Teleo virtual therapy room for children
Official title: Engagement and clinical impact of the Teleo virtual therapy platform in clinical settings
Funded at Mainsquare Co · NIH-11194657 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will offer a secure, child-friendly virtual therapy room to help children with anxiety and other common mental health concerns stay engaged in remote therapy and complete more sessions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mainsquare Co NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,240,774 |
| NIH project number | 4R42MH136878-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194657 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children about 0–11 years old who are receiving or could benefit from remote mental health therapy, especially those with anxiety, depression, or trouble staying engaged in sessions, are likely ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children who only receive in-person services, older adolescents or adults, or families without reliable internet or a suitable device likely would not benefit from this remote platform.
What this research studies
If your child joins, their therapist will use a secure Teleo virtual room that combines video chat with interactive games, worksheets, and child-focused activities so you don't have to switch apps during a visit. The platform is HIPAA-compliant and lets therapists add evidence-based tools and materials into the session space. The team will introduce Teleo in clinical settings and track attendance, in-session engagement, and completion compared with standard video calls. The goal is to make remote therapy more engaging and easier to use for families and clinicians.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Teleo could help children stay in therapy longer, attend more sessions, and improve mental health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Telehealth has been shown to work well for many child mental health services, but integrating video with interactive, therapy-specific tools in one virtual room is a newer approach with limited prior evidence.
Where this research is happening
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Mainsquare Co
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hong, David S — Mainsquare Co
- Study coordinator: Hong, David S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Teleo virtual therapy platform for children
A new HIPAA-compliant online therapy room for children aims to keep kids engaged in remote psychotherapy better than standard video calls.
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Improving virtual therapy for children using a new platform
This study is creating a fun and interactive online therapy platform for kids to help them feel more engaged during their therapy sessions, making it easier for them to get the support they need for anxiety and depression.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.