Online Mental Health Support: How BetterHelp Helped Me Realize Things

Here, we're sharing the story of BetterHelp user Anita. Prior to starting therapy with a BetterHelp counselor, Anita had met with in-person therapists, but she found it difficult to open up. With BetterHelp, Anita has found herself able to discuss challenges like depression and self-destructive behaviors and start working toward healing. 

Below is Anita’s story, which has been edited for clarity and grammar.

Anita’s first experiences with therapy

Anita tried in-person therapy before finding BetterHelp but soon realized that it wasn’t the right fit. “I had tried in-person counseling a few times before BetterHelp. While those services provided a good introduction for me to receiving support, I knew the people and organization through my work, as we had many clients in common. This made it hard for me to open up and talk about my primary concerns and experiences. However, I was grateful for the experience as it opened doors for me to seek further support.”

Why Anita chose BetterHelp

“I believe I saw an ad for BetterHelp on Instagram. The flexibility of the BetterHelp platform was a major contributing factor in my decision to sign up to try it. Being able to do sessions over the phone when it worked for my schedule seemed convenient and ended up being one of my most enjoyable perks of the service.”

How Anita’s counselor helped her explore things “I've never even been able to acknowledge myself”

I've admitted things with my counselor that I've never even been able to acknowledge myself.”

How avoiding your feelings can harm mental health

With the support of her counselor, Anita was able to explore parts of herself that she had previously avoided. Research suggests that avoiding and repressing emotions or other internal experiences may be harmful to health, potentially:

• Increasing stress levels
• Lowering immune system function
• Causing significant distress
• Contributing to symptoms of depression and other conditions 

Instead, finding healthy ways to acknowledge and process emotions—such as journaling and therapy—might help with emotional balance and overall well-being. While it can be okay to accept difficult feelings or truths at your own pace, consistently working toward this goal is often a constructive choice and a good sign.

The advantages of flexible messaging via BetterHelp

Anita said that being able to message her BetterHelp therapist any time was a valuable resource as she worked toward improved well-being. “Having the flexibility to write out my feelings or struggles to later have my counselor offer support and guidance was super beneficial to my growth and healing journey. I ended up admitting things that I'd never been able to even acknowledge to myself previously, let alone anyone else, allowing me to get to the root of some of my main areas of concern.”

Having the support to help me realize that I'm not alone, the confirmation that I was struggling with a lot of dysfunction in more than one area of my life, and the validation of my experiences, both past and present, were essential to my journey. Perhaps most importantly, I learned that there are skills or tools I can utilize to help manage trauma responses and more dense or complex, nuanced feelings.”

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

The progress Anita has made on her healing journey

Anita provided an update on where she is in her healing journey after working with her BetterHelp counselor for years. “Today, I find that I am better able to self-assess more often now, honoring what or how I'm feeling and truly “sitting” with any stress or heavy emotions I may be feeling or grappling with at that point in time.”

Self-care, journaling, and exercise as mental health tools

Anita expanded on the tools that have worked for her. “I try to take the time I need for myself now, practice more self-care, and write a lot of my feelings out rather than compartmentalize them. I'm encouraged to get moving physically more often. I'm not quite where I want to be yet, but hope to be soon with the help of online therapy and the therapeutic yoga training I've enrolled in.”

Realizing the strength in asking for help

“I've made some very big changes and decisions that I'm not sure I would have been able to do without my counselor's support. I am feeling grateful that I was able to overcome my pride and ask for help when I needed it.”

Realizing the strength in asking for help

“Being able to ask for help, I now realize, is a sign of strength and not weakness. I'm on the road to claiming all of my power back and feeling much stronger these days as I confront things that I've never even been able to acknowledge myself before!”

The importance of finding a therapist you feel comfortable with

Research suggests that the quality of the therapist-client relationship can be key to promoting positive therapy outcomes. Anita was able to find a therapist who helped her feel comfortable opening up, which likely contributed to her consistent progress.

When you sign up for BetterHelp, you’ll be asked to complete a brief questionnaire about your needs and preferences in a provider. You can then be matched with a therapist based on your responses. If you don’t feel like that therapist is a good match for you, you can switch to a different therapist at any time, for no additional cost.

How can online therapy help those experiencing depression or feelings of hopelessness?

When someone is living with symptoms of depression or feelings of hopelessness, it can feel nearly impossible to get out of bed—let alone leave the home. This can present a potential barrier to support, as some therapeutic options require a person to be physically present. Online therapy allows people living with depression to connect with a therapist virtually in a way that is comfortable for them, whether that’s via:

• Video calls
• Audio calls
• Live chat
• A combination of these methods

How BetterHelp online counseling works

Again, getting started with BetterHelp can be as easy as filling out the onboarding questionnaire to get matched with a provider. Once matched, you can schedule sessions (typically weekly sessions) with your therapist at times that work for you. 

You may benefit from the convenience of phone, chat, or video sessions that you can attend from home, during which your counselor will use up-to-date, evidence-based therapy methods to provide care. You can also message your therapist at any time throughout the week, and your therapist will respond as soon as they’re able to.

Key advantages of online therapy

Many people find online counseling via BetterHelp to be more convenient than in-person counseling at a clinic or a private practice. Also, like Anita found, it may sometimes feel easier to open up to a therapist when you’re speaking to them virtually from the comfort of home. The more honest you’re able to be in therapy sessions, the better the outcome may be.

Also note that, since you don’t have to commute to attend an online therapy appointment, it may be easier to stay on track with your treatment. Combined with the fact that you can message your therapist at any time to ask for additional support, online therapy may be a convenient option for receiving consistent support.

Understanding payment and pricing

The cost of a BetterHelp subscription ranges from $70–$100 per week, based on factors such as your location, referral source, preferences, therapist availability, and any applicable discounts or promotions. This subscription is typically more affordable than in-person therapy with a provider who does not accept insurance. Financial aid is also available to qualifying BetterHelp users. Note that you can choose to cancel your subscription any time, whether you use the service for a few months or over a year.

Is online therapy effective?

Online therapy may be helpful in supporting those who are experiencing various mental health concerns. Recent research suggests that online therapy can often be effective in addressing symptoms of:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Other conditions