The backstory:

2023 was a really hard year for me. It started off badly, picked up a bit, but I’ll be honest, the second half was mostly shit. This all led to me exploring ways I could help myself, and Therapy was one of them. 

I’m definitely burned out, and one of the main symptoms of burnout is losing the ability to focus for a long time, and/or procrastinating. I’ve been doing both, a lot. At the start of the year, working on anything for more than ten minutes was a struggle. I actually paid to join a coworking, and would quite often watch YouTube videos, or work on tasks that really didn’t need working on. The investment wasn’t great (even if the place was).

I had a really bad night in August, and I decided to come back to Wales, and work on myself. I was proud of myself for recognising that this was absolutely the best decision for me, and for recognising the symptoms that were affecting me. 

I’ve been looking back at what helped me during another low period for myself, and therapy was one of the things that really made a positive impact. I have a wonderful family, and an amazing group of friends, but I’ve always found it easier to talk to a stranger, than someone who is more familiar.

Step forward Betterhelp. I’d looked at BetterHelp a while ago, but ended up not committing to it. Travelling is great, but it means that I can’t really commit to meeting a therapist in person, because usually, I move from place to place. Thanks to a wonderful thing called the internet, you’re now able to speak to therapists online, so I decided to take the next step, and I signed up for a month of therapy sessions (one per week). These have mainly taken place back in the UK, and I had one session whilst in Bulgaria.

This has since turned into over two months of therapy, and counting, so spoiler alert (but please keep reading the article haha), it's definitely helping.

BetterHelp Financial Help:

At this juncture, I’d like to point out that 2023 was a very hard year for me financially. Being unable to focus meant less work, and less work means less money. It’s a bit of a Catch 22 situation. I know I need money to travel, to live, and to be, but also, it was just so hard to commit to a job. 

When I did get a job, it didn’t end up too well, as the start-up company I was working for went quiet, then admitted they ran out of money, leaving me a month’s wages short. Not ideal.

One thing I love about BetterHelp, is that they offer a financial aid package. This was massively helpful at this present moment in time, and after applying, and being accepted, this meant that my sessions were subsidised. The discount is 25%, and meant I was now paying £33.75 per week, instead of £45. If you’re struggling financially, and worried that you can’t afford therapy, this can certainly help.

Quick note here, as a paying member of BetterHelp, I can also offer you a FREE week of therapy with my unique link ,,here. Not only would you receive a free week, so you can try your first session without paying a penny, for everyone who signs up using the above link, you’ll also be giving me a free week of therapy, which allows me to carry on with my BetterHelp journey. So, in advance to everyone that does use this link, a big THANK YOU!

I expand on this at the end of the review, but it’s good to get the juicy bits in the early part of the review, as this review is a long one!

Now, let’s talk about the actual product and website itself.

Your Therapist:

So, when you join BetterHelp, you fill in a questionnaire, and BetterHelp automatically matches you with a therapist. This doesn’t mean you don’t have a say though. You can decide things like the age of your therapist, gender etc, so you won’t ever get matched to somebody that you’re not comfortable with.

And, if you ever feel that your therapist is not the right fit for you, you can easily change yours. It appears in the drop down menu when you log in, and it’s as easy as clicking this button (as seen at the bottom of the image below):

Thankfully, I like my therapist (which hopefully shows that BetterHelp does take its time in looking for the right fit), but I do like the fact that you’re able to change if needed. No-one should feel trapped with a therapist they don’t connect with. 

The sessions:

Firstly, don’t worry about missing any therapy sessions. You get a message 24 hours before, an hour before, and a few minutes before your session. This might feel like overkill to some, but for me it’s definitely a plus point, as my short-term memory is horrendous, and I’d inevitably end up forgetting. You also get an email as soon as you book a session, and that syncs to my email calendar, which is another handy reminder. 

Now, on to the sessions themselves! So, the first time I actually sat down for a session, disaster struck, as we couldn’t hear each other. I eventually managed to fix it, by using the BetterHelp app on my phone, but make sure you check the video connection prior to joining the room. 

Everything felt very relaxed, and I don’t normally have anxiety for things like this. I get more excited, ish, as I know that this is helping me, and as mentioned, my therapist is very friendly, and open, and I find it’s much easier for me to talk to someone like this, who doesn’t know me on a personal level. 

