Online-Therapy.com Review

Online-Therapy.com Company Overview

Not too long ago, anyone who would admit to being in therapy would either have been seen as weak or crazy. Thankfully the world has changed a lot since those days. Today therapy is seen as being a normal part of life and is as important for our mental wellbeing as regular medical check-ups are for our physical health.

But therapy has not only become more accepted, but it is also now more accessible than ever thanks to the rise of online counseling services. These online counseling services connect patients with qualified and experienced mental health professionals, who are able to provide them with the same level of therapy that they would otherwise receive with traditional in-person therapy. However, online therapy is usually significantly less expensive when compared to traditional therapy. Online therapy is also far more convenient. In fact, patients of online therapy can engage directly with their own dedicated online counselor without ever having to leave their front door. 

Today we will be taking a closer look at Online-Therapy.com, an online counseling service that claims to make professional online counseling easier and more accessible than before, while also providing their patients with professional mental health, ongoing support, and powerful mental health tools.

Who is Online-Therapy.com?

Online-Therapy have based their entire online counseling program on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The team over at Online-Therapy consists of consulting online therapists, specialists in cognitive behavioral therapy, mental health practitioners, and support staff who all work together to help those in need of emotional support.

What does Online-Therapy.com Treat?

As we just mentioned, Online-Therapy has based its entire platform on cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a cornerstone of modern psychotherapy and it is used to treat a number of mental health issues by teaching the patients how to first identify, then challenge before ultimately overcoming any dysfunctional thoughts, behaviors, and emotions they experience before it has a chance to play out fully. Essentially, CBT is an early warning system that allows the patients to nip any negative situations in the bud.

Online-Therapy claims that their main goal is to help people become happier, wherever in the world they might be. Patients who join Online-Therapy will be guided through an online therapy program that consists of 8 different sections. As they interact with their online therapist, they will gain all of the knowledge and practical tools required to identify, challenge, and overcome whatever problems they face.

The online therapy program at Online-Therapy includes videos as well as audio and text resources. Patients will have the benefit of daily access to their particular online counselor from Monday to Friday, a daily journal and action plan, yoga and meditations sessions as well as tests that not only reinforce what they have learned but also serve as a way for the patients to mark their progress.

In addition to the sessions with their online therapist, patients are also able to connect with their e-therapist via unlimited messages and the worksheets that are a part of each section. Online-Therapy’s Standard subscription includes a live 30-minute session with their online counselor every week. Patients who opt for the Premium subscription enjoy two live 30-minute sessions with their online therapist every week. We will go into further detail regarding the various subscriptions Online-Therapy offers a bit later.

Just to clear things up at this point, Online-Therapy seems to use the word programs for treatments. Essentially, Online-Therapy and their team of qualified and experienced online counselors offer online treatment for the following psychological issues:

• Addiction
• Agoraphobia
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Bi-Polar
• BPD
• Depression
• GAD
• Health Anxiety
• Insomnia
• OCD
• Panic Attacks
• PTSD
• Relationships
• Social Anxiety
• Speech Anxiety
• Stress
• Weight Issues

Online-Therapy’s Progam Components

Qualified Therapist

Every patient will be assigned their very own personal online therapist, who will be at their side from the very first step they take on their journey of mental wellbeing right until the time they are strong enough to walk on their own. Online counselors not only engage with patients via live sessions and delayed response but also guide them through the different sections and worksheets of Online-Therapy’s online counseling program.

Sections

Every section in Online-Therapy’s online counseling program will provide patients with all the information and tools they will need to be able to identify, challenge, and overcome any problems that come their way. The sections have been done in 3 different forms of media, (videos audio and/or text) allowing patients to choose the formats they are most comfortable with.

Worksheets

Patients will complete several worksheets with the help of their online counselor as they progress through each section. The worksheets were created so that as the patients answer the various questions, they will actually be learning the tools that they will later use to overcome whatever problems they face.

Live Chat

Depending on the type of subscription the patient has taken, they will either have one or two 30 minutes sessions of live interaction with their online therapist every week. 

Unlimited Messaging

In addition to the live sessions and worksheets, patients can also interact with their online counselor via delayed response messages. Essentially, patients are free to message their online counselors at any time. However, unlike with live interactions, their online counselor might not be on duty or be occupied at that time. However, as soon as they are free to respond, they will.

Journal

The journal is meant to serve as a tool that allows patients to start and end their day in a positive manner. Online-Therapy claims that patients will soon notice a shift in their attitude and the way they view themselves by consistently writing a few words reflecting on their feelings or experiences they have had.

Activity Plan

Patients will use their activity plan to add and plan moments and experiences that will bring some joy and light into their lives. The activity plan also acts as a written contract with themselves and is said to greatly increase the chances of patients following through on the promises they make to themselves.

