Online therapy has helped millions of people feel their best. BetterHelp is the global leader of therapy and licensed mental health services; designed to help people feel better. This virtual online therapy & psychotherapy connects people with a licensed therapist. This powerful & effective treatment helps with common MH illnesses (depression & anxiety) and everyday life challenges; a counselor can help you today.
Online Therapy & Counseling With BetterHelp
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A licensed therapist online can help a person address things like depression, anxiety, and other specific mental health conditions. Qualified & experienced therapists here help people feel their best, improve mental health, and strengthen or heal relationships. Get started with online therapy services today, and start feeling your best.
All 20,000+ licensed mental health professionals and therapists currently available on the BetterHelp.com platform are experienced practitioners. There are many different types of online therapists that can help our users deal with various important concerns at a time and location best suited for the user, unlike most traditional counseling & psychotherapy options.
More Articles - Read more articles about this form of therapy.
Our experienced therapists help those with mental health and wellness problems, deal with marriage and family concerns, or face other challenges in life. For example, if someone has depression (or other mental health conditions), speaking with a therapist who uses the BetterHelp platform can help the individual recover, regain their energy, and move forward in life in a productive and meaningful way. A couples' therapist can use our platform to help couples with marriage, trust, or other related concerns. We even have therapists for teenagers who can help middle or high schoolers with the concerns that teens face daily.
BetterHelp offers affordable therapy as an alternative form of face-to-face therapy that allows a therapist to communicate with you remotely through the Internet (vs. in-office sessions). Through our platform, you can communicate with your licensed counselor online using a computer, tablet, smartphone, and any other device to use an Internet connection.
BetterHelp Platform Benefits:
Exchanging messages with your therapist (also known as messaging therapy)
Video conferencing with your therapist online
Speaking over the phone (or sending a text message) with your therapist (also known as phone therapy)
Live chatting with your therapist using test or audio messaging (also known as live chat therapy)
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Online therapy (also known as e-therapy, internet psychotherapy, or distance therapy) with an experienced therapist is becoming quite popular as of late, and for a good reason. Not only have we been able to help facilitate more than 143 million counseling sessions on our platform with one of our licensed counselors & therapists, but we have thousands of reviews from real users of our platform sharing their positive experiences working with a therapist here.
What are people saying about working with a therapist here at BetterHelp? We encourage you to see what some of our users say about our platform and how it has helped them strengthen their mental wellbeing.
What are the benefits of using our online psychotherapy platform? Aside from what real people are saying about this in-office therapy alternative, you might find that reviewing some of the most common benefits of working with a licensed therapist here may surprise you. It's important to keep in mind that this service is more than working with social workers, and you don't have to check to see if we accept insurance. To date, we have been able to help more than a million people with this platform at a reasonable therapy cost, without any issues when you need to switch therapists.
Affordable Therapy
One of the biggest differences and benefits is that counseling proves to be both accessible and easy to use with the internet! This makes communication with therapists possible from anywhere and gets you the help you need via text, phone, or video sessions as long as you have an internet connection.
No location issues
With a growing number of people living away from large cities (in rural areas that typically have fewer therapists available), BetterHelp can provide a good solution. Sessions here are a useful tool for people who are not in a geographical location with an available therapist. As an effective solution for people who don't have reliable transportation needed for in-person therapy appointments, our service has resulted in more and more people signing up for sessions with a therapist on our platform by simply signing into their account.
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Easily Discuss Issues
Some people cannot speak or may have trouble talking with strangers face-to-face. Trying this platform and not worrying about going to visit a therapist’s office can help anyone with verbal communication concerns have an alternative form of communication that makes them feel more comfortable, whether that means using therapy chat sessions or other types of computerized psychological treatments.
Private Conversations
There's less of a risk of bumping into someone you know or having someone see you pull into the therapist's office for a scheduled in-person psychotherapy appointment. Despite some people having concerns and reservations about e-therapy with a therapist, this is another benefit of privacy.
Lower Cost Therapy
Web therapy typically costs less because many counselors & therapists work from home and don't have common expenses like a need for a separate office, etc. These added expenses for a therapist generally increase their overhead, so they end up charging higher prices for counseling sessions with their clients; thus making it more expensive. On the other hand, a therapist working on the internet can keep their costs low and less expensive, and as a result, focus on helping their clients with important life concerns and other mental illness and health-related concerns.
