Can BetterHelp counselors prescribe medication?

I’ve had a very difficult time in the past few years focusing, completing tasks, anxiety, mood swings and depression. Wondering if it is possible? I’ve had a difficult 3 year stretch since professional baseball has concluded in my life… thanks
Asked by Luke
Answered
08/11/2021

Hello - Better Help therapists do offer online therapy services but are not able to prescribe any medications. This is because we are not medical personnel, like licensed therapists, professional counselors, or psychologists. We are mental health practitioners and online therapists. Mental health practitioners are not allowed to prescribe medications. I would like to encourage you to see a medical doctor or nurse practitioner for this aspect of mental health services. They Doctors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and some other medical professionals would be able to prescribe something for you if they determine that it would be needed. On the other hand, you have mentioned some challenging symptoms that could definitely be helped by also seeking out mental health therapy. Research has shown that the best outcomes come when a client/patient utilizes both medications when necessary and mental health treatment. It sounds to me like you could really benefit from working with a therapist to help you with the symptoms that you are describing, especially since it has been going on for a few years. That is a long time to deal with these things! Medications can help with what you are describing, and so also can therapeutic interventions with skilled mental health professionals. To give you an idea of some of these interventions, you could learn about coping skills for anxiety and depression. You could learn about tips for helping you to focus and complete tasks. You could monitor your moods to detect a pattern. This last idea is based on a worksheet that could be used. Seeing a therapist and scheduling live sessions on a weekly basis would really help you with learning how to cope, giving you ideas on how to manage these things, and provide you with support and accountability. I say accountability because your therapist would most likely ask you to complete relevant worksheets or "homework" assignments that would be geared toward your specific goals. Working together, you would figure out what your goals are for therapy and how you would make progress toward them. In this way, you would begin to feel hopeful that you will start feeling better and managing life's challenges better, all with the support and expertise of your therapist. So in summary, do BetterHelp prescribe medication or offer medication management? No, so I am recommending that you seek out medical input to see if you might need a prescription to help you manage symptoms of any mental health conditions you may have. I am also recommending that you sign up for counseling or consider seeking therapy, as that will provide the practical tools, emotional support, and accountability that you need in order to manage your mental health needs and see wonderful change and growth take place. You can find support from a counselor through in person therapy sessions or via online therapy platforms like BetterHelp.

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LCPC, LPCC