Yoga

This ancient form of stretching and exercise is the latest tool in Online-Therapy’s “Happiness Toolbox”. Patients will follow the instructions and examples of the onscreen yoga expert. Yoga has been proven to be and effective tool against anxiety, depression, and stress. It is known to give the person an instant boost and a sense of inner joy. 

Where Online-Therapy differs compared to most online counseling platforms is that they claim to have a pre-designed system that patients will be able to use when faced with a problem or situation that they struggle with. As such, it’s hard to believe one would benefit much from this particular platform if you don’t have one of the “programs”/treatments we listed earlier (Addiction, agoraphobia, anger…).

What don’t Online-Therapy.com do?

If you are dealing with suicidal or if the safety of you or those around are at risk, Online-Therapy strongly urge that you seek immediate face-to-face assistance and guidance.

How does Online-Therapy.com work?

Online-Therapy set out to make professional counseling easier and more accessible online counseling platform. And with more and more people turning to online therapy for a number of reasons, it became clear that their future lay in online therapy and providing continued support and equipping these in need with the tools they could use to overcome their issues. By not specializing in something specific like relationship counseling for example, Online-Therapy is able to have a bigger impact thanks to choosing to deal with a wide variety of mental health issues.

How secure is Online-Therapy.com?

Very.

• All personal information of patients is anonymously saved on a secure server after undergoing 128-256 bit SSL encryption, allowing only you and your online therapist to view it
• After two years, your account and everything related to it is automatically deleted. You have the option to either shorten this period or to immediately delete your account via the Privacy Setting on their website

Who are the therapists at Online-Therapy.com?

Every online counselor at Online-Therapy is a fully trained professional. However, while other online counseling platforms like ReGain Couple Counseling have been quite clear that all of their online counselors have been accredited by their state board and have a Masters's degree or Doctorate in their particular field, Online-Therapy is vague on the issue. While it is clear that all of their therapists are “trained professionals”, have academic qualifications, are licensed and certified and have many hours of practical hands-on experience, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if we were to find out that not all of them held either a Master’s degree or Doctorate.

What is a lot clearer is that all of the online counselors at Online-Therapy are fully trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). The basis of CBT is that it is our thoughts which not only affect but actually cause feelings and behaviors rather than external forces such as people, places, and things.  In other words, our emotions are not caused by an external stimulus but how we interpret and perceive these stimuli. So, since all of the therapy and counseling at Online-Therapy is based on this belief, we strongly recommend that if you do not identify or agree with this idea, you would be better served to find a different online therapy service. 

How much does Online-Therapy.com cost?

We must give credit where credit is due – rather than just pay lip service to want to help as many people as they can, Online-Therapy actually offer parts of their online therapy platform for free. This means that those who desperately need help but cannot necessarily afford the cost of their online therapy can still enjoy some of the benefits that come with online counseling.

Now, on to paid subscriptions. For only $31.96 per week (with a 20% discount on the first month of online therapy)Online-Therapy provide patients with full access to their program. This online therapy program includes daily contact with a dedicated personal online therapist, who will help them overcome the challenges they face day-to-day (weekdays only). This is far less than one would expect to pay for a single in-person therapy session. 

All in all, Online-Therapy offer 3 subscription levels, giving patients different levels of access to their online CBT program, depending on the particular needs of the individual. Patients are free to upgrade or downgrade their subscription whenever they wish.  

Free Plan

• $0 per week
• Online therapy program consisting of 8 easy to follow sections and includes 25 worksheets
• Access to Yoga and meditation-videos, journal, activity plan, and tests
• Daily feedback from online counselors 5 days a week
• No live chat sessions or messaging

Basic

• Online therapy program plus daily therapist feedback
• $39.95 per week
• Includes online therapy via a private platform
• Online therapy program consisting of 8 easy-to-follow sections and 25 worksheets
• Yoga and meditation-videos, journal, activity plan, and tests
• Feedback from online therapists from Monday to Friday
• No live chat sessions, no messaging support and no express replies from online counselors

Standard

• $59.95 per week
• Includes online therapy via a private platform
• Online therapy program consisting of 8 easy-to-follow sections and 25 worksheets
• Yoga and meditation-videos, journal, activity plan, and tests
• Feedback from online therapists from Monday to Friday
• 1 live chat sessions per week,
• Online therapists provide support via messaging
• No express replies from online counselors

Premium

• $79.95 per week
• Online therapy program consisting of 8 easy-to-follow sections and 25 worksheets
• Yoga and meditation-videos, journal, activity plan, and tests
• Feedback from online therapists from Monday to Friday
• 1 live chat sessions per week,
• Online therapists provide support via messaging
• Express replies from online counselors

Pros

• Patients go through worksheets together with their online therapist
• Yoga and meditation classes
• All of the online therapists are certified

Cons

• The online therapists at Online-Therapy are only available 5 days a week (Mondays to Fridays) which could pose quite a problem for patients who find themselves in a crisis or urgent situation
• Unfortunately, Online-Therapy do not give the patients the benefit of interacting live with their online therapists via phone or video