Mental Health Care Online: The Pros And Cons Of Using A Therapy App

Thanks to the Internet, our options for therapy have grown exponentially. No longer does your only option for getting help involve traveling to a physical office or being restricted to practitioners who are near you. The development of therapy apps has made it possible to access some of the common resources offered in therapy without visiting a therapist. However, it's important to consider the pros and cons of using them.

What are therapy apps?

Therapy apps are opening up new paths to mental health support, putting helpful tools and even licensed therapists right at people’s fingertips. With the ease of a phone or tablet, taking care of mental well-being can feel more accessible, whether it’s squeezing in a quick check-in during a busy day or finding a quiet moment to talk. For many, therapy apps are making support feel more approachable and personal, woven into the rhythm of everyday life.

Therapy apps without licensed professionals

Apps that operate without the involvement of a mental health professional aren't really "therapy apps." They don't provide you with a therapist or a way to access therapy. 

Despite this, these apps can help with many things tangential to therapy, such as habit-building and mood tracking. Here are a few examples:

Moodfit

Moodfit helps you track your mood throughout the day. You can even set reminders for yourself, so you don't forget to track. The information is then stored, and you can use history charts or export the information into a CSV or PDF file to email to your therapist.

Breathe2Relax

Deep breathing can help you control anxiety symptoms and overcome the fight-or-flight response to stress. The Breathe2Relax app helps you learn deep breathing techniques that you can use anywhere.

Medisafe

Medisafe helps you manage your medications safely. The app will help you keep your medication timing in order and remind you when you need to take it. If you're on several different medication types, this can help ensure that you're not mixing up what you're supposed to be taking at that time.

Therapy apps with licensed professionals

Other types of mental-health supporting apps are those that actually connect you with a licensed mental health professional. These apps allow you to have therapy from anywhere instead of making an appointment in person with a therapist. A few examples include:

ReGain - Online couples therapy

The ReGain app provides you with a licensed professional who can help you with all of your relationship trials. It doesn't matter if you're married or just dating; couples counseling can help everyone. You work one-on-one with a therapist in a room you can access 24/7, although your therapist might take a day or more to reply. You can also set appointments for phone sessions or video chat sessions with your therapist. And, you can add your significant other to the room for couples counseling either from the start or at any point along your therapy journey.

BetterHelp - Online therapy 

The BetterHelp app works similarly to the ReGain app, but you can use it for any mental health challenge that you're facing, not just relationships. This allows you to easily address things like anxiety and depression, among other mental health challenges.

Pros of using a therapy app

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reported that scientific evidence has found that apps can help certain mental health challenges. If using an app sounds appealing to you, it's because many pros come along with it. Some of them include:

They are convenient

You don't have to remember an issue that you want to talk to your therapist about. If something comes up, you can get right on the app and write a message to your therapist. For apps without a therapist, you will likely find the ability to track mood, habits, or anything else more convenient than carrying around another logging method. 

They are often an affordable alternative

Therapy sessions can be unaffordable for some people. The average session cost can be as much as $150 or more, depending on where you live. If you don't have health insurance that helps cover some or all of the cost of this, the idea of forking out the money that you need can be overwhelming.

Therapy apps make a licensed professional more affordable. Most therapy apps will have several different plans you can choose from, and many people find that the cost is half of what in-person therapy would cost them. Apps without the advent of a licensed professional can be even cheaper but won’t offer the same scope of service. 

They remove the physical barrier

Apps that offer therapy from a licensed professional may make it easier to connect with a therapist who works for you. Depending on where you live, it can be difficult to find a therapist you want to work with. It could be that there isn't someone who specializes in an area you want help with, or you may have a limited number of therapists to choose from, especially if you live in a rural area.

Using a therapy app allows you to find the therapist that would be the best fit for you, even if they aren't in your local area. This can be a huge advantage in getting the help that you need.

You can have an ongoing dialogue with a therapist

If you've ever been to in-person therapy, you know that it can be frustrating when your session ends before you're ready for it. It's easy to forget what you want to cover at the next session because new concerns arise between the two.

When you use a therapy app, you can use your room to address these issues throughout the week. Just because you aren't having a "session" with your therapist doesn't mean you can't still get help for your concerns. However, the conversations that take place in your virtual room don’t take place in real-time. Therapists typically respond as soon as they can.  

Cons of using a therapy app

While therapy apps have many advantages, it's important to consider the other side as well. Here are some of the downsides of accessing a mental health professional through an app:

Some forms of treatment need to be in person

Therapy apps are great for psychotherapy or talk therapy. You can even learn valuable strategies and techniques like deep breathing and meditation with an app. However, some forms of treatment require you to work in person with a therapist. An example of this is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This type of therapy helps people overcome trauma from their past but really requires you to be sitting with a therapist.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

For the most part, if you have a serious mental health diagnosis, in-person therapy will be a better fit.

Some people prefer in-person visits

Some people enjoy the idea of using a therapy app because they don't want to sit in front of a therapist. However, some people naturally want to connect with a therapist and feel that they can do so more by being face-to-face with them. While therapy apps can address some of this through video chats that allow you to see your therapist, some people are just more comfortable in person.

Your level of comfort is crucial in being able to get the help that you need. So, if you're more comfortable having a person actually sitting with you, in-person therapy may be a better fit.

Your insurance might not cover it

If you're counting on your health insurance to cover some or all of the cost of therapy for you, then you'll want to find out what their requirements are. Many health insurance companies won't cover a therapy app's cost even though giving you directly to a licensed mental health professional.

While the cost of accessing therapy through an app is typically more affordable than in-person sessions, you will need to consider if health insurance coverage is part of the equation.

Getting started with online therapy

Receiving therapy from a licensed professional through an app is a form of online therapy, which refers to therapy that takes place over the internet, either through text or videoconferencing. While some have raised concerns about online therapy, evidence suggests that those concerns are largely unfounded. You don’t have to access online therapy through an app, either. You are free to use your computer, tablet, and some other internet-connected devices. 

Getting started with online therapy is as simple as visiting a reputable provider, setting up an account, and answering a few basic questions. You’ll be matched with a therapist and work with them to determine which evidence-based techniques are likely to help you the most. 

Takeaway

Several great therapy apps are available. They can help you improve your mental health in different ways.

If you are looking for a convenient alternative to in-person therapy sessions, consider giving online therapy a try. You can meet with a therapist from the comfort of your own home and don't have to worry about sitting there uncomfortably in front of them. It can also be more affordable than in-person sessions and provide you more frequent to your therapist.