Mental health counseling no longer takes place exclusively in a therapist’s office. As online communication has become a regular part of healthcare, licensed therapists can now provide professional support through digital platforms that connect them with clients who seek remote care.
One of the best-known platforms operating in this area is BetterHelp, which allows qualified mental health professionals to provide counseling through scheduled live sessions and other online communication tools.
If you are interested in providing therapy through this platform, the guide below can be a great starting point as it will show you how to become a BetterHelp therapist step by step. It will also outline the key qualifications that aspiring therapists need to meet to become eligible for practicing professionally in this field, as well as BetterHelp’s criteria for joining its platform.
Understanding BetterHelp Therapists and Their Professional Role
BetterHelp therapists are licensed mental health professionals who provide remote counseling services to clients through the BetterHelp platform.
Rather than meeting with clients in a traditional counseling office, these professionals use online communication tools to conduct scheduled therapy sessions, discuss clients’ mental health concerns, assess their needs, and provide appropriate clinical support from a separate physical location.
While providing therapy online may not be exactly the same as meeting with clients in person, the most important aspects of the therapeutic work remain largely unchanged. During a typical telehealth session, a BetterHelp therapist will rely on the same professional knowledge, clinical judgment, and evidence-based counseling methods they would use when providing therapy in person.
Depending on their educational background and field of specialization, BetterHelp therapists may be qualified to treat numerous mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, and other behavioral health concerns.
To put it in simple terms, BetterHelp therapists are fully qualified mental health professionals who earn their credentials just like the therapists who work in traditional practice settings. They undergo the same education and practical training, take the same licensing exams, and meet the same state requirements to qualify for professional practice.
That said, not every professional holding a therapist license is automatically eligible to work with BetterHelp, as the platform itself sets additional eligibility criteria for applicants, which we will discuss in more detail in the guide below.
Therapist Types Who May Qualify For Working With BetterHelp
Broadly speaking, the main requirement for joining BetterHelp as a therapist is to hold one of the licensing credentials that authorize mental health professionals to independently practice their profession. This means that the platform collaborates with a range of licensed mental health counselors who come from different professional backgrounds, including:
- Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), who help clients work through emotional difficulties, behavioral concerns, mental health conditions, and personal challenges through counseling and therapy services.
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), who provide clinical therapy while also considering the client’s family situation, social environment, support system, and access to helpful resources.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), who focus on relationships, family systems, communication patterns, and concerns affecting couples and families.
- Licensed Psychologists (Psy.Ds or Ph.Ds), who hold a doctorate degree in psychology and may provide psychotherapy, assessment, diagnosis, psychological testing, and other services permitted by their licenses.
- Licensed Psychiatrists (DOs or MDs), who complete medical school and residency training in psychiatry and may diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, provide psychotherapy, and deliver other forms of psychiatric care.
And while the platform accepts mental health professionals with a doctoral psychology degree or a medical degree, the guide below will focus on explaining the process for the therapist roles that require a master’s degree level of education, the LPC, the LCSW, and the LMFT, as their pathway is quite similar and can be covered in one guide.
The other, more advanced career tracks that require a higher degree of education will not be the point of discussion in this article.
Becoming a BetterHelp Therapist: Qualifications Breakdown
Now that we have a clearer idea of what the BetterHelp therapist role entails and how these therapists fit within the broader mental health field, we can move on to outlining the qualifications candidates need to meet before they can begin working through the platform.
To become eligible to apply as a BetterHelp therapist in the United States, aspiring professionals need:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- A master’s degree in counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy
- Completion of the supervised clinical experience required for their chosen therapist license
- Passing scores on the national and state licensing examinations required by their professional board
- A valid professional mental health counselor license
- At least three years of experience providing therapy to adults
- An individual National Provider Identifier number
- A desktop or laptop computer with a webcam and reliable internet access
- The ability to maintain the level of weekly commitment required by the platform
- Successful completion of the BetterHelp application, interview, credential verification, and background-review process
- A completed professional profile and availability schedule
In other words, therapists who want to work with BetterHelp must first qualify as licensed mental health professionals and gain meaningful clinical experience working with clients before they can join BetterHelp and start practicing as online therapists on its platform.
How to Become a BetterHelp Therapist: Step-by-Step Guide
Having outlined the general eligibility criteria, we can now move into the practical part of our guide and walk through the entire process of becoming a BetterHelp therapist, from undergraduate education to providing online counseling through the platform.
Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program Related to Mental Health
The first step toward becoming a BetterHelp therapist is enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited college or university, where students can begin building a solid academic foundation that they can rely on throughout the later, more advanced stages of their preparation.
While at this point in their academic journey, aspiring therapists are not required to select one specific undergraduate major, they should use this stage to explore subjects connected to human behavior, communication, relationships, mental health, and social support.
For example, some great majors that can introduce them to the fundamentals of talk therapy include psychology, social work, sociology, counseling, human services, behavioral science, human development, and family studies.
By studying these subjects, undergrad students can become familiar with the theories, research methods, and professional terminology they will examine in greater depth during graduate school.
