Things To Know About Text Therapy? How Does It Work

It is a virtual world now and texts have a major role to play. To be honest, most of us prefer having a textual conversation over a conversation on a call. Perhaps, texts are very convenient! What if I tell you that you can get therapy via text message?

Sounds good to you? If you are a text person, text therapy is going to be your thing! Imagine having a therapist whom you can text anytime. You can talk about your feelings via text and this time it will not be a friend but a mental health professional.

In theory it sounds perfect to me but does it really work on the ground? Let’s find out …

What Is Text Therapy?

Therapy that is provided via text messages is called text therapy. It is a contemporary method of providing therapy through text messages or emails via smartphones or laptops. This text-based therapy provides a platform to the therapy giver and the receiver and their main aim is to improve mental health.

Basically it means, your smartphone is the therapist and your home is the couch. It almost feels like “I am just a text away” finally came true! You don’t have to wait for an appointment, you don’t even have to leave your house and you can get the help you need.

Text therapy is having a counselor or a mental health professional give you guidance and counseling through a messaging app. Now, if you have a severe mental health condition, text therapy is not advisable, in fact, i don’t think it will work in emergencies too!

How Does Text Therapy Work?

Text therapy works in the same way normal texting works. There are a good number of text therapy services available at present and most of them use the same method. There might be tiny differences between each service provider depending on their protocol.

Here’s a general outline of how text therapy might work…

Once you have identified which text therapy service provider you want to use, you’ll have to follow these steps.

1. You will have some pop up questions that you need to answer so that they can find a perfect match for you. You will be asked about your medical history and needs.
2. After you have filled in all the information asked by the service provider, you will be assigned a suitable therapist.
3. Once you have a therapist, you can begin chatting with them through texts via a secure messaging service. In most cases therapists will respond to you in some time (during their response window). You can also request for a live-chat session at this point.
4. The last thing that you need to take into consideration is the subscription. Some offer free trail and some may first require subscription

Interest in text therapy? Betterhelp provided one of the best text therapies. Click here to get matched to a therapist now!

Also read: Does BetterHelp Offer Financial Aid? Find About It Here

How Much Does Text Therapy Cost?

Different text therapy service providers have different pricing ranges. Most of the service providers charge from 40$ to 60$. If you wish to opt for a vocal call or a live chat session then the charges are going to be slightly higher.

One of the drawbacks of text based therapy is that it is not covered under insurance. Although you can speak with the provider to give you a discount but other than that there is no relaxation in the cost.

What’s The Best Thing About Text Therapy?

Text therapy sure sounds tempting. Not just one, there are many good things about text therapy. Just like a coin has two sides, text therapy has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s have a look at them…

Advantages of text therapy

• Convenient
• Easy availability
• Easy accessibility
• Does Not limit your reach
• You can open up about your feelings easily because of confidentiality

Disadvantages of text therapy

• It’s not budget friendly
• Does not cover insurance
• Impersonal in nature
• Responses may not be spontaneous
• Does Not work in emergencies

Final Thoughts

Text therapy does sound interesting but I am a 50-50 on the applicability of it. Although it’s convenient, will it really be that effective? I mean it will definitely make us spend more time on our cell phones. What about the potential danger of prolonged cell phone use?

On the other hand, getting therapy so easily can really help someone in need. You see? I am definitely 50-50 on this one! Do tell me about your thoughts on text therapy in the comment section below. If you have already tried it, how did text therapy work for you?

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.