Reviews (1)

Pros:

I travel regularly and work online, so BetterHelp has been convenient for me. It's marketed as a 24-hour service so you can message at any time, and receive a response in one day. You can select appointments from a schedule, so it's easy to match to your time zone. The counselors are real counselors and are all independent contractors, so it's up to you to find someone that understands your particular issues. I think it's helpful to have an idea of what you want out of counseling and ask them to match you with someone who has explored those issues therapeutically. You could also browse and choose your preferred counselor.

My counselor has been really good so far, and I look forward to continuing the process with her. She checks on me sometimes when I haven't been in touch and also leaves me encouraging messages after the sessions. I really enjoy using the app because it's been helping me to use it on my computer no matter where I am.

Also, I suffer from social anxiety and have found it useful to tell her when I feel anxious, and she never makes it seem like it's a weird thing and usually makes me feel completely normal about it, while still acknowledging my feelings. Very grateful to have found her through BetterHelp.

Cons:

They're marketed as "unlimited live sessions," but I think that is somewhat misleading. The services are much cheaper than regular counseling, so understandably I think it's much harder for most counselors to offer a live session more than a once a week. So don't come with the expectation that it really is unlimited, but in saying that, most people aren't looking for more than once a week anyway.

The app itself is good, but sometimes it's buggy. I have trouble connecting to the video sessions from my mac because the "invite" doesn't reach me. Your experience depends on the counselor you have, so pick wisely.