Editor’s Note: MyTherapist has recently been purchased by the Betterhelp group which is owned by Teladoc. The platforms are still separated, so this review still provides valuable company background into MyTherapist that can help you know what the site is all about. For a full, updated overview we recommend reading our Betterhelp review as well.
MyTherapist was only launched in late 2017 but started gaining popularity at a very rapid pace. Unlike many other new, smaller platforms (such as Calmerry for example), MyTherapist showed a very strong foundation right from the get-go. Good customer service, excellent software and the ability to choose your own therapist from more than 1000 licensed professionals, all cemented MyTherapist as one of the rising forces in the online therapy industry.
As such, it is no wonder that within such a short timespan the platform managed to reach more than 20,000 active subscribers. In our MyTherapist review we’ll try and explain what we think contributed to the site’s massive rise in popularity, as well as at which areas we feel they still need to improve upon.
The site was launched in 2017 and recently purchased by Betterhelp which is owned by Teladoc – one of the largest telehealth companies in the world. MyTherapy enjoyed a great reputation even before the acquisition, but that reputation is now very much improved, as Betterhelp is renowned for their stellar performance and high standards in the virtual therapy industry.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| U.S Based Company | Yes |
| Number of Licensed Therapists | 1,000 |
| Accepts Insurance? | No |
| Hipaa compliant | Yes |
| Therapy Modes | Text, Audio and Video |
| Available Treatments | Private and Couples Therapy |
| Average Price | $65 Per Week |
| Sign Up Time | Less Than a Minute |
| Response Time | Immediate |
| Mobile App | Yes |
| Website | www.mytherapist.com |
| Customer Reviews | 93% positive |
| Our Editorial Rating | 4.5 Stars |
| Current Promotion | None |
The biggest contributing factor to MyTherapist’s instant success is how simple and easy to use the site is. Signing up and getting help only takes a few minutes, and then using the platform on a daily basis is also very easy and user friendly.
Another excellent feature is the fact you can remain completely anonymous and your therapist will not get any of your personal details unless you choose so. When you sign up to the site, you only have to choose a nickname and provide your email address. Of course, you’ll need to provide a few additional details for payments, but those are 100% encrypted and the site’s staff can’t access them.
As part of the signup process, you’ll be asked to fill out a short survey regarding your current mental health situation and the reasons that have led you to joining the site. This survey is short and pretty much boilerplate, but you should still answer it seriously since your answers determine which therapists are then presented to you as potential matches.
Once you fill in all the necessary information, all you have to do is click the ‘Start Therapy’ button. You’ll be taken to a page showing several counselor profiles you can look at, and see if any of them seem like a good match. If none of them do, you’ll have to contact customer support and ask for a larger selection.
When we selected our preferred therapist, the site asked us to write a few sentences of free text explaining what we are hoping to get out of the treatment. This isn’t a must, but you should use this opportunity to introduce yourself to your new therapist and make sure you are both on the same page when it comes to the goals and expectations of your upcoming treatment sessions.
Assuming all goes well and both you and your counselor are eager to start, a private chat room will be created where you can communicate with each other freely. Same as with most therapy sites we review, you’ll be able to get support from your counselor on a daily basis through text and chat messaging, as well as a dedicated weekly live session.
MyTherapist started out as a pay per meet service (similar to Amwell) but pretty quickly transitioned into the current subscription module instead. As mentioned, what they offer as part of their plan (daily messaging + 1 weekly live session) is very standard in the industry and at $65 the price is also fairly competitive.
The platform or the therapists offering their services on it doesn’t accept any form of insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. If you think you might be eligible for coverage, you’ll need to contact your insurance provider yourself and take care of everything on your own. That said, MyTherapist does offer a financial aid program – you fill in a short questionnaire to determine if you are eligible for a 40% discount.
MyTherapist has stricter requirements from their therapists when compared to most companies in the industry. All counselors are expected to hold at least a Masters degree in a relevant mental health field, as well as at least 2 years and 3,000 hours of hands-on experience. A certificate from their state’s board and proof of no bad past record are also demanded.
The site has more than 1,000 therapists available to help you at any given time. That said, due to its popularity, sometimes that’s just not enough – and you may be redirected to the parent site because there are currently no available therapists to assist you. If you do manage to sign up to MyTherapist, you should have no problem finding a suitable counselor and set up a meeting in a matter of days.
MyTherapist counselors specialize in the following fields:
MyTherapist.com is an exciting new platform that not only has a ton of potential, but is already an excellent provider of mental health services. The site is very new and clearly has some areas they need to improve upon, but their track record with changing the payment scheme shows they are quick to adapt and address their client’s concerns.
This MyTherapist review was written just before it was announced Betterhelp purchased the site. We decided to keep the review as is for the meantime, since MyTherapist currently continues to operate as a separate entity for the most part.
Betterhelp is known to be one of the best online therapy sites in the world – so we hope they can use their experience and great track record to improve upon Mytherapist’s fantastic start, while keeping the site’s unique identity and not simply turning it into a Betterhelp landing page.
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