Online therapy is a growing trend, and busy executives, lonely teens, budget-conscious 20-somethings, and overwhelmed parents are all participating. With affordable and free online therapy, anyone can reach out and get the help they need to successfully work through life’s many problems.
Think you could benefit from a professional therapy session but can't afford it? Here's everything you need to know about free online therapy. With these resources, you’ll quickly regain control over your life and start smiling more often.
What is Online Therapy?
Online therapy allows you to speak with a licensed therapist without having to meet with them in person. There are many advantages to this type of therapy:
Convenience
Traditional therapy requires that you go to an office at a specific time, sit for an hour, and then get on with life. Online therapy, on the other hand, will allow you to reach out to your therapist from anywhere at just about any time. It's the ultimate convenience.
Cost (+free evaluations)
Traditional therapy can cost anywhere from $75 to $200 per session. For most people, spending that kind of money on a weekly session is just not feasible. However, online therapy platforms will cost you a fraction of the price and offer you added convenience and flexibility. There are free sessions, and there are affordable plans starting at only $35/month.
Flexibility
Free online therapy is conveniently available by phone, video chat, or SMS sessions, all on your schedule.
Options
Cheap and free online therapy providers recruit thousands of therapists, so you have tons of options at your fingertips. Sometimes, it’ll take some trial and error, but you have plenty of counselors available to you.
What Can You Get for Free From Online Therapy Providers?
In addition to giving you affordable counseling with lots of convenient options, online therapy providers have some services that you can get completely for free. For example, many services will offer a free assessment meeting. This is an initial consultation with a licensed professional to assess what types of issues to address, therapy to try, counselors to approach. Places like TalkSpace offer these free assessments.
Additionally, many online therapy providers offer unlimited messaging. This is a tremendous resource (and a freebie) that clients can take advantage of to really enhance their therapy sessions. Unlimited messaging means you can text your therapist at any time of the night or day. They won't always respond to you immediately, but this is still incredibly beneficial because it allows you to get down your thoughts or feelings precisely when they arise. So, you’ll have a more concrete record of exactly what occurred when you speak to your therapist at your weekly session. BetterHelp, Pride Counseling, and many other online therapy networks offer this feature in their standard monthly plans.
Finally, sites like BetterHelp offer completely free therapy in a group chat format. These are NOT licensed therapists, rather they are good samaritans who just want to help. These chat groups can be a valuable resource for people struggling with common issues. It’s not recommended for more serious issues though.
What To Watch Out for From Free Online Therapy Providers
Of course, online therapy isn’t entirely a free lunch. As with anything in life, there are pitfalls that you’ll need to watch out for if you want to stay safe and get the most out of your online therapy experience. Some things to watch out for from free online therapists include:
As with most things, online therapy can be a hit or miss when it comes to making a connection. The therapist you are paired up with may or may not be the right fit for you. If this happens, you may have to try out more than one therapist until you find one that you feel understands you. The good thing about most online therapy providers is that they allow you to “shop around” for the right therapist.
Dealing with major crises or conditions
For very serious mental disorders or life-threatening issues, such as schizophrenia, the American Psychological Association recommends seeing a professional in person. Psychologists can better help you deal with the intense responses and symptoms that accompany these conditions when they work with you face-to-face. Online therapy is also not a good solution for people who are suicidal or are dealing with other mental health emergencies.
How to Reduce the Costs of Therapy
If you feel like you would like to have someone to talk to about a certain issue you are going through but don't think that you can afford it, you have a few options. Here are a few ways to cut down the cost of therapy:
Insurance reimbursement
While they probably won't cover it upfront, many insurance plans will reimburse you for therapy sessions you attend. Look into these options to get some of your therapy bills covered.
Office wellness plans
Your employer may offer therapy sessions as part of their health and medical packages. Flip through your benefits packet to find out.
Online therapy
Online therapy is a fraction of the cost of traditional therapy. Plus, with so many free resources available, anyone can meet with a professional therapist without breaking the bank.
Free Therapeutic Resources
For those in need, there are plenty of free resources available as well. For example, there are numerous national organizations and hotlines that you can reach out to for help. Things like the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, Crisis Text Line, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Sexual Assault hotline, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are all available 24/7 free of charge. Here is a useful list of these types of organizations if you ever find yourself in an emergency crisis situation:
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255)
National Helpline (1-800-662-4357)
Crisis Text Line, a text message therapy system with 24/7 crisis support (text “HOME” to 741741)
The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, press 1)
The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth (1-866-488-7386)
Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860
The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673
The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7223
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that offers resources to find affordable treatment and therapy.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a leader in the mental health space, with its own crisis line at 800-950-6264 and resources to find therapy.
Mental Health America, an organization that hosts resources on finding a therapist, running self-assessments, and more.
MentalHealth.gov, the division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services with resources to many support networks and their own 24/7 hotline.
Generally, these free services will give you somewhere to turn, help you deal with an immediate crisis, and provide you with resources to take control over the issue. From there, it is recommended that you seek additional counseling with one of the recommended forms of therapy. This can be traditional therapy or online therapy, depending on the situation.
How to Choose a Free or Low-Cost Online Therapy Provider
Finding the right free or low-cost online therapy provider requires a little comparison shopping. Think about what you want from your therapy provider (video, SMS, phone chat capabilities), how much you are able to spend (do you have a small budget or no budget at all), and what type of issue you’re facing (is this an intimacy issue, anxiety, etc.).
Then, browse through some online reviews of the free or low-cost online therapy services. There are specific online therapy services that cater to niche audiences, such as ReGain (couples counseling), Pride Counseling (LGBTQ), and Teens Counseling (teenagers in crisis). Test drive a few that sound good until you find a therapist that you like.
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