Is online therapy with a real therapist different from a therapy app?

Most therapy platforms do connect you with real, human therapists. The difference is mainly in the arrangement around them: how you're matched, how you pay, how you can contact the therapist and who holds your data. With a private counsellor, you choose the person directly, pay them directly and agree the terms with them. Both can involve real counselling.

Are therapy apps cheaper than private counselling?

Sometimes. Platforms usually charge a weekly or monthly subscription, and the price can vary by country and other factors. Whether that works out cheaper depends on how often you'd see a private counsellor and what is included. With me, you pay £45 for each 50-minute session, charged in pounds, with no subscription. It's worth comparing the real cost over a month.

Why might someone choose private counselling over BetterHelp?

Some people want to choose a specific counsellor and approach, such as person-centred counselling, rather than be matched by a system. Others prefer a pay-per-session arrangement, or want to read one person's privacy terms instead of a large company's. None of these make a platform wrong. They are simply different priorities, and it's worth knowing which matter most to you.

Can I switch counsellors easily if it isn't working?

On many platforms you can request a new therapist in a few clicks, which is a genuine advantage. With a private counsellor, you simply stop booking and look for someone else. I'd also invite you to tell me if something isn't working, because talking about that openly is often useful. If another counsellor would suit you better, I'll say so.

Is a therapy app or private counselling more confidential?

Neither is automatically more private. What matters is who holds your information, what it is used for and who it is shared with. Read the privacy terms of any service before you start, app or individual. As a trainee I discuss my work in clinical supervision without identifying details, and I explain the limits of confidentiality, such as serious risk of harm, in our first session.

Private Online Counselling vs Therapy Apps

Q: Is messaging therapy as good as video sessions?

I can't give you a firm answer, and I'd be wary of anyone who claims one. Research on live video is more settled: a 2021 meta-analysis found negligible differences in outcomes between therapy delivered by video and in person. My counselling happens in scheduled 50-minute video sessions, because the person-centred approach relies on a live conversation.

If you're deciding between private online counselling and a therapy app, the honest answer is that both can work. Apps usually offer more choice, more flexible contact and subscription pricing. A private counsellor offers one known person, a stated approach and terms you agree directly. I'm a private trainee counsellor charging £45 a session, so read this with that in mind.

How therapy apps like BetterHelp usually work

Most large platforms follow a similar pattern. You fill in a questionnaire, a system matches you with a therapist from a large network, and you pay a recurring subscription rather than paying per session.

BetterHelp, the best-known example, describes its service this way on its own site. It says matching can take a few hours or a few days. You can communicate with your therapist by messages, live chat, phone or video, and you can message at any time. Its home page says you can switch to a different provider with a click, and that its network has more than 30,000 providers. Its FAQ gives the cost as a weekly price that varies with your location and other factors, and says you can cancel at any time. Other platforms differ in the details, so check each one's own pages.

Where therapy apps can be better

It's only fair to start here, because apps genuinely do some things well.

Availability. A large network usually means you can start quickly, without a waiting list.
Choice. If the first match doesn't suit you, there are many others. A private counsellor is one person.
Contact between sessions. Messaging lets you write when something happens, rather than holding it until the next appointment.
Price structure. A weekly subscription can work out well if you use the service a lot.
Range. Platforms can often offer therapists with different specialisms, languages and time zones.

If those things matter most to you, an app may well be the right choice.

What private 1 to 1 online counselling offers

With a private counsellor, you choose the person before you start. You can read about their training, approach and limits, and you know who you'll be talking to each week.

A few other differences:

One relationship. The same person, week after week. In person-centred work the relationship is the main tool, so continuity matters.
A stated approach. I work in a person-centred way. You know that before you book, rather than finding out after matching.
Simple pricing. You pay per session. There's no subscription to remember to cancel.
Direct terms. You agree confidentiality, cancellation and how your information is handled with the person you're seeing.

The downsides are real too. I have limited availability. My counselling takes place in scheduled video sessions rather than by message. And if we're not a good fit, you'll need to look for someone else yourself.

