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BetterHelp Review

Saturday, March 25th

2023 Online Therapy Reviews

Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award BetterHelp Review 5 Star Rating

BetterHelp

5 Star Rating
  • Membership-based
  • Prices range from $60 to $90 per week, billed every 4 weeks
  • Matches you to a therapist
  • Multiple theory types and styles
  • Accredited by the BBB with an "A-" rating
Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

In business since 2013, BetterHelp calls itself the largest online counseling platform in the world. From what we could find, they're right. BetterHelp's counselors offer their services through a variety of methods including online messages, live chat, phone sessions, and video sessions. BetterHelp works on a membership mode -so you pay to be part of the site and get access to their in-house therapists counselors, and psychiatrists.

Mental health membership

Since BetterHelp is a membership model, you will be charged recurring fees to be a member. Their prices range from $60 to $90 per week, charged every 4 weeks. This covers four 30-45 minute sessions a month, which you can choose how to allocate. BetterHelp offers an annual payment option at a reduced rate, which lowers the overall cost. Although they don't offer any free trials, the program does provide easy cancellation of your membership. They also offer some financial aid opportunities if you can't afford therapy and are covered by some private insurance policies.

Counselor accreditation

With over 30,049 individual therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists on their roster, BetterHelp offers professional counseling from accredited and licensed professionals. All counselors at BetterHelp have a master's degree or doctorate in their field and at least three years of professional experience. For additional piece of mind, BetterHelp evaluates all their providers by verifying licensure and requiring an exam that's reviewed by a licensed clinician.

Only the top 25% of applying professionals

Even then, only the top 25% of professionals applying to BetterHelp get in. The company promises that their therapists offer the same professionalism and quality that you'd get with an in-person counselor. Since they operate online, you have a much more flexible and personalized schedule than you could get with in-person visits. You can meet with them wherever you are.

There for what you need

BetterHelp meets a wide range of different mental health needs. The company knows that individuals are diverse and unique, and the site offers just as much variety in the type of counseling. Their range of therapy includes:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Addictions
  • Eating disorders
  • Sleep disorders
  • Parenting
  • Anger
  • Trauma
  • Family and marital conflicts
  • LGBTQ matters
  • Grief
  • Religion

Get a recommended match or choose for yourself

Part of what this site does well is match you up with a therapist who best fits your profile. Alternatively, you can search for your own therapist in the BetterHelp directory if you'd rather find someone yourself after your initial match. This is a much easier (and less stressful) process than vetting therapists in-person.

Best Online Therapy

A few limitations

Keep in mind there are a few areas where BetterHelp isn't ideal. BetterHelp is not for individuals who:

  • Have thoughts of hurting themselves and others
  • Are having an urgent crisis or emergency
  • Are a minor
  • Are seeking help due to a court order

Overwhelming positive reviews

BetterHelp is rated well by reviewers, averaging a 4.5-star rating across different sites. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an impressive "A-" rating. The positive reviews note that the service is fast, that they felt the therapist BetterHelp connected them with was a good match, and that BetterHelp's professionals really did help them improve their mental health across a variety of needs. The few less-than-stellar reviews we found related to problems with particular counselors, not BetterHelp itself.

It really is better at BetterHelp

Overall, BetterHelp stands out as an exceptional resource for online therapy. They offer a huge number of vetted and experienced counselors to choose from based on your needs, preferences, and location, along with an affordable and flexible membership plan. With such a large number of positive reviews, and an emphasis on customer-focused policies, BetterHelp earns our highest rating.

Where Can You Find the Best Online Therapy?

Have you been feeling down lately? A little stressed out? Do you feel like you want someone to talk to but you're limited by your local options? Or maybe you just don't have time for extra driving in your busy schedule? No matter what your therapy needs, if you feel like you need help, you deserve it.

Whether you're a long-time therapy patient, or you're looking to turn over a new leaf with your mental health, there are tons of online options to make your therapy journey easier. But where can you get started? There are so many online therapy choices and so many different therapy styles that it can be hard to choose which way to turn.

