The pros and cons of using BetterHelp Therapy
BetterHelp Therapy is an online platform that provides counselling services. The platform has qualified, licensed and experienced therapists that include psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, family therapists and mental health professionals.
However, you can only access BetterHelp therapy services online using a computer, tablet or a smartphone and not in person.
To understand BetterHelp Therapy better, here are its pros and cons. You can also look at these BetterHelp reviews.
Pros
1. Easy to get started
It's easy to get started with BetterHelp. You are required to fill a questionnaire, which can take about 30 minutes. The questions are about you and the kind of therapist you need. Based on your responses, the areas you need therapy are identified, and you are matched with a therapist.
Matching can be in a few hours or in a few days depending on their availability. From there, you can schedule a session based on the therapist calendar.
Note that you can either have a therapist matched to you based on how you answer your questionnaire or you can choose one from the directory.
2. Convenience
With BetterHelp, you get counselling services wherever you are. You don’t have to beat traffic, change your schedule or be on the waiting list to get therapy. You only need your mobile device and you are good to go.
Also, you can choose your communication method, either video conferencing, messaging, live chats or phone sessions. Remember, you need to schedule for live sessions such as video conferencing, live chats and phone sessions.
You can message your therapist at any time, and there is no need to schedule. This means you don’t have to stick to office hours to contact your therapist.
Once they respond, you receive an email notification. A therapist can respond to messages once a day or more frequently. This depends on their availability, although if you need frequent response, you can communicate it to the therapist.
3. Licensed professionals
Therapists at BetterHelp are professionals who are vetted. They have the required qualifications, are licensed and have at least 3 years of experience with 1,000 hours.
Vetting the therapists is a rigorous process with only 15% of those who apply are approved. The process consists of verifying the credentials, reviewing their background and experience, a video interview exam, and a skills test on the platform. They are also monitored; they are subject to client feedback and they are required to have ongoing quality improvement.
The therapists have at least a Master’s degree with experience and accreditation as psychologists, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers. They are specialized in different areas such as relationships, depression, stress, anxiety, grief, sleep, anger, parenting, PTST, addiction, family conflict, religion, sexuality, identity among others.
The high standards ensure that the client gets good value for their money. Also, it ensures that the therapists are as qualified as in-person therapists.
4. Live sessions
If you are one who prefers live sessions, then BetterHelp is the place. Live sessions can be via chats, video or voice.
You can access live sessions with the basic subscriptions, and they are available for all subscribers. This is unlike other online counseling platforms where you need to have premium subscriptions to get live sessions.
5. You can switch therapists
You don’t feel comfortable with your current therapist? The platform makes it easy to switch a therapist any time. You only need to email BetterHelp and ask them to match you again. It is recommended that you switch to a new therapist after a few sessions and not right away since the first few sessions are impersonal.
Unfortunately, you will lose any communication you had with the previous therapist.
6. Great customer service
BetterHelp has great customer service which addresses issues raised promptly. Normally, they promise a reply in 24hours, of which they reply earlier.
7. Anonymity
You can use the services anonymously without revealing your identity.
Cons
Just like almost anything else, BetterHelp has cons.
1. No prescriptions
Therapists at BetterHelp do not prescribe medication or diagnose conditions.
2. Not covered by insurance
Most medical covers do not cover BetterHelp therapy, and so you will have to spend out of your pocket. However, you should confirm with your health insurance provider if the cost can be covered.
Notwithstanding, the price is competitive in comparison to deductibles, and co-pays for most insurance covers.
3. Pricing not clear
Usually, you will know the pricing after you complete the questionnaire, in the “Welcome” page, since there is no one-fits-all pricing.
However, the pricing is lower than in-person therapy. The weekly rate is between $48-80, depending on whether you get financial aid or reduced fee discount.
Membership starts when you begin to interact with a therapist.