Bachelor’s degree programs for aspiring therapists are available through traditional on-campus study, fully online instruction, or hybrid formats that combine both approaches. For most full-time students, undergraduate education takes about four years, though the exact timeline can vary based on course load, transfer credits, program structure, and enrollment status.
Earn a Master’s Degree in a Qualifying Mental Health Discipline
After they earn their bachelor’s degrees, aspiring BetterHelp therapists need to continue their studies by enrolling in a graduate program. However, therapist education starts to become a bit more specific and restrictive at this stage of the preparation process, as it requires students to select a program that will satisfy the educational requirements for their intended professional license:
- Future LPCs need to complete a qualifying graduate counseling or clinical mental health counseling program.
- Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers need to earn a Master of Social Work from an appropriately accredited social work program
- Future Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists need to complete a graduate program in marriage and family therapy or another closely related discipline that satisfies their state’s requirements
Furthermore, graduate education also places much greater emphasis on clinical knowledge and practical counseling skills and includes courses in advanced subjects directly related to client work, such as counseling theories, client assessment, mental health diagnosis, treatment planning, etc.
We should also point out that most qualifying master’s degree programs in counseling incorporate a practical component, such as a practicum or a field placement, where future therapists get the chance to apply their theoretical knowledge in professional clinical settings for the first time in their careers.
For most full-time students, it typically takes around two or three years to earn a master’s degree in counseling.
Satisfy the Supervised Experience Requirement for Therapist Licensure
Following their graduation, aspiring therapists can start their transition from academic preparation into supervised professional practice. However, the point at which graduates may start counting their clinical work toward this requirement depends on the state and professional license they are pursuing.
Some licensing boards allow graduates to begin supervised practice immediately after they complete their graduate studies, while others require them to register with the board, obtain an associate or provisional credential, or pass an initial examination before their hours can be officially credited.
Nonetheless, once they get the proper authorization, graduates can start working in professional settings under supervision and conduct sessions, assess client concerns, participate in treatment planning, maintain clinical documentation, and apply the counseling methods they studied in graduate school.
All the while, their supervisor will review their cases, discuss difficult situations, provide constructive feedback, and help them improve their clinical judgment.
The exact number of hours working as a supervisee to meet the licensing requirement can vary considerably by state and license type. However, most therapist pathways require completing several thousand hours of supervised clinical work, including a specified amount of direct client contact, completed over a minimum period that commonly lasts at least two years.
Pass the National and State Exams Required for Licensure
Having completed the academic and supervised-practice requirements, therapist candidates can move into the examination stage of the licensure process.
We’d like to point out that there is no single universal therapist exam that all candidates who want to become a licensed therapist are required to take, but rather, each candidate must pass the exam required for the specific mental health profession they plan to practice:
- LPC candidates need to pass the National Counselor Examination or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
- LCSW candidates need to pass the ASWB Clinical Examination
- LMFT candidates need to pass the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination
Each of these exams is specifically designed to evaluate whether candidates have developed the professional knowledge and clinical judgment required for independent practice within their respective professions.
In addition to the national counselor exams, some states also require therapist candidates to pass a jurisprudence, law, rules, or ethics assessment focused on the ethical standards and regulations governing professional practice within that jurisdiction.
While they are not administered nationwide, in the states that do require them, state-specific assessments are a mandatory part of the licensure process.
Secure an Independent Therapist License From the State Board
With the education, supervised experience, and examination requirements satisfied, aspiring therapists have officially completed all the formal steps of the qualification process and can finally apply for the professional therapist license.
To complete this step, they usually need to submit a formal application to the licensing board that regulates their profession and provide documentation verifying their graduate education, supervised experience, examination results, and other required qualifications.
As part of the review process, many boards also require candidates to undergo a criminal background check, which allows the licensing authority to identify any disqualifying offenses or professional-conduct issues that could affect the candidate’s eligibility for licensure.
Once they apply, the board will review the submitted materials and determine whether the applicant has satisfied every education, experience, examination, and administrative requirement. If everything is in order, the licensing board can issue the professional credential that authorizes the candidate to provide therapy independently and without mandatory supervision.
Start Practicing Therapy as a Fully Licensed Mental Health Professional
Receiving a professional therapist license marks the end of the formal state qualification process of becoming a therapist and the beginning of their career as an independent mental health professional.
With the status of a licensed professional counselor, therapists have the authorization to take responsibility for their own caseloads, conduct therapy sessions, assess client concerns, develop treatment plans, document progress, and make independent clinical decisions.
This means that at this point, they should start pursuing employment opportunities that will allow them to provide counseling services professionally.
Most newly licensed therapists begin their careers by finding jobs in established professional settings, including mental health clinics, hospitals, behavioral health programs, substance use treatment services, and other professional care environments. Alternatively, the more ambitious professionals may even consider starting their own private practice.
Regardless of the setting they choose to practice in, it is important that any newly licensed psychotherapist who wants to join BetterHelp finds a position where they can provide mental health services to adults and gain more experience practicing independently.
