Pros

• Network of more than 12,000 licensed counselors
• Financial aid for those who qualify
• Less expensive per month than Talkspace

Cons

• Doesn’t take insurance or prescribe medication
• Some negative customer reviews online cite poor customer service and unprofessional therapists
• Not transparent about qualifications of its therapists

• Session Types Text-based messaging, and live chat, audio, or video
• Cost and Payment Options Prices range from $60 to $90 per week and vary depending on where you live, the network availability of therapists in your area, and financial aid eligibility
• Accepts Insurance No
• Prescribes Medication No

BetterHelp, a popular online counseling service for adults, launched Teen Counseling to provide online counseling specifically for teens. Teen Counseling includes a network of more than 12,000 licensed, experienced counselors who can help teens with issues including anxiety, stress, self-esteem, depression, bullying, eating disorders, relationships, anger, and more. Although a participating therapist’s licensing may allow work with members of all ages, their strengths are in working with adolescents. The company isn’t fully transparent about its therapists’ qualifications; it simply states that individual therapists may list additional training or experience working with adolescents on their Teen Counseling profile to help you and your teen choose a practitioner they feel comfortable with.

Teens are able to communicate with counselors in four ways: asynchronously via text-based messages, or synchronously by chatting live, speaking over the phone, or videoconferencing.

For synchronous sessions between your teen and their therapist, you can schedule one live chat, phone call, or video session per week. For asynchronous sessions, you and your child will each have your own dedicated messaging “room,” which is your private and secure place for communicating with the therapist. You and your teen can each send unlimited messages anytime to the therapist. You’ll be notified by email when the therapist has responded.

Teen Counseling receives 3.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot; 6 out of 12 reviews mention poor customer service and unprofessional therapists. The platform isn’t rated by the BBB.