My Experience With Christian Counseling on Betterhelp
Let’s talk about Betterhelp! Betterhelp has been around for a while, but they are pushing their online therapy platform now more than ever. It seems like many people are becoming more mindful of their mental health. According to the CDC, in 2019 19.2% of adults had received mental health treatment over the past year.
Understandably, more people are wondering if Betterhelp is a legitimate option for folks to receive quality therapy. I wondered this too, especially as a Christian. Actually, I tried it once before in 2020 but the therapist I was matched with only did chat. That did NOT go well and I quickly ghosted them.
In June of 2022 I took the opportunity to find out for myself what Betterhelp is really like for Christians. This time I made sure that I got a therapist who would do video calls! I used Betterhelp for one month and I was pleasantly surprised at how it went. Overall, I think Betterhelp is a legitimate option for both Christians and non-Christians seeking therapy. Read on to find out why!
*For full disclosure, I got a free trial for the month, but this review is purely my own effort to let others know what my experience was like.
What did I seek therapy for?
It’s only fair to share why I wanted to see a therapist in the first place, for the sake of this review. This time around, I needed some help coping with my husband’s Misophonia. He is an incredible man and we just didn’t have all the tools we needed to deal with the daily interruptions to our communication and quality time. My speech can be one of his triggers, and I thank GOD he doesn’t get angry – but it still shuts him down often.
In the past, I have been to in-person counseling for a number of things, including depression, the death of an immediate family member, and basically just a chaotic home growing up. So I’ve had a few therapists and some were good, some were bad. Some were Christian, some were secular. Let’s see how Betterhelp stacked up.
Are There Christian Counselors on Betterhelp?
This was my biggest question, and as a Christian, I was wary of Betterhelp choosing a therapist for me. What if we had some fundamental differences in beliefs that would impact the quality of their service? Betterhelp’s questionnaire was very thorough, however, and I was able to request a Christian therapist.
The questionnaire went beyond surface level and asked what level of spiritual involvement I was comfortable with (prayer, scripture, etc.) during the counseling session. The therapist I matched with was very open about God and faith. She used examples from Scripture, and suggested ways to pray. We may not have agreed on every single thing, but I thought she had a sincere faith, which goes a long way.
Are Betterhelp therapists good?
Betterhelp says they only employ qualified therapists. These include psychologists, LMFT (licensed marriage and family therapist), licensed clinical social workers, and licensed professional counselors. They even have an experience requirement of 3 years and 1,000 hours of practice. Here’s their FAQ for more info.
I was paired with a licensed clinical social worker. At first I thought their broader scope of education would impact their ability to counsel well, but I was wrong about that! She had good insights, listened well, and she was relatable. Her experience in hospital social work lended some useful information for my situation, too.
This social worker actually went beyond my expectations. She herself had an auditory processing disorder, which wasn’t related in any way to Misophonia, but I think it helped her relate. She did research before our first video session so she could understand better what we were trying to deal with. Then, she listened carefully and non-judgmentally as I explained our situation. She thought outside the box to help me deal with our unusual circumstances.
You can Change Your Betterhelp Therapist Any Time.
Betterhelp uses a questionnaire to match you with a therapist, so you don’t have the option to choose one for yourself. However, they introduce your therapist with an information page and you have the option to change to a different one even before you speak to them. At any point, you can switch to a different one. There is a button to change therapists right below your therapist’s picture, which is always on the left sidebar.
I probably would have stuck with Betterhelp longer the first time around if I had known how easy it is to change to a different therapist. That time, I was just using the mobile app – I think it’s way better to use a computer or a tablet. It’s just easier to see all the options.
Scheduling is Easy
Scheduling on Betterhelp is SO EASY; that was easily one of my favorite things about it. You just go to your therapist’s calendar on the left sidebar, look at the available times, and choose one that works for you! I love that there are no awkward conversations with a receptionist or trying to work it out in the last few minutes of your session.
You get to choose which kind of appointment you want when you schedule – video, phone, or messages. Depending on your therapist, you can probably change which type at any time. Rescheduling and canceling your appointment is simple, too. And if you ever have any questions between appointments, your therapist will respond to a message same day or next day!