Accessible therapists for people with disabilities - no need to travel to therapy appointments
Disabled people may find the traveling required to visit a therapist's office every week to be a barrier to treatment. However, working with a therapist via the internet can completely remove the need for typical in-office therapy sessions. An increasing number of people appreciate the features often associated with technology-based psychotherapy, such as video sessions or texting therapy. These modalities allow everyone to find available therapists to work with. At BetterHelp, you're matched with a therapist who best suits your needs and preferences. If you're not happy with your licensed therapist, you may switch at any time.
Therapist communication and accessibility on your own schedule
It can be a little difficult for traditional counseling to fit into your schedule if you have a busy life. A stressed-out college student who has a job on the side may find it difficult to be present for in-office counseling visits. However, when working with a therapist online, that's a problem that can be avoided entirely. You have the freedom to message your therapist from wherever, whenever (as long as you have an internet connection).
How Do Therapists Talk During Online Therapy Sessions?
What Is Live Chat Therapy?
Using the BetterHelp app, you can speak with your therapist through live chat. As you can probably expect from a live chat, it provides quick responses. However, live chat therapy also tends to produce shorter messages. When you need instant relief or advice, live chat is a great solution.
What is Messaging Therapy?
Messaging your therapist allows you to provide a more detailed message, and the therapist can formulate a more detailed response as a result. A disadvantage of messaging is that it doesn't allow for body language or tone of voice, which are typically important in a traditional therapy session.
What is Voice Call Therapy?
Using the mobile phone or an app, you can speak to the therapist through voice. This allows for tone and emotions to come through to the therapist, but no facial expressions.
What is Video Chat Therapy?
Video chatting is always ideal if you want an experience that is comparable to seeing a traditional counselor. You can share and see both the body language and hear the tone of voice with the therapist.
The above testimonials about our e-therapy services are just a few of the thousands that we've received over the years from our users who have benefited from using this platform and being connected to one of our online therapists.
Not only do these comments help us appreciate the fact that we're providing a therapist service that really helps people with a mental illness or other life issues, but it also results in us creating a better psychotherapy product and service.
With that in mind, as long as we're in a position to help people connect with a licensed professional... we’ll be working hard to help as many people as possible through our therapist platform by using video, telephone, messaging, and live chat therapy.
You still might be wondering, "How can this kind of counseling work for someone like me?" If that is the case, please take a look at some of our other reviews to understand the user experience you can expect and see how our therapists have been able to help people in more than 143 million live sessions.
Does Confidential Online Therapy Help?
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Therapy Benefit #1: Cost
For many people interested in counseling in the United States, finding an affordable option that isn't overly expensive can be a challenge, which is a primary reason that working with a licensed therapist at BetterHelp has become increasingly popular. Even if you have traditional health insurance, struggling to find a therapist that accepts insurance can be hard to find (which means potential clients must pay out of pocket). The challenge starts with doing the hard work of seeking help, and then the therapist expects the payment for the session to be taken care of upfront, which can cost over $200 for one single session. When comparing that experience with therapy visits via our platform, those in-person sessions generally don't include phone, video chatting, or messaging counseling sessions.
Therapy Benefit #2: Accessibility
There are a variety of ways internet-based and other computerized communication with a therapist can work, whether that's on the phone, via unlimited messaging therapy, or during video chat sessions. This means visiting your therapist's office in person isn't required for BetterHelp sessions since all sessions are virtual visits. Additionally, you can select and identify whatever matter you need assistance with within therapy, whether for yourself (issues including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or another important issue) or for you and your partner, if you would like a couples therapy session. Additionally, if you're looking to get support for your child/teenager or need a family session... we offer a platform of licensed therapists dedicated to serving teens between the ages of 13-19 years old. Teenagers often respond well to counseling and working with counselors and therapists on our platform because they are more comfortable with messaging or video chatting than they are with sitting in a waiting room at a therapist's office.
