Lacking counselors, US schools turn to the booming business of online therapy

As schools across the U.S. grapple with the student mental health crisis, the use of telehealth therapy for students has skyrocketed. Video counseling at school was never an option before the pandemic, but an analysis by The Associated Press has found the service is now so prevalent it exists in 16 of the 20 largest school districts to reach millions of students. The rapid rise reflects the pressure schools face to address the crisis amid a shortage of counselors, leading to the use of federal pandemic relief money on teletherapy. The approach has been so lucrative that venture capitalists are funding a new crop of school teletherapy companies. Schools praise the service, but experts warn of potential risks as the business of youth mental health becomes a booming industry.