I kind of worked out recently that maybe if we didn't call what BetterHelp was doing necessarily psychotherapy, I might be able to be a bit more comfortable with it maybe. I still think it would be problematic, but I think it's the conflation of psychotherapy as I know it, and mental health support in a whole variety of different ways. So it could be, well, it is the fact that you have this platform that's offering something to people in the world of mental health, mental health professionals to speak to in some way or fashion. But the way that BetterHelp works is completely antithetical to how I was trained to offer a psychotherapeutic space, which was about consistency, regularity, space between those sessions. Generally very little contact between sessions, generally a commitment of more than a very short period of time...

Therapy for therapists is an essential support for continued evolution and as an act of self-care. As you likely know, being a therapist is really challenging and emotionally taxing work! Attending therapy as a therapist can be an outlet for discharging some of what we take on throughout our week and recognizing when something touches on our own personal wounds or history. Read on for more information on why therapy for therapists is an important practice for mental health workers to engage in and a few, different reasons why it’s so necessary.

It can happen at any point in therapy: you might become frustrated, you feel less connected, your initial reasons for starting therapy seem fuzzy in your mind, or it feels like something is just not right. While therapy involves some level of manageable discomfort in the process of growth, here are some cues that the therapy process may need some new perspective.

Many therapy clients come to us never having been in therapy before. These new clients are usually excited to begin but also feel intimidated, uncertain, and unknowing of what to expect. Understandably, starting therapy can bring up a complex mixture of emotions! One question we frequently get from clients new to therapy is “What should I talk about in therapy?”

Sessions can be more affordable, but the level of savings is not proportional to the rate cut for providers. So when you pay for therapy, although you’re paying less, your money is going toward the company BetterHelp—its advertising, parent company investors, and overall profit, not toward paying your therapist. This will undoubtedly impact the therapeutic relationship, which is “at least as vital to a positive outcome as using the right treatment method” according to the American Psychological Association.

Gaby and Dani share more about what it’s like to be a Latine person working in mental health. Read more about how healing it can be to work as a therapist and also the really hard parts.
And like Gaby says, “The reality is that the Latine experience is SO broad, coupled with the many intersectionalities that we each hold. That being said, I will speak on my experience as a Latine person in the mental health field.”

Being with those who are grieving is one of the most powerless feelings…If you haven’t experienced loss yourself (or even if you have!), it can be hard to know how to support others who are grieving their own losses. Read on for tips on how to support a loved one who’s navigating loss.

Despite living in Los Angeles, one of the most saturated markets for psychotherapy, trying to find a therapist who a) is the right fit for you, b) has current openings, and c) will actually call you back, is increasingly more difficult. We hear horror stories all of the time about people never hearing back from therapists they’ve sent inquiries to or feeling very discouraged not knowing where or how to even start looking for a therapist.