BetterHelp is the largest online counseling platform, helping countless clients achieve and maintain mental well-being across the country. Counselors, likewise, have significantly benefited from online counseling as it provides a flexible platform to provide care from anywhere at any time. But, how much can you really make on BetterHelp as a counselor? Read on to find out.

Online vs. Traditional Therapy

Online counseling looks a lot different than traditional means, especially from the clinician’s point of view. Online therapists enjoy increased flexibility and convenience but lower pay than conventional therapists. However, traditional therapists have added overhead expenses such as administrative or facility costs that online therapists do not have.

So, while traditional therapy may pay more, online therapy platforms may be more cost-friendly. Many therapists use online counseling platforms to augment existing income. Counselors on BetterHelp can pick and choose when and how often they work. This flexibility is an excellent way to fill in gaps in traditional therapy services. Online counselors may enjoy connecting with clients in less conventional ways, such as asynchronous messaging or interactive journaling.

BetterHelp Pay Structure

BetterHelp does not publish exact pay figures since it does not use a one-size-fits-all approach to paying its counselors. However, you can get a ballpark estimate of what you may make using their Earnings Estimator Calculator based on hours per week invested in the platform. BetterHelp does not pay hourly, however. Instead, they use an engagement-based model of compensation to pay their counselors.

So, what is an engagement-based model of compensation? BetterHelp pays you each time you engage with your clients via asynchronous or live contact such as messaging, video sessions, phone sessions, audio messages, journal entries, worksheets, and more. The more proactive and engaged you are with your clients, the higher your earning potential may be.

The Specifics in Pay

BetterHelp may not publish its exact pay amounts before onboarding, but they do inform you early on in the process if you decide to apply with the BetterHelp team. Once you complete an application to become an online counselor with BetterHelp, they will ask you to complete a Clinical Case Study assignment. After you pass this portion, you will receive the exact amount you can earn per engagement-based session. At this point, you can decide whether to move forward with the onboarding process at BetterHelp.

Earning Potential

Once you know your pay model and have obtained access to the platform, your earning potential is primarily up to you. You will have to start slowly, building up your client pool and establishing solid, growth-based relationships. Once you’ve done the legwork, however, maintaining these relationships will be much easier. Counselors who are most successful on the BetterHelp platform reach out to their clients regularly through multiple live sessions per month and keep them moving towards growth-based results.

When joining BetterHelp, some counselors choose to use the online platform to augment services to their existing private in-person practice. This augmentation gives them added income without the headache of setting up a virtual option for their clients. Other counselors choose to join BetterHelp and use it as their sole source of income. Again, this may take time, but many counselors have been quite successful with this model. If you put in enough time and focused energy on the platform, you have the potential of making thousands a month through the BetterHelp platform.