FAQs About Online Therapy
4 min readA licensed therapist online can help a person address things like depression, anxiety, and other specific mental health conditions. Qualified & experienced online doctors and therapists help people feel their best, improve mental health, and strengthen or heal relationships.
Here are some important FAQs to consider:
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How Can Online Therapy Licensed Therapists Help Me?
There are many studies that confirm the effectiveness of therapy for making life changes when working with a licensed therapist and building that therapeutic relationship. For example, a study published by JMIR Publications and the Berkeley Well-Being Institute found that this counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy (even cognitive behavioral therapy & counseling) with an experienced therapist for reducing depression symptoms.
The study reported by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), “showed that depression symptom severity was significantly reduced after the use of the multimodal digital psychotherapy intervention. It also revealed that individuals without prior traditional psychotherapy experience revealed increased improvement after intervention.”
Are More People Using Online Therapy Today?
“A lot of the user base that’s interested are people who have never set foot in a therapist’s office,” says Haesue Jo, a licensed therapist and clinical support lead at BetterHelp, an online counseling and therapy service that provides web-based, phone, and text interaction. “This is a way for people to stick their toe in the water if they’ve been fearful of talking to a therapist before.”
The number of online therapy patients with concerns of stress and anxiety in February more than doubled vs. February of last year, and this trend is accelerating on March 0f 2021.
How Much Does Therapy Cost with a Web Therapist?
Online therapy sessions are a unique therapeutic journey with a therapist that can vary in price based on your individual circumstances. In most cases, out-of-pocket or health insurance-based counseling sessions cost less than an in-office visit. There’s no student plan for these services, but the sessions are affordable for people who are in school and on a budget. With traditional in-person therapy, you could end up paying much more for therapist sessions than you could if you met with a counselor online. However, their counseling & therapeutic approaches are often similar.
When people compare the pros and cons of counseling vs. in-office therapy costs, affordable counseling and face-to-face live video options are becoming the more popular choice. Qualified online therapists and mental health professionals adhere to the laws, standards, and best practices for each state that they provide counseling services in.
Does Insurance Cover Therapy?
The answer to this is – maybe. The Mental Health Parity Act currently requires that employers and a few others who provide access to group health plans must offer equal benefits for medical (science based) and mental health related counseling & therapist services. As a result, a growing number of health insurance providers now cover online behavioral health services as a part of their group therapy health insurance plans, which is not the same as community peer support.
Check with your group health insurance provider, employer, or doctor to learn if your employer or health plan provides coverage for behavioral health-related therapist, psychotherapy, and counseling services under the Mental Health Parity Act.
Contact your provider to gain access to your plan’s coverage details. Having a chat with your therapist has never been easier. Don’t delay; choose your therapist from our pool of counselors.
If you are looking for a mental health diagnosis, it’s probably a good idea to reach out to one of the medical doctors recommended by your insurance company. If you are looking for licensed clinical social workers, a qualified online therapy company offers therapy sessions with a licensed and experienced counselor… not social workers.
Does Medicare, or Medicaid Insurance Cover the Best Online Therapy Program
The online counseling platforms offer affordable and sliding-fee out-of-pocket based talk therapy with experienced therapeutic professionals. In some cases, out-of-pocket costs for counseling can be reimbursed by a medical insurance or behavioral health insurance plan. If you aren’t sure if your health insurance plan provides coverage for psychotherapy and behavioral health-related therapist services (for cognitive behavioral therapy) — talk to your Medicare or Medicaid insurance provider before your first appointment as part of your virtual visit process.
You can find the contact information for your Medicare or Medicaid provider on the back of your state-issued health insurance card. Use the contact number on the back of your card to keep your information secure. With that question answered, we hope you can work with a therapist and connect with a therapist who shares helpful information and provides the support you need via counseling.
Finding a therapist has never been easier, so make sure you take the time you need to find the right online counseling therapist so you can develop a healthy professional relationship with your therapist. You deserve to be happy, so get ready to schedule helpful sessions with your therapist today!