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Maximizing Your BetterHelp Sessions: Top Tips

Reviewed by Laura Angers, LPC · July 29, 2022 ·

BetterHelp therapy can be an excellent resource for connecting with a licensed mental health professional to take care of your emotional wellness, find productive ways to strengthen positive thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships, and minimize stress and distress.

Understanding The Basics Of BetterHelp Therapy

Can I Feel Confident Using BetterHelp? In Other Words, “Is BetterHelp.com Legit?” The answer is yes! You can feel confident knowing that BetterHelp is a legitimate company. BetterHelp is the largest online therapy provider and the global leader in online therapy. BetterHelp has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2015. 

Is BetterHelp Therapy Or Counseling? BetterHelp is an online platform that connects clients with licensed mental health professionals. Once a client and a therapist are matched, they can begin therapy according to the client’s goals and needs. Therapy through BetterHelp is sometimes called counseling. The terms counseling and therapy are often used interchangeably. On BetterHelp, both words refer to talk therapy with a licensed mental health professional.

Who Are BetterHelp Therapists?  Knowing that your therapist is a professional can help you feel confident in choosing BetterHelp.

Is BetterHelp A Real Therapist? Are All Betterhelp Therapists American? BetterHelp is an online platform that connects clients with experienced, licensed mental health professionals. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, so there are many options for finding a therapist who is a good fit for you and sensitive to your identity, values, and needs.

Therapists On BetterHelp Have The Following Qualifications And Go Through The Following Process:

  • All BetterHelp therapists and counselors are licensed, mental health professionals.
  • BetterHelp has a careful procedure to verify that every mental healthcare provider on the platform is up to date on their licensing and is in good standing. 
  • Each mental health professional who works with BetterHelp is a licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed mental health counselor, licensed professional counselor, or licensed psychologist. 
  • All therapists and counselors on BetterHelp are experienced and hold an advanced degree (a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or both) in their field. They all have at least three years and 1,000 hours of direct experience.
  • All BetterHelp therapists have been qualified and certified by their state professional board after completing the necessary education, exams, training, and practice. 
  • Therapists who work on BetterHelpgo through a rigorous process of providing documentation of identity and licensure. BetterHelp cross-checks their licensing and identity through the state licensing board that issued the license.  
  • All therapists on BetterHelp must complete a BetterHelpcase study exam and must be evaluated in a video interview. 
  • Licensing information for therapists is available for users to review. 

What Can I Expect FromBetterHelp Sessions?

Live Sessions: Once you’ve matched with a therapist, you can begin therapy. Usually, you’ll have a scheduled therapy session once a week. This will typically be a live video session, phone call, or live online chat with your therapist.

Messaging Options: BetterHelp’s messaging tool can be a great way to connect with your therapist outside of your live session time. Messages are not “in real time” or “live,” so you can send your therapist a message at any time. Your therapist will respond with feedback and guidance. (Often they answer within 24 hours, but sometimes it’s even more quickly.)

How Long Are Betterhelp Sessions? BetterHelp sessions are usually scheduled in 30-minute blocks, but sessions may be longer, depending on therapists’ and clients’ preferences and needs.

How Many Sessions Do You Get With BetterHelp? Typically, you can do four live therapy sessions a month (one live session a week) by phone, video, or chat. You and your therapist can work on the right number of monthly sessions for you. You can also use other BetterHelp resources, such as messaging your therapist through the platform, using private online journaling tools, or connecting with groups.

What If I’m Finished With Betterhelp Sessions Or If I Changed My Mind? Is It Easy To Cancel BetterHelp? How long a person uses BetterHelp varies according to individual needs and preferences. You can easily cancel your membership at any time, for any reason.

What Will I Talk To My Therapist About In My Sessions? BetterHelp therapists will work with you to individualize therapy based on your needs and goals. BetterHelp therapy is talk therapy, also called psychotherapy. In talk therapy, a client and therapist communicate about issues that are causing the client distress or areas that the client wants to strengthen. The client and therapist discuss effective ways to feel better. In sessions, you can collaborate with a therapist to find strategies and solutions that can help you learn healthy ways to cope and manage thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationships, and more.

Tips To Get The Most From Therapy Sessions

Remember That Therapy Is A Non-judgmental Space, So Try To Open Up: Choosing therapy can be a sign of strength, an act that reflects your desire to take steps to feel better and grow. Once you’ve decided to put the time and energy into therapy, you probably want to make the most of it. To get the most from your sessions, you might start by reminding yourself that nothing is too embarrassing or shameful to tell your therapist. They are there to help you in a safe, comfortable, non-judgmental space. Feeling a bit reserved about revealing personal feelings and topics can be very common, particularly as you’re getting to know your therapist or going through an adjustment period. But rest assured that topics you may want to discuss are not off-limits, and the more your therapist knows about you and your life, the more they may be able to help you. If there’s a topic that you don’t feel comfortable discussing, it’s okay to tell your therapist that. You can always revisit it later. There is no right or wrong thing to say.

View Therapy As Team Effort: Collaborating with your therapist can be important for making progress.

Schedule Sessions At Times When You’re At Your Best: With online therapy, you’ll have convenient options for when to have therapy sessions. Finding times when you’re at your best and can focus may help you get more out of therapy. Having not only the time but also the energy and mindset can make a difference. Also, with online therapy, finding a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted can help, and having reliable internet or phone service is important so your session doesn’t cut out.

If You Have Concerns About How Therapy Is Going, Let Your Therapist Know: If you feel stuck or feel that something isn’t working in therapy, you can talk to your therapist. They may have other helpful options to help you make progress. If you and your therapist find that you’re not a good fit for each other, you can talk about it. They may be able to offer suggestions for finding someone who’s right for you. Good relationships between a client and therapist lead to better outcomes for clients, according to research.

Talk To Your Therapist About What You Need And What Your Goals Are: Think about what you hope to gain from therapy. Together, you and your therapists can set goals for what you’d like to accomplish. If you find yourself wondering if there is a specific tool or strategy you can use to address a certain challenge, you can feel free to ask your therapist. Letting them know specific things you’d like help with as needs arise can help them help you.

Prioritize Therapy: Go To Sessions, Practice Strategies, And Do Your “Homework”: Your therapist may offer you strategies for coping or addressing your concerns. Using these regularly between therapy sessions can help you. If your therapist gives you “homework,” such as using a strategy each day, try to follow through. And, importantly, stick with your therapy schedule. If you feel you need to change it to go more or less often or to find a time that will work better, talk to your therapist. They’ll want to help you find what works best.

Take Time To Reflect And Relax After Sessions: After therapy, you might try taking some time to reflect on the session, on how it went, on what you learned, and more. If it was an emotional session, taking time to relax and decompress can also help.

Try Asking “why” And “what” Questions: You might ask yourself, “Why am I feeling (or thinking or acting) this way?” and “What do I think I could do to feel better?” You can also ask your therapist to get their perspective.

Try To Be Open-minded And Open To Change And New Perspectives: If you’re working with a therapist, you’ve probably reached a point at which you’d like to make improvements in your life. Making healthy changes can often help. Being open to change and to considering new perspectives may offer you more options for feeling and living better. Give changes and new perspectives a try—you may find they work for you. (And if they don’t, you can work with your therapist to find other options.)

Therapy Through BetterHelp

Through BetterHelp, you can address your mental health needs and goals with a licensed mental health professional. The affordable, convenient platform offers options for therapy sessions on your schedule and from your location. Therapy through BetterHelp can be a great way to access the benefits of therapy so that you can live a better life.

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