Is BetterHelp Available Internationally?

Is BetterHelp available internationally? Let’s dive in and find out.

When you’re moving overseas or are traveling for a long time, you can sometimes experience loneliness or miss home. It’s completely normal.

Traveling is great, as is moving overseas, but it’s not without its challenges. It can be difficult to find mental health support that understands you.

Whether that’s literally with a language barrier, on a cultural basis, or any other demographical hurdle, bespoke therapy that’s remote and accessible is hard to come by. BetterHelp claims to help bridge this gap.

Is BetterHelp Available Internationally?

Okay, so the big question is: is BetterHelp international? Yes, Betterhelp is available internationally and is currently accessible in around 200 countries according to the BetterHelp website.

Of course, if your therapist is based in San Francisco and you’re in New Delhi, the time difference might prove tricky if you’re having some imminent mental health concerns.

In a similar way, if you’re on a beachfront in Bali with no WiFi or available mobile data, you’re not going to be able to talk to your therapist.

So, BetterHelp is available internationally, but it works best when your therapist is within a couple of timezones of where you are and is contingent on whether or not you have a stable internet connection.

Keep both these things in mind when you set up your profile and pick your therapist. If you’re fairly nomadic, try and get a therapist as close to your future time zones as possible.

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Where is BetterHelp Based?

From a legal standpoint and development standpoint, BetterHelp is based in the US. This also means that the overwhelming amount of therapists and mental health professionals on their books are American.

If you’re a US citizen overseas, this can be massively reassuring as there is less likely to be a cultural or language barrier between you and your therapist.

Can I Get BetterHelp International in my Native Language?

According to BetterHelp’s website, there are therapists available in 56 different languages. The vast majority of therapists are English-speaking, so the more niche your language, the fewer therapists you’ll have to choose from overall.

That being said, 56 is a lot of different languages to be included in one therapy app, so there are plenty of possibilities here!

BetterHelp Languages: Which Languages Are On BetterHelp?

According to BetterHelp’s website, they currently offer their therapeutic services in 56 different languages. That being said, these languages aren’t listed anywhere on their website, so if you want to check that your specific native language is offered through BetterHelp, the best course of action is to contact their customer service.

Here are the languages that are currently listed:

English,
Afrikaans,
Akan,
American Sign Language,
Arabic,
Bambara,
Bengali,
Bosnian,
Croatian,
Esperanto,
Ewe,
French,
Greek,
Haitian Creole,
Hebrew,
Hindi,
Igbo,
Japanese,
Korean,
Malayalam,
Mandarin
Persian,
Polish,
Portuguese,
Punjabi,
Russian,
Serbian,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Tagalog,
Tamil,
Twi,
Ukrainian,
Urdu,
Wolof,
Yoruba.

However, just because the language is listed doesn’t mean that they’ll have therapists in that language. Or they may only have a few options.

Once you get through the signup process and choose your language, you’ll be able to see how many therapists there are for that language.

Of course, being a US-based company, the primary language used across BetterHelp is English and the vast majority of therapists, counselors, and practitioners on their books speak English.

Despite BetterHelp being offered in 56 different languages, they are clear to say that there is no guarantee that you’ll be paired with a therapist in that language, especially if it’s a niche language. That’s because it depends on the availability of the therapists who speak that specific language, their time zones, and other therapeutic specialties that need to align with your individual needs.

Of course, you need to specify your preferred language when you sign up, and if BetterHelp can find an available therapist in your preferred language that matches your other criteria, they will pair you accordingly.

So, it’s best to assume that you’re going to be doing your BetterHelp therapy in English, just to be on the safe side, and if you can get matched with someone who speaks your language, that’s even better!

BetterHelp Countries: Countries Where BetterHelp is Offered

BetterHelp is actually offered internationally, so you can access the website or the app all around the world in over 200 different countries.

Of course, the issue if you’re a digital nomad or travel a lot for work is aligning yourself with a therapist in your time zone. If you’re normally based on the West Coast of the US and then find yourself in Dubai for work, for instance, your therapist is not going to be available or awake if you need them.

You can swap BetterHelp therapists at any time by contacting BetterHelp customer service, so if you’re moving more permanently overseas or know that you’re going to be there for a few months, it’s well worth switching therapists to someone who is either in your exact timezone or at least one or two zones apart.

Of course, the other thing to remember is that although BetterHelp is operational in 200 countries, it does require an internet connection, so it’s important to factor this into your travels. If you’re in a remote village in the Amazon Rainforest, you might not be able to access your therapy session, or if you don’t have roaming data or an e-sim, you might have to be on a permanent hunt for available WiFi connections!

These are all things to think about if you’re planning on using BetterHelp overseas. While BetterHelp is a super accessible way of experiencing therapy or counseling, and it can be very flexible, you have to consider the time zones, internet quality, and online access of the places both you and your therapist are in!

What is BetterHelp?

Essentially BetterHelp is an app that connects therapists with clients around the world. You can message your assigned therapist at any time or set up specific times for appointments.

When you set up your profile, you’ll be asked a ton of demographic questions and be asked about your preferences for a therapist.

You might prefer a woman, someone who is LGBTQ, or someone who has experience with race-related issues. All of these things are options.

From the age range of your therapist to their beliefs around religion and more, you can filter your search to have a therapist who is likely to understand your specific needs and situation.

You Can Use Betterhelp as an Expat

So, if you’re traveling overseas or moving abroad as an expat and need some extra help, BetterHelp is available in approximately 200 countries and has therapists who can speak a choice of 56 languages currently on their books.

This gives you a wide amount of options when it comes to finding a therapist who can understand your personal experience and cultural background – things that tend to be lacking if you go to therapy in a different country that isn’t familiar with your views, upbringing, or other societal factors.

BetterHelp aims to straddle that gap with accessible therapy no matter where in the world you happen to find yourself.