Comments on: Did You Know You Can Earn (up to) $135,000 As An Online Therapist with BetterHelp?

By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:40:33 +0000

Please keep in mind that in order to get 30 hours per week, you have to see 40 clients because Betterhelp sessions are limited to 45 minutes. Once you account for no-shows, problems with connecting, clients who need to leave a few minutes early, and taking a couple of minutes between sessions to refresh you are really looking at scheduling more than 40 clients or you are extensively using the message system. Don’t think you are going to write one message like a newsletter and copy it to all your clients. This is not allowed. Also, keep in mind that although you do not have to do any billing and BH discourages letter writing, you still have to do whatever paperwork is required by your license. Progress notes, treatment plans, consents, etc. still have to be done. BH is wonderful for some people, but do your homework before getting involved.

By: Randy Withers, LCMHC

Randy Withers, LCMHC — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 13:20:25 +0000

In reply to Renee Goughler, LPC. Wow, I need to move to OK. In NC, it's not uncommon to see community agencies listing a starting salary around 38-40k a year, which is about 1/2 that of OK. What a crime. One can make more as a shift manager at Wendy's.

By: Renee Goughler, LPC

Renee Goughler, LPC — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 01:36:22 +0000

In reply to Judy Lynn Penso. I spoke to a fellow therapist in Oklahoma this week and he advised the rate for licensed therapists is $62. Most Community Mental Health Agencies the starting pay in Oklahoma is around $39/ hour.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 11:15:00 +0000

Thanks for sharing such an informative article. It is very helpful for me because recently I started giving online therapy and I’m so confused about how can I proceed but you did a great job. After reading this I feel confident about my services.

By: Randy Withers, LCMHC

Randy Withers, LCMHC — Sat, 08 May 2021 14:14:23 +0000

In reply to Judy Lynn Penso.

Thank you for your comment and while I agree that therapists should be paid more, your statements fly in the face of the data. As you can see from this link, the median salary for masters level therapists is about 49k a year, or about 25 an hour. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/masters-level-therapist-salary
While therapists in private practice may charge 150-250 an hour (which is extremely high for my area), BCBS reimburses about 100 bucks an hour. In NC where I live, most therapists would jump at an opportunity to make 31 an hour. As for Uber drivers, they average about 11 an hour, or three times less than what you stated. https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/education/how-much-do-uber-lyft-drivers-make-14804869#:~:text=Pay%20Per%20Hour%3A%20%248.55%20%2D%20%2411.77,%248.55%20and%20%2411.77%20per%20hour.

Facts are super important.

By: Judy Lynn Penso

Judy Lynn Penso — Fri, 07 May 2021 21:02:19 +0000

Most LCSW do not make $25 an hour. This is false. Most charge between $150 to $250/hour. $31 is not even close to adequate payment for a licensed masters level therapist. It is equivalent of an active uber driver.

By: Randy Withers, LCMHC

Randy Withers, LCMHC — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:52:11 +0000

In reply to Jocelyn M.. Hey Jocelyn - I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for your comment!

By: Jocelyn M.

Jocelyn M. — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:51:27 +0000

I am so glad I found this article! My private practice was really suffering because of covid and I’ve been looking for extra ways to bring in revenue. Thanks for writing this Randy!