text reminders to help them stay on track and complete their program within 90 days. 

When clients enroll in a ‘supervised’ program (prescribed by you), you have the option to view their progress in the Clinician Dashboard and provide additional support (e.g., via in-person/telehealth sessions, e-mail or phone check-ins) at your discretion. You also receive alert emails if they score highly on the measures of distress (K10) and/or depression (PHQ-8), and can schedule their follow-ups as needed. 

The team at ēquilia provides technical support but does not monitor individuals as they complete their programs or provide personalized clinical advice. 

Once you register as a clinician, you will receive our Programs Handbook to assist you in recommending ēquilia programs. You will also be able to access other content and guides on how to use ēquilia, as well as a FAQ.  

You can also contact us with any questions. 

Remember, we are here to help you integrate iCBT into your practice safely and with confidence, so if you have any questions about using ēquilia in your practice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! 

No. When a client chooses to undertake a program under clinician supervision, ideally, this added layer of support is provided by a clinician who knows them personally, has assessed their mental health, and has a good understanding of their clinical presentation, mental health history, and unique life circumstances. 

A client should also be more able to access their healthcare provider for help tailoring the skills they’re learning to their particular context and managing any difficulties that arise. Please let us know if we can provide any additional support or training to you or your service around supervising your clients as they work through a program.