Any of my Patreons used BetterHelp before?
Added 2025-02-08 13:46:13 +0000 UTCI'm wondering about people's experiences with them (good or bad). Feel free to direct message me if you don't want to share in the comment below. I have done some reading myself around them but there is nothing too recent, and nothing particularly positive.
Comments
There were allegations a good few years ago now about unlicensed practitioners being rampant on the site, but that apparently came about from people misreading the terms and conditions and incorrectly extrapolating that unlicensed therapists wouldn’t be breaking any site rules by offering services, and not any actual, credible incidents of fake therapists. It’s still got a bad rap even now, so I’d still expect some nasty YouTube comments from people who are just parroting what they’ve heard
C_Forde
2025-02-09 12:23:58 +0000 UTCThe one I use now through my insurance is Grow Therapy, which is also quite nice in that you can have multiple care providers (e.g. psychiatrist and therapist), but they don't have an app so it's definitely not as accessible from a tech standpoint
JewelShadow
2025-02-09 10:22:03 +0000 UTCI've used it for a few years until my insurance finally added a remote therapy option. I quite liked it, actually. I found a therapist I got on really well with after a few trials, and it was really nice to be able to just send out messages into the ether for us to talk about at our next session 😂 The only trouble I ever had was with the video chat being a bit unreliable on Android, which was annoying but workable There is apparently some ethics stuff on the back end but my experience was good
JewelShadow
2025-02-09 10:20:29 +0000 UTCI haven't used it personally, but I've seen some people online be so negatively affected by it that they deem it unethical.
Llama Lana
2025-02-08 22:32:40 +0000 UTCYes it is. I wanted to do my due diligence by getting some feedback from people outside of reviews left online, especially actual therapy experience (outside of the selling data fine), and I’m disappointed (for the experience that people have had, not because I will be turning down their offer).
Lenny
2025-02-08 20:33:10 +0000 UTCI've used them twice in the past 6 years. The first time I think my therapist wasn't a great match, and I only did a few sessions. The second time was about 2.5 years ago, and my therapist was amazing. I worked with her for several weeks and would happily go back to her if needed in the future. But, she did tell me she was leaving the platform because they apparently don't pay very well. I've heard mention that overall they're not a great company and I can't speak to that, but I really found benefit in my last time using them between a great therapist and access to all the other webinars on related topics like codependency.
Alanna Roff
2025-02-08 19:07:30 +0000 UTCnever used it before but have heard very mixed reviews.
Michael Sciortino
2025-02-08 17:55:20 +0000 UTCMakes sense. Sad to see how negative the responses have been 😟
Matt Sturgeon
2025-02-08 17:36:14 +0000 UTCOnly things i've heard about better help is that they don't screen their staff to make sure they are licenced. I've heard they got into some legal trouble for it. I would probably avoid a sponsorship with them
Last Thing
2025-02-08 16:52:47 +0000 UTCTwo reasons. 1) They approached me regarding a sponsorship deal on my reaction channel. 2) I get a lot of enquiries from Americans about therapy (which I can’t provide in any form due to state licensing laws) and I like to signpost people where possible and was wondering if that was a potential resource for people.
Lenny
2025-02-08 16:43:19 +0000 UTCyes i’ve used them before. i found a decent therapist but it took a lot of switching to find (which isn’t uncommon or bad per se, but it felt like a lot of them weren’t the most evidence-based)
James Anderson
2025-02-08 16:41:19 +0000 UTCI'm curious what's prompted the question... Were you approached by them for a YT sponsorship? Or maybe considering a video where you discuss online therapy options? Or even considering working directly for them? (No need to answer if you have top-secret plans, or can't share for whatever reason)
Matt Sturgeon
2025-02-08 16:18:50 +0000 UTCTheyve had legal issues in the Us: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/05/betterhelp-customers-will-begin-receiving-notices-about-refunds-related-2023-privacy-settlement-ftc
Major Jabroni
2025-02-08 15:02:42 +0000 UTCye i heard it was a scam.....i fell back on the Samaritans not only on the phone i wrote a letter and received an answer (took a week or so )but it it was good having someone's in put and then few mounts i used there online chat.
sarah pickles
2025-02-08 14:55:44 +0000 UTCI didn't even realise they were in the UK. As someone who works for a similar UK service (i.e. online delivery of therapy) and I sit on the board of another similar service (advising on evidence base) I'm surprised that in any of my conversations I have never heard BetterHelp come up. I'm aware of the FTC fine regarding selling info. I wonder if their therapists are also from the UK or whether they use USA therapists online for UK clients. I know a ton of therapists who are always looking at what services there are out there for potential work and ive never heard any of them mention BetterHelp either.
Lenny
2025-02-08 14:32:29 +0000 UTCI used it for quite a while. I had an excellent therapist and I had some really good sessions that helped me through some tough situations. Expensive though, which was why I left it. Also, my therapist was really honest in terms of my situation and quickly switched to minimal management as soon as I stabilised, hence switching my subscription plans.
Faseeha Waheed
2025-02-08 14:29:07 +0000 UTCI’m interested in it
eleana UwU
2025-02-08 14:28:05 +0000 UTCMy wording of "speaking AT someone" in this context was very purposeful, just to note. I never felt like I was speaking WITH someone in my time with Better Help.
