Online therapy is a new and exciting way to get help. With just an internet connection, people can connect with therapists from the comfort of their homes.
A study published by The New York Times found that Talkspace had more than 500,000 users. BetterHelp has also seen its user base grow at an astounding rate.
A lot of people have been asking the question: What is better, BetterHelp or Talkspace?
BetterHelp offers a little more value than Talkspace for the same amount of money.
The cost between these two services differs greatly and it has a huge difference in terms of how many hours each service offers.
| BetterHelp | Talkspace | |
|---|---|---|
| Text Messaging | 5 | 5 |
| Live Sessions | 5 | 3 |
| Value | 4 | 2 |
| Price | $320 per month to message your therapist with four 30-50 minute live sessions per month. | $396 per month to message your therapist with four 30 minute live sessions per month. |
| Overall | 5 | 3 |
| View BetterHelp Here | View Talkspace Here | |
In this blog post, we will be reviewing the in-depth tests of both BetterHelp and Talkspace. Two team members had their own accounts on each platform to see how they compared with one another, considering that all types of therapy are different for everyone; it was interesting seeing what would work best.
Who is online counseling Betterhelp Vs Talkspace for?
Online counseling offers greater convenience, anonymity, and flexibility with scheduling. It also has the added benefit of lower costs than traditional therapy fees!
If you think you might benefit from online counseling but are a little nervous, don’t worry. Online counselors can help guide your sessions and make them as productive as possible with less of the awkwardness that sometimes comes when meeting in person for the first time.
Online therapy is great because it offers greater convenience and flexibility than traditional therapy does; this means if one session doesn’t work out there’s no pressure to continue—you just move on!
What makes online counseling even better? Some people find it easier to get started talking about sensitive topics without fear of judgment or embarrassment, which allows them to be more open-minded while exploring their issues together during each chat session.
Online counseling is not only convenient for people who live too far to go in person, but it can also help them avoid the expense of a commute.
Better Help vs Talkspace differences
BetterHelp and Talkspace are two of the most popular online counseling providers, but they provide a very different range of services. Both companies work exclusively with licensed therapists to make sure their consumers get the best care possible. Betterhelp links people up for messaging sessions or live video chats while Talkspace focuses more on messages than voice calls which may be better if you’re shy about talking on camera.
Initial consultation Better Help and Talkspace
Online counseling is not always the best option for people with severe mental health conditions or symptoms. When your condition requires more support and care, it’s often better to find a local therapist who can provide in-person sessions.
Online therapy may sometimes be appropriate as an initial consultation that you carry out from home on your own internet-connected device before deciding whether face-to-face coaching would suit you better than online treatment.
Signing Up with Betterhelp Vs Talkspace
BetterHelp matches you with a therapist based on the results of an intake assessment that you complete at sign-up. You’ll answer questions about your issues, symptoms, and preferences so they can link you to one who might be best suited for you. Once you finish this assessment, BetterHelp connects you with a counselor, usually within 24 hours or less.
There are a lot of benefits to using BetterHelp, including quickness and convenience. One frustration is that sometimes the matching algorithms don’t work well so it can be hard for you to find your perfect therapist quickly. You can have better luck if you research manually for a therapist than if you let the platform pick one for you.
The Talkspace Assessment process is so interactive, you’ll feel like an active participant. You will be asked questions by a live chat therapist who screens your responses and guides the sign-up process as it happens! It’s always personal because of how involved they make you feel during each stage, but at other times it feels impersonal due to their standardized questions and answers.
For the most part, we liked Talkspace’s sign-up process because it felt more personal and provided us with a say in our therapist selection.
Both Talkspace and BetterHelp make an effort to assess if you’re appropriate for online counseling. But because they can’t see you in person, neither of them has the expertise needed to know whether or not online therapy is right for your needs.
BetterHelp and Talkspace are just the platforms through which therapy is given, and the actual therapist you see should do a more in-depth evaluation to confirm that online therapy is the right thing for you.
Live Sessions Betterhelp Vs Talkspace
We believe that the best therapy will always be an in-person experience. To get as close to this form of treatment, it’s important to have a live video session with your therapist online.
The tools therapists use work excellently when a therapist can see and respond to your verbal and nonverbal communication in real-time.
Video sessions can be impacted by issues like lag or background distractions that impact the connection with your therapist. However, these are subtle, and therapy via video is generally equivalent to in-person treatment.
The next best option is live voice sessions. You can’t read each other’s nonverbal cues over the phone but you’re still responding to one another in real time – so there are no delays!
