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How Much Time Do I Get With My BetterHelp Therapist?
If you’re considering starting online therapy with a platform such as BetterHelp, you probably have questions about how it all works. For example, many wonder how much access they will have to their therapist.
In traditional in-person psychotherapy, patients usually meet weekly (or every other week) with their counselor, whether it’s virtual or at the counselor’s office, for a session that runs between 30 and 60 minutes.
BetterHelp is therapy conducted completely online, so you won’t have a face-to-face session, but you will have plenty of time with your counselor. In fact, BetterHelp subscriptions give you multiple ways and opportunities to interact with your therapist, often much more so than you would have with traditional in-person psychotherapy.
All BetterHelp plans include a live session where you speak with your counselor in real time, similar to in-person therapy. But unlike traditional talk therapy, you don’t have to travel to an office. You may conduct a live session from your home or workplace or anywhere you have a reliable internet connection and access to a computer or smart device like a phone or tablet.
These live sessions can be held in three different ways:
Phone: You and your counselor have a conversion on the telephone.
Video: You and your counselor have a live-video chat using your smart devices’ cameras.
Chatting: You and your therapist exchange typed messages in a real-time session.
You and your therapist can choose the medium that best fits your needs, and you are not limited to one format. If a video session works for you one week but the next week you’d prefer to type your thoughts out via chat, that’s all fine.
How Long Are BetterHelp Sessions?
BetterHelp live sessions usually run 30 to 45 minutes.
The length of a session can depend on your therapist. Some counselors may have flexibility where you can decide on the length of the session — somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes – while other practitioners have a firm time allotment for their in-person meetings. If you have a preference about the duration of your meeting, this is something you and your therapist can discuss.
Once you’ve signed up and been matched with a licensed BetterHelp therapist, scheduling your live sessions is an easy process. In your therapy room, your practitioner will post their schedule of available days and times for live sessions. You simply pick a slot that works for your schedule.
While all BetterHelp plans include one live session per week — via phone, email or live chat — some people feel that additional live sessions might be helpful. Depending on your counselor’s availability, you may be able to set up additional meetings for a fee — usually $20 per additional session.
In traditional in-person talk therapy, that one meeting would usually be the extent of your time with your counselor that week, but one of the truly unique features of BetterHelp is that your time with your therapist isn’t limited to your live sessions.
All BetterHelp plans include unlimited messaging with your therapist. You have access to your BetterHelp therapy room 24/7, and, once there, you can write notes to your counselor at any time you feel the need to. That could mean sending a message during a challenging weekend with your family, or perhaps sending a note about something particularly relevant that slipped your mind during your live session.
Whatever the reason, you can leave a message and your therapist will respond at their earliest convenience. Usually the provider will get back to you within 24 hours during the work week, although many BetterHelp therapists also work during the weekends. Once you’ve matched with your counselor, the two of you can discuss expectations and availability.
All these messages are available for you to revisit in your therapy room at any time, which can be particularly useful when it comes to implementing guidance from your therapist.
What Other Perks Come With a BetterHelp Subscription?
BetterHelp subscriptions cost between $65 and $100 per week, depending on your plan and the availability of therapists in your area. The cost is often cheaper than traditional in-person therapy, where sessions can run from $100 to $200 per meeting, and BetterHelp discount codes can shave off some additional costs.
In addition to live-sessions with your therapist and the ability to message them at any time, BetterHelp offers other resources that can help in your therapy journey.
Group therapy sessions are one such perk. BetterHelp clients may sign up for these special webinars, where a therapist (it doesn’t have to be your own therapist) presents on a special topic in mental health, and registered attendees may ask questions and engage using a live-chat feature. You can opt to remain anonymous and still participate in the discussion.
BetterHelp offers more than 20 of these group sessions, called Groupinars, each week on a variety of topics — everything from grief/loss support, dealing with childhood trauma, and anger management. Topics change weekly, so make sure to check and see if there are any that are particularly relevant to your concerns.
Group therapy is a great way to get different perspectives on issues that affect you. Sharing your story — even if you chose to remain anonymous — and hearing what other patients have to say can often help you realize you are not alone in your struggles. And because BetterHelp is completely online, group therapy sessions offer clients a unique opportunity to connect with people from places near and far.
If you are unable to log on to a group therapy session while it’s going on, BetterHelp can send you a link to a recording of the Groupinar, so you can watch it later.
All BetterHelp subscriptions also include an online journal feature. This is your private place to write down thoughts and feelings. It is not visible to anyone — not even your therapist — unless you choose to share it.
While you may opt to write down whatever you like in the space, there are journal prompts to help you get started if you’re not sure where to begin. BetterHelp also offers additional worksheets and activities that you can do on your own (and perhaps discuss with your therapist).
It was bonus features like these, along with BetterHelp’s massive network of more than 30,000 licensed and accredited therapists, that prompted the independent mental health organization helpguide.org to rank BetterHelp as the No. 1 online therapy platform in a recent listing.
“BetterHelp is a widely recognized online therapy service designed to make mental health care accessible and convenient,” helpguide.org wrote. “A standout feature of BetterHelp is its inclusion of therapist-led group sessions, providing valuable support and connection.”
Here's something you might be interested in.
