How long is a typical therapy session? One hour?

Hi – thank you for asking your question. It’s great that you are starting therapy and are excited to work with a therapist! I wish you well with your healing experience.

For your question of length of a session – live sessions can range from 30 to 45 minutes. Some therapists have flexible schedules and can work with you to determine how long your session will last, between 30 to 45 minutes. Other therapists have preferences (and schedules) for either 30-minutes or 45-minutes. You’ll want to check with your therapist for expectations of the exact time length, as well as the days and times they offer live sessions. The days/times will also show on their “Schedule”, which you can view on the left-hand side of your therapy room.

Also, you and your therapist can have live sessions through video, phone, or online chatting (typing). Most therapists offer a selection of how clients can have live sessions (video, phone, chat). Outside of a live session, you can message your therapist in your private therapy room. Check with your therapist for their office hours and expectations for when they will message you back. For instance, most will return a message within 24 business hours (Mon-Fri). However, some therapists do work on weekends – it’s important to check with your therapist for their weekly schedule and expectations.

For your question of being paired to a therapist: Yes, BetterHelp initially pairs you with a therapist, if you did not specifically choose a therapist at the beginning. You always have a choice for which therapist you work with. So, if you start working with a therapist and don’t feel a connection or prefer a different therapeutic style, you are welcome to change therapists. You do so via your online therapy room – Help – Change Counselors. Customer service can also assist you with your request to change – from your therapy room, click on Help – Contact Us.

You can search for a therapist on the BetterHelp site at this link: https://www.betterhelp.com/therapists/. Choose your state, and you’ll see lists of therapists licensed in your state, along with a description and profile for each therapist and reviews from clients. When you find someone you wish to work with, you can click the “work with me” button or contact customer service (Help – Contact Us) and let them know. They will check to see if the therapist is accepting new clients and will work to connect you.

In addition to working with a therapist, BetterHelp offers Groupinars, which are basically webinars on topics related to psychology and mental health, where a therapist (not necessarily your therapist) presents on a topic, and attendees can ask questions and engage via a typed chat feature (if attendees want to engage). It’s anonymous as your name is not shared in the chat. There are groupinars on a variety of topics, such as trauma, grief/loss, being new to therapy, plus an assortment of other topics. Attending a groupinar may help you feel more comfortable with your therapy experience, as well as provide you with additional information and support. If you cannot attend the webinar live, if you register, they will send you a link to the recording that you can watch/listen to for a week after the webinar concluded. Here’s a link to see what Groupinars are currently being offered: https://www.betterhelp.com/groupinars/. The topics change every so often, so make sure to check back every couple of weeks.

I hope that helps a bit! I wish you well as you start therapy! Dr. Sally Gill, LMFT