Best Text Therapy Services in Australia 2022

Text therapy, chat therapy or message therapy is a new form of accessing mental health services. For many people, speaking to someone face to face or via video may be a daunting experience. Instead, these people have turned to text therapy to help jumpstart their mental health journey.

What is text therapy?

Text therapy connects patients with therapists through a digital chat platform. Text therapy can come in multiple forms, scheduled text therapy appointments or unlimited text therapy messages. When you feel you need support, help is literally a text away.

Note that even though text therapy is accessible and convenient, the debate is still out on its effectiveness. However, according to people that have used text therapy and a couple of studies, the format can make an impact on a person's mental health.

Top Five Text Therapy Platforms in 2022

Online therapy can be a wonderful alternative to traditional therapy. Many patients receive just as much benefit as from a face-to-face session. If you’re looking for places to access online therapy, here are our top eight platforms to explore.

1. Talked

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our therapy platform. After all, you’re already here! We’re making it easier for people to search and find the text therapist for them. We pride ourselves in helping people access the best text therapy they need to live their best lives. This all starts with a huge collection of professional therapists, ready to help you.

On top of offering in-person and online video connections, we also allow clients to speak with therapists through our secure chat platform.

All therapists listed on Talked are qualified and have been vetted. We want to ensure that you get the best text therapy available. The Talked platform offers integrated, secure text based therapy which you can use to connect with your therapist. No need for external apps, the chat room is supported on all computers and mobile devices.

We’re confident that with Talked you’ll get the help you need. But sometimes, it can be hard to find the right fit. That’s why you’re able to message therapists before booking your appointment. We know that for various reasons, people don’t always hit it off.

Pros:

• Find and search for text therapists easily

• Find the text therapist in your price range

• Message text therapists before booking

• Qualified and vetted text therapists

• Get matched with a therapist

• Integrated chat sessions

• No software downloads are required

• Privacy and security are integral to the platform

You can easily find and book a text therapist in just a few clicks. Take a look at the therapists who offer text therapy today.

2. TherapyTribe

TherapyTribe is a global online database that contains information on free health and wellness services such as support groups. TherapyTribe also has a database of therapists that you can use to match with. Note that not all of these therapists offer online therapy services.

The main advantage of this site is its offering of complimentary mental health services. There is a large listing of support groups and educational resources that can be helpful for your journey.

Pros:

• Large database of therapists

• Search specifically for particular therapy specialisations

• Search and find support groups

• Each therapist's profile lists their speciality and options for booking

Cons:

• Not an Australian website, so therapists can be in different timezones

• Not all therapists list whether they provide text therapy

• Individually sort out which therapist suits your needs

• Vetted therapists can not be guaranteed

3. Virtual Psychologist

Virtual Psychologist is an EAP provider whose sole focus is text based therapy. The text based therapy is provided through text or via WhatsApp. Virtual Psychologist will connect users with a counsellor at a predetermined time for a therapy session.

The main advantage of Virtual Psychologist is that access to phone services is relatively widespread so connecting and seeing a counsellor is an easy process.

Pros:

• Pure text therapy platform

• Allows for easy connection through mobile services

• Sessions can be booked 24/7

Cons:

• Only available to people whose employers use Virtual Psychologist as their Employee Assistance Provider

• Text messages are not a secure platform

• No option to transition into video or in-person therapy if desired

4. Online-Therapy

OnlineTherapy.com is a US-based website that offers a wide range of therapy services. On top of offering text therapy, the platform provides access to journaling, yoga and meditation activities.

OnlineTherapy focuses on CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and places emphasis on regular contact between you and your therapist. Founded in 2009, OnlineTherpay has received over 2,000 reviews from its clients.

To use and access OnlineTherapy, users must sign up for a monthly US subscription. You will be assigned a therapist upon signing up. You will have the same therapist throughout the program, from start to finish.

Pros:

• A holistic approach to mental health care

• Number of pricing tiers for different budgets

• Access to journaling, yoga and meditation services

Cons:

• The unlimited text messages tier does not include a dedicated therapy appointment

• Monthly subscription requirements may not suit all people

• Inability to select the therapist who suits you best

• US-based platform with an unknown number of Australian therapists

5. Better Help

As one of the world's largest counselling services, Better Help matches you with a therapist based on your needs. If you are specifically looking for text therapy, Better Help may be an option to consider.

If you are matched with a counsellor you do not connect with, you can request a rematch. Better Help vetts all the counsellors on the platform and ensures each therapist has at least three years of experience.

As Better Help is a global platform, Australian users should be aware that international qualifications may not align with Australia's strict professional requirements.

Better Help is a subscription service meaning that you will be billed monthly for access to the platform.

Pros:

• Global database of therapists

• Site will match you with a therapist

• Access to a global pool of experience

Cons:

• Number of Australian therapists may be limited

• People have less control over the therapists they’re matched with

• Subscription service model may not be for everyone

• Not all therapists may offer text therapy

Conclusion

Accessing text therapy has been made easier with the help of technology. Finding the best text therapy for you is important for your mental health. Using a service like Talked to find the best text therapist near you is a great place to start.