Online therapy

[Mary S]

Ha anyone in this forum tried online therapy, such as "Better Help"?

 

[Eve B]

I considered it once, but I decided online therapy wouldn't work for me because it would feel too unreal and more like a video game. Might as well try A.I. robot therapy which would be much cheaper too!

There have been some negative articles involving BetterHelp:

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/therapist-explains-problems-betterhelp-tiktok/

https://www.polygon.com/2018/10/4/17932862/betterhelp-app-youtube-sponsorship-controversy-explained

https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/23/23179866/elizabeth-warren-betterhelp-talkspace-therapy-pandemic-app-philip-defranco

 

[Mary S]

Here's a quote from one of Eve's links:

"The TikToker says BetterHelp therapists receive around $30 an hour while a typical hourly rate is around $100. He also explains that BetterHelp pays therapists using a set word count in their text service, which puts therapists in a difficult situation when hitting the word limit: give clients free services or stop replying. Either choice can result in resentment between clients and therapists, he says.

While Guenther supports making mental health care more accessible, he notes that “this is not how we’ve been trained and we don’t think this is a healthy therapeutic relationship.”

“We don’t think you should have 24-hour access to a therapist,” Guenther explains. “That’s going to create an expectation for you that we should always be there. That’s not going to create self-reliance.”

I am skeptical about the things "the TikTokker" says about BetterHelp:

1) "The TikToker says BetterHelp therapists receive around $30 an hour while a typical hourly rate is around $100"

This does not seem well thought out. First,"typical therapy" (i.e.,in person therapy) is usually carried out in an office that the therapist rents for this purpose, whereas BetterHelp type therapy does not require renting an office. Thus, in "typical therapy", the client's fee needs to include the cost of the office rental, whereas BetterHelp therapy does not require the office rental cost to be included in the therapist's pay. This means that we should expect the  BetterHelp hourly rate of pay for the therapist to  be less than the typical hourly rate. Also, since different cities may have different rates for office space rental, it is to be expected that the rate of pay for therapist will vary from location to location.

2) "“We don’t think you should have 24-hour access to a therapist,” Guenther explains. “That’s going to create an expectation for you that we should always be there. That’s not going to create self-reliance.”

This also does not seem well thought out; it is just conjectural on the part of the writer -- just his opinion, but with no backing up by actually asking clients or checking data on client expectations. From what I understand, an online therapist is not required to reply to a client instantly. (It is possible that BetterHelp might require the therapist to reply within a certain time frame -- I do not know whether or not this is the case.)

 

[disequilibrium1]

Everything on the internet comes with a strong caveat emptor warning. It's difficult for many to assess the quality of their therapists in person. This must be a difficult burden for those seeking such faceless, truncated assistance.

[Eve B]

It's basically trial and error, and clients can't be sure if the therapist is really helpful or not until thousands of dollars have already been spent on their sessions. 

[PsychoLogical]

On 9/3/2022 at 6:43 PM, Eve B said:

It's basically trial and error, and clients can't be sure if the therapist is really helpful or not until thousands of dollars have already been spent on their sessions. 

And with the sunk cost fallacy, they're more likely after having spent months, years, and thousands of dollars NOT to see where it wasn't helpful or went wrong.

[Mary S]

Out of curiosity, I looked up some training programs for therapists. in particular, I had in mind something on the Good Therapy website that said that one qualification for a therapist was a Master's in Counseling degree. So I tried looking up what that type of degree consists of. One site I found was https://www.bestcolleges.com/features/masters-counseling-programs/#curriculum . Here's a quote from that site:

"Is a master's in counseling worth it?

Yes. For individuals with a strong desire to help people overcome challenges and live their best lives, a master's degree in counseling can lead to a successful and fulfilling career. Professional counselors also need state licensure, which requires a master's degree.

 

How much does it cost to get a master's in counseling?

The College Board reports that the annual tuition and fees for a master's degree at a four-year public institution costs an average of $8,950. A master's at a private nonprofit four-year college or university costs $29,670. Costs vary based on the type of college, state of residency, and online or on-campus instruction."

So this sounds like a prospective Good Therapy-qualified therapist may have a substantial up-front cost.

The page continues with:

"How long does it take to complete a master's in counseling?

Most master's degrees in counseling require 60 credits and take two years of full-time study to complete. Some online programs offer accelerated tracks that can lead to a master's degree in 18 months.

What is the difference between an MA and an MS in counseling?

While both options offer similar coursework, a master of arts (MA) leans toward the humanities and liberal arts. In contrast, a master of science (MS) focuses more on research and statistics.

Is it better to get a master's in counseling or psychology?

A psychology master's program focuses more on research and psychometric assessments. Licensed clinical psychologists may work with people with serious mental illnesses, and most states require a doctorate. A master's in counseling focuses on holistic, practical skill sets that help clients through their unique challenges.

I wonder how many prospective therapy clients ask their prospective therapists which type of degree the therapist has, and why they chose that particular degree. I also wonder how many therapists volunteer the information about what type of degree they have, and why they chose that degree.

 

The website continues with some degree of specific information about various universities that offer the degrees that are needed to become a therapist. I wish there were a website that told prospective therapy clients what questions to ask their prospective therapists. And I wonder how prospective therapists would respond to questions that it would help the client to know the answers to.