How Much Time Do I Get With My BetterHelp Therapist?
How Much Time Do I Get With My BetterHelp Therapist?
If you’re considering starting online therapy with a platform such as BetterHelp, you probably have questions about how it all works. For example, many wonder how much access they will have to their therapist.
In traditional in-person psychotherapy, patients usually meet weekly (or every other week) with their counselor, whether it’s virtual or at the counselor’s office, for a session that runs between 30 and 60 minutes.
BetterHelp is therapy conducted completely online, so you won’t have a face-to-face session, but you will have plenty of time with your counselor. In fact, BetterHelp subscriptions give you multiple ways and opportunities to interact with your therapist, often much more so than you would have with traditional in-person psychotherapy.
All BetterHelp plans include a live session where you speak with your counselor in real time, similar to in-person therapy. But unlike traditional talk therapy, you don’t have to travel to an office. You may conduct a live session from your home or workplace or anywhere you have a reliable internet connection and access to a computer or smart device like a phone or tablet.
These live sessions can be held in three different ways:
Phone: You and your counselor have a conversion on the telephone.
Video: You and your counselor have a live-video chat using your smart devices’ cameras.
Chatting: You and your therapist exchange typed messages in a real-time session.
You and your therapist can choose the medium that best fits your needs, and you are not limited to one format. If a video session works for you one week but the next week you’d prefer to type your thoughts out via chat, that’s all fine.
How Long Are BetterHelp Sessions?
BetterHelp live sessions usually run 30 to 45 minutes.
The length of a session can depend on your therapist. Some counselors may have flexibility where you can decide on the length of the session — somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes – while other practitioners have a firm time allotment for their in-person meetings. If you have a preference about the duration of your meeting, this is something you and your therapist can discuss.
Once you’ve signed up and been matched with a licensed BetterHelp therapist, scheduling your live sessions is an easy process. In your therapy room, your practitioner will post their schedule of available days and times for live sessions. You simply pick a slot that works for your schedule.
While all BetterHelp plans include one live session per week — via phone, email or live chat — some people feel that additional live sessions might be helpful. Depending on your counselor’s availability, you may be able to set up additional meetings for a fee — usually $20 per additional session.
In traditional in-person talk therapy, that one meeting would usually be the extent of your time with your counselor that week, but one of the truly unique features of BetterHelp is that your time with your therapist isn’t limited to your live sessions.
All BetterHelp plans include unlimited messaging with your therapist. You have access to your BetterHelp therapy room 24/7, and, once there, you can write notes to your counselor at any time you feel the need to. That could mean sending a message during a challenging weekend with your family, or perhaps sending a note about something particularly relevant that slipped your mind during your live session.
Whatever the reason, you can leave a message and your therapist will respond at their earliest convenience. Usually the provider will get back to you within 24 hours during the work week, although many BetterHelp therapists also work during the weekends. Once you’ve matched with your counselor, the two of you can discuss expectations and availability.
All these messages are available for you to revisit in your therapy room at any time, which can be particularly useful when it comes to implementing guidance from your therapist.
What Other Perks Come With a BetterHelp Subscription?
BetterHelp subscriptions cost between $65 and $100 per week, depending on your plan and the availability of therapists in your area. The cost is often cheaper than traditional in-person therapy, where sessions can run from $100 to $200 per meeting, and BetterHelp discount codes can shave off some additional costs.
In addition to live-sessions with your therapist and the ability to message them at any time, BetterHelp offers other resources that can help in your therapy journey.
Group therapy sessions are one such perk. BetterHelp clients may sign up for these special webinars, where a therapist (it doesn’t have to be your own therapist) presents on a special topic in mental health, and registered attendees may ask questions and engage using a live-chat feature. You can opt to remain anonymous and still participate in the discussion.
BetterHelp offers more than 20 of these group sessions, called Groupinars, each week on a variety of topics — everything from grief/loss support, dealing with childhood trauma, and anger management. Topics change weekly, so make sure to check and see if there are any that are particularly relevant to your concerns.
Group therapy is a great way to get different perspectives on issues that affect you. Sharing your story — even if you chose to remain anonymous — and hearing what other patients have to say can often help you realize you are not alone in your struggles. And because BetterHelp is completely online, group therapy sessions offer clients a unique opportunity to connect with people from places near and far.
If you are unable to log on to a group therapy session while it’s going on, BetterHelp can send you a link to a recording of the Groupinar, so you can watch it later.
All BetterHelp subscriptions also include an online journal feature. This is your private place to write down thoughts and feelings. It is not visible to anyone — not even your therapist — unless you choose to share it.
While you may opt to write down whatever you like in the space, there are journal prompts to help you get started if you’re not sure where to begin. BetterHelp also offers additional worksheets and activities that you can do on your own (and perhaps discuss with your therapist).
It was bonus features like these, along with BetterHelp’s massive network of more than 30,000 licensed and accredited therapists, that prompted the independent mental health organization helpguide.org to rank BetterHelp as the No. 1 online therapy platform in a recent listing.
“BetterHelp is a widely recognized online therapy service designed to make mental health care accessible and convenient,” helpguide.org wrote. “A standout feature of BetterHelp is its inclusion of therapist-led group sessions, providing valuable support and connection.”
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