It's a fact that people express their emotions in different ways, and it's not always easy being open and honest about your feelings sitting in a therapist’s office. It could exacerbate anxious feelings for people with social anxiety, making them feel like shutting down. As opposed to this therapy treatment that requires a visit to a therapist’s office, if you're struggling with social anxiety or trauma, you can take the time needed to get comfortable with your counselor. Maybe you start with messaging for counseling and build up to sessions that are mostly or all via video chats; whatever you are most comfortable with while communicating with your therapist.
Therapy Benefit #3: Convenience
There's something intimate about communicating with a therapist in the privacy of your own home or a space that you've chosen for your online sessions. With a traditional therapist, you're on their turf and in their environment during a session. The therapist typically chooses the place for treatment, and you're a visitor in their space.
With individual therapy, you're in control of where you receive care for your concerns and challenging situations, whether you're using web therapy through video chatting or unlimited messaging counseling with a therapist. If you're experiencing panic, sometimes being in familiar surroundings helps, rather than having to be in a space or environment you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. BetterHelp offers an excellent alternative to visiting a local therapist's office for reasons like these. You choose the surroundings, and you control when and how you get the help you need.
Therapy Benefit #4: Therapist Choices
You can choose from many different licensed virtual therapists from our network of over 20,000 licensed therapists. When you're looking through your health insurance company's list of providers, you may not see a therapist who treats your personal issues or is best suited for you. Whereas with our therapy option, there are so many licensed and experienced professionals available, and you'll likely find one you click with.
When you see how many of our therapists are available that can help you; you'll soon realize that there's hope that things can change and get better. We're confident that on our HIPAA-compliant platform, there's a good match for you specifically to help deal with tough times.
Common Concerns People Have
Privacy - is your counseling session private?
Online therapy has a secrecy oath, just like traditional therapy in a therapist's office, which can be a therapeutic relationship worth building. The challenge is that counseling sessions at BetterHelp can create the possibility of speaking with your therapist just about anywhere (such as using messaging therapy while out and about). If your goal is for your counseling sessions to be private, it's important to realize there's a chance that someone can hear you, look at your phone, or even recognize you during a teletherapy video chat.
If privacy is a concern for you, we recommend speaking with your therapist from the comfort of your own home (or in a private office or other private space for your therapy & counseling session).
Who am I speaking with through this therapy platform? What if I don't know their credentials?
Each of our mental health professionals on BetterHelp.com is a licensed therapist ready for you to create a helpful therapeutic process together. We take mental health seriously and want to make sure that we offer assistance through licensed professionals & therapists. Every therapist here must pass through multiple rounds of interviews, including a rigorous background check to verify state licensing boards' credentials. All of our licensed therapists have at least 1,000 hours and three years' worth of therapy experience.
Understanding BetterHelp Services
BetterHelp is a therapy service designed to help people struggling with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, as well as individuals that need an experienced therapist to talk to. As mentioned earlier, all of our therapists are licensed, and unlimited messaging therapy is available. You're not alone, and we're ready to help you get well, regardless of whether you have health insurance. We want to make it clear that many of our counseling users feel that it's easy to find an available therapist who can treat important life concerns.
We've helped facilitate millions of therapy sessions for our users using the online therapy therapeutic process to help them with everything from reducing PTSD symptoms to managing chronic pain from disabilities. You can find the right match with a therapist without having to spend time looking for licensed therapists in your area, which is a common hurdle people experience when wanting to try psychotherapy. With thousands of therapists and counselors available, you can find the counselor you need and be able to improve your life and your mental wellbeing using this therapy service.
For more information about our company and therapy services, as well as the kind of therapeutic relationship you might build with our therapists and counselors, please visit our FAQ section to view answers to common questions about counseling & psychotherapy with our therapists. To learn more and determine if this type of therapy service is right for you, take a look at our video about counseling services with a BetterHelp therapist covering the topic. If you have questions for us about counseling, please reach us on our contact page.
If you are in a crisis or any other person may be in danger due to an emergency, don't use this therapy service. For on-demand help:
If you need domestic violence support, please contact The National Domestic Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
If you need substance use support, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you need sexual abuse support, please contact the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network at 1-800-656-4673.
Call the 24 hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, which can provide you with immediate help for an emergency call or visit the nearest emergency room and get the emergency resources you need.
