There Are Better Ways To Get Help – Why Online Therapy Platforms Aren’t All They Claim To Be

If you’ve ever searched for counselling or psychotherapy (or even if you haven’t) there’s a good chance you’ll have seen impressive adverts promising you instant matches with a therapist, flexible access and affordable sessions. These are all great things – no doubt about it – but good, proper therapy is not like ordering a takeaway online. It’s a relationship – and that can’t be replicated by an algorithm.

Online therapy is the newest kid on the therapeutic block. Flashy, convenient, and convincing. Almost impossible to not be tempted by, especially when you consider that reports of mental health challenges are at their highest, and NHS waiting lists are off the charts.

The reality, though, is a little different. These platforms have a high turnover of therapists, driven by rigid, demanding systems. Therapists are ‘rewarded’ (I use the term loosely) for the number of hours they accrue. Do you know what you don’t need in a therapist? Burnout.

The pay is obscenely low. I’m talking minimum wage for what is an extremely important, highly qualified role. Clients pay the same as they would privately (but they try to convince you they’re offering you a deal, with some platforms claiming private therapy is around £120-£180 a session – entirely not true) but the platforms take a huge cut – advertising so extravagantly doesn’t come cheap, I guess.

There are also blurred lines as to what constitutes therapy. Texting between sessions? Short, limited time sessions where you don’t even get a full hour? And they expect you to pay upfront for this?

Yes, it’s true that they have a wide selection of available therapists for you to choose from – and yes, that can mean you can request a switch to another one. But it dehumanises the experience, gives it almost a dating app feel – just swipe left if you’re not feeling it.

And honestly – online therapy doesn’t give you the full therapeutic experience either. There’s no denying that it might be the only or best option for some – but you cannot fully replace in-person therapy with online sessions. Dodgy Wi-Fi, questionable privacy and pixelated faces does not good therapy make.

There are also ethical grey zones with how they handle your data – you might just want to google that one…

It can be challenging to find a therapist who fits your needs – it’s pointless me saying otherwise. But to put your fate, your wellbeing, in the hands of huge Americanised corporations – surely that’s worth doing a bit of extra leg work to avoid?

I implore you to first of all try your local independent therapists. Ask around to see if anyone has any recommendations, or contact a local therapy centre where several therapists reside and get their guidance. Not an AI matching machine, but real people, tuning into you and what you need.

Real, lasting help is out there – just not likely found in the form of a glossy, corporate platform.

Thanks for reading. If something in this piece stirred something in you, you’re welcome to reach out. I offer sessions in-person at the therapy and counselling centre I run in Cheshire, and online sessions across the UK. You can find out more by heading to Insightful Life – Therapy & Counselling Centre