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Introduction
Stress and tensions have become a part and parcel of our lives in the 21st century. With our fast-moving lifestyle and our daily engagements, we fail to give our minds the required amount of rest.
As a result, mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and low motivation have become quite common.
As a consequence, the demand for therapists and their sessions has seen very high growth.
People undertake therapy to bring calmness and peace to their minds and bodies. Notably, availing of therapy sessions has become more convenient than ever with the help of certain online platforms providing these services.
In this review, we are going to compare two of the most popular online therapy providers in the market, i.e. BetterHelp and Talkspace. Through various topics discussed in this review, we hope you will be able to make a wise choice between the two brands.
BetterHelp Vs Talkspace: Overview
Before starting with the comparison, we would like to give you an overview of both brands to make you familiar with the brands. We will discuss a brief history, the business, and a few pros and cons of both brands in this section.
BetterHelp
Starting with BetterHelp, company was launched in the year 2013 by Alon Matas and Danny Bragonier. Matas had himself faced challenges in attending therapy sessions physically. He wanted to make therapy more accessible and convenient for people.
Therefore, he partnered with Bragonier and launched BetterHelp, an online therapy and counseling provider which offers services via its website and its mobile application. All the therapists at BetterHelp are licensed.
The company has been featured in popular media outlets like Forbes, Healthline, and The Mighty. The company has significantly gained popularity in recent times.
Pros and Cons of BetterHelp
Pros:
- Therapy is available for individuals, couples, and teens.
- All the therapists are licensed.
- Prices of services are more affordable when compared to competitors.
- Multiple modes of communication with the therapist are available.
- Communication options can be switched easily.
Cons:
- Services cannot be covered under insurance plans.
- Therapists are automatically matched and cannot be chosen by customers.
Talkspace
Coming to Talkspace, the company was founded in the year 2012 by Oren and Roni Frank. Prior to the launch of the company, the couple had themselves availed of therapy sessions which eventually helped in saving their marriage.
Inspired by their own experience, they wanted to make therapy easily and conveniently available to each and every person. Hence, they developed an online platform and a mobile application that can connect licensed therapists to people.
Talkspace was among the first companies to enter this market and has become quite popular over the period of time. The company has been featured in media outlets like CNN, Business Insider, and The Huffington Post.
Pros and Cons of Talkspace
Pros:
- A variety of subscription options are available.
- All the therapists are licensed.
- Various modes of communication are available.
- Psychiatry therapy is also available.
- Customers can choose their therapist from a given list.
Cons:
- Services are a bit expensive when compared to the brand’s competitors.
- There is no facility to contact your therapist via phone call.
BetterHelp Vs Talkspace: The Comparison
Now that we have become familiar with both brands, let us have a comparison of both which will eventually help us decide which one is better than the two. For this, we will compare both companies on the following three bases:
Types of services available
We are very well aware that both companies offer therapy and counseling sessions through their online platform and mobile application. However, they both differ in the type and range of services provided by them.
| Basis | BetterHelp | Talkspace |
| Types of services | Individual therapy couple therapy Teen Therapy | Individual Therapy Couple Therapy Teen Therapy Psychiatry Therapy Sleep Therapy |
| Mode of communication | Messages, live chat, audio and video conference, and phone call. | The message, live chat, audio, and video conference. The phone call facility is not available. |
| Issues addressed | Stress, Anxiety, Relationships, Depression, Addiction, Family conflicts, Religion, Self-esteem, etc. | Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Relationships, PTSD, Bipolar, Childhood abuse, OCD, etc. |
Betterhelp Vs Talkspace Pricing
While availing services of any company, price plays a very important role. Therefore, now we will compare the prices charged by both companies for their services.
| Basis | BetterHelp | Talkspace |
| Price | Price ranges from $60 to $90 per week based on your location and preferences. | Therapy:$276 per month for unlimited messaging services (chat, audio, and video) and $316 per month for unlimited messaging service and one live session.$396 per month for unlimited messaging services and four live sessions. Psychiatry:$199 for the initial session$125 for follow-up sessions |
| Payment Options | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, and Google Pay | Debit Card and Credit Card |
| Insurance Plans | Cannot be covered through insurance plans, medical, etc. | Can be covered through insurance plans, medical, etc. |
Betterhelp Vs Talkspace Customer Reviews
Our next parameter for comparison is the customers’ opinion about the companies and their services. Both brands are reviewed by thousands of customers and enjoy excellent ratings on their respective websites. Let us have a look at a few customer reviews for both companies.
BetterHelp
“Kristina has been extremely helpful to me and has been guiding me in a very meaningful and positive way in the short time I’ve been engaged in therapy.”
Cindy
“Sharon is amazing, I had the best experience possible. She made my first time in therapy fun and helped me in many ways.”
Austin.K
“I can actually see progress in my mental health which is something I haven’t been able to say in 15 years and it’s thanks to her.”
Lewis.M
Talkspace
“I have an infant so the idea of actually going out to therapy was daunting. This is much lower stress for me and I can check-in whenever it works for me.”
Kevin
“Talkspace allowed me the flexibility I needed when receiving counseling sessions, when I needed them, and at my pace.”
Jeniffer
“Our experience with couples therapy was great! Loved the convenience of writing whenever we had a chance. Our lives are so busy that I think it’d be nearly impossible to go somewhere.”
Carol
When should BetterHelp be Preferred?
From the analysis, we can say that BetterHelp must be preferred over Talkspace in the following situations:
- When you are looking for a cheaper therapy aid.
- When you desire easy switching between modes of communication.
- When you don’t wish to pay extra for live sessions.
When should Talkspace be preferred?
Similarly, we can say that Talkspace must be preferred over BetterHelp in the following situations:
- When you wish to get a therapist of your choice.
- When you want to have psychiatry sessions along with therapy.
- When you wish to cover your costs through some insurance plan or medi-claim.
Betterhelp Vs Talkspace: Verdict
To conclude, we would say that both the brands, BetterHelp and Talkspace are great providers of therapy sessions. The customers of both companies have claimed positive and efficient results after availing of the services.
However, we would give Talkspace an upper edge over BetterHelp. This is because of the following reasons:
- You can also get psychiatry therapy at Talkspace.
- You can make the choice of your therapist from a given list.
- Since Talkspace was launched before BetterHelp, it can be safely said that the former has a better experience in the domain.
All these advantages are missing in the case of BetterHelp. However, advantages always come at a high price. Talkspace’s services are quite expensive when compared to those of BetterHelp. Hence, you may choose the latter if you wish at saving costs.
Whichever brand you choose, we hope that their therapy session proves advantageous for you and you get relieved of all your stresses and anxiety.
