This negatively impacted how useful we found the asynchronous messaging. We found being able to read our partner’s responses somewhat uncomfortable-it felt like we were introducing problems into our therapy that we couldn’t immediately address, so the issues would simmer until we had our therapist back as a mediator. Some also shared worksheets to review in between sessions.Ī few things to know about signing up for ReGain: If you sign up with a partner, you can access a shared messaging room with your therapist, meaning you can both see and read anything one of you says to your therapist. The therapists we worked with were professional, listened to us, and could meet our needs, whether those were suggestions about improving communication or parenting advice. While we were testing, the company also added a new feature allowing two people to access the same room or join therapy sessions from different devices from anywhere in the country, making ReGain exceptionally accommodating, especially if you’re in a long-distance relationship. Plus, unlike other companies offering relationship therapy, ReGain gave us the choice of signing up alone, with a partner, or starting alone and inviting a partner later, a nice touch for anyone in a relationship where one partner is reluctant to start therapy. If you need medications as part of your treatment, BetterHelp will have to refer you elsewhere. It only offers one type of therapy-individual talk therapy, not couples or group-doesn’t offer psychiatry and may not be a fit for conditions like severe depression, eating disorders, and psychosis. Our testing revealed BetterHelp is most appropriate for people experiencing mild or moderate mental health conditions or concerns, such as mild anxiety, depression, or parenting and relationship issues, rather than more serious mental illnesses. In addition, we sometimes had technical issues during our sessions, with occasional lagged video and audio cutting out. The quality of replies we received did vary by therapist, with some therapists defaulting to scripted or rehearsed responses rather than responses personalized to our messages. While we generally found the video calls to be our preferred format for therapy, it was nice to message therapists after hours when something was bothering us, receive helpful worksheets based on topics we’d discussed in session, or discuss other scheduling issues. We also appreciated the ability to communicate with a therapist in various ways: You get one weekly 30- to 45-minute live session with your therapist (via audio call, live chat, or video call) and unlimited asynchronous messaging between sessions. It was easy to schedule weekly sessions with our therapists through the BetterHelp app, and most had a variety of session times available, making it easy to fit in over a lunch break at work or later in the evening. Each therapist was licensed in the state we were testing from, had expertise in our area of concern (like anxiety, depression, trauma, parenting concerns, or something else), and had a range of different qualifications and credentials, ranging from psychotherapists and marriage and family therapists to clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. We were also impressed with the quality of the matches, despite initial concerns that we could not choose the therapist ourselves. The company says it will match you with a therapist within 48 hours, but we generally found the matching process to take less than a day. We were impressed with BetterHelp’s range and speed: It could find therapists no matter where we signed up and did so quickly. We also sent questionnaires to each company and evaluated each service with the help of three licensed therapists to compile this list of online therapy services we stand behind. To help you find the right service for you, we surveyed over 10,000 users at 80 different online therapy companies and directories, then we signed up and tested the services ourselves for a minimum of a month to evaluate each service’s cost, convenience, therapist qualifications, and user care. The best online therapy is affordable and provides qualified, experienced therapists. “While individual preferences exist, most people can benefit from online therapy, with comparable outcomes to in-person sessions,” says Amy Marschall, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and subject matter expert. Research suggests that online therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face sessions, and therapists agree. therapy conducted virtually through phone calls, video chats, emails, and text messages-can help bridge this gap for anyone seeking mental health support. Some estimates suggest 70% of Americans can’t access traditional, in-office therapy because of various obstacles, including cost, lack of public transportation, and therapist shortages. Online therapy should make it easier to care for your mental health in a way that fits your life and budget.
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