I provide better options for BetterHelp and Talkspace for online counseling and therapy. Here’s why.
BetterHelp.com and TalkSpace.com, both founded in 2012, have boomed financially with the spread of Covid-19. While BetterHelp is the largest online counseling corporation, TalkSpace rates itself as the top-rated.
BetterHelp and TalkSpcae are For-Profit Corporations
They are for-profit corporations. Their primary purpose is to generate financial wealth for themselves and their investors. They do so by serving as a third party between those needing psychotherapy and the psychotherapists paid by BetterHelp and TalkSpace. Put directly, they get rich from those suffering from serious emotional distress and by underpaying the psychotherapists who work for them.
Both BetterHelp and TalkSpace offer users messaging, live chat, live phone, and live video sessions with psychotherapists. Users must pick a subscription plan before knowing how much they’ll pay. How much they pay varies according to their subscription plan, location, and the availability of psychotherapists in their area. BetterHelp charges from $60 to $90 per week, sometimes more.
Neither corporation accepts insurance. Clients pay upfront by charge card, per month, before receiving care. If they stop sessions before using their credit, their unspent money is refunded.
Complaints About BetterHelp and TalkSpace
419 users of BetterHelp filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau in the last 3 years giving BetterHelp an overall rating of 4 out of 5. 347 users of TalkSpace filed BBB complaints, giving the corporation an overall rating of 1.5 out of 5. These are very low ratings for psychotherapeutic care.
Complaints from BetterHelp and TalkSpace Employees
Both corporations pay psychotherapists according to the work they do, kind of like factory workers. Their pay ranges from $3.00 to $30.00 per hour. The average pay is $17 per hour. Both corporations have very low employee reviews on Indeed.
Indeed.com rates BetterHelp rates at 3.6 out of 5 overall. Pay and Benefits are 2.6. Management is 3.0. The highest rating is 3.9 for Work/Life Balance.
Indeed.com rates TalkSpace overall at 2.6 out of 5 overall. Pay and Benefits are 2.3. Management is 2.4. The highest score is 3.1 for Work/Life Balance.
Public Criticisms and Lawsuits Regarding BetterHelp and TalkSpace
Besides low employee ratings, both corporations have serious problems. According to the Better Business Bureau, BetterHelp received 455 complaints in the past three years. It has faced serious criticisms and lawsuits regarding unfair pricing, bad experiences with its app, false messages about its Terms of Services, and paying celebrities for positive reviews.
In the past three years, 412 TalkSpace clients filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau. Complainants accuse TalkSpace of false claims about its effectiveness, violating user confidentiality, posting fake reviews, and using psychotherapists with questionable qualifications.
In 2021, the CEO, COO, and Head of Clinical Services of TalkSpace resigned after off-site company events and violations of securities laws. They overvalued their accounts.
The American Psychological Association banned TalkSpace from exhibiting at its conferences.
Better Options for You
You have better options than BetterHelp and Talkspace for online counseling and online therapy. Before taking risks with your health, privacy, and pocketbook, search for “counselors near me” or “therapists near me” and find out who offers services online.
Many, including myself, have shifted to online sessions with our clients. My clients love and benefit from their online therapy sessions with me. They know I protect their privacy and pocketbook and care for them as they heal and move forward in living healthier and happier lives.
Your health, wellbeing, privacy, and pocketbook are safer when you receive care from a local therapist, or an out-of-town online therapist recommended by someone you trust. Several of my clients have referred their out-of-town family and friends to me.
Benefits of Online Counseling and Therapy with Me
Online counseling and therapy have many benefits. I list several of those benefits on my website. After you review them here Contact Me for a FREE 30-Minute Consult. I look forward to talking with you about how I can help.
Thanks,
Mark W. Neville, MDiv
