Has anyone used one of those on-line counseling services?

[Ginevra]

If so, did you like it? I have a kid who would like to try it but I have no idea if it is useful or not, nor how affordable it is. I'll set this as a poll so people can maintain privacy if they don't want to specifically say on the thread. 

[vonfirmath]

IT seemed like a good value.  The person the counseling was for got very attached and it seemed to be doing a lot of good.

And then their counselor got picked up by the police for underage stuff and they haven't tried again.

 

[TravelingChris]

I have tried it.  The first counselor wasn't very helpful but the second person I got is very helpful.  Since I am in counseling particularly to deal with my chronic illnesses,  I found a second counselor who mentioned that she had worked with kidney dialysis patients for a lot of years. I figured though I have completely different illnesses and issues from those illnesses, a person who has worked with chronically ill people should be able to help a chronically ill person.

[Katy]

Eek. I have a sibling who’s a therapist, maybe 3/4 of their appointments are remote now. Some people are more comfortable with it and others more closed off. Generally the more comfortable people are with the internet the easier it goes for them. 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Katy said:

Eek. I have a sibling who’s a therapist, maybe 3/4 of their appointments are remote now. Some people are more comfortable with it and others more closed off. Generally the more comfortable people are with the internet the easier it goes for them. 

Yes, well, as this is one of my young people, I think using remote will work fine for the kiddo. 

[HS Mom in NC]

Youngest has had 2 sessions ($120 for 50 min.) with a therapist specializing in adoption related issues.  So far she's happy with it (she asked to talk to someone) so it's too soon to say if it's worth it. 

Oldest has an online psychiatrist and an online counselor for her mental health issues.  She's also in the middle of medical testing and med adjustments for a wide range of physical and psychological issues while she's out of work and before her classes start in Jan., so it's a lot going on, but she's satisfied with them. 

[EmilyGF]

So, I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I had known a woman who was a counselor. She lives in another state. She did two counseling sessions with me when I was facing catastrophic loss. Despite being online, it was very good and incredibly useful. I would highly recommend her to others and also say that IMO we didn't lose anything by being remote.

I voted "didn't pay" because she refused to bill me. I would have been happy to have paid the $200, though, because it was worth it.

DH got online counseling this year after his mother's sudden death. He saw two people, one focused on CBT and one more talk-it-out. The sessions were far enough apart that he processed things between them. When he stopped feeling down all the time, he just stopped making new appointments. I'm not sure how much the counseling helped vs passing time and lots of sunny sky. He had a minimal co-pay. I think he was glad to do it because it felt like doing something. He'd say he isn't depressed now, like he was in the spring, but he's still not quite himself. But I think that is to be expected.

Emily

[Lawyer&Mom]

I started online therapy during the pandemic and I love it.  I wouldn’t want to do in person again, it is so much more convenient to do it online, and just as effective. 

[Farrar]

People in my family and close friends have used "teletherapy" in various ways. Some have done the traditional teletherapy through these sites that existed pre-pandemic. Some have used traditional providers with their normal prices but now remote. The pre-pandemic sites can be cheaper but not cheap - they're less expensive because they have so much less overhead for space. It's just like trying to find a good fit for a therapist offline. Can be tricky but worth it when it pays off.

[*Jessica*]

My oldest had been doing in-person counseling pre-pandemic and continued doing it online after the pandemic started.  It’s every bit as good for her as going in-person.  She also started with a second counselor who specializes in transgender counseling, and while that counselor is also local we have never met her in person because of the pandemic.  I don’t have any experience with the big chain services, though, as ours have been local people who adapted to online.  

We were paying a reduced fee of $100 for a session out-of-pocket but, due to the pandemic, insurance companies started covering more services than usual and she started submitting to insurance and we haven’t paid anything since May or June?  So see if insurance will cover it, even if they normally don’t.  

[J-rap]

Do you mean seeing a local therapist, but online?  Or something else, like psychology.com or similar where you email a question and they link you with an online therapist who responds with an email?  

We've done both.  For the psychology.com one (I actually can't remember what it was, but something like that!), I just had a quick question about how to deal with a relative and I actually thought they were very helpful.  I mean, they could only answer assuming that the facts I gave them were correct, but I still thought it was helpful.  Also, it was just emailing, so no back and forth exchange.  (I imagine any back and forth would have cost more money.  But just a one and done deal was very affordable.)

For a local therapist that typically meets people in person but switched over to virtual due to the pandemic...  We met with someone in person twice, and then the pandemic hit...  We continued to meet with her about three more times virtually, and although I think it was helpful, it just wasn't the same as talking in person.   Still, better than nothing!  (And insurance covered since our deductible was met, and since it was local.)

[aaplank]

I have been doing online counseling for the past few weeks for the first time.  I was very surprised to learn that my insurance covers the entire cost- no copay nor does it apply to my deductible.  I had to choose the provider that my Insurance company provided, Amwell.  

We don't have the greatest insurance.  I just had an endoscopy and I had to pay $1500. out of pocket.  However, they pay for online counseling at 100%!  Not in-person counseling.  Then my high deductible would kick in.  I figured that I might as well get good use out of it since we pay so much for premiums and get little in return.

I really like how I was able to look at the online profiles of each therapist, look at their pictures intently, read their bios thoroughly before choosing one.  I also thought that it would be easier to pick a different therapist if I didn't like the first I chose because the process for choosing a therapist and setting up an appointment was so easy.  If I were to go physically to a counselor's office, I would not feel comfortable asking for another appointment from a different therapist in the practice. But with Amwell, I can choose any therapist from the list they give me.  I think it's based on where you live.

My sessions have been better than I expected.  I instantly clicked with my therapist and haven't felt the need to look for anyone else.  I think I feel more comfortable opening up because I'm in my own home, my own environment and I'm already at ease.

 

 

[Carrie12345]

I haven’t used any of the services like better help and the like, but will be looking into online therapy direct from local therapists in January, when we go from about $160/session (high deductible) to a $20 copay!  🎉 

I’ve read some things where therapists working for those services (vs. themselves or their local practice) really get the short end of the stick. They say that their pay rate is based on volume, the client turnover is really high, and it’s hard to meet the expectations of both clients and the company.  For me, that was a big turnoff. I don’t want a burned out therapist.

Restrictions that have pushed “normal” therapists to online might wind up being a good thing in the long run. They can still maintain a typical client base and charge a more customary rate.

Now my only issue is trying to figure out how to have multiple people get counseling in a small house with zero privacy...