Seeing that we are going through rough times with the pandemic and all that is happening in our country, I often wondered how people are dealing with everyday stress. To my surprise, a lot of folks out there (including a few I personally know) are opting for online therapy.
This article will probably help those searching for help and a comforting person to confide in. Therapy can help you deal with your phobias and overcome all your fears, and knowing how to nurture your mind is as important as any other prepping plan you are making.
Online therapy is way more accessible than traditional counseling, both physically and financially. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the demand for this service gets higher all the time. And, of course, more mental health apps emerge.
These applications seem to be rather similar — all of them offer access to the online therapist of your choice, and the pricing doesn’t differ much. Therefore, picking the right solution might become quite a challenge. We’ve gathered the best online therapy app out there and created quick reviews for each of them to simplify your research.
Suitable for all needs: Talkspace
This is one of the most popular apps that offer therapy online. At Talkspace, you can find an online psychologist for any need from personal issues to couples’ support. The application is rather easy to use, but there is no video chatting for desktop devices.
Talkspace is HIPAA compliant, and it makes it one of the best online therapy services. This nuance means that the app doesn’t disclose any user information to third parties, which is very important considering that we share quite a lot of personal things with our counselor. Finally, Talkspace collaborates only with licensed professionals; therefore, everything you say will be kept secret.
Price: $65/week
The most well-thought: Calmerry
If you want to always have access to a support team and use the most convenient service, Calmerry would be the best online therapy app for you. It works on any device, offering the full set of features regardless of the operating system. That’s why with Calmerry, you will never experience technical issues at the most crucial moment.
This app is also HIPAA compliant, so everything you say during your therapy counseling session will remain only between you and your online therapist. All specialists at Calmerry have licenses and lots of experience. Therefore, your mental health will be in good hands.
Price: starts from $53/week
The best for texting: BetterHelp
This is a quite widely-known app thanks to its aggressive marketing. But it’s a very good service, too. BetterHelp is extremely simple to use — all you need to do is to pass a quick test that will let the system know which online psychiatrist would be suitable for your situation. Then you’ll be offered a range of specialists to choose from. Once you pick the desired professional, you’re all set.
Such a straightforward onboarding process makes BetterHelp one of the best online therapy services out there. Here you’ll always be able to get support from licensed specialists regardless of the problems you’re dealing with.
Price: starts from $60
The best online therapy for couples: Regain
Regain would be a great choice for couples that face some hardships. This app collaborates with professionals that that focus on solving problems withing relationships. Here you can have online counseling sessions through texting, phone calls, and video. Unfortunately, you and your partner will have to sit next to each other because there are no 3-way calls.
Another concerning thing about Regain is that it doesn’t seem to be HIPAA compliant. There is a lot of information about encryption and privacy on the website, and the app protects user data quite well. And all the specialists that work with this service are licensed which means that they must keep conversations secret. However, it doesn’t mean that Regain won’t disclose your information to third-parties.
Price: starts from $60
Suited for the LGBTQ community: Pride Counseling
You might find Pride Counseling the best online therapy application if you’re a member of this community. Professionals that collaborate with this app specialize in issues members of this community face. Therefore, they will be able to understand you better and offer you the most efficient solutions. Pride Counselling is a safe non-judgemental place where you can get help without leaving your home.
You can handle texts, voice, and video during sessions in this app. And you will be able to exchange messages for your professional in the meantime — they will answer as soon as they can. Yet, while Pride Counseling is rather convenient, it doesn’t seem to be HIPAA compliant.
Price: starts from $60
Is virtual therapy the same as traditional?
It doesn’t differ much, to be honest. The only difference is that during the online therapy session you won’t be sitting in the office of your counselor. All conversations are held through an application via texting, and voice or video calls. However, it doesn’t mean that you will be working with some random person. All specialists that collaborate with apps we’ve reviewed in this article just as good as those you’ll find offline.
What would be the best online therapy app?
It’s hard to determine the service that will fit everyone’s needs. While most apps are similar, they still have some differences that might be important for you. For instance, if you’re a couple, you might want to use Regain since it’s suited for your needs. But if HIPAA compliance is vital for you, then you’ll want to consider other services.
Is virtual counseling better than traditional?
Depends on your preferences. If you want to talk to a professional face-to-face, you might dislike the virtual stuff. But if you don’t really feel like wasting time on the way to the therapist’s office, or you just feel safer at home, online counseling is the perfect option. It’s also a good solution for frequent travelers as you’re not attached to the city where your counselor is located. Finally, you won’t have to cancel your sessions if you got sick, for example.
What’s the price for online therapy sessions?
In most cases, you won’t pay more than $80 per week if you use an app. Face-to-face therapy usually costs at least $70 per hour — the price goes over $200 for a single session. So you save quite a lot of money by talking to a therapist through a dedicated application. And while this option is much cheaper, the low price doesn’t impact the quality as you still have access to licensed and experienced professionals.
This article was submitted Kate Skurat a Licensed Mental Health Counselor from Washington, United States.
Kate has a B.S. in Psychology and M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and has worked in healthcare since 2017. She primarily treated depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, and grief, as well as identity, relationship and adjustment issues. Her clinical experience has focused on individual and group counseling, emergency counseling and outreach. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-skurat-5348381b9/
I believe there would be fewer people needing therapy if they looked around and found one of the many volunteer opportunities available. Doing something for someone else, or for your community, does wonders for your stress level and attitude.