Best Mental Health And Therapy Apps: Messaging, Phone, And Video Options
Have you been thinking about therapy but wondering if there are alternatives to going into a therapist’s office? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people have been asking the same question, and there are numerous options available, including mobile therapy apps designed to help with whatever challenges you’re facing.
Whatever you’re going through and need to vent about, therapy can be a powerful ally to help you improve your well-being. You don’t have to have a mental health condition to speak with a therapist. Therapy can help empower you to live the life you want, foster better habits, and improve your overall mental health.
Mental Health Therapy Through Online Apps
The best mental health apps allow you to participate in mental health treatment and therapy sessions from anywhere in the world. Using a therapy app can help you relieve stress and anxiety related to mental health challenges and other life issues. Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy, and there are various types of therapy that are available online. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a licensed therapist can help with a wide variety of mental health conditions and can help you overcome negative thoughts, learn self-care, and improve self-confidence.
Online Modes Of Mental Health Counseling And Therapy
Therapy Services Through Text: In-App Messaging
Text messaging therapy allows you to chat with a therapist through text, 24 hours a day. You can also view messages and notes from previous sessions, which makes it easier to recall and retain advice.
In-depth mental health conversations may require a little more time for the therapist to respond. Messages sent using your therapy app are available for you to check at your convenience. With most platforms, the therapist responds at least once a day, so you can get the help you need.
Therapy Through Phone: Phone Call Sessions
Phone apps, also known as voice therapy, arrange calls with a therapist via your telephone and a compatible app. Depending on the type of therapy recommended in your treatment plan, you may be able to combine phone and text sessions.
Over-the-phone therapy may be especially helpful if you're experiencing a mental health crisis. Also, some therapists may use voice messages to communicate, which may be more encouraging than text messages when you’re experiencing something challenging.
Therapy Through Video Chat: Zoom And Other Alternatives
Video chatting allows you to get the closest possible experience to an in-person session. With videoconferencing, you can speak with a therapist in real time as long as your connection is reliable. The best mental health apps with a desktop feature usually run more smoothly. Video chat sessions, also known as video therapy, also work well for couple's therapy, marriage counseling, and sessions that involve other family.
Best Mental Health Therapy App Downloads
Many mental health apps are available for download on mobile devices. Finding the best online therapy app for you depends on why you need it, pricing, and features.
Some Of The Top Options For 24/7 Messaging:
BetterHelp Online Therapy
BetterHelp matches individuals experiencing common mental health problems with a licensed therapist. This is one of the best-known online mental health platforms for addressing mental health concerns. Signing up is easy, and through desktop and mobile communication, BetterHelp provides numerous options for receiving mental health support. BetterHelp has a roster of more than 30,000 licensed therapists, and its highly-rated therapy app offers quick help for common mental health concerns.
ReGain Relationship Online Therapy
ReGain is another popular site that offers mental health services via an online therapy app. What makes ReGain different for a therapy app is its focus on providing couples with counseling. ReGain works with people experiencing concerns with marriages, long-term relationships, friendships, and family.
Like BetterHelp, ReGain employs licensed professionals. ReGain allows you to talk one-on-one, or together with your partner, through the therapy app or via desktop. Sometimes, both individual therapy and couple's therapy are needed to improve a relationship. ReGain may be a good fit for couples who are ready for an alternative to traditional therapy and are interested in trying a therapy app. Couples can use the platform to begin healing their relationship from the comfort of their own home. With ReGain, couples can work with a therapist via phone, videoconferencing, or in-app messaging.
Talkspace Online Therapy
Talkspace is an online therapy app that operates very much like BetterHelp.com. The Talkspace app provides online mental health services and runs familiar ad campaigns featuring celebrities like Michael Phelps. Similar to BetterHelp, it offers a matching service with thousands of therapists to provide mental health services and support.
Talkspace focuses on its app to provide services, but it may not have all the desktop features that BetterHelp offers to make attending video mental health sessions easier for clients. However, the lack of a desktop option may not be a problem for someone seeking help solely through their mobile device.
