You Can Get Support With Online Therapy
Therapy may help improve your overall wellness by strengthening your mind-body connection. And this has the potential to leave to better physical and mental health. Find out more about the benefits of therapy and whether online therapy would be a good fit for your lifestyle.
The mind-body connection: Making your mind and body allies
Your body responds to the way you think, feel, and behave. Your body or physical state can also affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The body and mind are truly interconnected. So, by being physically and emotionally healthy, you have the potential to enhance your overall well-being.
Examples of the mind-body connection
Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can affect you physically. For example, when you experience stressful situations, your body releases cortisol, a stress hormone.
Cortisol is partly responsible for your body's fight-or-flight response. It motivates you to take action and be alert to danger. But when it stays active for long periods, stress can take its toll on your body and mind.
Unmanaged stress can lead to issues like the following:
- Stomach upset
- Changes in sleep
- Decreased sex drive
- Overeating or under-eating
- Muscle tension
- Body aches and pain
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain
Stress may also make some people more likely to make unhealthy choices in attempt to ease the discomfort — this might include misusing drugs or alcohol, overeating, or not getting enough rest. And these behaviors can lead to other physical and emotional effects.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
By learning to manage stress, you can disrupt the cycle. And by developing better physical health, you may be able to manage your stress, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors more effectively.
Therapy can help you find better health
Research shows that in-person therapy is as effective as online therapy for most people. Here are some benefits you might gain from treatment and how it may help improve your well-being.
Better emotional health
Improved self-awareness
Attending therapy sessions may help you learn to recognize, express, and manage your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationship dynamics, and other aspects of your life. In addition, this process may make it easier to determine whether your feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and relationships are helpful and healthy or whether they could benefit from positive changes.
Other benefits of therapy
Attending talk therapy sessions can offer a range of other benefits, including:
- Develop resilience and the ability to cope with stress in healthy ways.
- Foster a positive view of yourself and improve your sense of self-worth.
- Enhance your existing strengths and find new ones.
- Find strategies that you can use at any time to calm your body and mind.
Online therapy: A helpful mental health choice
If you are looking into therapy through BetterHelp, you may have questions. Common questions include:
Why is BetterHelp useful?
Through BetterHelp, people can connect with licensed and experienced therapists who help them experience positive change. As the world's largest therapy service with 100% online providers, BetterHelp makes therapy more convenient.
BetterHelp allows you to message your therapist any day of the week via an in-app messaging system. And the platform has options for live video calls, voice chat, and in-app messaging conversations, so you can schedule your sessions whenever and wherever is convenient.
Online therapy through BetterHelp also tends to be more affordable than in-person therapy. And it eliminates the need to drive to appointments.
Why do people like BetterHelp?
BetterHelp provides people with resources that can help them live in better health. Through BetterHelp, users can:
- Get treatment for mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anger management, or behavioral issues.
- Learn to productively enhance and manage aspects of life even if they aren't experiencing a mental health disorder.
- Develop healthy coping skills for better health, stress management, and moods.
- Have a safe, own space to talk about personal issues without judgment.
- Set goals and create plans to achieve them.
- Address trauma and learn new ways to cope and heal.
- Decrease self-destructive habits and behaviors.
- Make healthier choices that align with your priorities and goals.
- Identify problems and address them with healthy problem-solving techniques.
- Manage stress and build habits for better health.
- Gain new insights into themselves and others.
- Address relationship concerns.
- Strengthen family dynamics.
- Improve communication skills.
- Productively verbalize feelings.
- Benefit from a licensed mental health provider's support, expert advice, knowledge, and experience.
- Learn emotional self-regulation tools.
- Increase joy and contentment in your current situation.
- Find valuable resources to reinforce concepts learned in therapy.
- Understand how to address negative thoughts and feelings.
- Practice effective mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Are BetterHelp therapists licensed?
All BetterHelp therapists are licensed and accredited mental health professionals. BetterHelp has strict requirements and a careful procedure to verify that every provider on the platform is up to date on their licensing and in good standing.
Each therapist who works with BetterHelp is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed professional counselor (LPC), or licensed psychologist (Ph.D./PsyD). In addition, all BetterHelp therapists are experienced and hold an advanced degree (at least a master's or doctoral degree) in their field.