Having at least three years of experience providing therapy to adult clients is one of the key requirements for joining the platform, so building relevant experience during the first phase of their professional careers should be a priority.
Obtain an Individual NPI Number and Prepare Your Application
In addition to gaining the necessary clinical experience, obtaining an individual NPI number is another key requirement that BetterHelp requires all therapists who want to join its network of providers to complete before applying.
To obtain one, therapists can apply for an individual NPI number online through the official NPPES website. Once the application is approved, they will receive the identifier needed to complete their BetterHelp application.
Besides the NPI number, the BetterHelp website lists a range of supporting materials that all applicants need to submit for review, including professional documents such as licensing records, identity verification, employment history, and evidence of clinical experience.
We’d also like to remind you that working with BetterHelp is essentially providing telehealth therapy services, so you should also consider the technical and practical requirements of conducting therapy sessions remotely, including having a reliable computer, a working camera and microphone, and a stable internet connection, to apply properly prepared.
Submit Your BetterHelp Application and Complete the Interview
With all the necessary requirements and supporting materials taken care of, therapists can create an account through the BetterHelp website and apply to join the platform.
While filling out their application, therapists want to make sure the information they enter about their education, professional credentials, clinical experience, areas of expertise, and general availability is complete and accurate, as the screening team will rely on these details when reviewing their qualifications.
After their initial application is reviewed, candidates who satisfy the preliminary criteria may be invited to schedule a video interview with a member of the BetterHelp screening team.
During this conversation, applicants may be asked to discuss their professional background, the adult clients and mental health concerns they commonly work with, and how they approach communication, boundaries, and client care in an online setting.
This will give the screening team additional context beyond the written application and help it determine whether the candidate’s experience and professional approach align with the platform’s expectations.
Build a Compelling BetterHelp Profile and Set Your Availability
Following the interviews, the therapists who were accepted into the BetterHelp platform can start curating their professional profiles that potential clients will use to learn more about their background and determine whether they may be a suitable match.
When creating their profiles, it is a good idea for therapists to provide a clear and accurate overview of their education, professional license, clinical experience, counseling approaches, communication style, and the adult clients and mental health concerns they are qualified to support.
While it may be tempting to list as many areas of expertise as possible, each online therapist should keep their profile focused on the populations, conditions, and treatment methods within their professional competence, to avoid misleading potential clients.
And even though online platforms give therapists the flexibility to create their own schedule, they should only open appointment times and accept a caseload they can maintain consistently.
Start Working as a BetterHelp Therapist
With their profiles completed and availability established, therapists can begin receiving client matches and providing remote counseling services through BetterHelp.
At this stage, they can use the platform’s communication features to find online therapy jobs, exchange messages, conduct scheduled live sessions, share therapeutic activities, and maintain ongoing contact with the adults assigned to their caseloads.
Before they begin providing treatment, therapists should review the information available about each client, establish expectations for communication and scheduling, and determine how the available online formats can support the proposed course of therapy.
As the therapeutic relationship develops, online therapists are responsible for monitoring their clients’ progress, adjusting their approach when necessary, and recognizing when they may need a service or level of care that BetterHelp cannot appropriately provide.
By managing their caseload carefully and using the platform’s tools consistently, therapists can create a dependable remote practice and provide clients with structured support throughout the treatment process.
Closing Words
Therapy gives people a structured setting where they can understand difficult experiences and work toward healthier ways of responding. By connecting licensed professionals with adults seeking remote care, platforms such as BetterHelp have created another setting where that support may be provided.
Becoming a BetterHelp therapist requires completing the full education and licensure process, developing substantial experience, and successfully passing the platform’s screening. For professionals prepared to meet those responsibilities, online counseling can offer a practical way to use their training and reach clients who need support.
Common Questions Answered
Does BetterHelp use actual therapists?
Yes, BetterHelp uses actual licensed therapists. The professionals available through the platform have completed the education, supervised clinical experience, examinations, and state licensing process required for their respective professions.
Depending on their credentials, they may be licensed professional counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, or psychologists who provide counseling remotely through the platform.
Can an associate therapist work for BetterHelp?
Associate therapists cannot work through BetterHelp using an associate, provisional, probationary, or temporary credential. BetterHelp publishes a state-by-state list of accepted professional licenses and specifically notes that probationary and temporary licenses are intentionally excluded.
For most candidates interested in working with the platform, this means that they must complete the required supervised experience, pass the necessary examinations, and obtain a full professional credential before applying.
Can you make a living on BetterHelp?
Yes, it is possible to make a living on BetterHelp, particularly for therapists who maintain a consistent schedule and manage a substantial caseload. However, these earnings depend on weekly time commitment, client demand, and completed services, so the platform may provide either a primary income or supplementary earnings depending on how actively each therapist works.
For reference, ZipRecruiter estimates that BetterHelp therapists earn a median salary of approximately $63,943 per year, though this third-party figure is not guaranteed. (ZipRecruiter)