Is there a trial I can do or any way I can sign up for just one week

As a counselor, and as someone who has been a consumer of counseling services in the past, I can certainly understand why you would be concerned about joining an online platform. While any platform can be very intimidating and worrisome because none of them can offer guaranteed results, online counseling can seem like a greater risk than traditional face-to-face methods.

While I am unable to speak to trial offers with BetterHelp, as a counselor I can discuss some of the benefits of online counseling that will hopefully help you with your decision. Unlike traditional counseling that is usually one meeting per week for a 45-50-minute session, BetterHelp offers more methods for contacting your counselor throughout the week in addition to a traditional session. Clients can utilize their journal and share it with their counselor for feedback prior to their session. Worksheets and assignments that clients may be working on in therapy can be discussed prior to sessions through the asynchronous messaging system in BetterHelp.

While there should be no shame in seeking and utilizing mental health services, there is still stigma in our society that people are concerned about. Online services provide privacy so that you can feel comfortable entering the counseling room without worrying about who might see your car parked at a mental health practice.

Sessions can be in the form of video, but also via phone and live text chat. This gives clients flexibility, not to mention the ease of obtaining services because you do not have to travel to an actual office.

The groupinars that you can access are also a fantastic features. You can maintain your anonymity since you do not appear on screen with your actual name, and yet still benefit from chatting with other members and a counselor about the groupinar topic. Many private practices do not offer group-type experiences in any format because it is difficult to arrange, but BetterHelp offers quite a few with new ones being added.

Just as you are skeptical to receive services, I was initially reluctant to PROVIDE services. I wanted to make sure that the agency encouraged ethical practice, that they were serious about client privacy, and that they did not do anything to prevent counselors from practicing according to all the laws, rules, and ethics that we are bound by. I am glad to report that BetterHelp always encourages counselors to make any adjustments necessary to abide by the laws, rules, and regulations, and ethics we are bound to uphold. As a potential client, this really is important for you since you certainly want to choose a platform that has your best interest in mind.

Good luck in your journey, whichever route you choose.