How Does it Work?

 

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Insurance Accepted. Same & Next-Day Sessions Available.

Why choose online counseling?

Rebecca lives in a small community. She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s considering divorce, and the only coach in town is her sister-in-law.

Ken and his spouse work full-time jobs. By the time they’re both available, the local coaching / therapy center is closed.

Sara is an Indian-American who wants to talk with someone who understands her culture. There’s no one like this within 50 miles.

7 Reasons to Try Online Counseling and Coaching

    online therapy and online counseling convenient

    1. It’s Convenient

    These days, regardless of whether you live in the city, or out in the country, you might spend more time getting to your appointment than in the appointment itself! Online therapy / coaching lets clients save time and forgo the typical weekly or twice-weekly commute.

    online therapy and online counseling comfort

    2. It’s Comfortable

    Connect with a counselor or coach from the comfort of your work, home, car, or anywhere you have a quiet space and a good internet connection or cell signal.

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    3. It’s Tested and Effective

    You might be surprised to hear that distance therapy practices aren't new. In fact, online mental health services are about as old at the internet itself. There are decades of research on telephone and online services that have shown that distance counseling services can benefit the client, and that clients often prefer them to traditional in person sessions.

    online therapy and online counseling affordable

    4. It’s Affordable (and insurance might pay for it)

    A growing number of insurance plans now cover online mental health services. We also have very affordable rates for anyone paying out of pocket.

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    5. It’s Easier to Talk about Difficult Things

    Try as we might to reassure clients that it’s not our place to judge, sometimes new clients still fear the “furrowed brow” of their therapist or coach. We’ve found, and research has found, that such worry seems to be lessened when a client is communicating at a distance.

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    6. It’s Fast

    When it comes to mental health care, many people are forced to wait days or weeks for an appointment. Not at Thriveworks: At Thriveworks, we do our best to get you a session immediately—often the same day.

    online therapy and online counseling trusted

    7. It’s a Trusted Brand

    With Thriveworks online therapy and coaching, you’re getting the best of both worlds. Thriveworks isn't just an online company, there are brick-and-mortar Thriveworks centers across the United States. Why not get started with a brand that’s reputable, experienced, and already trusted by tens of thousands of individuals, couples, and families.

Same Day Appointments

Get an appointment this week. Even same-day appointments are often available.

100+ Counselors and Coaches Available

Experienced, caring providers with a wide range of online counseling and coaching experience

Excellent Providers

We are highly selective and all providers are required to maintain excellent client feedback.

Online Counseling and Therapy Services

What Is Online Therapy?

Online therapy has a long history. In 1986, Cornell University began providing an online therapy service of sorts when they developed a program called “Dear Uncle Ezra.” With Ezra, anonymous students could write to an anonymous therapist, and receive a prompt written reply.

However, if online therapy is defined as any electronic or distance therapy, it can be traced back to the year 1953. That’s right, the Samaritans, based out of Great Britain, created the first telephone crisis helpline 30 years earlier.

Today, we might think of online therapy as HIPAA-compliant live video. In reality, it is a broad category that includes live video, phone calls, and live chat sessions. If you ask five different professionals for a definition, you might get five somewhat different answers.

Thriveworks Founder and CEO, Dr. AJ Centore, explains the move from traditional therapy to online services in The Journal of Professional Counseling:

“Since the beginning, mental health counseling practices have endured many theoretical shifts—from Freudian to Jungian, to Rogerian, and so on. However, a recent shift concerns not therapeutic theory but the medium through which counseling is provided. Historically, counseling relationships have developed in-person between counselor and client. Today, telephone and online technologies offer new paths for the formation of those healing relationships.”

Today, on this website, we acknowledge online therapy as an effective, medically reviewed option for mental health treatment. Thriveworks offers online mental health therapy and connects clients to skilled, licensed mental health professionals.

Is Online Counseling Effective? How Can It Help Me?

Online therapy is often seen as the “new way” to connect with a caring, qualified mental health professional.

On the contrary, online counseling services have been around in some form for more than 60 years! The field has a long and rich history thanks to both skilled providers and researchers.

Today, ethical codes or statements have been thoroughly developed by professional organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA). These ethical guidelines aren’t new—they too have been around for more than a decade.

Thriveworks is a trusted brand of counseling and coaching services with more than 150 offices across the United States. Now, in online therapy at Thriveworks, clients can connect with a licensed mental health professional virtually. They can choose between HIPAA-compliant live video or phone call.

Some may prefer a face to face session with a licensed therapist. However, there are decades of research that show counseling online can be effective.

