Pride Counseling Company Overview 

It is hard for heterosexual people to understand what members of the LGBQT community go through on a daily basis. While not all of the online counselors at Pride Counseling are part of the LGBTQ world, they do understand the problems and predicaments its members face and their need for specialized online LGBTQ counseling. While the online therapists at Pride Counseling specialize in online LGBTQ counseling, Pride Counseling is open to all identities and cover all areas of mental health. Their aim is to provide an online platform where people, especially those from the LGBQT community, can get the psychological help they need in a convenient, discreet, and affordable manner. Pride Counseling was first started in 2019 and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

What do Pride Counseling do?

Pride Counseling believes that help should be available to anyone grappling with issues relating to mental health, identity or in need of a person to talk to. They also believe that providing online counseling for LGBQT community, they are helping the broader world as well.

While there are other online therapy platforms, such as BetterHelp, that cater to the LGBQT community, Pride Counseling was created specifically with the LBGQT community in mind but also helps members deal with a wide variety of mental issues, including:

• All forms of addictions
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Bipolar
• Career
• Chronic impulsivity
• Conflict
• Depression
• Eating
• Educational assessments
• Family
• Grief
• Health
• Intimacy
• Life transitions
• Parenting
• Relationships
• Religion
• Self-esteem
• Sleeping
• Social behavior
• Stress
• Substance abuse
• Trauma & abuse

Like most people, members of the LGBQT community are probably dealing with a number of issues. Thankfully Pride Counseling are on hand to help you deal with all of them.

What don’t Pride Counseling do?      

While Pride Counseling is capable of assisting you with all mental health concerns via their online therapy platform, they may not be your best option if you are struggling with any of the following:

• If you have had thoughts of hurting you, your partner or anyone else
• If you are under the age of 18 and are still under the care of your parent or legal guardian
• If you find yourselves in a crisis or emergency situation
• If you have been officially diagnosed to be suffering from a severe mental condition
• If you have advised undergoing psychological supervision or psychiatric care
• If you have been ordered by a court or other authority to undergo therapy or counseling
• If you are in a physically abusive relationship and you feel that your safety or even life is at risk
• If you do not have ongoing access to a reliable internet connection

How does Pride Counseling work?                                                                            

Signing Up

Joining up with Pride Counseling is pretty much the same as signing up with any other online therapy service. The difference lies in the initial online questionnaire. Apart from the regular questions (what is your age, what is your relationship status, have you ever been in therapy before, etc.) and questions that help them gauge your physical and mental state, Pride Counseling ask a number of questions relevant to the LGBQT community to help them, link patients, to the most suitable online therapist.

These LGBQT specific questions included in their online therapy questionnaire includes:

• How do you identify?
• What are your pronouns?
• How do you identify?

Using the answers gained from their online therapy questionnaire, Pride Counseling hope to gain

a “complete picture breakdown” the user and their situation.

After completing the questionnaire, the next step is to create a private account. Users are free to use an alias but must be sure to either supply them with an email address they use or create one specifically for the purpose of creating an account with Pride Counseling, since they will be sent a 3-digit code that they will have to use to confirm their profile.

The next stage allows users to specify what type of online counselor they would prefer to work with (whether their preferred online counselor is male or female, experiences they have had, etc.).

Once they have completed all of the above, Pride Counseling will match users with the most suitable online counselor they have available. While all of the online counselors at Pride Counseling specialize in online LGBQT therapy, each online counselor has their own technique and approach. If the user finds that they do not work well with the online therapist with which they have been matched, they are free to switch to a different e-therapist. All in all, the signing up process at Pride Counseling should not take the user more than 5 minutes.

Users can be counseled in any of the following ways:

• Live chatting with their online counselor
• Swapping text messages with their online counselor
• Talking to their online counselor via voice/phone calls
• Engaging with their online counselor via a video conference

Users can freely switch between the above options depending on what best suits their needs at any particular time.

Let’s take a closer look at the different communication options available to users of Pride Counseling:

Messaging

Once the user is matched to the online therapist that best suits their personality and counseling needs, they will be assigned their own private therapy room. This room will serve as a safe and confidential space in which they are free to write about themselves, what is going on in their lives at that time, discuss issues they are dealing with and ask for advice. Their online counselor will then go through what has been written and respond accordingly. The therapy room is always open so users can message their counselor 24/7. As soon as their online counselor has responded, the user will receive an email notification. Since this method is a delayed response channel, there is no need to schedule an appointment. Users can always go back and re-read any messages to help them reflect and remember the advice that they may have previously been given.

