Your insurance may not cover the costs of BetterHelp. BetterHelp counseling. It offers counseling through online messaging, live chat, and video and phone sessions. Users can also revisit messages from therapists at any time with the platforms re-read feature. The platform may be difficult to use if you dont have consistent access to the internet or phone services or a private space for therapy sessions. BetterHelp uses a monthly membership payment plan, but you can cancel your membership at any time. Ultimately, how BetterHelp measures up against its competitors will depend on your personal needs, preferences and what you hope to get out of your therapy experience. I was hooked up with an amazing therapist, and she is so intelligent and kind-hearted. It also. BetterHelp runs on a subscription model. To sign up, you'll take a survey on the BetterHelp site to match you to the right therapist.. Alena is a professional writer, editor and manager with a lifelong passion for helping others live well. The platform does not accept insurance. Here are six types of therapy and the benefits of each. It would help us match you with the most suitable therapist for you. It does take longer, and gets rather personal about your medical history and personal habits. Instead, you can choose a nickname your therapist can call you. A 2019 study assessed the effectiveness of BetterHelp for treating depression. This means that everything discussed during appointments is strictly confidential unless theres a case of immediate harm to the user or someone else. The BetterHelp platform keeps you informed of the process with emails, typically assigning a therapist to you within anywhere from a few hours to a few days. An algorithm will pair you with a licensed therapist based on your answers. As a result, many people experiencing mental health issues turned to online therapy platforms like BetterHelp. A subscription ranges from $60 to $90 a week, billed monthly. While other online therapy platforms may have more options for insurance coverage or allow you to pick your own therapist, BetterHelp allows users to message their therapist at any time through communication modes such as chat, phone, video and text message. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. On Google Play, the BetterHelp app received 4.7 stars from more than 26,000 reviews. McLean SA, et al. The company stands out in the online therapy field as being specifically geared toward depression and anxiety. Overall, users were very satisfied with both platforms, and the companies received similar ratings in most categories: 90% of Brightside users rated it good to excellent overall, while 86% of BetterHelp users did the same. Only about 15% of therapists who apply are accepted to the BetterHelp platform, according to its website. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. BetterHelp allows customers to change therapists at any time and as many times as they find necessary. We dont publish any health content until our. Prices range from $60 to $90 a week, depending on how many live sessions you want to schedule. Consider in-person therapy rather than virtual therapy if you: Also, BetterHelp therapy sessions may not be suitable for people who need more intense treatment options, like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic therapy. As a Product Manager at BetterHelp, you'll join a diverse team of licensed clinicians, engineers, product pros, creatives, marketers, and business leaders who share a passion for expanding . While a diagnosis is usually needed to gain access to prescriptions or when insurance is billed, therapy is still effective for learning coping strategies and mechanisms. If you want to communicate with your therapist outside your scheduled therapy sessions, you can message them, and they will message you back. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Health site. Whether youre dealing with grief, want to improve your coping strategies, or youre just feeling down - BetterHelp makes starting therapy easy. Both begin with a short questionnaire about your background, your location, and why you are seeking therapy. Teletherapy was found to be just as effective as in-person therapy, so it can be a good option when an in-person meeting with a therapist is not possible. Psych Central does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. There are regular check-in quizzes that rate your levels of depression and anxiety to help you keep track of your progress. Your . However, I stuck with the same therapist, and over the course of four video sessions, she offered suggestions on ways to alleviate or prevent anxiety and resolve recurring communication issues with one of my siblings. If youre in crisis or experiencing an emergency, call 911 for assistance. Since theres no commuting for online therapy, it tends to be easier to fit into clients schedules than in-person therapy. In general, BetterHelp says its services can work well for people looking to improve their quality of life. We read customers comments and looked at how other trustworthy websites scored BetterHelp. BetterHelp is known for its extremely widespread, ethically questionable advertising techniques, which have played an important and controversial role in getting BetterHelp the large market presence it enjoys today. *Please note: When we say basics in the services offered column, we are grouping anxiety, stress, relationship issues, depression, LGBTQIA+ counseling, and grief counseling together. They spent, MediaRadar captures creative run on the top websites, magazines and national television stations for over. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. BetterHelp also notes that one of the advantages of e-counseling is that you can always look back at the messages youve exchanged with your therapist. BetterHelp pairs users with licensed therapists for web-based therapy sessions. Submit ONCE per commercial, and allow 48 to 72 hours for your request to be processed. Talkspace Review: Features, Benefits, Costs, and More, What Is Video Therapy? Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing ineating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change. The BetterHelp platform was easy to navigate, and I enjoyed my therapy experience. Our Story First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. Heres everything you need to know. Brightside accepts a wide range of insurance: Cigna, Aetna, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Anthem CA, and Allegiance are all considered in-network, and it also accepts health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) card payments. BetterHelp markets itself as the largest online therapy network in the world. Rapid turnaround from sign-up to first session, Surge pricing can result in unexpected fee hikes. Brightside uses Zoom to host all therapy sessions, and sends a Zoom link to your portal. Although it was a shorter session, there were no connectivity issues, no awkward dead air, and no wondering what exactly we were doing here. See what our experts have to say about Talkspace and if it's right. Therapy sessions at BetterHelp are typically 30 minutes, though some therapists may allow for longer sessions upon request. This includes eating disorders and substance use disorders. (2019). Our surveyed users found, as I did, that therapists as both companies were dependable and competent. Text-based communication (texting and live-chat sessions) are a great way to take some of the anxiety out of starting therapy and help clients dive into the process, says James Imrie, the creative and marketing manager at BetterHelp. 2005-2023 Psych Central a Red Ventures Company. Its also important to consider what you want included with your plan, if you intend to supplement your sessions with additional support. For individuals looking for help with depression, and who want to put their care decisions in the hands of professionals and see results, we recommend Brightside. Online therapy with a trained mental health professional is rarely free, but our picks for free mental health services can make it easier. Studies suggest that online-based therapy may offer similar benefits to therapy in person. See where else they recently placed direct ads. Only Brightside takes insurance, which 30% of its users listed as an important factor for choosing the company. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. She is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and a functional medicine certified health coach. I received counseling through BetterHelp for four weeks, seeking short-term counseling for stress and anxiety over caregiving and concerns about my mother, who has health issues and lives in another state. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. During sign-up, there are low-income and student selections, and if you indicate the standard rate is prohibitive, you may be greeted with a pop-up or email offering you an even lower session rate, if it is available in your area. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. If you are looking for a more convenient form of therapy that you can access from the comfort of your own home, BetterHelp may be a better option for you. (2016). The journal feature may be useful if you want to try writing down your thoughts and feelings. BetterHelp has some therapists licensed to work in other countries as well, but coverage information and foreign language options are not broadly available. BetterHelp Learn More My Doubts About Online Therapy You may connect with them through text-only messaging in your private chat room. My counselor made suggestions without pushing me to follow them and offered ways I could cope with anxiety, such as breathing exercises and journaling techniques for perceiving fears or worries in a more realistic and logical way. Also, Brightside has a medication plan that is affordable and reputable, and specializes in depression meds. With Brightside, you can also message your therapist, but the messaging platform is intended for scheduling and service issues rather than therapy itself. Therapists are licensed, trained and experienced in their respective fields, all having either a masters or doctorate degree. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. To get you started, BetterHelp asks you to complete a questionnaire about why youre seeking therapy, as well as information about the conditions or issues youre living with, plus your preferences regarding a therapist (i.e., age, gender, religion, language). 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