Private counselling vs therapy apps: side by side

	Subscription platform (typical)	Private counsellor (me)
How you find the therapist	Matched by the platform	You choose directly
Payment	Weekly or monthly subscription	£45 per 50-minute session, charged in pounds
Contact	Often messaging, chat, phone and video	Scheduled video sessions
Switching	Usually quick, within the platform	You find someone new
Approach	Varies by therapist	Person-centred
Availability	Often wide, across time zones	Limited, with evening sessions available (UK time)

Online therapy, not BetterHelp: what to look for instead

Some people search for "online therapy, not BetterHelp" after a disappointing experience, and some simply want something smaller. Neither means the platform failed or that you did.

It can help to ask yourself what was missing. Was it the person? The approach? Feeling like one of many customers? The cost? Wanting to talk live instead of by message? The answer points towards what to look for next. If what you missed was a steady relationship with one counsellor you chose yourself, private counselling may suit you. If you mainly wanted a different therapist, switching within a platform may be quicker.

"Online therapy with a real therapist" is a common search, and it's worth being precise here. Large platforms do connect you with real, human therapists. The difference is in the arrangement around them, more than in whether a real person is there.

Questions worth asking any service, including me

Who sees my information, and what is it used for? In 2023 the US Federal Trade Commission finalised an order against BetterHelp. The FTC had charged that the company shared consumers' email addresses, IP addresses and health questionnaire information with advertising platforms, despite promising to keep such data private. The order banned it from sharing health data for advertising and required it to pay $7.8 million. I mention this because it's a public record, and because it shows why privacy terms are worth reading for any service. My guide on whether online counselling is confidential covers what to look for.

What is this person's training, and who are they accountable to? I'm a trainee counsellor and a BACP student member, working under regular clinical supervision. I'm not a psychotherapist and I'm not yet qualified. My about page lists my training in full.

What happens in a crisis? No online service, app or private, replaces local emergency care. Ask how they'd expect you to get urgent help where you live.

What does it cost over a month? Work out the real figure for the number of sessions you expect to have, including currency conversion.

Is online counselling effective?

For live video, the research is fairly reassuring. A 2021 meta-analysis found negligible differences in outcomes between therapy delivered by video and in person (Fernandez and colleagues, 2021). That doesn't tell us which platform or counsellor is right for you, but it does mean choosing video doesn't have to mean settling for less. My guide on whether online counselling is effective goes into more detail.

Should I use a therapy app or a private counsellor?

A platform may suit you if you want to start this week, like the idea of writing to your therapist between sessions, or expect to try a few people before one fits. Private counselling may suit you if you already know which approach you want, value seeing the same person over months, or prefer to pay session by session without a subscription.

Plenty of people use one, then the other, at different points in their lives. There's no wrong order. If you're unsure whether online counselling suits you at all, my short reflection tool, is online counselling right for me?, walks through the practical questions.

Free counselling options in the UK

If you live in England and are registered with a GP, you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for problems such as anxiety and depression, without seeing your GP first. Some universities and employers also offer counselling. It's worth checking these before paying for anything, private or app-based.

Waiting lists vary from area to area, so it can make sense to refer yourself early, even if you also look at private options in the meantime. If you'd like to read before you talk to anyone, my free resources on understanding therapy explain the main types and what each involves, and the UK helplines page lists free services you can call or text today.

Private 1 to 1 online counselling with me

I'm Michelle Fernando, a trainee person-centred counsellor based in Shrewsbury. I'm a BACP student member, I work under regular clinical supervision, and I'm completing an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Keele University.

Sessions: 1 to 1, by secure video, 50 minutes, in English.
Times: evening sessions are available, UK time.
Fee: £45 per session, charged in pounds. A few lower-cost places are kept for students, trainees and people on a low income. See fees.
Where it sits: counselling delivered online from the UK. If you live in another country, it isn't part of your local healthcare.

The first session is an ordinary paid session, and my guide on what to expect in your first counselling session explains how it usually goes. When you're ready, you can book a session.

I don't work with active suicidal crisis, psychosis, eating disorders, addiction, couples or children. In an emergency, call 999 in the UK or 112 in the EU. If you live abroad, the guide on how to find a therapist abroad covers local and online options.