Live Chat

Pride Counseling also allows its users to engage with their online therapist via live instant messaging. Since this takes place in real-time, the user has the benefit of a live session while also enjoying the privacy that comes with messaging. With this being a “live” session, the user will first have to schedule an appointment with their online counselor. Then once it is time for the session they will need to log in to their account and start the conversation.

Voice Calls

With voice calls, users can engage with their online therapist using any landline or cellphone. Before the session, the user will first need to schedule an appointment with their online counselor

Phone sessions are a great way to conveniently speak with your counselor by simply using your landline or cell phone, no matter where you are. Then once it is time for the session, they will enter their private therapy room. Next, their online counselor will ask them to start the session and enter their phone number into the system. The system will then dial the provided number and connect the user to their online counselor. Users concerned with privacy will be relieved to hear that their phone number will never be shared with their online counselor.

Video Conferencing

Users who prefer to have a face-to-face session with their e-therapist can schedule a video call, which to all ends and means is very similar to Skype. As with all live sessions, the user will first have to schedule the session. Once it is time for the session, they should enter their private therapy room. Once in the room, their online therapist will ask them to start the session.

How secure is Pride Counseling?

Pride Counseling claim to be “totally obsessed” when it comes to protecting the privacy of their users and have created an advanced setup that protects user’s privacy and personal information. Pride Counseling also claims:

• Users never have to use their full name
• Communications between users and their online relationship counselor are safeguarded thanks to strict state and federal laws
• Pride Counseling have no direct contact or interaction with any insurance companies, so there is no need for any of your information to be shared, reported or filed with them
• All communication between user and e-therapist undergo 256-bit encryption
• All of Pride Counseling’s servers are hosted an "A Grade" facility, which promises highest levels of security and protection
• Pride Counseling follows best practices and provides world-class safety and encryption thanks to their use of an SSL browsing encryption system
• All of Pride Counseling’s databases are scrambled and encrypted so that if they are ever stolen, they will be totally useless to the thieves

Who are the therapists at Pride Counseling?

Every online therapist at Pride Counseling is fully licensed and state-accredited as a psychologist, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers or licensed professional counselors and has either a Master’s degree or Doctorate in their specific field of expertise. They also, as a minimum, have over 3 years and 2,000 hours of practical hands-on experience. In addition, every online counselor at Pride Counseling also specializes in online LGBQT therapy and the circumstances around them as well.

How much does Pride Counseling cost?

When it comes to payment, Pride Counseling seems quite unique when compared to other online therapy services. While most online therapy platforms charge a standard flat monthly rate, the cost of using Pride Counseling decreases after the user has been with them for a certain amount of time, thereby encouraging users to engage in long term online therapy.

For unlimited online therapy via chat, phone and video conferencing Pride Counseling charges $65 per week. They also have a number of alternative packages that range between $40 to $70 per week (billed monthly). Pride Counseling offers exceptional value, especially when compared to traditional face-to-face therapy, which can cost as much as $250 for a single session versus $70 at the most unlimited access to an online counselor.

Payments can be charged to a credit card or via PayPal on an ongoing basis. Once you feel you have accomplished your goals or just no longer wish to continue online therapy with Pride Counseling, you are free to end your subscription by visiting the “Settings” page on their website and selecting the appropriate option. It’s as simple as that.

Pros

• Online counseling with Pride Counseling is totally discrete— there is no need for the user to ever identify themself or reveal their full/real name
• Every message between the user and online counselor is fully encrypted, ensuring privacy
• Users are free to cancel their subscription with Pride Counseling at any time and for any reason
• The online counselors at Pride Counseling all fully qualified and state certified and have either a Master’s degree or Doctorate, with over 3 years and 2,000 hours of practical hands-on experience
• All of the online counselors at Pride Counseling specialize in LGBTQ issues
• While Pride Counseling specializes in LGBQT online therapy, it is open to people of all preferences and persuasions

Cons

• Not all health insurances cover online therapy with Pride Counseling
• Currently, there is no option to engage with the customer service agents at Pride Counseling in real-time
• Compared to most other online therapy platforms, completing the signing up process (most notably the online questionnaire) is a rather lengthy affair at Pride Counseling
• Individuals without a stable and fairly fast internet connection may struggle to communicate with their online therapist, especially in live sessions