BetterHelp providers have completed many hours in their fields before joining the platform. BetterHelp cross-checks their licensing and identity through the state licensing board that issued the license. Additionally, all therapists on BetterHelp must complete a case study exam and pass an evaluation and video interview. Licensing information is available for users to review.
Is BetterHelp legit?
BetterHelp is a legitimate company. BetterHelp has been accredited through the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2015. They prioritize client boundaries, providing a safe platform for users to seek better health and interact with therapists.
Finding the right therapist for you
Working with a professional you trust is almost always a part of building better health through therapy. Through BetterHelp, you can work with a licensed therapist who can help you feel heard, supported, and respected. Initially, we'll match you with a therapist based on your needs and preferences, but you're free to change therapists if you want to try someone new.
Takeaway
Why is it important to maintain good health?
Good health can help improve quality of life and longevity. Caring for your physical health through practices such as exercising, eating nutritious foods, and getting enough sleep can help you keep your body in good condition for as many years as possible.
In addition, caring for your mental and emotional health can help you be more resilient to life’s challenges and allow you to experience positive well-being. This can include practices such as managing job, family, or relationship stress effectively, leaning on social support in our lives like friends and family members, and seeking care for any symptoms of a mental health condition (such as depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem).
What should I do for better health?
There are many different practices you can engage in if you’re looking to promote better health in yourself. Some key physical health practices can include eating nutritious foods, getting exercise through things like walking, dancing, or doing strength training regularly, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and receiving regular medical check-ups (through health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, or free community clinics). Some key ways to focus on your mental health could include learning to cope with difficult emotions, regularly engaging in relaxation practices, cultivating a network of social support, and seeking the care of a trained professional as a patient or client for any mental health concerns.
Who is the better health campaign aimed at?
The Better Health marketing campaign is aimed at helping adults find and maintain a healthy body weight in order to reduce the risk of preventative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and cases of COVID-19 that require hospitalization. Remember to consult with your doctor or nutritionist before significantly altering your diet or engaging in a new type of exercise, as they can advise on safe practices, provide education and care coordination as needed, and answer any questions their patients may have.
How can a good lifestyle affect our health?
A healthy lifestyle can help promote better overall health and a better quality of life. For example, people who regularly engage in exercise and eat nutritious foods often tend to report lower risks of various diseases and increased longevity, and various research studies and statistics generally support this as well.
What happens if people do not practice a healthy lifestyle?
An unhealthy lifestyle can have a variety of consequences. Some of these can include an increased risk of disease or physical health problems, an increased risk of mental health challenges, and a decreased life span. It can also result in a lower quality of life and higher levels of stress.
Why is it important for students to live a healthy lifestyle?
Physical and mental health can significantly affect cognitive abilities that students need for learning, such as memory and problem solving. That’s one reason why maintaining good health can be important for students. Practices such as eating nutritious foods, sleeping enough, and exercising regularly are just a few of many practices that can serve positive health in this population as well as in the broader population.
How will you promote the importance of living a healthy lifestyle to your family community and friends?
Healthy lifestyles often begin or are promoted in communities. Ensuring people are able to obtain nutritious foods and have a roof over their heads can be basic first steps. Providing education about health and healthy habits can be another important facet of community-based health improvement. Then, engaging in healthy habits communally such as exercising with family and friends can be another positive step, as can working with governments and other agencies to decrease pollution, provide green spaces, and promote related initiatives.
How can you make yourself and your family healthy?
There are a variety of healthy habits that families can engage in in order to promote both physical and mental health. Some of these include exercising together, making healthy meals together, leaning on each other for social support, and talking about feelings and healthy ways to cope with them.
How do you maintain physical health?
There are a variety of practices you can engage in to promote your own physical health. Getting regular exercise, drinking enough water, getting regular health check-ups, eating nutritious foods, sleeping enough, avoiding tobacco, and avoiding or limiting alcohol can all be helpful.
What is the importance of healthy family habits and practices to you and your family?
Building healthy habits as a family can help each member stick to these practices over time, which can help promote long-term health, well-being, and longevity. For example, making it a habit to regularly exercise together can teach children that exercise can be fun and communal and that it’s a part of regular life. As they grow up, they may then be more likely to continue these habits themselves to promote health into their adult years.
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