Cheaper, Anonymous Therapy In Beirut: My Experience
Note: This post is not sponsored in any way and is based solely on the personal experiences of the writer.
Money and anonymity can be major barriers for those who need therapy, but luckily, there are some options available.
I learned about the BetterHelp platform from one of its seemingly endless ads on Instagram and decided to give it a shot. Here was my personal experience and the process of how it worked out for me.
BetterHelp is an online counseling platform. For set fees, patients can interact with their counselors or therapists online via video chat, voice chat, or text chat in private rooms. Patients and therapists can maintain contact out of the app as well.
1. Survey
You start by taking a five minute general survey on your mental health and habits, this will help the platform match you with prospective therapists. You have the choice of giving your real name or not. BetterHelp is very clear on the fact that suicidal individuals or those who need urgent care should seek help outside of the app/site.
2. You are matched with a few therapists/counsellors
Do your homework and see the credentials of each one, they each specialize in something specific.
“Counselors on BetterHelp are licensed, trained, accredited psychologists (PhD / PsyD), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW / LMSW), or licensed professional counselors (LPC). All of them have a Masters Degree or a Doctorate Degree in their field.”
3. Pick a therapist and send a message
At this point, you schedule a session with your therapist. You can choose between video, voice, or just chats on the website or the app, all you have to do is log in at the time of your session and your therapist will be there. Each session is 45-minutes long and you have the option of saving your chats (if you text).
4. If you like your therapist, keep going
It is then up to you and your therapist to keep scheduling appointments depending on your schedules. The nice thing is that most of the therapists are in the States so the appointments are after my work hours. You can also log on through the app, so I don’t necessarily have to be home to complete a session. Most of the counsellors also provide reading material, message support, email support, and exercises to get you through the week.
5. Cost, Fees, and Options
There is a 1-week trial for free. The cost is $180/4 weeks of unlimited live sessions and messages (upon the availability of your therapist, but I’ve been doing once a week with no problems). There are other bundles available, and they offer some financial help as well. This differs greatly from the $80-$100 session most therapists in Lebanon charge.