More Of The Best Competing Therapy Apps
Breakthrough Online Therapy
This platform comes with two advantages: scheduling and billing. Users can view available appointments and schedule immediately, which may be particularly beneficial for those with busy schedules. Also, although most mental health apps are out-of-pocket expenses for users, some health insurance plans cover Breakthrough. However, Breakthrough may be expensive for users whose health insurance plans do not cover its services.
Best Online Christian Counseling
Faithful Counseling is similar to BetterHelp, but it approaches counseling from a Christian perspective. Faith-based counseling is often available through religious organizations and houses of worship, but Faithful Counseling allows clients to receive online help from a licensed therapist. This service may be a good fit for individuals looking for a Christian spiritual connection in their online sessions.
Best Online Pride Counseling
Mental healthcare providers serving parts of the LGBTQ+ community need to be particularly aware of specific needs. Pride Counseling offers online therapy from therapists who specialize in serving the LGBTQ+ community. This app may be best for clients who are seeking to come out to loved ones, experiencing difficulty with acceptance, or needing guidance with relationships.
Best Online Teen Therapy
The teenage years often include unique challenges, such as finding a sense of identity in this world, figuring out what career to pursue, and navigating hormonal changes and peer conflict. TeenCounseling offers online therapy from a therapist or behavioral health counselor licensed to work with teenagers. Adult family can send TeenCounseling invites to their teenagers.
Which Mental Health Counseling App Is Best For You?
The best therapy app for you depends on your needs and schedule. Do you want a desktop therapy option or only a mobile app? Some of these therapy apps are broad in what they cover, while others have a specific focus. You may want to try several of them via free trials, if available, to find the right fit.
Getting Help Online
As mental healthcare has expanded into different channels thanks to advances in technology, therapy apps that provide a user-friendly interface have become a large and growing field of options for millions of people. The online therapy services described here are useful, but by no means exhaustive. More information is available through many reputable sources, such as the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or some other mental health challenge, you don’t have to face it alone. With BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist with experience helping people with your specific concerns. You can communicate with them via phone or videoconference at a time that works for you. You can also message them via in-app messaging, and they’ll get back to you as soon as they can.
Below are some reviews of people who have spoken with BetterHelp therapists.
BetterHelp Therapy Review
"Lauren is a wonderful therapist! This is my first time using online therapy and she has made me feel so comfortable and confident about this process. We use a mixture of chat and phone calls which works great for me. She is so easy to talk to, understanding, and supportive. I feel very thankful to have been matched with her."
"Lauren is a wonderful therapist! This is my first time using online therapy and she has made me feel so comfortable and confident about this process. We use a mixture of chat and phone calls which works great for me. She is so easy to talk to, understanding, and supportive. I feel very thankful to have been matched with her."
Takeaway
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can Online Therapists Diagnose You?
Online therapists are licensed to practice therapy and therefore can sometimes provide a diagnosis, where appropriate. They may diagnose conditions like bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Online therapists can also use a variety of therapy techniques to treat these and other mental health conditions.
Can Apps Help Mental Health?
Aside from therapy apps, there are apps that can help with mental health. Some apps aim to help your mental health by providing daily affirmations for self-confidence or breathing exercises to manage and maintain your mindfulness. Other apps monitor how long you spend on social media applications per day in an effort to limit your time on these potentially harmful apps. Finally, there are other apps to track your progress and mood throughout your therapy journey.
Is A Mobile App As Good As A Therapist?
There are many therapy apps available, but the answer to this question may depend on your particular condition and how you react to particular therapeutic settings. Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy, so choosing an app that provides remote therapy may be the best option.
Can You Get Therapy Services Online?
Online therapy has been around for some time but has exploded in recent years due to improving technology and greater mental health awareness. Many apps via mobile device provide video sessions, video chat, and possibly even support groups. Online mental health is also a competitive market, so you can find better prices for the services you seek.
Can You Get Therapy Services Through The Phone?