In fact, online and phone-based services have been especially helpful for clients who find that they:

1) Have few qualified counselors or coaches in their area

2) Feel uncomfortable meeting with a therapist in person

3) Prefer to connect with a provider from the comfort of their home (or office)

If you’re seeking help from an online psychologist or online counselor, we hope our services are the right fit for you. That said, if you’re seeking a more traditional in-person therapy experience, Thriveworks offers that too.

What Mental Health Issues Can Be Addressed in Online Therapy?

There is a range of mental health issues that can be addressed with a licensed professional counselor online. For example:

1) Relationship Issues

Many couples seek relationship help in online counseling. Licensed marriage and family therapists help these individuals work through common relationship challenges like intimacy issues, poor communication, and lack of trust.

They might pull from the Gottman Method, which is a form of couples therapy based on the Sound Relationship House Theory.

2) Symptoms of Mental Illness

Online therapy can help those who are exhibiting symptoms of a mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are just a few examples.

Your online psychologist or therapist will help you manage your specific symptoms and move toward recovery. They might pull techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapies, depending on your specific needs.

3) Grief and Loss

Another unfortunate challenge that many encounter in their lifetime is the loss of a close friend or family member. A painful loss like this can have a profound effect. Fortunately, grief counselors can help these individuals in online counseling.

After losing a friend or family member, you might feel depressed, angry, or regretful. Your counselor will help you work through your specific emotions, related to this loss.

4) Child, Adolescent, and Teen Challenges

Child therapy and teen counseling can be conducted online, too. Young individuals encounter unique challenges like bullying, behavioral issues, and learning disorders.

They also experience challenges that adults run into, like stress, the loss of a loved one, major life transitions, and trauma. Licensed child therapists have the skills and experience to help.

5) Stress and Difficult Emotions

A common reason people seek online therapy is stress. Licensed therapists can help their clients understand and manage their specific stressors. Many people also pursue online counseling for help with difficult emotions, like anger and grief. Licensed professionals can help them better understand and manage these emotions, too.

Online therapists are capable of helping their clients address many different mental health issues, including the common challenges above. If you’re struggling mentally or emotionally, you can find the right help and guidance in online counseling.

How Do These Live Sessions Work? The Basics of Virtual Counselling

You can connect with a licensed mental health professional by either phone call or live video chat—these two options are called telephone counseling and video counseling.

If you choose to attend counseling over the phone, your online psychologist or therapist will call you at the agreed-upon time. If you choose online video therapy instead, you will use a link to connect with your provider at the agreed-upon time instead. In this instance, your provider will also have your phone number as a backup. This will come in handy if there are any unforeseen technical problems during the live video session.

Our team at Thriveworks has been researching and providing online therapy services in some form since 2003. This is when we saw that many people who are referred by a physician to seek mental health services never receive those services. And we recognized that online therapy could serve as a solution to this problem.

As you might have guessed, the reasons people don’t receive mental health services are many. Among them is the problem that acquiring counseling services is too difficult! For instance, for a potential client to connect with a provider in-person, they must:

  • Call a counseling center
  • Leave a message
  • Be available for a return call
  • Schedule an appointment by phone
  • Find their insurance information
  • Wait days or weeks for a first session
  • Drive to that session
  • Arrive in a presentable fashion on time or early

…all while perhaps going through a personal hardship or crisis.

We aspire to make the experience of seeking mental health online help, either through counseling or coaching, a much easier and improved process. One part of that is connecting our clients with a licensed counselor when they need it, and in that sense, offering “doctors on demand.”

Is Online Therapy Counseling Covered by Health Insurance?

Thriveworks offers affordable online therapy. Fortunately, a growing number of insurance companies and health plans are paying for therapy services provided at a distance. In addition, we offer self-pay rates that are affordable, too.

When insurance covers online therapy, the out-of-pocket cost is often equal to a copay at a general physician’s office. To determine if your insurance plan will cover online therapy, simply call the number on the back of your insurance card. If your plan covers online services, we’ll be happy to accept your benefits and schedule your first session right away.

That said, we know that using insurance can be a hassle and that services are not always covered. With this in mind, we offer affordable self-pay rates to ensure that our services are accessible to those who aren’t using insurance.

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People Love Our Providers!

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My 1st appointment was great! Looking forward to future appointments.

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My 1st appointment was great! Looking forward to future appointments.
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I find her to be very helpful and I’ve felt better about myself since I’ve started talking to her :)

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I find her to be very helpful and I’ve felt better about myself since I’ve started talking to her :)
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Very professional, very polite.

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