Texting as psychotherapy?
Of any of the choices online counseling providers offer, messaging is the most insignificant like an in-person therapy session. The American Psychological Association has issued a firmly worded statement about this: “There is no research suggesting that texting alone is an effective modality for psychotherapy”.
Biggest Difference Between BetterHelp and Talkspace?
With the standard plan on Talkspace, you only get access to messaging therapy. To receive any professional help with your problems and concerns, we recommend opting for one of their more expensive plans that include live video sessions instead!
BetterHelp gives you one 30-50 minute session a week with their basic plan. We feel the variation between 30 and 50 minutes is a big one. It can be a bit of a lottery what your particular therapist on BetterHelp will offer. Luckily, it’s easy to switch therapists with BetterHelp.
BetterHelp and Talkspace Therapy’s Biggest Weaknesses
Many people have difficulty remaining engaged in online therapy because of how easily you can sign up or quit when things get tough.
Therapy is a process that takes time and vulnerability. It can be easy to try an avoid the discomfort by editing your replies or postponing responses out of fear, but real progress requires work and open-mindedness.
When you’re face-to-face with your therapist, it’s easy for them to see when you show hesitance during a therapy session due to the negative feelings that surface. What would be even more beneficial is if these emotions were discussed and resolved before they make their way into other parts of your life outside of therapy.
When your therapist is exchanging messages with you online, they can’t see your face and may have no idea that you might be struggling with something. This could make it difficult for them to help in the right way or at all if there’s a problem, this also makes it hard for them to fully understand how well they are doing at helping you.
Ghosting the therapist when it gets difficult?
The therapist and client are both on their computers, but in some ways, the distance between them is greater than if they were sitting across from one another.
Sometimes when faced with difficult emotions or thoughts, clients will ghost a therapist by not responding to messages at all and even quitting online therapy. But if you are using video sessions as your main form of therapy this can significantly decrease the possibilities of this happening, as your therapist can hear your tone of voice and see your facial expressions and body language, and they can react when you show uneasiness.
If you’re responding to your therapist less often, it may be time to introspect and see if there’s any uncomfortable emotion that you are trying to avoid. It is at such moments where the most potential for breakthroughs in therapy lie; but only if you stick with it.
You may need to take the next step and re-engage with your therapists, but both BetterHelp and Talkspace do a good job reaching out if you stop responding.
Which is cheaper BetterHelp or Talkspace?
BetterHelp and Talkspace offer the same service with a slight difference in pricing.
Betterhelp charges $280 per month for unlimited messaging, but only allows one 30-to-50 minute session every week whereas Talkspace is priced at $396 and limits live sessions to just thirty minutes.(Check Betterhelp latest prices here).
The cost of the BetterHelp plan does not vary whether you use your weekly live session or not, so which platform makes more sense for your budget depends on what you’re looking for.
While we fully recommend live sessions if you’re seeking conventional therapy, messaging-only may be all you need if you are just looking for direction to help you resolve a specific problem.
Chat Apps vs In-Depth Therapy: What’s right for me?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or are dealing with intense emotions, in-depth therapy is for you. However, if your needs require you to talk about smaller issues and work on skills rather than struggle through big problems – chat apps might be the way to go!
A critical difference between these two companies is that BetterHelp offers financial aid based on your income, so you may pay less than the standard price if you qualify for assistance. Talkspace does not offer any financial assistance.
BetterHelp provides financial aid for people who qualify. Depending on your income, you can get a discounted rate of as little as $60 per week.
Is BetterHelp or Talkspace covered by insurance?
BetterHelp services are generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. Read more about it here.
Currently, Talkspace is covered by the nation’s biggest health insurers, including Cigna, Optum, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Humana. Talkspace also offers coverage plans directly through employers, educational institutions, and other large member organizations. Read more about it here.
Is BetterHelp vs Talkspace better?
It’s good to know that our team members had positive experiences with both Talkspace and BetterHelp. But one major difference between the two platforms is what pushes us over the edge for recommending BetterHelp as a better option than Talkspace.
Life is full of challenges, and sometimes they’re too much for us to conquer alone. That’s where BetterHelp enters the picture! BetterHelp makes it more affordable for their customers to get live sessions with therapists–which might be a better option than messaging when you need some extra help or advice on something specific.
Is BetterHelp worth the money?
Yes, BetterHelp is a legit, trustworthy company and a leader in online therapy with many happy patients. BetterHelp has developed to become one of the largest online therapy programs with over 12,000 licensed therapists and more than one million patients so far.
