Online Therapy and How It Has Helped Me

Our world is ever changing, especially when it comes to technology. Now, most tasks can be completed online without ever having to leave your couch. Just this week I was wanting to buy a seasoning that I can only buy from a grocery store 40 minutes from my house. After a quick search on Amazon, I have two bottles of it coming in the mail to me in two days.

That being said, when I was on the hunt for a therapy option this winter and wanted something easy and reliable, I turned to the internet. While, I know this is not the cheapest option for therapy, it has been the best option for me. My insurance is not accepted at a lot of offices near me and I would have to travel a bit to get to them. Living in Maine, having to travel a bit, especially in the winter, is not always feasible. This made online therapy a no-brainer for me.

Setting Up My Account

So which service did I decide to use? BetterHelp was the best option for me. Signing up was super easy! I downloaded the app to my phone and began the survey. They ask for all different types of relevant information to help pair you with the right therapist. They ask questions such as your sexuality, any diagnoses you already have, any struggles you are dealing with, when the last time was that you have had suicidal thoughts (if depression is something you have dealt with), and more. I found that it was a thorough survey without asking unnecessary information. Once I answered all of the questions and added my payment information, I was asked to wait a day or two for them to match me with a therapist. One question I appreciated in the survey was if you wanted a therapist who specialized in LGBT support if you identify as being a member of the community. I really liked that they took this into consideration and are really there to support all types of people. I waited two days and received an email notification that I was matched with a therapist.

I opened the application and found a message from my therapist. She had attached her bio which included her experience in therapy, her licenses, and review of others who have had her as their therapist. After reviewing her information, I confirmed her as my therapist. Once that was completed, I received a copy of the privacy rules for my review. From here, I spent some time exploring the app.

Features of the Application

In the app, you have a chat with your therapist. This is where your scheduled sessions are posted and you can send a message to your therapist at any time. They do not guarantee an immediate response to messages but you can expect to hear from them within 24 hours or so. There is also an area in the app to journal your thoughts. You can chose to share a journal entry with your therapist or not, it’s completely up to you. You have a scheduling section where you can schedule your next session. It will show, on a calendar, the available dates and times of your therapist for the coming weeks. You cannot schedule a session if you have not completed your next session. My next session is on Wednesday and I can’t schedule another until I have completed that one. Lastly, there is a groupinar section of the app where you can join a session, on whatever topic you would like. They have various sessions on all sorts of topics for all different times throughout the day. Right now there is a session on “Creative Coping and Self-Regulation” scheduled for 1:00pm. This is just one example of the dozens of goupinars they offer. There is an account tab where you can change your billing, therapist, and contact BetterHelp themselves. One of my favorite features, and the last one to discuss, is the pin number. To open the application and access all of your information, you need to put in a pin number that you have set. I like this feature because it keeps this secure from prying eyes if they get ahold of your device.

Sessions

They offer three types of sessions, chat, voice, and video. All of these types of sessions are started through the application itself. You must be logged into the app for your therapist to begin the chat. I have only done a text chat with my therapist as that is easiest with my anxiety. I log in a minute or so before my session and wait for my therapist to launch the session. Once she launches it, we are in a locked, timed chat for a half hour. It shows what I am typing to her and what she is typing to me as we type. This means I get her responses in real time which helps to make the session as productive as possible. I have found these sessions to be extremely helpful for my mental health and will continue to use this service.

Helpful Links

Below you will find a referral link. It will give you a free session with BetterHelp. I will also receive a free session. So if you would like to try it out and would like to help me out as well, please click here!

Lastly, if you or someone you know needs emergency help please call 911 for emergency assistance. For non-emergency assistance please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255