BetterHelp Online Therapy: Reviewed in 2024

This platform makes it very easy to sign up and find a therapist based on location, preferences and therapist availability. BetterHelp tries to pair subscribers with a good match, but if the therapist isn’t a great fit for you, you can change providers online at any time.

Our tester requested a new therapist after their first provider wasn’t a good fit, and they were matched with someone who better fit their preferences. However, they had to wait longer than expected for the first appointment. According to their calendar, the therapist was unavailable for about two weeks. We contacted BetterHelp for a refund for the two weeks during which we did not receive therapy. The customer service representative responded that we would not get a refund, but our membership would be extended by two weeks with no charge.

Our testers had mixed experiences with their providers. Some therapists arrived late to appointments. Our testers also felt that some didn’t pay close attention to our concerns or ask deeper follow-up questions.

Overall, the sign-up process on the BetterHelp platform is very simple, and the website is easy to navigate. The intake questionnaire asks for your:

• Age
• Gender
• Sexual identity
• Pronouns
• Relationship status
• Intimacy concerns
• Religious or spiritual affiliation
• Mental health issues
• Expectations and preferences of therapist
• Physical health
• Eating habits
• Sleep habits
• Energy levels
• Employment status
• Alcohol use
• Thoughts of suicide
• Anxiety or phobias
• Current medications
• Chronic pain concerns

After filling out a questionnaire about your mental health concerns, BetterHelp will match you with a therapist based on the provider preferences you selected. These include:

• Gender of your therapist
• Christian-based therapy
• Therapist from the LGBTQ+ community
• Older therapist (age 45+)
• Non-religious therapist
• Therapist of color

You are not guaranteed a provider that meets all of the preferences you select, however. For example, if you indicated you’d like to be matched with a therapist from the LGBTQ+ community, you may not receive one. Customer service told us they could pair you with someone specializing in LGBTQ+ issues but couldn’t ensure they identify as a member of the community.

BetterHelp therapy can be conducted through live video, voice calls and live chat. Each session lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Subscribers can schedule four sessions per month and can send unlimited messages to their therapist between sessions with responses typically within 24 hours.

The platform offers educational webinars on topics such as setting boundaries, identifying unhealthy behaviors, learning strategies to cope with racial injustice and healing from pet loss. Every webinar is facilitated by a BetterHelp therapist.

The platform also has a therapy journal, which you can choose to share with your therapist, goals and habit tracking and worksheets to help you identify your thought patterns.

You can access BetterHelp features, schedule sessions and message your therapist on the website or through the app available on Apple and Google Play.

Therapists on BetterHelp are trained, experienced and accredited psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers or licensed professional counselors.

BetterHelp counselors have specialized training in specific types of therapy, including:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Client-centered therapy
• Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)
• Family therapy
• Mindfulness therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Solution-focused therapy
• Trauma-focused therapy

BetterHelp therapists can help you with:

• Addiction
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Relationship issues
• Intimacy-related issues
• LGBTQ+ issues
• Trauma
• Anger management
• Stress
• Eating issues
• Family conflict
• Grief
• Sleep difficulties
• Career difficulties
• Coping with life changes

BetterHelp therapists cannot diagnose you with a mental health condition, but they can treat you if you have already been diagnosed by another mental health professional. BetterHelp does not offer online psychiatry.

BetterHelp does not accept health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, but you can pay using a Health Savings Account or Flexible Savings Account. Otherwise, you may need to pay out-of-pocket. Sessions cost between $70 to $100 per week based on your location and therapist availability. This means you could be charged more if you access care in an area with high demand for BetterHelp therapists.

BetterHelp bills every four weeks, and you can cancel your subscription at any time. You can pay by credit card or PayPal. The platform offers financial aid to those who are eligible, and you can find discount codes online. However, some customers found that BetterHelp doesn’t consistently deliver on the discounts offered on its website.

*Cost may be higher based on your preferences, location and therapy availability.

BetterHelp is one of the many online therapy services available to improve your mental health. This platform offers counseling services with licensed therapists for teens, adults and couples. BetterHelp offers competitive rates for sessions but does not accept insurance, although financial aid is available to those who qualify.

Therapy sessions can be conducted in live video calls, over the phone or by live chat. Subscribers can message their therapist anytime between sessions. BetterHelp is widely available and has many positive reviews, but users should be aware of the platform’s limitations before signing up.

In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an action against the platform. According to the FTC, BetterHelp used and revealed subscribers’ email addresses, IP addresses and health information to Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo and Pinterest for targeted advertising purposes. Because of the data breach, the FTC ordered BetterHelp to pay $7.8 million in partial refunds to affected subscribers and banned the company from using these types of business practices going forward.

1. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (2023). Mental Health By the Numbers.
2. Federal Trade Commission. (2023). FTC to Ban BetterHelp from Revealing Consumers’ Data, Including Sensitive Mental Health Information, to Facebook and Others for Targeted Advertising.