Most online therapists or mental health professionals offer phone or voice chat sessions. With that said, phone sessions lack some of the nonverbal communication that can be found with video sessions or video chat, which may be valuable for treatment. However, if you are unable to talk to a therapist in person or in a video chat or video sessions, a phone session can be an effective tool for your mental health journey.
What Are Self-Help Therapy Apps And Services?
You may download some therapy apps to help you accomplish your goals on your own. While these mobile apps may have reminders and other ways to keep you accountable, you enter the information and keep yourself going.
Other self-help platforms may use prerecorded voices or sounds. For example, mobile apps like meditation apps or sleep apps may play ambient sounds to calm you down or have a prerecorded meditative breathing session for self-care.
What Is Better: Community Apps Or Therapy Apps?
Community apps tend to connect you with people who are going through similar situations or can provide advice and guidance. These individuals are usually not mental health professionals. If you would like to speak with people who are facing challenges similar to yours, or even if you’d like a space to vent, a community app might help. Some of these options are free, but others charge fees.
Best Therapy Apps Or Services?
Some of the best therapy apps are BetterHelp, Regain, TeenCounseling, and Talkspace. Therapy apps connect clients to licensed therapists for online sessions. You can pick a plan and text, call, or video-chat for your therapist. These apps tend to charge weekly or monthly fees.
What Are The Best Therapy Apps For Me?
It depends on what you need. Here are a few of our favorites:
If you need to speak to a mental health professional through text, live chat, or video chat, check out the BetterHelp app. It also offers many informative resources for your reference.
If you want to learn meditation, Headspace is a great app. Created by a Buddhist monk, the app aims to help you achieve mindfulness, a state of mind that can improve well-being and reduce anxiety.
Happify offers various games and other resources designed to improve your mood. If you want a mood boost, Happify may be able to help.
If you are struggling with panic or anxiety, you might try Rootd, which is specifically designed to take users through steps of managing panic attacks and anxiety episodes.
Trying to get better sleep or cope with anxiety? Calm is a great app for these concerns. Besides meditation resources, it has plenty of sleep stories to help you fall asleep.
Many of these options charge fees but may have free versions to try out. Download them and see which ones work for you.
Is There A Free Counseling App?
Here are a few of them:
Take a Break! This free app provides meditations for stress relief, with prerecorded sessions and tips to achieve meditative mindfulness. Meditation can help with many mental health concerns, and anyone can do it.
PTSD Coach. This app is for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly veterans and active military personnel.
T2 Mood Tracker. This app helps you track your mood and looks for symptoms of mental health disorders. However, it's important to talk to a licensed mental health professional to obtain an official diagnosis.
Stop Panic & Anxiety Self-Help. This Android app may help you prevent and treat panic attacks.
Is Online Therapy Or Online Services Effective?
While effectiveness can vary from person to person, online mental health sessions with a mental health professional have many benefits for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Research has indicated that online sessions can be just as effective as in-person sessions therapy. Online therapy via mobile apps can also provide specific types of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help reroute negative throughts.
Which Is Better: BetterHelp Or Talkspace?
BetterHelp and Talkspace are two big names in online therapy, and when you are looking to start online sessions, you may wonder which one comes out on top. Both are well-run mental health services and have similar advantages. Both offer help from licensed therapists and tend to be more affordable than in-person therapy without insurance.
FAQs Cont.
Can you get therapy services online?
Online therapy has been around in some form since the beginning of the Internet but has exploded in recent years due to improving technology and greater mental health awareness. Many apps via mobile device provide video sessions, video chat, and possibly even support groups. Online mental health is also a competitive market, so you can find better prices for the services you seek.
Can you get therapy services through the phone?
Most online therapists or mental health professionals offer phone or voice chat sessions. With that said, phone sessions do lack the additional input of nonverbal communication that can be found with video sessions or video chat, which may be valuable for treatment. However, if you are unable to talk to a therapist in person or in a video chat or video sessions, a phone session can be invaluable for your mental health journey, even if it's just a few minutes or a longer period of time per week.
