How often do counselors answer messages in this app

Hello! Honestly, it all depends on the counselor. I often check messages a few times a day during the work week and can message clients back and forth. If you chose to use this app, I would be sure to ask what that counselor availability is with messages. Some therapist focus on live sessions while others are only available via messages. I can accommodate either need. During the weekends, I am not always readily available however I do try to check my messages if I receive a notification. Again, I would just really communicate your needs to your counselor when you first get matched. Every one's work style and preference is different however what is great about BetterHelp is that there are so many different ways you can communicate to fit your needs. The communication between you and your counselor can be conducted in two ways- messaging and live sessions. Messaging is quite similar to email. For privacy and security reasons, all messages are sent through this platform and not by regular email. There is no need to schedule these messages as you can send and read messages on your own time. Most of the use on BetterHelp is done this way. You can mark your message as "urgent" so your counselor will know they need to attend to it quickly. However, if you do mark a message as urgent, we would suggest other resources in cases of emergency or crisis. You can also attach files from your computer or complete an interactive worksheet that your counselor can send to you. These worksheets can range from journaling prompts to activities surrounding depression and anxiety. Live sessions can include phone session, video sessions or live chat. The live chat is similar to messaging however it is in "real time". Your or your counselor can schedule these session. You can check your counselor's availability and schedule or you can chat with your counselor to see what time works best for the both of you. Live sessions are initiated by your counselor and only start when the both of you are online. Hope this helps!