Does BetterHelp Work for Teens?
To address the need for online counseling for teens from therapists who get it, BetterHelp established its sister site TeenCounseling.com. While BetterHelp only accepts clients who are 18 or older, Teen Counseling accepts clients who are 13 to 19 years old.
This effectively makes it BetterHelp for adolescents, as Teen Counseling uses the same platform and subscription model as BetterHelp and works in the same way financially and technically. In other words, you pay a similar amount for the same mix of live sessions and messaging and you use an app or web-based platform very similar to the one you would use on BetterHelp.
The main difference between Teen Counseling and BetterHelp is that Teen Counseling is set up to serve both parents and teens.
What Does Teen Counseling Cost?
Teen Counseling costs $65-$100 per week, prior to any offers, discounts, or financial aid
Pro Tip!
Teen Counseling offers income-based financial aid. If you qualify, it can reduce your cost significantly, depending on where you live and other factors.
Note that you get the most value out of your Teen Counseling subscription if you get weekly video sessions (which is our recommended way of using Teen Counseling).
Also note that Teen Counseling does not accept insurance. However, it can be a great option if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover the care you need.
The cost of the subscription for Teen Counseling can make it an affordable alternative to in-person therapy, especially when you consider that both parents and teens can have sessions (separately or together) on Teen Counseling.
And, as of 2023, you can use funds from a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to pay for your Teen Counseling sessions.
How Does Teen Counseling Work?
On Teen Counseling, teenagers (ages 13-19) and their parents (or guardians) can participate in live sessions separately or together.
Before each session, you choose who wants to join. Maybe one week, the session will be with the teenager, the next week, with the parent. Or you may prefer to always have your sessions together.
Pro Tip!
Live sessions are 30 to 45 minutes long and can be video, audio, or live chat sessions. We recommend live video sessions if you want your experience to be as close to traditional face-to-face talk therapy as possible.
The messaging feature can be especially useful on Teen Counseling because teens and parents have separate messaging or “therapy rooms.” Between sessions, you can have interactions with your therapist in your own messaging rooms to further explore any issues that came up in session.
Therapists don’t share information from the teen’s sessions or messages with the parent unless the therapist has concern the teen is at risk of harming themselves or others. Parents do not have access to the teen’s therapy room, so teens can participate in therapy more comfortably, knowing they have a “room of their own.”
How Do You Sign Up for Teen Counseling?
The sign-up process for Teen Counseling is similar to the sign-up process for BetterHelp. You go to the Teen Counseling website and fill out a sign-up questionnaire about why you’re seeking therapy and your therapist preferences.
The website gives the option for either the parent or the teen to be the first one to sign up for the service. Whoever signs up first will be given an invite code to send to the other to link both of you under the same account. The subscription cost covers both of you.
Pro Tip!
Note that the basic plan on Teen Counseling gives you one live session a week for either of you to use. If you each want separate sessions the same week, you may have to pay a little extra for the additional session.
After you fill out your questionnaire, you’ll be shown a list of therapists to choose from. You can review their bios and learn a bit about their background and specialties to see which one is the best match.
We strongly recommend taking some time to read as many therapist profiles as you can, as it will increase your chances of finding a therapist who is a good match.
When you reach the page where you enter your payment information, you can also apply for financial aid. Depending on how you answer the questions about your financial circumstances, Teen Counseling may offer you a lower rate.
How Do You Cancel Teen Counseling?
You cancel Teen Counseling the same way you cancel BetterHelp. Just follow these steps:
- Click on the menu next to your profile photo and select “Account Settings.”
- Under “Payment Settings,” click on “Cancel Membership.” This will open a questionnaire asking if you want to change your subscription or quit.
- Fill out the questionnaire confirming that you want to cancel (and why) and submit it.
After you cancel, you can use the service through the end of your current pay period. So, if you cancel two days before your subscription renews, you have Teen Counseling for two more days. On the other hand, if you cancel 21 days before your subscription renews, you have Teen Counseling for three more weeks.
You may or may not be able to get any remaining time on your current month refunded to you. Keep this in mind and plan your cancellation accordingly to avoid paying for time you won’t use.
To inquire about a refund, you can reach out to the Teen Counseling customer service team through their contact page or email them at [email protected].