Kae Devine
2025-02-08 14:23:45 +0000 UTCI don't want to get too much into my experience with them, but in my opinion they prey on vulnerable people for money and offer nothing but a void to rant into. People turn to them when waiting lists are too long, when their needs are urgent, or in my case when their experience with medical practitioners was negative and traumatising. Sometimes it's good to simply speak at someone rather than not speak at all, and if that was what Better Help was marketing themselves as, I wouldn't have an issue with them. The issue is that they make promises that they cannot keep to people who for many varied reasons are vulnerable and don't know any better solution. If they've offered you a sponsorship, I wouldn't take it if I was in your position.
Kae Devine
2025-02-08 14:20:15 +0000 UTCHere's a comedic take on trying to show its flaws: https://youtu.be/WwG58aIB1EM?t=64
Alexander Ihle
2025-02-08 14:07:11 +0000 UTCActually, just double checked, and it was later than I remembered. 2022, after lockdown.
Helen White
2025-02-08 14:06:54 +0000 UTCI had a negative experience trying to get help for one of my teenagers during lockdown in 2020. The therapist we were matched with repeatedly disregarded and disrespected my child by misgendering them. They continued doing this even after it was clearly communicated to be a problem, so it wasn’t even a careless mistake, which would have been bad enough. It was intentional. A big part of our initial request was a therapist experienced and supportive in this area, and instead we were matched with someone who was actively transphobic.
Helen White
2025-02-08 14:03:47 +0000 UTCBut as I said. I know the ups and downs of bette help. It's not for everyone and it's definitely not aggressive enough from the therapist side. I use it willingly as a self driven tool, but I'm self aware about why I use it, and have realistic expectations to use it how I want to use it, although maybe not the same way as they advertise themselves. So some might reject BH but to each their own :) I think I'm in the minority on that one. :)
Cyber
2025-02-08 14:02:02 +0000 UTCI haven't used it personally, but I have watched a video essay about them that outlined the garbage corporate behavior, and lack of accountability/certification of its staff. I would recommend steering clear.
Alexander Ihle
2025-02-08 14:00:29 +0000 UTCThey’ve had quite the controversy scandal with not keeping their patients/users data safe, particularly health data which is not something anyone wants to hear especially in the mental health field and they were charged for this, I don’t know how they’ve changed since but there are testimonials online claiming deceptive pricing and poor quality service
TaroGhostie
2025-02-08 13:59:59 +0000 UTCStraight scam, takes advantage of inconsistent international standards to rince vulnerable people for thier money and leave them worse than before. They've also had all the usual scandals these services have with data selling etc. particularly egregious given that its a mental health service. If i had the power too i would ban them in the UK, absolute blight.
Patrick Dawson
2025-02-08 13:56:04 +0000 UTCAnd I mostly use it as a weekly check in to vent and refocus my ADHD and social anxiety and give me a sense of time so that I can help myself get out of decision paralysis or executive dysfunction, or overthinking and as a person who rarely leaves the house (not agoraphobic, just feel lack of incentive to go out there since covid days), not even to see friends who have busy lives and live far away , having someone to talk to outside of work is nice to vent out or just let loose. I'll tell you one thing, people can say whatever they want about better help, but I realized it's best to talk to someone, anyone, than to start having barking arguments with your dog, and losing them 😂 My therapist is helpful and doesn't give me just therapy advice but assesses and reviews my OWN self-made mechanisms that I do to deal with my ADHD and offers improvements or a professional reference point that fits my insomniac workaholic introverted socially anxious and (objectively speaking) higher IQ average lifestyle which makes me feel like I'm constantly thinking too much and too fast, losing myself if I slow down. Heck, I didn't even realize that my past successes and achievements didn't feel like fullfilment or accomplishment, but more of a RELIEF that "it's finally done with", because I didn't realize that I've been pretty much using my own brain power to BRUTE FORCE my way to my own success when I probably could have done things more efficiently... but couldn't because of my exhausting ADHD. I was only recently diagnosed but Its been apparently something unnoticed since childhood because I'm told that gifted students tend to be undiagnosed because of that specific brute forcing. And so I grew accustomed to my way of life and changing habits is extremely hard and can't just be washed away by someone overnight. So typical "meditation" or "exercise" or "write a checklist or plan" suggestion from other ADHD specialists didn't work for me, and she helps me by letting me keep my own pace and regulate myself, with oversight. And every now and then we try to get out of my comfort zone and try s new mechanism, even for short term and keep my current processes as failsafe. But I'm sure my situation is not for everyone. So to each their own. :)
Cyber
2025-02-08 13:54:00 +0000 UTCI have used BetterHelp before, It might have just been my specific experience, but, I cancelled due to the therapists being a bit too passive. It felt a bit like a glorified journal. I only find value in therapy if my ideas/perceptions are challenged, but that seemed to not be a common style of approach in my experience with their service.
Harris
2025-02-08 13:52:24 +0000 UTCI used their free trial once a few years ago n it wasn’t anything special, tbf it wasn’t the resource I needed as I was a teenager that went to go to discuss the potentials of being neurodivergent and didn’t know where else to look for resources and betterhelp certainly isn’t the place for that XD Though in recent years they have gained themselves quite the bad reputation, personally I don’t trust them I think their public image is rather damaged
TaroGhostie
2025-02-08 13:50:56 +0000 UTCI'm currently using it
Cyber
2025-02-08 13:46:48 +0000 UTC
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