ADHD

First off, get on the waiting lists today if you aren't already, before anything else. Therapist churn is a thing, especially at more affordable clinics, and it's better to have options than not once you get started. Even when established at a clinic and you have to move to someone new, they won't necessarily get you to another provider quickly.

As for video calls, I've been in therapy for 10 years. I've done in-person, telephone, and video calls. The best work I've done in therapy has been in the past six months, and it's all been over video call. The mode matters less than the fit, and telehealth gives you access to a lot more providers.

I've never been with a service that records conversations, but I'd avoid the big therapy mills like BetterHelp. Even setting aside the well-documented sketchy behavior aside, I can't imagine they hold onto people for long.

Amy therapy is OK if it helps you, IMHO. I think it depends more on if the therapist has experience with ADHD and you're able to form a trust relationship. If you don't need physical proximity for that, then it can work.

That said, the type of providers who are hired for those platforms are generally not as good due to low budgets. And most large corporations tend not to treat providers as well as small practices. But sometimes you might find someone just starting out who is actually really good or something like that.

Betterhelp was garbage. Tried it for a bit. Waste of time. They have a pool of not-therapists doing back to back not-therapy sessions with lots of people. It's a sweat shop for social workers or something.

MAYBE it's better than literally nothing. But not by much.

Just find a therapist you can video call with, don’t waste your time on an app

You can find someone in less time than that generally.

BetterHelp is demonstrably a scam, as they make damn sure to remind you it’s not actually therapy and the people there are not necessarily qualified to do therapy.

https://youtu.be/NoGxHWaHZL4

Here's the most recent Privacy Not Included assessment of online therapy options from Mozilla, best of luck!

Source: https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/are-mental-health-apps-better-or-worse-at-privacy-in-2023/

Lifestance should be able to set you up with a local provider in a reasonable amount of time.

Don't get better help or any app like that. They are all scams and do not keep your identity or what you say safe and secure.

Best thing to do is someone in or around you that does online seasons.

That's what I do, I have a therapist that is from a place around here I trust and is hipa compliant so they won't give your info and whatever you say to anyone

There should be organizations around you that can help you with therapy if your low income for instance I heard volunteers of America have sliding scale based on income including zero Income.

I've heard bad things about BetterHelp but haven't tried it myself. However, I looked into Open Path Collective (another online therapy option) after seeing other people say good things about it. I gave it a try and have been happy with it so far. Just make sure you find a therapist that specializes in ADHD or has ADHD themselves. Them having that experience has made a big difference in them understanding me. Also, wait times depend on the therapist that you choose, but I've been able to get appointments pretty soon with no wait times.

Regarding online therapy specifically, I find that it helps a lot with me being on time. I'm much more likely to be on time for online sessions than in-person sessions due to fewer "barriers" I have to go through to attend the session.

I’ve had good luck with Growtherapy and Headway.

Which country are you in?

Not sure what your insurance situation is, but I've had a really good experience though Rula. My therapist is great, and we have a biweekly session set up. I generally do it from my work truck.