There are a lot of men who suffer from mental disorders such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse. They are in great need of professional help, but not all of them can afford physical therapy. How about online therapy? How costly is it and is it really effective? We try to answer these questions in this article.

Online Therapy

Millions of men have already improved their mental health issues via the help of online therapy. The barrier to talking to a licensed therapist is lower and can be done from the comfort and privacy of your home on your own device. In fact, online therapy is more popular than traditional therapy, especially with websites like BetterHelp.com that bring together fully licensed counsellors and people in need of therapy. The fact that you can check the licensing information for each online therapist also allows you to do your own due diligence. With online therapists, you get a much wider choice of therapists than with physical therapist where there are geographic boundaries.

How Does Online Therapy Work?

To start with you will need to make an online profile and you get asked a lot of questions to be able to profile you and the mental health issues you have. This makes matching the right therapist to help with your mental problems better. You have the choice to speak only to a select number of therapist due to your religion or maybe you want the therapy in your home language. This matching process is very successful and if during the counselling process you find the therapist is not a good fit, you can always select a different matched therapist.

After successful matching you can then communicate with the therapist in four different ways:

  • Exchanging messages
  • Live chatting
  • Speaking over the phone
  • Video call

Benefits Of Using A Therapist

The benefits of therapy can help all men with issues like a traumatic experience, depression, anxiety, abuse, grief, addiction, body images issues, eating disorders, sleeping disorders or dealing with a major life change. Besides this therapy can also be very helpful in everyday life, there are many highly successful men who use therapy in goal setting, being more productive and self-acceptance.

Almost all aspects of life can be improved on or impacted with the use of psychotherapy. A psychiatrist can provide you with a framework for problem-solving, or help you challenge incorrect assumptions or deal with irrational habits. With the right homework, you will grow and change. You can become a better man.

How Long Does Therapy Take?

This is not an easy question to answer and it depends on the severity of the mental health issues. Usually, a therapist meets up with the client once a week sometimes once every two weeks. Whereas some more severe cases require daily therapy. What you can be assured is that you are working with a fully licensed counselor and that you are in control of the choice of therapist.

How Much Does Therapy Cost?

The cost can range between $60 (£45) to $90 (£65) a week and depends on your location, your preferences and the availability of therapists. You will not be locked in and you can cancel the session at any time for any reason.

Can It Replace The Need Of A Therapist?

Extensive research done by the Berkeley Well-Being institute found that people that have used BetterHelp for their counselling found it to be as effective as face-to-face counselling. In the same study:

  • 98% reported having made significant progress
  • 94% preferred online therapy over face-to-face therapy
  • 70% reported reduced depression symptoms

With all the benefits and easy access to finding an online therapist, there is really no excuse and you owe it to yourself to get better mentally.