Does BetterHelp Have Christian Counselors?
BetterHelp employs a wide range of therapists, including faith-based therapists and Christian counselors.
You can specify whether you’re looking for a faith-based therapist on BetterHelp’s sign-up questionnaire (you can also specify which faith you follow; on BetterHelp, you can find therapists with many different spiritual orientations and religious beliefs). So, you can indicate at signup that you want to work with a Christian therapist and, based on availability, be paired with one.
However, if you’re specifically looking for a Christian therapist, you may be better served by going to BetterHelp’s sister site, Faithful Counseling.
What Is Faithful Counseling?
Faithful Counseling is a subsidiary of BetterHelp that offers faith-based therapy.
BetterHelp opened Faithful Counseling in 2017 to better address the needs of Christian therapy seekers. The site uses the same platform and subscription model as BetterHelp and works in the same exact way financially and technically. The plans cost the same thing and you get a mix of both messaging and live sessions. The main difference is that Faithful Counseling exclusively employs Christian therapists.
When Might You Want Christian Counseling?
You may simply want to see a Christian counselor because you feel more comfortable working with someone who has the same spiritual background and perspective as you. That is reason enough.
However, there may be circumstances in which Christian counseling is even more relevant to your needs in therapy. You may want to consider seeing a Christian therapist if:
- You are experiencing religious or spiritual issues that are the main reason you’re seeking therapy right now.
- Your faith is a primary source of strength in dealing with the challenges you face and you want to talk to your therapist extensively about it.
- You are struggling with doubt, questions about what you believe, or crises of faith that you would like to explore with a therapist who can address them as a fellow Christian.
- You are going through something in your life that is making you feel guilty or alienated from your faith—such as substance use or marital, relationship, or sexual problems—that you would like to talk about with someone who can offer a Christian perspective.
If any of these apply, we encourage you to seek a faith-based counselor who can address your needs in therapy. You can find Christian counselors on both BetterHelp and Faithful Counseling and may want to compare available therapists on both sites to see where you can find a better match.
While you can find a Christian counselor on BetterHelp, you’re guaranteed to be matched with one if you sign up for therapy on Faithful Counseling. Therapists agree to a “Statement of Faith” professing their Christian beliefs when they sign up to offer therapy on Faithful Counseling.
What Does Faithful Counseling Cost?
Faithful Counseling is a subscription service that bills every 4 weeks and costs between $240 and $360. The cost is based on your location, preferences, and therapist availability.
Pro Tip!
Faithful Counseling offers income-based financial aid. If you qualify for financial aid, it can reduce your cost significantly, depending on where you live and other factors.
Note that you get the most value out of your Faithful Counseling subscription if you get weekly video sessions (which is our recommended way of using Faithful Counseling).
Is BetterHelp Religious?
BetterHelp is not specifically a religious platform, though it does employ religious (as well as non-religious) therapists.
When you sign up for BetterHelp, you answer questions about your needs and preferences for therapy, including questions about your spiritual orientation and whether you would prefer a faith-based or non-religious therapist.
On the other hand, Faithful Counseling is exclusively a religious platform. The purpose of the site is to connect Christian therapy seekers looking for faith-based therapy with Christian therapists who offer that. BetterHelp established Faithful Counseling to respond to the demand for Christian therapists it observed on its platform.
Therapists agree to a statement of faith when they sign up to offer sessions on Faithful Counseling. This means you know you’ll be paired with a Christian therapist if you use Faithful Counseling.
What's the Difference Between Faithful Counseling and BetterHelp?
Faithful Counseling and BetterHelp are two online therapy platforms run by the same parent company—BetterHelp. The main difference is that Faithful Counseling exclusively employs Christian therapists, while BetterHelp employs therapists from all backgrounds.
According to the FAQ at Faithful Counseling: “Faithful Counseling is a professional mental health service that allows users to connect with licensed therapists that share a Christian background.
By combining Biblical wisdom with clinical expertise in mental health, our therapists do their best to invite God into the conversation and formulate actionable plans that best address the unique challenges their clients face. Our goal is to holistically improve clients’ well-being, so that they may feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.
…The therapists of Faithful Counseling are a group of practicing Christians that are part of a larger network of licensed therapists operating on the BetterHelp platform, sharing the same high standards of clinical experience. All therapists are licensed [and] have a Master’s Degree or Doctorate Degree in their field.
…Additionally, every therapist has self-identified as a practicing Christian, shared their testimony with us prior to joining the platform, and has verified that their beliefs align with our Statement of Faith.”
BetterHelp is a general therapy platform that does not require its therapists to subscribe to a particular religion, approach, or therapy method. This means some Christian therapists choose to offer sessions through BetterHelp—as do therapists from a range of religious and spiritual backgrounds, orientations, and beliefs.
If you’re looking for Christian therapy, we recommend comparing Faithful Counseling and BetterHelp to see which one feels right for you. One site might have more available therapists in your area or you may find a better match on one site over the other.