-1.png)
Mental well-being is commonly overlooked in conversations about your overall health. You may discuss your lunchtime gym routine, update someone on a relative dealing with an illness, or check in with a financial adviser about your monetary health. While mental health often falls by the wayside in pursuit of a balanced, healthier lifestyle, online counseling offers a fantastic way to look after it.
With online counseling, you can choose from a variety of platforms that offer virtual therapy sessions, therapists, and counseling specialists and styles.
When it comes to starting therapy, reaching out to find the support you need can sometimes be the hardest step. Once you do, you’ll open up yourself to a world of encouragement and growth. Online coaching or counseling can help you become the best version of yourself, allowing you to address challenges in real time.
What is online counseling?
Online counseling is a modern way to access mental health support through digital platforms like video calls, chat, or email. You’ll be able to connect with licensed counselors to help address your everyday challenges
Online counseling is a bit different from therapy and coaching, even though these terms are often used interchangeably. While online counseling focuses on immediate concerns and practical strategies, therapy takes a deeper dive into understanding long-term patterns or addressing mental health diagnoses. Coaching, meanwhile, is geared toward goal-oriented personal and professional growth.
Here’s how they compare:
- Online counseling: Licensed counselors in your state of residence address immediate challenges and focus on coping strategies.
- Therapy: Licensed therapists in your state of residence explore deeper mental health patterns and focus on long-term healing.
- Coaching: Certified coaches anywhere in the world take a goal-oriented approach to growth and focus on personal or professional success.
Online counseling could be described as a middle ground between the structured depth of therapy and the forward-thinking approach of coaching. If your needs are situational, counseling might be the right fit. For deeper healing, therapy is the way to go. But if you’re ready to work toward specific goals and want to focus on growth, coaching provides a practical and empowering path forward.
What to consider about online counseling
Starting therapy online can provide much-needed support and a clear road map to improve your mental health and self-development. Sometimes you need input or guidance from someone more qualified than a friend or family member. As you embark on your mental health journey, you may benefit from online therapy sessions from a licensed therapist.
Here are some things to consider as you decide whether online counseling is right for you:
- Credibility: If you’re seeking online counseling support, you’ll want to ensure the platform or person you’re considering has the proper credentials. Check to see if they have formal education and professional licensure in their practice area.
- Convenience: One of the more obvious benefits of seeking teletherapy is that you can engage your sessions from anywhere with an internet connection. Look for a provider who offers video sessions at times that are most convenient for you. Maybe that’s during your lunch break, after work, or even between Zoom meetings.
- Communication style: How your online counselor or therapist communicates can have a massive impact on the effectiveness of your counseling sessions. You may find a qualified and experienced mental health professional, but if their therapy or communication style isn’t a good fit for you, there may not be much progress made. You can also choose from various types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, family therapy, and couples therapy.
- Cost: According to a study published in Internet Interventions, multiple studies have shown that the price for online treatment of depression and anxiety ranges from $0 to $2,842. With such a wide range, it’s difficult to project exactly how much online therapy will cost. It will depend on the level of support you need and how long you’ll need it. This can sometimes cause issues with accessing therapy. So, if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll want to weigh your online counseling options and find a provider who suits your needs and budget.
- Specialization areas: Most therapists are trained in specific therapy modalities or techniques, and each one has its own target patient. For example, if you have dealt with a lot of past trauma or childhood trauma, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EMDR therapy is a popular method online counselors can use. This method helps you reframe traumatic memories and learn healthy coping strategies. Some therapists may prefer classic talk therapy but have a vested interest in helping clients who are LGBTQ+, people of color, disabled, or have ADHD, bipolar disorder, or other specific backgrounds.
As you consider whether online counseling is right for you, research the different mental health care specializations relevant to your needs.
When to choose online counseling over in-person therapy sessions
Online counseling has become increasingly popular over the years due to its convenience. Connecting with a licensed mental health counselor without having to commute to a physical location makes telehealth therapy accessible to even the busiest people.