Betterhelp vs. In Person Counseling
I felt that video sessions on Betterhelp were almost the same as being in the same room as my therapist. You do have to plan a little bit more to maintain privacy and avoid interruptions. I think if you’re processing heavy trauma it probably would help to be in person, based on previous personal experience. That said, I think Betterhelp is a good option if that’s not possible for you or if you are uncomfortable with going in person.
If you would like more information about online therapy, check out this Forbes article. They go over several studies about whether therapy online is as effective as in person therapy.
Is Betterhelp Effective?
Honestly, this is subject to each person’s experience. I think Betterhelp can be effective for most people, especially if you’re aware of your option to switch therapists if the first one doesn’t work out. I wish I would have done that my first time trying Betterhelp.
Overall, I feel that my therapist did a great job and gave me the tools necessary to deal with things well on my own after our sessions ended. My therapist helped me improve my plan for handling the situation. She gave me tips about what to do to keep myself calm and how to communicate about it in a way that works for both my husband and I. She walked me through what to expect when seeking care from a medical doctor for my husband’s Misophonia. Additionally, she was able to give me access to some worksheets and documents from Betterhelp about various relevant tools and topics.
While I only really needed about a month of sessions to get the help I needed for my current issue, in the past, I’ve needed therapy for much longer than one month. I’m confident enough that Betterhelp at least has some therapists that are effective and I would do it again if I needed more long-term therapy.
How much does Betterhelp Cost?
Betterhelp claims to be an affordable option over traditional therapy, with sessions ranging from $60-90 per week depending on your area. See their FAQ here. However, you must pay monthly up front. For me, that would have been $380. There is an option to pay weekly which increases the cost per week.
Honestly, I think any professional service is going to be expensive. If you don’t have insurance and want a therapist, this is actually pretty reasonable. When I searched for local therapists, I was seeing rates over $150 for individual sessions and around $200 for couples sessions.
You can request financial aid on Betterhelp, but they don’t make it easy unless you go to quit. When I went to cancel Betterhelp, they directed me to apply for financial aid. I was quickly given a 10% discount. That still put me over $300 dollars for the month, however.
Is Betterhelp Worth the Money?
I think it comes down to whether you want to invest in therapy at all, whether or not it is with Betterhelp. $60-90 per week gets you four sessions plus unlimited access via messages with your Betterhelp therapist. That is pretty good in my opinion. I do hesitate to fully recommend Betterhelp for the reason that you cannot shop around for a therapist. It is a bit of an investment to have little say in who you end up with.
Something that may help with the cost is that Betterhelp will give you a superbill you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. It just depends whether your insurance covers anything for out-of-network services, and if they even cover remote services in the first place. I didn’t try this option because money is tight and I felt that my needs were met during the one month I had with Betterhelp.
Can You Do Betterhelp Every Other Week?
No, you cannot just use Betterhelp every other week. This is probably my main complaint about Betterhelp: there is no option for bi-weekly sessions at a lower a cost. Not everyone needs constant access to their therapist. It’s very common to do sessions every other week rather than every week, so I wish they would offer that as an option.
To Summarize
It may be easiest to simply condense this post into a brief list of pros and cons so here it is.
Betterhelp pros:
- There are Christian Counselors on Betterhelp
- The questionnaire does a thorough job so you can be matched with someone you’ll likely get along with.
- Video sessions feel very similar to in person sessions
- My therapist was prepared and involved throughout our sessions.
- Betterhelp has a library of worksheets and information sheets your therapist can share with you.
- Betterhelp is a decent price compared to traditional, in-person therapy.
Betterhelp cons:
- You cannot research and choose your own therapist on Betterhelp.
- It’s up to you to find a private space for your sessions.
- They don’t bill insurance.
- There is no bi-weekly option with Betterhelp.
There you have it! Overall, this experience with Betterhelp was very helpful for me. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I got a therapist that was so prepared for my situation, so maybe they had a little divine help.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Betterhelp! Did I leave anything out? Leave a question in the comments below! And if you have had any experience with Betterhelp therapy, I want to know what you think!
By the way… this is my first blog post on Almost A Walrus and I would really appreciate your feedback. I have more posts about faith, Bible reading, and intentional living coming up, so make sure to join my email list so you don’t miss them! I’m super excited to write more and get to know you guys.
