CAIRO — Doua (a pseudonym) was not expecting ads for psychological support websites to flood her social media accounts after visiting some of these websites while seeking support from a specialist to help her cope with a personal issue. She eventually gave up the idea of seeking support online because a large number of these ads annoyed her.

Specialized websites offer psychological support online, some at no cost and others for a fee. Support is usually given in articles or letters exchanged online between the therapist and the patient. Some websites even use direct communication through videoconferencing. 

Like many other websites, these support sites are promoted by ads posted on social media, as well as on main search engines such as Google.

Doua told Al-Monitor she is now avoiding these websites because of the ads that keep popping up. “Sometimes the wording of the ads made me feel threatened. They warn me that I should continue my online treatment to stay safe. When you register on one of these websites, you will receive emails urging you to continue the treatment and warning about the risks of stopping therapy. This is exactly what happened with my colleague," she said.