What I’ve Learned After Three Years of Using BetterHelp
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Editor's Note: This article has been medically reviewed by Dakari Quimby, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist. Quimby specializes in treating mental health concerns including trauma, relationship issues, anxiety, depression and family conflict. He operates the private practice Develop Mental Psychological Services in Los Angeles.
Five years ago, I was riding in the car with a friend of mine, babbling about something that seemed important to me at the time. I don’t remember what it was (or even where we were going), but I will never forget what my friend said, because it stopped me in my tracks. “Scott, I think you’d do really well in therapy.”
Looking back, I now realize that one simple phrase changed everything for me. Like many others, I will naturally resist something if told to do it. But my friend gave me an amazing gift by suggesting therapy could be a tool for growth and success, rather than what I’d always considered it to be: a chore or punishment I would have to endure due to failing to manage my mental health properly.
In another world, I would have had the self-awareness to take my friend’s advice. But that’s not what happened. I ignored what she said, pushed it deep down and waited for things to get worse. In the heart of the pandemic, shortly after my 30th birthday, I finally decided I wanted things to get better, so I clicked on an ad for BetterHelp. This month marks the three-year anniversary of signing up for the weekly online therapy service. So what is BetterHelp? Who is it best for? How does it stack up against other alternatives? After 150 video sessions, here’s what I’ve learned.
Mental health apps are not a substitute for a licensed professional. If you’re in crisis or having suicidal thoughts, text or call the Suicide and Crisis Help Line at 988.
BetterHelp at a Glance:
- Remote weekly therapy session with a licensed therapist
- Unlimited messaging through the platform
- Online journal with daily prompts
- Access to courses and group sessions led by BetterHelp providers
- Switch therapists whenever you like
- No penalty for canceling subscription
- Financial aid is available to those who qualify
What Is BetterHelp?
BetterHelp
BetterHelp is a subscription-based online mental health platform best known for its remote therapy services. Users are paired with licensed therapists, whom they can meet with during their weekly live video or phone sessions. Patients can also take advantage of BetterHelp’s unlimited messaging feature to contact their providers outside of their scheduled appointments. As part of the subscription, patients have access to an online journal and the ability to anonymously register for interactive courses taught by BetterHelp therapists.
The offering is ultimately this: BetterHelp gives you plenty of options to stay in touch with your therapist. This is only enhanced by the online nature of the platform. Since your therapist is a real person who needs to sleep, eat and take appointments with other patients, they cannot always respond to messages in real time. BetterHelp encourages its team of over 34,000 licensed professionals to respond to patients’ messages within 24–48 hours, but I can’t remember a time in three years I’ve waited longer than a day to hear back.
It’s moments like these, however, that allow BetterHelp’s additional communication features to shine. If I’ve had a particularly rough day but I’m having a hard time typing out my feelings, I can leave a video message. If I’m up in the middle of the night with racing thoughts, I can log in to the BetterHelp portal and use the online journal to type it all out.
I can only speak from my own experience, but the system has worked well for me. Knowing I can return to the communication tools BetterHelp offers any time I need to helps reduce any feelings of pressure to make sure I’m maximizing every second of my live video sessions.
How Does BetterHelp Work?
SI Showcase + BetterHelp
BetterHelp is a form of telehealth that connects users to licensed therapists through remote talk and text. The platform’s services are fairly straightforward: A monthly subscription entitles you to one video call or phone call per week and access to unlimited messaging between sessions.
All communication is done directly through the BetterHelp platform, either through the online portal or the mobile app. You’ll receive a text message both the evening before and the morning of to remind you of your upcoming session, a feature that has saved me from forgetting about my appointments more times than I’d like to admit.
If you have a consistent schedule, you can ask your therapist to book a standing appointment at the same time every week. If your schedule varies week-to-week, your therapist can work with you to find a convenient time to meet. Rescheduling is also easy, and you can even do it yourself with a couple of clicks.
Beyond that, your personal experience may be unique based on your preferred communication style and your therapist’s methods of therapy.
Getting Started with BetterHelp
BetterHelp
The first step in the BetterHelp sign-up process is filling out a questionnaire that includes about 30 questions. Most of the questions will only require a simple yes or no answer, but there are a few that will make you think. My recommendation is to take this part seriously, because the more information you provide, the better your chances of getting matched with right therapist. Before you are matched, you will have a chance to request a therapist that aligns with your specific preferences. You can also specify whether you’d like to be matched with a provider of a specific gender or religion, or one within the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and more (LGBTQIA+) community. You may select how you’d like to receive treatment, either via phone, video or live chat sessions.
Based on your answers to the questionnaire, you will be matched with a licensed provider whose specialties align with your individual therapy needs. From there, you can schedule your first appointment. You can even start messaging with them immediately if you so desire.
On your dashboard you will be able to see your assigned therapist’s biography, credentials and clinical approaches. My therapist, for example, specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Therapy and has over 40 years of experience.
If, for whatever reason, you are not jiving with your matched provider, you can easily request a new one directly through the portal. You do not need to justify why you’d like to change therapists. BetterHelp customer service will handle finding you a new match.
