Where To Find Free Or Low-Cost Therapy For Families
Have you been considering family therapy but wondering whether there are affordable options available? If so, you’re not alone.
Below we’ll explore affordable options for families and individuals seeking therapy and support.
Free And Low-Cost Therapy Options
Therapy Aid Coalition
The Therapy Aid Coalition provides free and low-cost therapy to healthcare workers, first responders, and individuals affected by Hurricane Ian. However, the organization has also served individuals who have been affected by other natural disasters, including wildfires in California and Colorado.
If there is currently a crisis in your region, you might visit the Therapy Aid Coalition website to see if its therapists are currently assisting individuals affected. The organization has a network of licensed therapists prepared to help individuals in crisis situations.
Crisis Text Line
In moments of crisis, you can always reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741 (for US and Canada). While the Crisis Text Line doesn’t provide therapists, it does offer trained volunteer counselors who can provide support during a crisis. The Crisis Text Line can help people who are experiencing challenges related to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, loneliness, emotional abuse, and suicidal thoughts.*
*If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988 and is available 24/7.
With Crisis Text Line, you can connect with a volunteer crisis counselor via text message, online chat, or WhatsApp. The service also has separate lines for individuals in Ireland (50808) and the United Kingdom (85258).
Online-Therapy.com
Online-Therapy.com offers cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for $50 to $110 per week. Each week, you receive 45-minute sessions during which you can communicate with your therapist via video, audio, or live chat. In between sessions, you can always send your therapist any thoughts or questions, and you’ll be able to get worksheets, a journal, an activity plan, and guided yoga videos to complement your therapy process. Online-Therapy.com provides therapy to both individuals and couples.
Regain
If you’re looking for affordable online therapy, Regain offers couples therapy as well as therapy for individuals experiencing relationship challenges. With Regain, you can sign up for a subscription for $65 to $90 per week, and you can cancel at any time.
With Regain, you can connect with a licensed therapist via audio or video chat at a time that works for you. You can also contact your therapist in between sessions via in-app messaging, and they’ll get back to you as soon as they can.
Benefits Of Therapy
Family, whether biological, adopted, or chosen, can play a vital part in your development as a human being. Your early interactions with your family can lay the groundwork for your understanding of social norms, your beliefs about yourself, and the way you interact with the world around you. However, for some people, family relationships can be traumatic.
That doesn’t always refer to physical abuse. Trauma can take many different forms, including neglect, emotional abuse, and a lack of resources.
When children go through life with an undiagnosed mental health condition, it doesn’t always mean that their parents are abusive or unloving. Many parents may be unfamiliar with the array of mental health resources that are available. If those parents are overwhelmed or are experiencing financial difficulty, they may find it even more difficult to help their child connect with a therapist. However, there are therapy options available to address children’s concerns within the family.
Why Family Counseling Is Important
Children aren’t the only ones who can benefit from counseling. Although specialized therapy can be uniquely helpful for children who experience a specific mental health condition, everybody can benefit from counseling, no matter what they’re experiencing or how old they are.
Counseling can help with a variety of topics, including your family dynamic, personalized coping strategies for your family, tips for helping with your family’s emotional control, and advice on how to support each other as you navigate life together. Likewise, if anyone in your family is experiencing symptoms of an undiagnosed mental health condition, a counselor can help all of you by providing insight and support for the family.
If a family doesn't have the financial resources to afford family counseling, their family dynamic could miss out on potential growth. If your family is experiencing emotional challenges or conflict, free mental health services may be what your family needs.
In families, there are often disagreements, and that's common. Family counseling often provides a mediator to mitigate arguments so that you don't have to do it on your own. When you can't resolve disputes between the family, an impartial person, such as a counselor, can help you work out your disagreements.
One of the goals of online family counseling is for the mental health professional to be unbiased and to hear all sides. Online family counseling provides an opportunity for each individual in the family to have their voice heard.
Talking About Trauma
There may be trauma that someone in your family feels hesitant to discuss. Traumatic memories can be challenging to explore, but during family therapy, you may feel you’re in a safe space to talk openly. Talking about traumatic events during free online therapy may help you and your family address any concerns and move forward together.
Affordable Family Counseling Is Within Reach
If you’re interested in family therapy but are nervous about going to a therapist’s office, you might try online therapy, which research has shown to be just as effective as in-person therapy. With Regain, you and your family can engage in online therapy without leaving home, which may be more comfortable if this is your first time speaking with a therapist. This can also be an effective option if anyone in your family lives or works in a different area. You can all connect remotely from wherever you have an internet connection.
With Regain, you will be guided through a quick sign-up process and matched with a licensed therapist based on your answers in the initial questionnaire. You might decide to start the sessions as soon as possible after you sign up to take full advantage of therapy.
