Mental health professionals have found incredible flexibility through online counseling platforms. An online therapist can meet with clients on their own time and according to their schedule via many communication methods. However, online platforms require initiative, self-discipline, and organization to find consistent profit from online therapy. If taking full advantage of the platform, an online therapist can make enough to serve as their primary income.
The BetterHelp Review Process for New Counselors
BetterHelp does not publish its exact compensation structure publicly. However, they do share the numbers shortly after a potential counselor begins the onboarding process. If you’re interested in joining their platform, they’ll ask you to complete a clinical case study assignment.
After BetterHelp grades your assignment, they may ask you to continue onboarding, at which time they will offer you a specific payment structure based on their engagement-based model of payment. If you decide you’d like to continue with the process with the BetterHelp platform, you will complete a video interview, credentialing process, and final approval to start using the platform. Here are the steps from start to finish to begin working with BetterHelp: initial application, clinical case study assessment, technical assessments, create a BetterHelp profile, video interview with a BetterHelp teammate, then credentialing, background checks, and final approval.
Making Money During BetterHelp’s Probation Period
You can begin earning income on BetterHelp as soon as you gain access to the platform and start accepting clients. The probation period is there to ensure that new counselors are providing exceptional services to their clients. During this period, the BetterHelp clinical team will assess counselors’ ability to receive and respond to client concerns, effectively communicate with clients, and adapt to clients’ communication preferences. If clinicians don’t meet the expectations during the probationary period, BetterHelp team members remove them from the platform.
Your Compensation Structure on BetterHelp
BetterHelp uses an engagement-based model to pay their counselors. They do not pay hourly. The two main factors in determining how much you make on the platform are how consistent you are at accepting new clients and the quality of the service you give to your clients.
Your income on the platform will fluctuate with your caseload and the amount of work you put into maintaining active, progress-based relationships with your clients. To get an idea of BetterHelp’s pay range based on hours you work, you can use their earnings estimator calculator.
You Decide Your Workload
Online counselors can make thousands a month on the BetterHelp platform, but only after they put in the work to build up a consistent client caseload and make time to accept new clients as needed. How much you work on is up to you. If you take on a smaller workload, you will make less. If your goal is to use BetterHelp as your primary income, you’ll need to be patient as you slowly build up your client base.
Once you have your base built, maintaining your income level will be much easier as long as you continually put in the work by reaching out to existing clients regularly and accepting new clients.
Does BetterHelp Offer Bonuses?
Some people say that BetterHelp offers a “client retention bonus,” which is untrue. BetterHelp never asks counselors to try to sell services to clients or keep them on unnecessarily. They maintain that their focus is on providing clients with excellent service and rewarding counselors who are doing so. They do this by offering a “long-term subscriber bonus” that serves to acknowledge the work an online counselor does to develop a strong relationship with clients that benefits their mental wellness progress.