I feel fortunate that I matched with the right therapist on the first try. However, if you don’t end up in that boat, I’d encourage you to keep trying until you find the right therapist for you before writing off therapy. BetterHelp has plenty of tools to help you along the way, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to put in the effort.
My Experience With BetterHelp
An example of a user’s chat history with their therapist.
BetterHelp
I had some reservations about signing up for online therapy because I thought it might feel too distracting or impersonal. I didn’t know what type of therapy I needed, and that felt daunting. But I decided I needed to commit to the process and stay with it past the first month if I was going to give it a fair shot. After my first session, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it went. After my second, I knew I had made a great choice. It took almost no time at all before I felt like I had regained some control over the trajectory of my long-term mental wellness.
After sticking with BetterHelp for three years, I have found that live video sessions are now my preferred method of therapy. I have a standing appointment every Friday morning which has helped me build the habit of consistently investing in my mental health. It’s a routine, almost a ritual, that I look forward to as I fall asleep every Thursday night.
The convenience is unmatched. It’s really easy to just open up my laptop and start my session. Rather than braving traffic for a traditional in-person therapy provider, I can instead spend that time quietly reflecting on what I’d like to discuss during my session. It’s a great way to feel grounded prior to starting a session. Occasionally, I will even journal before my video call starts. At the very least, I will jot down some talking points and refer to my notes during the session.
The real-time unlimited messaging is probably my favorite feature. Specifically, I love that the chat history never gets deleted, so I can revisit anything my therapist and I have discussed over the past three years. I find it helpful to check in on my progress and remind myself of some key takeaways from our previous sessions.
One downside worth mentioning is that there isn’t an option to text your therapist directly. You have to do all of your communication through the mobile app or the BetterHelp website.
The mobile app is easy to use, and I find it to be less finicky than the online portal, which has crashed on me a handful of times. For example, every so often my microphone or webcam won’t connect to my laptop and I’ll lose a few minutes of my session while I restart or switch browsers. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s frustrating. While I find the virtual option more convenient than traditional therapy, you still have to deal with certain technological hurdles (like managing your internet connection).
Technology issues aside, I’m very happy I signed up for BetterHelp. I was paired with a fantastic therapist on the first try. The experience has changed my life drastically for the better and I anticipate using BetterHelp to meet with him for the foreseeable future.
Who BetterHelp Is Best For
BetterHelp has wide appeal. It’s a fantastic option for first-time therapy users. It’s also great for those who have done therapy in the past and are looking to get back into it. Whichever camp you are in, you can take advantage of all the same benefits BetterHelp has to offer.
The minimum weekly time commitment is only 45 minutes, the length of the average BetterHelp live therapy session. So if you wish therapy could be a part of your routine but struggle to make time for it, it’s just about blocking off time on your calendar. There’s no necessary time investment for commuting to a traditional therapy office, and there’s also no requirement to make use of the additional features outside of the weekly video call or phone call.
While it’s great for those short on time, it’s even better for those willing to invest in the online therapy experience beyond the bare minimum. Features such as unlimited messaging, an online journal and group sessions are all included in the BetterHelp subscription. The platform is designed to keep users engaged in multiple ways, which has helped me keep my mental health as a top priority since registering.
BetterHelp is also a good option for those seeking affordable mental health care, especially those without health insurance. Since BetterHelp doesn’t take insurance from any of its users, you will just be required to pay the weekly fee. No insurance also means no copays and no annoying medical forms to fill out in order to get started.
Who BetterHelp Might Not Work For
Anecdotally, my wife tried remote therapy and just did not care for it. She’s someone who spends multiple hours a day on video calls for work so the idea of taking therapy calls over video did not appeal to her. If you relate, or if you are someone who prefers face-to-face interaction, then you might not like BetterHelp or any of the other available remote therapy platforms.
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Again, since BetterHelp is an online technology platform, it relies on your ability to navigate technological problems as they arise. If you are technologically averse, or don’t have access to a strong phone or internet connection, BetterHelp probably won’t be a good fit for you.
It’s also important to note that some of these online therapy companies, such as BetterHelp, have been accused of taking advantage of the gray areas of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Quimby says. BetterHelp does not consider itself subject to HIPAA as a "covered entity" and may release user data. In March of 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed order to stop BetterHelp from sharing private data, and as part of the order, required BetterHelp to pay $7.8 million to consumers. The FTC finalized the order in July of 2023.
How Much Does BetterHelp Cost?
BetterHelp users can expect to pay between $65 and $90 per week. The price may be impacted by your therapy preferences and where you live. You will be billed every four weeks, and you can cancel at any time.
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BetterHelp does not take health insurance, but provides a convenient and often more affordable alternative to traditional in-person therapy. Financial aid is also available for those who qualify.
BetterHelp Customer Reviews
BetterHelp has an impressive catalog of positive reviews hosted on its website. In fact, it has a subpage with thousands of testimonials that updates daily with brand new reviews. App users tend to be similarly enthusiastic about BetterHelp. As of today, BetterHelp is rated 4.6 out of 5 on GooglePlay and 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store.