"My BetterHelp therapist asked the same kinds of thought-provoking questions as the traditional therapists I worked with within the past. (What is it about your future that you're unsure of? Can you tell me about your old life and what is different now?) Because of the continuing, open-ended nature of the text chat, however, she helped me identify anxiety triggers and coping mechanisms much faster than it would have taken had we met only once a week. What's more, I came to find that launching the BetterHelp site on my smartphone or laptop and writing out my thoughts became therapeutic in itself."
"A lot of the user base that's interested are people who have never set foot in a therapist's office," says Haesue Jo, a licensed therapist and clinical support lead at BetterHelp, an online counseling and therapy service that provides web-based, phone, and text interaction. "This is a way for people to stick their toe in the water if they've been fearful of talking to a therapist before."
"'We've heard from our therapists how Coronavirus increased the level of anxiety with their current clients. We've also seen a spike in people starting online therapy with us,' Alon Matas, President of Teladoc's BetterHelp, told me. 'The number of new members with concerns of stress and anxiety in February more than doubled vs. February of last year, and this trend is accelerating in March.' BetterHelp provides free service for clients who have been financially impacted by the outbreak (e.g., layoff or loss of income). The company is offering financial aid for a new client that can cover nearly 50% of the counseling cost. Counselors will still be paid, but BetterHelp will subsidize the loss."
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):
How much should I expect to spend on therapy?
The cost of counseling through BetterHelp ranges from $60 to $90 per week (billed every 4 weeks). You can cancel your psychotherapy membership with your therapist at any time for any reason.
How can therapy with a licensed therapist help me? (online counseling proof)
There are many studies that confirm the effectiveness of therapy for making life changes when working with a licensed therapist and building that therapeutic relationship. For example, a study published by JMIR Publications and the Berkeley Well-Being Institute found that this counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy (even cognitive behavioral therapy & counseling) with an experienced therapist for reducing depression symptoms. You can read the full study about this kind of psychotherapy and a wide range of therapy topics here.
Where can I learn more about BetterHelp's?
To learn more about BetterHelp, please find us below.
Online therapy sessions are a unique therapeutic journey with a therapist that can vary in price based on your individual circumstances. In most cases, out-of-pocket or health insurance based counseling sessions cost less than an in-office visit. There’s no student plan for these services, but the sessions are affordable for people who are in school and on a budget. With traditional in-person therapy, you could end up paying much more for therapist sessions than you could if you met with a counselor at BetterHelp. However, their counseling & therapeutic approaches are often similar.
When people compare the pros and cons of counseling vs. in-office therapy costs, affordable counseling and face-to-face live video options are becoming the more popular choice. Keep in mind that our therapists and mental health professionals adhere to the laws, standards, and best practices for each state that they provide counseling services in.
Does Insurance Cover Therapy? (including BetterHelp Web Therapy & Counseling)
The answer to this is - maybe. The Mental Health Parity Act currently requires that employers and a few others who provide access to group health plans must offer equal benefits for medical (science based) and mental health related counseling & therapist services. As a result, a few major health insurance providers now cover online behavioral health services as a part of their group therapy health insurance plans; which is not the same as community peer support.
Check with your group health insurance provider, employer, or doctor to learn if your employer or health plan provides coverage for behavioral health-related therapist, psychotherapy, and counseling services under the Mental Health Parity Act. When you contact your provider, follow the prompts to enter your insurance information to gain access to your plan's coverage details. Take our short quiz now and set up your first consultation with a therapist here at BetterHelp! Having a chat with your therapist has never been easier. Don't delay; choose your therapist from our pool of available counselors.
If you are looking for a mental health diagnosis from a company like BetterHelp (or one of the competing sites like ReGain [for couples & relationships], Pride Counseling, Faithful Counseling [religious or Christian based], etc), it's probably a good idea to reach out to one of the medical doctors recommended by your insurance company. Additionally, if you are looking for licensed clinical social workers, BetterHelp is an online therapy company offering therapy sessions with a licensed and experienced counselor... not social workers.
Does Medicare, or Medicaid insurance cover the best online therapy program here at BetterHelp?
