Why Better-Help Therapy is Perfect for the LGBTQ+ Community
Online therapy is essentially a Facetime platform designed for improving mental health in a flexible and costs efficient way. However, is it possible to make a connection online? Would it be too easy to simply tone out your therapist and not take anything away from the sessions? All of these questions crossed my mind a month and a half ago as I was taking the intake quiz for the online therapy service known as Betterhelp. I was transitioning home from school and knew I needed to find a new therapist but was overwhelmed by both the lack of options and the insane prices for those options. I will be honest, I chose Betterhelp therapy simply because it was the cheapest option I had to me at the time. However, after using their services for almost two months now, I would recommend Betterhelp therapy to anyone looking for therapy, especially for the LGBTQ+ community and today I want to tell you why!
Finding a Specialized Therapist
When signing up for Betterhelp, the program will make you take an intake quiz that is designed to better understand who you are, and what you are looking for, and asks you to design your “perfect” therapist. Betterhelp has such a variety of therapists that I would be shocked if someone could not find someone they clicked with on that platform. The platform has all parts of the LGBTQ+ spectrum from all different backgrounds and upbringings.
At this point in my journey, I did not understand the importance of having another gay male as my therapist. However, I decided to specially ask for another gay male simply because I thought it would be cool to talk to someone who understands the day-to-day struggles of being a gay man. Especially since my previous therapist was a straight woman, I was wondering if switching things up would yield different results since I don’t think I really clicked as well with my previous therapist as I wished. After 24 hours, I was matched with my new therapist, for privacy’s sake I will call him John. Just like I asked, John was a gay male not too much older than me and also happened to grow up in a small conservative town just like I did.
Within the first therapy session, I was amazed at how well I clicked with John. After the initial awkward exchange of our names and such, we began talking about life as a gay man in conservative towns and I honestly forgot I was in therapy. It felt like I was talking to a friend the entire time. He talked about his feeling growing up with no gay friends and the loneliness he felt and ensured me that we can work through those emotions. It was like someone just told me exactly how I was feeling and it just clicked for me.
Fast forward to now, I have never been so open with anyone in my life. John understands the hookup culture of the gay community and is open to talking about things within that realm. I am finally starting to understand why I do a lot of things that I was too afraid to open up to my previous therapist about. I am not saying that everyone’s first therapist will result in a connection like mine, but I am saying that it’s very possible to find the perfect person using Betterhelp.
LGBTQ+ Specific Group Sessions
Along with a weekly 45-minute to an-hour session with my therapist, I have the option to attend one group session each week. Although I have not experienced a group session as of yet, I have noticed many LGBTQ+ group sessions centered around self-identity topics revolving from finding confidence within yourself to specifically dealing with issues from parents or guardians who may not fully accept you.
For some people, these group therapy sessions may be exactly what they are looking for. Since it is not one on one, speaking or participating is not mandatory. This may help ease some anxiety surrounding therapy and is something I am going to start checking out since it is included in the membership.
Increased Confidentiality
Finally, another major positive to using Betterhelp therapy as a gay man is the increased level of confidentiality and anonymity. No matter what therapist someone goes to, HIPAA laws will apply to your sessions and anything you talk about. However, one major concern I had when looking for a gay therapist in my area was the likelihood of seeing other men from Grinder or tinder at the same office. The number of gay therapists is drastically smaller than that of other therapists. This, combined with the small and interconnected community that is the gay community, the likelihood of running into guys from Grinder or tinder made me feel anxious about trying out a gay therapist for the first time. This may have been a personal issue, but it was one that better helped greatly alleviated.
Better Help is an online platform that connects its clients to therapists all across the country. This ensures that you will never have to worry about seeing guys you know in their office and even allows you to more openly express your emotions about specific guys to your therapist. Along with this, you will never have to worry about seeing your therapist in any part of your life considering that the therapist may not even live in your state! I love the fact that when I log off from my sessions, I know I will not see my therapist until the next session or I request a sooner session.
Conclusion
Therapy is a tool that can greatly help someone achieve and maintain good mental health. Especially in a stigmatized community, mental health needs to be placed at the same priority level as physical health is placed at. That therapy may look different for different people. I love online therapy and everything it has to offer. However, someone may prefer in-person therapy which is still a valid form of getting help! Finding what works for you is the most important step in achieving good mental health! If you are interested in online therapy, I would personally highly recommend Better Help Therapy as a source of therapy.
2-Weeks Free for Better Help
If you are interested in Better Help, I am leaving my referral code right down below. This referral code will give you a 2-Week free trial to match with your therapist and includes two sessions! I want to be open and state that I benefit from this as well as every time someone uses my link, I get a free month of therapy. I would greatly appreciate it as we all know therapy is expensive, but if you wish to not use the link I completely understand!
Referral Link: https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/2c896a04d8df20ec-4-01?utm_term=ref_v2_dd