BetterHelp vs. TalkSpace
BetterHelp and TalkSpace are two of the largest online therapy platforms available today. Both have similar features and methods for communicating with licensed professional counselors and therapists which include: unlimited messaging, video calls and optional group support sessions and workshops. They also are both highly rated options for individual talk therapy—but that’s where the similarities end.
One way Talkspace differs from Betterhelp is in who can best benefit from the service. BetterHelp is only for users 18 and older, while Talkspace is available to users as young as 13, making it an option for teen counseling. It’s worth noting BetterHelp operates TeenCounseling.com, which serves patients between the ages of 13 and 19. Talkspace also offers couples therapy whereas BetterHelp only offers individual therapy.
Unlike BetterHelp, Talkspace takes insurance, which means rather than paying for each therapy session out of pocket, you may pay a lower amount in the form of a co-pay or get reimbursed by your insurance, depending on the plan you have.
Another difference is that if you need medication, you can connect with psychiatrists on an as-needed basis. However, it’s important to note that the appointments with TalkSpace psychiatrists require out-of-pocket payments that start at $299 for an initial consult and $175 for any follow-up appointments.
Users without insurance will likely find BetterHelp to be the more affordable option. Its base plan, and only plan, runs $65-90/week. TalkSpace’s pricing structure is tiered, and the cost increases as you add more features. On the low end, $69/week will get you a text-only service. Its most expensive plan at $109/week will give you access to text, video calls and group sessions.
BetterHelp vs. Noom Mood
Noom Mood is a relatively new player in the online mental health space. It launched in 2021 as a spin-off of Noom. Where BetterHelp offers one-on-one online therapy services with licensed therapists, Noom Mood provides a more self-guided approach to cognitive behavioral therapy.
Noom was founded as a psychology-driven weight loss company. Noom Mood is an app that relies on psychology to improve its users’ mental wellness. The app itself is meant to be used daily, as Noom Mood users are encouraged to follow the lesson of the day and write down their feelings in its online mood journal.
Noom Mood costs $149 for four months of access, making it a more affordable yet less comprehensive option than BetterHelp. Noom Mood has coaches who may check up on you to see how you’re progressing, but BetterHelp will match you with a licensed therapist or counselor and provide you with targeted clinical therapy.
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BetterHelp vs. In-Person Therapy
Online therapy and in-person therapy both have their benefits and drawbacks. Each is a valid and effective type of therapy, so deciding between the two may just come down to your personal preference. Evidence has even suggested telehealth can be just as effective as face-to-face treatment when it comes to mental health conditions.
For some, the decision to choose remote therapy over in-person therapy may have already been made for them. Online therapy can be especially useful for those who have physical limitations or do not have access to local mental health services. On the other hand, in-person therapy may allow mental health professionals to pick up on nonverbal cues that could get lost in translation over video chat. In-person therapy may also appeal to you because you can meet your therapist in a safe and neutral location outside of your home.
The cost for therapy may differ depending on your location, but BetterHelp on average can save you hundreds of dollars per month on counseling services. BetterHelp users may also benefit from the therapist-matching algorithm. If you’re like me, who had limited knowledge of therapy going into this process, you may not even know what you’re looking for in a mental health professional or what type of therapy is right for you.
BetterHelp FAQs
How much is BetterHelp per month?
BetterHelp online therapy is charged weekly rather than monthly. It costs between $65 and $90 per week, depending on where you live and your personal therapy preferences. You’re charged four weeks at a time upfront. You are free to cancel at any time.
Is BetterHelp worth it?
In my opinion, yes, BetterHelp is worth it. It is a convenient way to receive mental health care and it is likely more affordable than receiving the same care from a traditional in-person therapist.
Does BetterHelp use actual therapists?
Yes, BetterHelp has a large team of licensed and experienced therapists, clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors who are qualified to address a wide range of issues that can come up in therapy including: depression, anxiety, trauma, compulsions, disorders, family issues and more.
Is BetterHelp legit?
Yes, BetterHelp is a legitimate online service. It is BBB-accredited and has over 30,000 licensed therapists available to meet with users.
How long are BetterHelp sessions?
A standard BetterHelp session lasts for 45 minutes, and you get one per week with your subscription.
The Takeaway: Is BetterHelp Right for You?
While I am a seasoned BetterHelp user, I am by no means a medical expert. I’ve had a positive experience with BetterHelp and signing up for online therapy was the right choice for me, but it may not be right for everyone.
If you decide to give online therapy a try, I think signing up for BetterHelp is a great place to start. It’s good for individuals looking for consistent live sessions with trained mental health professionals, and it’s an affordable option that doesn’t require health insurance.
The unlimited messaging is an attractive feature, and so is the ability to easily change therapy providers if you aren’t happy with the one you’ve been matched with. I haven’t elaborated much on switching therapists. That’s because I haven’t felt the need to make a change. Their matching algorithm paired me with my therapist back in January of 2021, and I’ve felt like it’s been a great fit ever since.
Therapy is hard work, but BetterHelp at least makes it easy to schedule and attend appointments. My best advice is that you will get back as much as you put into it.
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