The Best Online Therapy Services Compare Online Therapy Services Compare Online Therapy Reviews What are the best Online Therapy Services Best Online Therapy Reviews

Online Therapy FAQ

Therapy is for everyone. Therapy is a great place to talk through anything that might be on your mind. If you're worried about relationships, job situations, or feeling anxious in public you can start therapy. Many people attend to find solutions to mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, but you can pop in just to check up on yourself and have a non-biased listener to talk to for a while.
If you've got a good therapist or psychologist, it's not at all different. You can still talk exactly the same way you do in person, especially if you have video call appointments. However, logistically there are a few differences: you don't need to drive anywhere, but you do need to find a quiet and secluded place where you feel safe talking and won't be interrupted; there can sometimes be a little lag if your internet is slow, so save extra time for technical difficulties; and it can be harder to read expressions over the internet, so it might require a little adjustment for the first or second session.
All of these need to be licensed to practice; however, between a counselor and a therapist, the main difference is the focus. Both have Masters degrees and licenses for their particular state and type of therapy. Psychiatrists, however, have to have a medical degree, and only they are able to prescribe medication (though some certified nurse-practitioners have also taken extra coursework to be qualified to write prescriptions too).
Time and money. Before online options, in-person sessions required a drive and the cost of gas just to get to therapy. Depending on your local options, you were also limited to who was near enough to make the drive worth it. Now, you don't have to worry about traffic or the cost of gas, and you're not limited to your immediate area, opening up the therapy options considerably.
This entirely depends on the therapist and the platform. However, the average appointment is 45 minutes long with some appointments as short as 30 minutes or as long as 50.
This varies based on the platform you choose and the therapist you schedule with. Everyone has a different schedule, and some programs only offer one therapy session per month while others offer weekly sessions as part of the plan. If you work with an individual therapist instead of a platform subscription, this is something you'll talk about with your therapist during the first session.
This is something you and your therapist will discuss. If it's a matter of money, many session-by-session therapists are willing to spread out appointments for you. However, many plans offer a subscription that provides you with four sessions a month. Attending once a week is a good place to start, especially if you're coming in to work on something specific.
After submitting your intake forms, the first appointment is normally just a discussion between you and your therapist to get to know each other better. If you've never been to therapy before, it can be hard to know what to talk about, so your therapist may start by asking questions. No matter what, don't worry. There are no wrong answers in therapy. The session is for you and nobody else.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Telehealth and online therapy have become popular options. Nearly four in ten Americans (38%) have used telehealth services to meet with a medical or mental health professional, up from 31% in previous years. The majority of those who use telehealth or online therapy now started after the pandemic. Most patients are using telehealth through a video format (69%), while 38% have used phone calls only.

While many originally believed that telehealth and online therapy were lower-quality services compared to in-person treatment, the opinion on telehealth has increased by 40% since 2021. The National Center for Health Research found that online therapy is effective for treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. So, no matter what you need from your online session, you can be assured that you're getting the same treatment as an in-person session.

So, how do you choose the best online therapy provider for your needs? There are a lot of factors to consider. If you're not sure where to start your journey, here are a few things to help you decide:

  • Price: How much does a single session cost? Are there any additional fees?
  • Scheduling: Do you need an hour-long session or something shorter? Do you need a telehealth provider with flexible times for a changing schedule?
  • Style: Are you looking for a particular style of therapy? Do you want something solo or something for couples?
  • Therapist: Do you need a degree-holding psychiatrist for prescriptions, or do you want a more casual therapist to talk things over? Do you want someone who's studied particular theories like music therapy or a more generalized approach?
  • Modality options: Do you only want online sessions, or are you looking for something where you can also have in-person sessions?

To help you find the right kind of online therapy for you, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular providers across the US. We hope these will make it easy to start prioritizing your mental health in the best way for your needs.

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