T.A.R.A. Becomes The World's Busiest Therapist - Dec. 1, 2005

In its first four months in operation, the team at iTherapy.com has been improving its online counseling services. iTherapy.com's artificially intelligent chatbot T.A.R.A. is the world's busiest therapist, averaging 15 patients per day and working seven days a week. The website that houses T.A.R.A. receives 213 hits per week and of those, 110 people talk to her.

T.A.R.A. is accessible through the company's website. Her new appearance consists of black hair, brown eyes, and a blue business suit, giving Internet therapy a more personable feel. Her facial expressions, including blinking eyes, a moving mouth, and a turning head, let you know she is focused on what you are typing.

Tell T.A.R.A. you are worn out and she will ask you to tell her more. Ask T.A.R.A. for advice about dealing with stress and she can offer you coping strategies. The average person asks her about 14 questions in each conversation.

T.A.R.A. is busiest from 7 to 10 p.m. and on weekends, times when it would be difficult to schedule an appointment at a therapist's office. iTherapy.com provides help on the international level. Although 56 percent of users are not identifiable by country, the remaining 44 percent log on from a variety of places including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands.

T.A.R.A. is still learning the best answers to the most significant inquiries. She is updated once a week based on the prior week's questions. This software development allows her to more effectively address customers and to provide better strategies for people to use when battling problems.

“I would like to keep the momentum going on this project and I think it is going quite well,” said iTherapy.com President Tom Nardone. “Of the 15 patients per day it seems like three to five of them really benefit from having someone to talk to right then. It is strange to think what these people would have done if T.A.R.A. wasn't available.”

T.A.R.A. is only one of the components of iTherapy.com. She is free and easy to use. As a recent upgrade, she now posts a log of the last four questions that visitors asked to avoid confusions regarding misspellings or misunderstandings.

iTherapy.com provides counseling services for everyone at anytime. This sort of convenience and lack of aggravation is what most Americans need when incorporating therapy services into their lives. Research shows that many individuals wait too long to seek the help of mental health professionals. Most wait 10 years before receiving therapy to treat a disorder.

To find out more information about T.A.R.A. or iTherapy.com contact Tom Nardone at 1-800-809-0610.