What are self-help therapy apps and services?
These are the best therapy apps where you help yourself. For example, you may download one of the best therapy apps to help you accomplish your goals, and while the moble apps may have reminders and other ways to keep you accountable, you enter the information and keep yourself going.
Other self-help platforms may use prerecorded voices or sounds. For example, mobile apps like meditation apps or a sleep app may play ambient sounds to calm you down or have a prerecorded meditative breathing session for self care. Some fitness platforms could be considered therapy-focused as well. Working out is a great mental health booster, and apps that allow you to reach your fitness goals can also improve your mental health.
What is the best: community apps or therapy apps?
These apps tend to connect you with people who are going through similar situations or can provide advice and guidance. These people are usually not mental health professionals. If you would like to speak with people who are facing challenges similar to yours, or even if you’d like a space to vent, a community app might help. Some of these options are free, but others charge fees.
Best therapy apps or services?
Therapy apps connect clients to licensed therapists for online sessions. They may include features from the other two types, but they focus on working with a professional. You can pick a plan and text, call, or video chat for your conversation. They tend to charge weekly or monthly fees. Some of the top choices are BetterHelp, Regain, Talkspace.
What are the best therapy apps for me?
It depends on what you need. Here are a few of our favorites:
- If you need to speak to a mental health professional through text, live chat, or video chat, check out the BetterHelp app. It also offers many informative resources for your reference.
- If you want to learn meditation, Headspace is a great app. Created by a Buddhist monk, the app hopes to help you achieve mindfulness, a state of mind that can improve wellbeing and reduce anxiety.
- Looking to be happier? Happify offers various games and other resources designed to improve your mood. If you want a mood boost, Happify can help.
- If you are struggling with panic or anxiety, Rootd is specifically designed to take users through steps of managing panic attacks and anxiety episodes.
- Trying to get better sleep or cope with anxiety? Calm is a great app for these issues. Besides meditation resources, it also has plenty of sleep stories to help you fall asleep.
Many of these options charge fees, but may have free versions to try out. Download them and see which ones work for you!
Is there a free counseling app?
Here are a few of them:
- Take a Break! This free app provides meditations for stress relief, with prerecorded sessions and tips to achieve meditative mindfulness. Meditation aids in many mental health issues, and anyone can do it.
- PTSD Coach. This app is for people with post-traumatic stress, particularly veterans and active military. Its resources and guidance make it worth the download, and it's absolutely free.
- T2 Mood Tracker. This app helps you track your mood and looks for symptoms of mental health disorders. With that said, though, it's important to seek an official diagnosis.
- Stop Panic and Anxiety Self-Help. This Android app can help you prevent and treat panic attacks.
Is online therapy or online services effective?
While effectiveness can vary from person to person, online mental health sessions with a mental health professional have many benefits for mental illness such as anxiety and depression. Many studies, such as this one in 2014, have indicated that online sessions can be just as effective as in-person sessions and in person treatment. Online therapy via mobile apps can also provide specialties like cognitive behavioral therapy that can help reroute negative throughts.
Which is best online therapy: BetterHelp or Talkspace?
BetterHelp and Talkspace are two big names in online therapy, and when you are looking to start online sessions, you may wonder which one comes out on top. Both are well-run mental health services and have similar advantages. Both offer help from licensed therapists for a fraction of the price of in-person sessions. However, BetterHelp comes out on top for a few reasons, such as:
- Unlike Talkspace, BetterHelp offers live video sessions or video chat with therapists for therapy sessions in both mobile and desktop modes. These sessions can occur per week or whatever your cadence preference is.
- BetterHelp also allows phone sessions per week. Voice communication is valuable, especially if you're in an area where video chat is impossible.
- In addition to messaging, BetterHelp also offers live chats. Being able to chat with your therapist in real-time is a valuable necessity for many people.
- Both have flexible pricing plans, but overall, BetterHelp is more affordable.
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