So you're interested in learning more about what it's like to work as a licensed online therapist here on our platform? With more than 56 million online therapy sessions on our platform to date (using messaging, chat, phone, and live video, including video conferencing), we're happy to talk about all of the benefits of working with one of the experienced mental health counselors on our platform. Seeing a therapist on the Internet isn’t social media therapy. You’re not getting advice from online friends, but rather you are working with licensed mental health professionals who genuinely care about your wellbeing. You can work with a therapist through text chat, voice messaging and video chat, whichever you feel the most comfortable using. So many people benefit from treatment and seeing therapists, professional counselors, and social workers. Therapy helped swimmer Michael Phelps cope with depression, anxiety, and stress. BetterHelp offers one of the best online therapy programs and provides excellent customer support to our clients. Working with an online therapist is convenient, affordable, and can help you address common issues that people face in their lives.

Our Mission - Why Is Online Therapy Important?

As a company that is dedicated to providing professional unlimited online therapy services to a growing audience of people that is convenient, easily accessible, and affordable. We're happy to help you better understand how you can deal with life's challenges and struggles by getting help anytime and anywhere using working with a therapist online. We want you to know that you can get help and get happy today. We’re dedicated to providing excellent customer support to our clients. We want our users to see the best therapist for their needs. Online therapy programs offer different ways to communicate with professional counselors who care. Living with a mental health condition is easier when you have support, and that’s what online therapy programs provide. Whether you text, video chat, or engage in audio messaging, your therapist sees the real you. 

Online Therapists Available via BetterHelp

BetterHelp provides access to over 5,500 licensed & certified mental health professionals as an alternative to in-office therapy. These providers have helped over a million people with their mental health. Could a million people be wrong? One of the most common misconceptions that people have about our services is online therapy is as expensive as in-person mental health treatment. The reality is that online therapy sessions are more easily accessible and less expensive than face-to-face visits in a traditional therapist's office. You can choose to text, video chat or talk to your professional counselor on the phone. Each of these is a valid way to receive therapy from a licensed therapist. 

When you register for an account online here at BetterHelp you are eligible to participate in distance therapy and telemental health services from the following types of providers.

• Psychologists - engage in talk therapy without the ability to prescribe medication.
• Social Workers - online counseling and offline intervention services for individuals and families in distress. 
• Licensed Professional Counselors - professional therapists who are licensed to provide talk therapy services and couples therapy online.

Psychiatrists - Currently we do not provide psychiatric services here on the BetterHelp platform.

Online Therapy Modalities and Treatments for TeleMental Health Care

Online therapists practice the same therapy methodologies and (provide the same recommended treatments) as their in-office therapy or traditional therapy counterparts (although sometimes not having to deal with insurance companies). Mental health professionals who provide therapy online via live chat sessions, texting therapy and video conferencing, where you can meet with your therapist and see their face. It’s a way to feel more connected to them. Providers use other digitally connected means to reach our users that sign up with our service via our mobile app. (iOS & Android) The BetterHelp app is available through the App store on Apple, and the Google Play store. 

When you opt for online sessions your therapist can access your texting therapy and online chat session notes at any time to respond to your questions and concerns. No more waiting for in-office therapy "business hours" to get the help you need. The online therapy counseling room via our app is available 24-hours a day; all you need to do is setup up a time with your counselor to get the help and support you need.

An online therapist is a mental health professional who is licensed to provide online counseling (and couples therapy), diagnosis, treatment, and telemental health services for issues including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other common mental health-related disorders. It’s different than support groups where you are talking to people who are struggling with the same issues. With online therapy, the treatment you receive is with a therapist from the privacy of your home. The best online therapy provides patients with relief (and a lasting reduction in anxiety and stress.)

According to the American Psychological Association, the following are five of the most common types of therapy an online therapist can provide.

1. Psychoanalysis - This modality of online therapy involves the study of unconscious drives and desires that may be affecting your conscious behaviors. Licensed therapists who practice this model of online therapy believe that helping you to uncover your hidden motives and to face them head on, is the key to good mental health.

Psychoanalysis is one of the most widely recognized forms of therapy that focuses on the unconscious. Therapists who focus on psychoanalysis normally do so in contrast to the methodologies that apply to cognitive behavior therapy with the belief that the unconscious, and not the conscious, is what really drives human behavior. 

On some occasions you may find a therapist who combines psychoanalysis with cognitive-behavior therapy using an integrative approach.

Remember, regardless of what mode of therapy or mental health services you choose, you are in the driver's seat. Your willingness to participate in your own healing is the ultimate predictor of whether you'll overcome your mental health challenges --sooner than later.

2. Behavior Therapy - An online therapist who practices this model of therapy believes that recognizing and eliminating negative behaviors from our daily lives is the best way to take control of your mental health. Behavior therapy is often associated with cognitive therapy as both are self-aware modalities.

Sessions with a behavior therapist are likely to center around eliminating negative behaviors that produce undesirable results and replacing them with positive "results-oriented" behavior.

3. Cognitive Therapy - Mental health professionals who specialize in cognitive behavior therapy prefer to take a "thinking" approach to online therapy. Online chat sessions with a therapist in this category are likely to be based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and focus on organizing your inner world in order to see lasting changes in your mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an excellent form of mental health treatment where you can work on reframing negative thought patterns, which can treat issues including anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.

Your cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions will be focused on import cognitive aspects, like mindfulness and establishing problem-solving methods based on logic. CBT is an excellent tool where you can separate emotions from thoughts. Behavioral therapy can change the way you interact with people in your life, and help you strengthen your relationships.

4. Humanistic Therapy - This "person-based" therapy is a form of goal-setting therapy that guides clients to focus on achieving their fullest potential through mindfulness and behavior modification. In-office therapy and online sessions with a humanistic therapist are likely to focus on relieving depression, anxiety, and providing good therapy by developing strategies to help clients realistically achieve their goals.

Humanistic practitioners believe that the key to mental health and wellness is a steady progression of achievements towards important life goals. These therapists place a high value on community and service.

5. Integrative/Holistic - Sessions with an online therapist who practices integrative therapy are likely to combine a variety of principles from each of the therapy modalities listed above. Holistic therapists believe in a person-centered approach and provides a combination of therapy modalities to balance mental health.

Regardless of their chosen modalities or method of treatment, licensed therapists provide diagnosis and treatment for mental health related conditions like anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and bipolar depression (BPD).

There are other forms of therapy that a person can try, including exposure therapy, trauma counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder and behavioral therapy. There is also marriage and family therapists for marriage counseling and family counseling. It all depends on what type of mental health needs you have.