Kevin’s Story: How BetterHelp Rebuilt My Trust In The Therapeutic Process

Kevin had previously sought out mental health services in person and online but had largely negative experiences. This changed when he discovered BetterHelp. After being connected with a mental health professional he felt comfortable with, Kevin was able to work through issues like anxiety, loneliness, LGBT issues, and relationship problems. If you, like Kevin, have had poor experiences with therapy in the past, you may wish to give online therapy a try.

Please note that Kevin’s story (below) has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity. 

Kevin’s previous experiences with mental health services

“Prior to BetterHelp, I had sought out in-person counseling services and one other online app but had negative experiences with both. The in-person therapist I was seeing kept raising their prices and was not very helpful or supportive. The online counseling app I was using locked me into one therapist where I had to be granted permission to switch therapists, even though I felt my assigned therapist was not a good fit. I left this online counseling app angry and frustrated, but was not ready to completely give up on online counseling as this worked better with my busy schedule.”

How Kevin found BetterHelp

“Therefore, I continued to look for and research other online counseling services. This is when I found BetterHelp! I could switch counselors as many times as I liked until I found a good fit and was lucky enough to be matched to Dr. Ortiz on my third match. I've now been working with Dr. Ortiz for a record of five months with significant improvements.”

Changes Kevin experienced after treatment through BetterHelp

“When signing up for BetterHelp, I was seeking assistance building trust with a therapist, as my trust had been broken after several failed experiences both in person and online. I was also going through a life transition that included broken relationships, animosity within a social group, situations within my career, LGBT issues, loneliness, and anxiety. I believe I have now improved and strengthened my trust in the therapeutic process. I have also been able to slowly move away from my past circumstances and my anxiety, so life has improved. In comparison to five months ago, I have learned not to react to my emotions, but to wait until the strength of the emotion has lessened to make a solid decision at that time.

I've begun thinking about life more positively, and my anxiety attacks have lessened. I have been equipped with many valuable tools by my counselor, such as not taking ownership of situations I have no control over and not breathing life into words that can bring me down. Words are powerful, and the more you tell yourself things that are not true, the more they can come true. I have now been able to think through decisions better before making any large decisions.

Consider online therapy

A few of the potential benefits of choosing online therapy over traditional therapy are its availability, affordability, and customizability. If you’ve previously had unhelpful experience with mental health services, you may find that having options, such as the ability to switch therapists and the ability to schedule sessions at times that fit into your busy schedule, makes the experience much more successful.

As this study explains, online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy for treating a vast array of mental health disorders. Don’t hesitate to get the support you deserve if you feel you might benefit from giving online therapy a try. You may find, just like Kevin, that online therapy is what you need to begin moving forward and making progress.

Takeaway