Below are two Regain counselor reviews from people who have sought out family therapy:
Counselor Reviews
"Jessica has really helped us to work through some very difficult times after living through two category 5 hurricanes last year with two small children in our household. She has done an excellent job of helping us to identify our own attachment fears and giving us guidance on how to navigate some incredibly trying situations."
"Danny has been a source of calmness in my chaotic life. For the past two years, I have dealt with one life-changing complication after another. Every session with Danny is my emotional/mental regroup hour. He has such an understanding and peaceful demeanor that it makes me think logically about my emotional struggles. Overall, Danny has been very helpful to me during this stressful time in mine and my family's lives."
Takeaway
No matter what challenges your family is experiencing, you don’t have to face them alone. With Regain, you can be matched with a therapist with experience helping families navigate challenges similar to yours. Take the first step toward a happier, healthier family relationship and reach out to Regain.
Where Can I Find Online Family Counseling?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there any free online therapy?
Free online therapy can be a difficult thing to find, but it isn’t impossible. Online counseling services are becoming more and more common in recent years. Free online therapy often involves signing up for an account and then be paired with a licensed professional counselor with who you will have counseling sessions using a free chat app, instant messenger, email, or even texting. Some nonprofit organizations and religious institutions offer online therapy counseling options, which may or may not meet your needs.
It might be easier for you to find free counseling in the form of group sessions, but this isn’t likely to suit the needs of a family that is searching for help from an online counselor. In addition, many group counseling sessions are more support-centered, meaning that they do not have to be led by licensed professional counselors. Someone who is not trained in therapy might not help a family deal with and move past the issues that led them to search for free online therapy.
You may be looking for an online platform that offers therapy, including cognitive behavior therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, sex therapy, or some other type of behavioral therapy. Online therapists provide various therapy programs and counseling programs and offer online for your own unique therapy process. Research shows that online therapy programs and online counseling programs online therapists provide are just as effective as in-person counseling.
When you do find free therapy online, you’ll want to be sure that you read the fine print. In addition, any sites may say that their online counseling services are free; they may mean for a short period. If this is the case, you will end up either having to pay for the counseling sessions after the free period or be left trying to find yet another site that offers free online therapy.
Can you get free counseling?
If you are having trouble finding free online therapy, free counseling may be easier to find within your local community. Your local Department of Human Services will often have free counseling available to those who qualify due to income. Families who have Medicaid may also qualify for free therapy visit a limited number of times per month. If you’re a church person, check with your church leadership to see if you can set up meetings with a person of the clergy, who often consider counseling sessions with church people to be a part of their job. If your family is open to group counseling sessions, you may be able to find a free local support group that offers free counseling sessions.
Is there any free psychologist?
Because psychologists are required to have a doctorate level of education, psychologists usually charge for their services. Many professional counselors (such as psychoanalysts or therapists) have master's degrees instead. However, counselors and psychologists of all education levels must meet the standards required by their states' professional licensing boards. All BetterHelp counselors and therapists have at least three years and 1,000 hours of hands-on experience. It's important to note that online therapy is typically more affordable than in-person therapy. Both of these professionals offer marriage counseling and can also help with family issues.
If you are a student, a college may offer free therapy options for students to fulfill this part of their schooling. While not all will offer completely free services, those who charge a fee are typically much less expensive than traditional counseling services.
What is the cheapest online therapy?
Traditional therapy counseling services or therapy programs can be expensive without health insurance. Therapy typically costs up to $250 per week. If you can’t find free therapy programs or a free online therapy option you like and are instead considering finding paid online therapy counseling services, there are many affordable counseling offers. The best online therapy is typically less expensive and offers marriage and family counseling, among other counseling services.
To figure out which of these therapy counseling services are right for you, check their rates along with what kind of therapy they offer. One may not offer marriage counseling or family counseling. Choose one that suits your needs and your budget.
Are there any free counseling apps?
While free online therapy is still relatively new, at least a few options offer free counseling sessions via an app. However, the catch to these services is that their free options often don’t involve a licensed therapist or trained counselor. Instead, they rely on volunteers who often receive basic training in listening techniques to offer free services. This is quite different from therapy counseling, which gives you tactics and techniques to deal with and most past your issues. An app that offers free services may also have paid options for counseling sessions with licensed or trained professionals, which are better suited to providing marriage counseling or family counseling.
Is the BetterHelp app free?
If you’re trying to find free therapy, you’ve probably run into BetterHelp. While their fees are less than a traditional therapist, they do not offer free counseling services. Their counseling sessions do cost money, whether you use them online or via the app. This means they are not a good choice for those looking for free online therapy.