The classes normally last around 50 minutes, and even though I felt I did the majority of the talking in my first session, I think this was my therapist getting to know me, and it did feel good to let it all out. Since then, my therapist has challenged me, listened to me, and asked me lots of questions, all of which have been very beneficial. 

The sessions all take place on the BetterHelp website, so you don’t need to worry about going to an external website, everything can be ‘in-house’. When you have signed up, you log-in to your therapy section, and when the session is live, you’ll see a pop-up in the section below:

Here you will also see the options to cancel, and if needed, reschedule. The reschedule button is greyed out here, because you need to cancel at least 24 hours before your session starts, and I am writing this in the evening of the 3rd January. 

There are also options to communicate in different ways with your therapist. I am sure not everyone is comfortable with video calls, but you can also have a regular chat, or communicate through text. 

Text is how I normally speak to my therapist (normally planning the next session, or sometimes my therapist will follow up with something we have talked about), until you have your actual main session, but you can text whenever you need to, which again is a nice touch. It’s comforting to know that you don’t have to wait for your session to speak to someone if you need to.

All in all, it’s very easy to begin having therapy through BetterHelp, and I think this is one of the main things I like. Lord knows I was feeling pretty low when I initially started this process, and I think after signing up, I had my first session a few days after. 

Worksheets:

As mentioned, you have the option of speaking to your therapist during the week between your sessions, and on a few occasions, my therapist has left me worksheets to fill in.

These are all in your therapy tab, and you won’t miss them. They also come up in the text as a notification of sorts. These aren’t like homework or anything, and are very easy to complete, but I’ve found it nice to get these to work on, as the therapy can be intense, and you’re not going to remember everything.

These live on your therapy page as you can see above, so you can go back and look if you need a reminder. The below is an example of a section of one of the worksheets:

Group Sessions:

One of the things I like the most about BetterHelp, is that you can attend Group Sessions as part of your membership. Once again, you’ll find this in the Therapy section when you login, and it is in the Schedule tab on the left-hand side of the page. 

This is a really big perk, and you can join one Group session per week as part of your membership, so you can ultimately get eight sessions per four weeks when you sign up to BetterHelp.

I’ve only joined one so far (it was a great one on dealing with Burnout), and I would have joined more, but I was a bit sick, and Christmas took over, but I’m looking forward to joining some others in the near future, and I will report back on how these go. 

There are SO many classes you can join, and these run every day, and cover all time zones. I was actually pretty amazed with how much they do offer, and the breadth of subjects covered is also very impressive. They also have options available in different languages. I have always found something that feels applicable to me when I have browsed this section. These classes last a bit longer than the regular therapy sessions, but as mentioned, I really enjoyed the one I did attend.

It can be overwhelming jumping on a video call with a bunch of people you don’t know, but ultimately, we’re all in the same boat, and all want to get better, and so for me, it didn’t feel too weird talking about deeply personal things in this scenario. This to me just feels like you get two sessions per week for the price of one, as this feels like a bonus, and it wasn’t something I was aware of when I joined. My one recommendation here, and one that I will adhere to soon, is to take advantage!

Below is a tiny example of the types of classes that are on offer, and as mentioned, there is a load available every day. I’m more than confident that you will be able to find something that works for you.

Journal:

Now, full disclosure, I haven’t used the journal as of yet, but I like the way it’s laid out, and I love the idea of it. My wonderful mum actually got me a physical one for Christmas, so I will be using that, but I think it’s a good addition to the website.

I will write a separate article on the actual journal I will be using, so keep an eye out for that soon. Here’s what the BetterHelp version looks like, and I like how it provides suggestions if you’re struggling with a topic.

Classes:

I know, I know, I’ve already talked about classes. I wanted to highlight this section though, as it appears to be a different type of class. 

You’ll find this class section at the top of the homepage, so it’s in a different place to the other group classes I’ve highlighted above. Here’s the blurb when you click the page, and there are certainly less classes available than there are in the aforementioned group chat section. It does say that ‘classes are attended anonymously’, and it’s more interactive. Perhaps it resembles more of an online lecture style class, rather than the group class, which was much more interactive.

I will look to attend one soon, and report back! Once again though, it’s another perk of BetterHelp, and again, it’s something I was unaware was part of my membership when signing up.

Conclusion - Is BetterHelp value for money?