The BetterHelp counseling platform offers affordable and sliding-fee out-of-pocket based talk therapy with experience therapeutic professionals. In some cases, out-of-pocket costs for counseling can be reimbursed by a medical insurance or behavioral health insurance plan. If you aren’t sure if your health insurance plan provides coverage for psychotherapy and behavioral health-related therapist services (for cognitive behavioral therapy) -- talk to your Medicare or Medicaid insurance provider before your first appointment as part of your virtual visit process.
You can find the contact information for your Medicare or Medicaid provider on the back of your state-issued health insurance card. Use the contact number on the back of your card to keep your information secure. With that question answered, we hope you can work with a therapist and connect with a therapist who shares helpful information and provides the support you need via counseling. Connect with a therapist today!
Medically Reviewed (including fact-checking) Counseling & Therapy Articles - Find a few of over 4,000 below:
How Do I Find DBT Therapy Near Me? - Learn more about dialectical behavior therapy and how to find therapists & mental health providers near you that can help.
Identifying Stress Symptoms and Solutions - Discover how self-care, peer support, coping skills, and discussions with a clinical psychologist (aka clinic therapists) can help you with stress and any behavior change you would like to see via online counseling.
What Are Gestalt Therapy Techniques - Learn how these techniques can positively impact mental health promotion as well as physical health to some degree with the help of an online counselor (therapists).
Articles About Psychiatry - Browse through a wide variety of psychiatry & psychiatric articles that explain what it's like to work with a psychiatrist (a type of mental health doctor that can prescribe medication, helps with schizophrenia, etc but not necessarily for weight loss or diabetes management) and the benefits that come to people who use this form of counselling. Learn more about working with psychiatrists today.
Is Solutions Counseling Right For Me? - https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/is-solutions-counseling-right-for-me/ - Learn how this therapeutic practice with a trained psychotherapist can help you get the support you need after a simple consultation and assessment. Even if it becomes obvious that this treatment isn't for you, there are other therapies that could help you by working with a different mental health professional like psychiatrists or other non online counseling options.
Get started and try BetterHelp psychotherapy & cognitive behavioral therapy today, keeping in mind that you can easily switch therapists, and all of our marriage and family therapists are licensed. It doesn't take long for you to fill out a quiz so we can match you with a general or marriage and family therapist that can give you the help you need using ouronline therapy platform. Finding a therapist has never been easier, so make sure you're taking the time you need in finding the right online counseling therapist so you can develop a healthy professional relationship with your therapist. You deserve to be happy, so get ready to schedule helpful sessions with your therapist today! Here is a link to get started with online counseling & psychotherapy and to feeling better with a licensed mental health professional & therapist.
Related Articles: Best Platform Resources, Worksheets, Important Research Articles For Different, Specific Needs, Private Messaging Experiences, Affordable Online TherapyPricing, Live Video, Phone Calls, Live Sessions, Teen Counseling, Health Insurance Coverage, Psychotherapy And More FAQ: Related Articles
Whether you need help with your personal relationship or mental health conditions (like anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, a concerning panic disorder, smoking cessation, addiction, lgbtqia & lgbtq topics, and more severe mental health condition concerns)... this form of couples therapy might be all you need. Our experienced online counseling therapists are licensed from LPCs to those with a master’s degree. This is a safe space for couples.
The world's largest therapy platform (BetterHelp) can help you today with our licensed therapists. Therapy sessions with a BetterHelp therapist can help you get happy today. Try out our counseling service with a licensed therapist.
Get matched with an online therapist today. If you are concerned about your potential therapist, remember there is no issue with switching your online therapist until you find one that best suits you for online therapy sessions.
Are you wondering "what is online therapy?" Review some well written and researched therapy & counselor related articles and free mental health resources below:
Discover the benefits of our internet based therapist platform, even before worrying about having to pay for our online therapy services.
Understanding BetterHelp - Learn about BetterHelp's 147+ million therapeutic counseling sessions with licensed counselors using our therapy app which allows anyone with an internet connection to sign up for online counseling.
Therapy Benefits - Learn how BetterHelp online therapy & counseling benefits people by enabling them to work with an experienced therapist via our online counseling app.
Potential Therapy Concerns - Concerns about this online counseling service via the BetterHelp therapy platform.