Do 7 cups cost money?
7 Cups does offer free online therapy or free counseling via an app. However, 7 Cups’ free services are with “trained listeners,” not a counselor. So while they say they have free counseling, the person you will be connected to will not offer suggestions on dealing with your issue. This makes them a poor choice for complicated issues that require marriage counseling or family counseling.
How can I get free counseling?
If you are looking for free online therapy for mental health and want to ensure that you are going through a licensed therapist, some websites can help you. While face-to-face therapy sessions are harder to find for free, the best online therapy and best online therapy chat groups are more abundant and available at all hours of the day and night.
Mental health services with licensed professional counselors are also available via text chat too. Some sites and counselors offer unlimited messaging therapy for those who battle stress anxiety and depression anxiety.
Does Talkspace cost money?
Talkspace puts those in need of mental health services in touch with a therapist, if necessary, for those who are looking for affordable online therapy, couples therapy, or long-term talk therapy. As effective as face-to-face counseling, Talkspace is a great place to find the contact for counselors and patients in need of mental health care.
Is counseling free?
Not all counseling is free. In contrast, most insurance companies cover mental illness and mental health therapy services; not all cover the cost 100 percent. In addition, not all people have health insurance.
If you need to talk to a therapist today and know you do not have mental health coverage to see a licensed therapist, you can opt for online therapy to find live video counselors and trained listeners.
How can Talkspace help me start therapy?
If you need to talk to a therapist online, therapy Talkspace online therapy is a great start. Talkspace is an affordable therapy option that connects licensed professionals with looking for a therapist online.
Can online therapy help with depression?
Therapy online through therapy programs or counseling programs therapists provide, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can help with depression and other mental health conditions. Online therapy programs are just as effective as in-person therapy or counseling.
If you seek treatment for depression, your online or in-person licensed professionals will start with conducting a depression test to determine what treatments may be best for you. One of these might be cognitive behavioral therapy. Seeking mental health care should never make you feel like you did something wrong or are not normal. Online therapy for depression and in-person licensed clinical therapy and counseling are here to help.
Whether in-person therapy or online therapy for depression, treatment is designed to be available when you need someone to talk to or feel like you may be in a life-threatening situation. People around the world utilize therapy programs even minute of the day.
Even just a chat can be great for:
- feeling as though someone is there for you, whether online or in-person
- getting advice in times of crisis from a professional counselor, and
- getting insights about your actions from someone who knows a lot about behavioral health and can help you develop methods for handling your emotions in healthy ways.
What is the difference between marriage and family therapy and counseling?
Both marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors need a master’s degree to practice and are qualified to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Yet, there are some differences, which are many based on the clients they treat. Marriage and family therapists focus on issues within the structure of families and relationships, and not just the individual. They typically specialize in couples or children and adolescent therapy to manage common family problems. Marriage and family therapy’s objective is to resolve problems within a family or relationship, creating a happier family dynamic. They use a systemic approach. Mental health counseling focuses on individuals with specific issues using many different therapies such as cognitive-behavioral, systemic, and psychodynamic approaches. They may specialize in drug addiction counseling and individual’s mental and behavioral conditions. A mental health counselor’s goal is to improve or change behavioral habits that affect an individual’s mental health.
Is family counseling worth it?
If you experience problems within your family unit, family counseling can be a powerful source of support. Family counselors are licensed professionals trained to help couples and families manage problems within their family relationships. Sometimes in relationships, it’s beneficial to have an outside perspective or a mediator to hear the issues at hand and give their input. Family counselors can provide a different approach to issues that the family or couple may not have considered. Family counseling can be very educational and help the family or couple understand each other and improve communication styles to help them work through any issues they may have in the future.
How long does it take to become an MFT?
AMFT, or marriage and family therapist, works with individuals within their relationships and family units to improve and strengthen their relationships. Marriage and family therapists often specialize in adolescent therapy when working with families. They are licensed to diagnose and treat a multitude of mental health disorders. A marriage and family therapist must acquire either an accredited online master's degree or a university in a related field, typically in psychotherapy and family system studies. ACU’s online master of marriage and family therapy takes two years to complete and is one of the best online master’s programs. Most programs accredited online or in-person require at least two years of supervised field experience and the individual to pass state board exams. These state board exams may vary based on the state they are practicing in. Marriage and family therapists must be licensed in the state that they practice.
Marriage and family therapists need to continue education courses to keep their licenses current. There are many accredited online courses for continued education. If you’re considering becoming a marriage and family therapist, accredited online courses are a great option for those already working and have many things on their plate, such as dealing with their own families. Some of the best online colleges and best online master’s degrees for marriage and family therapy are easily within reach.
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