The reviews for BetterHelp across the board are incredible (4.5 on TrustPilot), and I’m with the majority here, it really does work.

I was in a really bad place, and a few months later, I’m already feeling lighter. Of course, this isn’t solely down to BetterHelp, but it’s part of a system of tools I’m using at the moment, as I attempt to look after myself as much as I can. 

I’ve also stopped drinking alcohol for now, as it did not help one bit with my mental health, and I’ve also started using the CalmCarry device for anxiety, which has made a huge difference to my day-to-day life. You can read my full review ,,here, and this review also comes with a unique 15% off ,,discount code, if you want to try it out for yourself.

Anyway, back to BetterHelp, and I have no qualms at all in recommending it if you’re interested in online therapy. Personally, I’d probably prefer face-to-face meetings, but it’s just not practical for me at the moment, and this is 100% the next best thing. It’s easy to sign up, and you could be speaking to your new therapist in just a few days.

I like how BetterHelp finds your therapist for you, and so far, I’m very happy with mine. The financial aid contribution was also highly appreciated. As mentioned, it’s been a tough year or so for me financially, so the 25% monthly saving really does make a difference. Writing this review feels a bit like paying it forward for me, as I’d love to make as many people as aware as possible, of the great work that BetterHelp provides. 

The extra classes (both group, and on the main page) are a welcome addition, mainly because I had no clue that this was included in the membership. I really enjoyed the group one I attended on burnout, and I will look to attend one of the other ones shortly, and I will share how that goes. 

As I wrote in the review, it really does feel like a win, because essentially, you receive another 90 minutes in a therapy setting for free. I was just paying for the 1-1 therapy, so this extra addition really makes the already great value of BetterHelp, even better.

It’s difficult for a lot of us these days to commit to in-person therapy. It’s expensive, it’s time consuming (taking into account the travel involved), and if you don’t like the therapist, you have to go through the process of finding a new one (at BetterHelp, if you don’t mesh with yours, you can easily change). 

Therefore, as mentioned, BetterHelp gets my full recommendation. It offers incredible value for money, especially considering the extras you receive as part of your membership. It’s super easy to use, and it was a huge plus for me, that I could start receiving help within a few days of signing up.

Cons:

There aren’t too many to be honest. I’m not American, and I know things get a little bit more complicated over there with regards to insurance, and I don’t really know how things work with regards to that. It's absolutely worth exploring, and as mentioned if you are struggling, you can apply for financial aid, or get your first week on BetterHelp for free, using my link below.

I’ve had a couple of technology issues, but nothing too major after the first time (where my therapist couldn’t hear me). The support is largely very good, although one reply did take a bit longer than I’d hoped for (it was in regards to me changing an appointment, so time was limited). I’d like to point out though, that after I raised the points and concerns I wanted to, BetterHelp were very quick in rectifying it. 

The website is pretty plain, which is no issue at all for me, but might be for some (I’m really struggling now to find things I don’t like!), and ultimately, it’s super easy to navigate which is the main thing. 

Just to finish things off, if you’re at all interested in BetterHelp, and what it can offer you, just give it a go. I’m already feeling much lighter overall after a couple of months, and it is definitely making a difference. You have nothing to lose (really!), which beautifully leads me on to this: 

Fancy a FREE week of BetterHelp therapy?

Hopefully this review has given you an idea of how BetterHelp works, and how much you can get out of it. If you want to try it for yourself, I’m able to offer you a free week of therapy, so you can see the website in action, and receive your first session, risk-free. 

Here’s the unique link for you, just click ,,here, and if you have any questions on BetterHelp at all, just drop me a message, and I’d be happy to help!

In the interests of full clarity, I don’t get any monetary gain from this, but I do receive a free week of therapy for every person that signs up using the link above. These extra weeks will allow me to continue my sessions with BetterHelp, and to keep on hopefully getting better. You would be doing me a huge favour in signing up via my unique link, and once again, I’d be incredibly grateful. 

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! As mentioned, any questions at all, just leave a comment, or send me an email, and I’d be happy to help. Best of luck with your onward journey, and if that involves BetterHelp, I remain confident you won’t regret it. 

Finally, I just want to point out that I have no affinity with BetterHelp, or their parent company. I was not paid for this review, I am a paying customer, and these are my honest thoughts on the product.