If you have a packed schedule and find it challenging to manage in-person sessions, then online therapy services can be a great way to get the care you need. If you’re a parent or caregiver and don’t often have the ability to step away for some self-care time consistently, try something like text therapy. This is a form of online counseling where you primarily text with your care provider. It can help you find the support you need without taking you away from other responsibilities.
Trying therapy for the first time can be intimidating — sometimes to the point where anxiety or fear of the unknown keeps you from scheduling that first appointment. Starting with online counseling may help alleviate your worries and ease you into the process from the comfort of your own home. Plenty of online counseling sites are beginner-friendly, and therapists often give you the space to get comfortable and acquainted along your mental health journey.
Top 3 online counseling services
Talkspace
Talkspace was rated by Healthline as one of the top online therapy platforms available because it’s widely accepted by many of the nation’s top health insurance providers. It offers both talk therapy and psychiatry services, as well as medication management treatment plans. According to their website, Talkspace offers individual therapy, therapy for veterans, therapy for LGBTQ+ people, couples therapy, and unlimited messaging therapy. It also offers free teen therapy for New York City teens.
Cerebral
Another major player you may have heard about in the online counseling space is Cerebral. This site offers therapy and psychiatry for individuals and recently launched a couples counseling service. If you and a partner are interested in improving your relationship and communication skills or working on your mental health together, this could be a good option. Cerebral is in-network with 13 major health insurance providers.
Grow Therapy
It can be difficult to discern who may be the right therapist for you, given the specialty areas and qualifications each can have. Grow Therapy aims to make this an easier task for its patients by helping them narrow their search from a database of vetted therapists. You can search using your insurance provider and specific filters relevant to your needs, such as anger management, self-esteem, or help for an eating disorder. With this platform, you can start seeing a new therapist within as little as two days. The Grow Therapy platform itself is free, but the therapy sessions are not. You can search their network of licensed therapists to find providers who are in-network with your specific insurance plan.
Top 3 free online counseling services
7 Cups
If you aren’t ready to commit to long-term therapy or don’t have the resources to pay for an online counseling service, you can try 7 Cups. The site offers 24/7 chat access to trained listeners ready to help you with tough emotional or mental health issues you might be facing. If you find that you need further support after communicating with a volunteer, the site also has affordable treatment options available with licensed professional counselors.
BuddyHelp
BuddyHelp offers a similar structure, with trained “listeners” available around the clock to talk you through the emotions and feelings you’re experiencing. You won’t need to sign up for a comprehensive account or download a new app to use it. You can simply press “chat” to get started via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
Crisis Text Line
If you need immediate assistance or are dealing with a severe mental health situation, the Crisis Text Line provides a resource during an emergency situation. Trained volunteers are available via phone or text to help you through a severe mental health crisis. Whether it’s related to anxiety, suicidal ideation, or disordered eating, you can text “HOME” to 741741 to get connected anytime.
When to choose online counseling vs. online coaching
If you’re new to the world of online counseling, you may be wondering about the difference between therapy and coaching. In short, you can think of counseling as a tool to lay the foundations of mental health and well-being and coaching as the bricks you stack on top of that foundation.
The fundamental skills and concepts you’ll learn from a therapist or licensed counselor can help you heal and improve your mental health. They can also later inform you how coaching and mental health services can continue to benefit your life.
If you’re able to tackle feelings of anxiety or depression with an online counselor, you may later find that a life coach can help you feel invigorated and inspired. They can help you explore your passions and discover your purpose in life.
For example, a therapist may help equip you with coping skills for the stress caused at your job, and a career coach may be beneficial later when you want to pivot into a new industry or even start your own business.
You don’t have to work from only a counseling, mentoring, or coaching perspective, either. Instead, these roles can often work together as a powerful team.
Achieve your full potential with online counseling
While it’s always best to speak with a doctor before starting any type of therapy, online counseling gives you flexible, personalized support whenever and wherever you need it. Decide on the areas you’d like help with, the type of communication you prefer, and whether adding coaching would benefit your therapy experience.
Creating a symbiotic team with both your online counselor and a qualified coach can provide holistic support for your emotional and mental health journey.
Reach out to a BetterUp Coach to build resilience and achieve your full potential.
