Psychotherapy, where a client interacts with a therapist, has a long and storied track record for helping people improve their lives. And with the advent of online therapy platforms such as BetterHelp, more people are experiencing the benefits than ever before.
Working with a therapist can help you:
— Manage a mental health issue, such as anxiety or depression.
— Learn better communication methods with your partner and/or children.
— Discover ways to optimize your productivity and achieve a healthy work/life balance.
— Develop healthy coping strategies for challenging or stressful situations.
— Set personal or professional goals and work toward achieving them.
— Address past trauma and learn ways to move forward.
— Help understand self-destructive habits or thought patterns and correct them.
— Set boundaries and advocate for yourself.
— Practice mindfulness and learn relaxation techniques.
— Improve self-esteem.
— Learn more about yourself.
And that’s just a start. No wonder nearly 60 million American adults sought therapy in 2023.
But to begin reaping the benefits of psychotherapy, it’s vital to have a good relationship with your therapist. After all, this is someone with whom you’re going to be sharing the details of your life; it’s paramount that you feel comfortable enough with the provider to open up.
Finding an in-person therapist on your own can be an extremely daunting task, especially if you’re dealing with your insurance company and looking for someone in the network or if there are limited providers where you live.
But as with many things in life, the internet can make it easier. BetterHelp is the largest therapy network in the world, with more than 32,000 licensed and accredited counselors in 50 states and over 200 countries. Each of these counselors has more than 1,000 hours of experience and has undergone a stringent background check.
What’s more, BetterHelp does all the work when it comes to matching you and a counselor.
How Does BetterHelp Match You With Your Therapist?
BetterHelp matches you with a potential therapist by finding out who you are and what you’re looking to get out of therapy.
Interested clients go to the BetterHelp website and fill in a questionnaire.
You’ll be asked for basic biographical information including your age, employment status, gender and gender identity, sexual preference, and relationship status, as well as where you live (many therapists are only licensed to practice in the state where they reside).
There are also questions about your faith, such as if you consider yourself religious, spiritual, or secular, so BetterHelp can match with someone who can empathize with your specific background.
There are questions about your physical activity levels, general health, and eating habits, as well as if you’re dealing with chronic pain, sleep patterns and energy levels, and general feelings of happiness and fulfillment.
They ask about your drug and alcohol use, and what medications you’re taking. It’s important to be honest in your answers. BetterHelp therapists aren’t law enforcement or officials at your school or job looking to “bust” you. The questions are so they can get a better sense of who you are and what your life is like.
Many of the questions ask about your reasons for seeking therapy. Maybe you’re feeling depressed or anxious, or perhaps you’re dealing with a challenging new situation or life event such as losing a loved one or welcoming a child. Maybe you want to build confidence or overcome a phobia.
There’s no wrong answer as to why you’re seeking therapy, but different therapists specialize in different areas, and knowing the reason you’re looking into counseling can be hugely advantageous when it comes to finding a provider who can help you.
What You’re Looking For
BetterHelp also wants to know if you’d be more comfortable with a therapist from a certain demographic. Would you like a male or female, or perhaps someone from the LGBQT+ community? Do you want to work with a Christian or secular therapist? Maybe someone of your race or close to your age?
They also want information about your expectations from your therapist. Are you looking for someone to help you explore troubling memories from your past? Maybe you want someone to help you set up and achieve goals. Would you like a counselor who assigns you homework between sessions? Do you want someone to proactively check in on you or someone who will step back and let you reach out when you feel the need? Would you like to learn new skills or techniques to change your behavior or thought patterns? Someone who shares your beliefs or challenges them?
If you’re not quite sure how to verbalize what you’re hoping to get out of therapy, that’s OK, too.
The questionnaire also asks about how you’d like your therapist to relate to you. Do you want someone who is direct and to the point or someone who is more gentle in their approach? Someone who is rigid and formal or someone more flexible and casual?
We’re all individuals and, as such, have individual styles when it comes to receiving guidance. Some of us shut down if we feel like we’re being criticized, while others prefer someone to get to the bottom line as quickly as possible without pulling punches.
Finally, BetterHelp wants to know how you’d like to primarily communicate with your therapist. BetterHelp offers four distinct ways:
— Phone: You and your counselor have a conversation on the telephone.
— Video: You and your counselor have a live video chat using your smart devices’ cameras.
— Chatting: You and your therapist exchange typed messages in a real-time session.
— Messaging: You write messages to your therapist and they respond.
They’ll ask what resources you might find helpful, like worksheets, support groups, webinars, or journals.
Knowing which style and methods work best for you is another way in which BetterHelp can find the counselor best suited for your individual needs.
After you complete the forms and sign up, BetterHelp will match you with an available therapist — usually within 24 hours — who meets your objectives and preferences and has expertise in your area of concern. As you might expect, their matching system is generally pretty effective.
And there’s another perk to BetterHelp: If you find your matched therapist isn’t a good fit, you may elect to be matched to a different counselor — no awkward phone calls required.
