7 Cups is an emotional support site where volunteers offer an open ear to users going through emotional stress. Many people only know 7 Cups for their free services, but you may be surprised to know they also offer paid talk therapy.
If you are seeking an inexpensive option for emotion support, all of 7 Cups services may be able to help you.
Today, we are looking at 7 Cups services and seeing how well they can help users in their times of need. Are the free services legit? Are the paid services worth your time and money? Is your private information safe? We found the answers to all this and more!
7 Cups Review Score (2022) – 3.5/5
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 3.0/5.0 |
| Services Offered | 4.0/5.0 |
| Patient Privacy | 3.0/5.0 |
| Cost of Care | 4.0/5.0 |
| Final Score | 3.5/5.0 |
Contents of our 7 Cups Review
- Pros and Cons of 7 Cups Therapy
- Fast Facts About 7 Cups Online Therapy
- The Sign-Up Process
- Services Offered by 7 Cups
- Is 7 Cups Emotional Counseling Right For Me?
- Is 7 Cups Paid Therapy Right for Me?
- Reviewing 7 Cups Patient Privacy
- 7 Cups Cost and Insurance
- Verdict – Is 7 Cups Worth It?
- 7 Cups FAQ
Pros and Cons of 7 Cups Therapy
Pros
- 7 Cups has multiple options for talk counseling as well as talk therapy with a licensed therapist.
- Some features of the platform are completely free to use.
- Volunteers have access to training to help improve talk counseling benefits.
- The platform helps you keep track of group sessions.
Cons
- There is no option for face-to-face counseling or therapy.
- The platform’s interface is busy and can be difficult to navigate.
- The self-help guides could use a visual update and can be hard to follow.
Fast Facts About 7 Cups Online Therapy
- 7 Cups was launched in 2013.
- 7 Cups is one of the first dedicated emotional support sites to also offer therapy with licensed professionals.
- 7 Cups offers academy courses to volunteers to help increase their ability to help users.
- 7 Cups has a nearly 5-star rating on both Google Play and Apple App Store.
The Sign-Up Process
There are two sides to 7 Cups – free emotional support and paid therapy. When you sign up for one, you still need to sign up for the other. So, let’s take a quick look at both sign-up processes!
Signing Up for Free 7 Cups Emotional Support
It only takes a minute or less to sign up for a free account on 7 Cups. Users simply need to enter an email, username, password, and birthday to get started.
Once the sign-up sheet has been filled in, users will have the choice to immediately begin using the site or take the time to verify their email. We recommend verifying the email as it unlocks access to all the free features available on 7 Cups like group chats and forums.
Signing Up for Paid 7 Cups Talk Therapy
Professional talk therapy is available through 7 Cups, but not from the main, free site. Users will need to first sign up for a free account, then click the “chat with a therapist” link on the home page. This will take users to the online therapy area of 7 Cups.
Once there, a separate sign-up is required. That’s because signing up for free 7 Cups emotional support is anonymous. Paid therapy requires more information including a real first and last name, an address, and full birthday.
Users will also need to read and agree to the informed consent form provided by 7 Cups.
Afterward, users will be able to look through the features of online therapy at 7 Cups along with the cost of service.
Services Offered by 7 Cups
7 Cups has two main types of service – free and paid.
The free services include:
- Emotional support with volunteer “counselors.”
- Group emotional support sessions.
- Therapy progress tracking.
- Self-help guides.
- Session calendar and tracking.
The paid services include:
- Talk therapy with a licensed therapist.
- Unlimited access to the therapy chat room.
7 Cups Emotional Counseling Details
7 Cups emotional counseling is a free service that pairs over 1.3 million users with volunteer listeners from around the world. There are hundreds of thousands of volunteers and 7 Cups provides them with access to a counseling academy.
There, they learn the best ways to help emotionally support users and watch for red flags regarding self-harm.
When we say these services are free, we mean completely free. The entire platform is free to use from group sessions to one-on-one chats and beyond.
7 Cups Talk Therapy Details
7 Cups users who want help from a licensed therapist can easily access their therapy site. The service costs a flat rate of $150 a month and includes access to therapist matching and 24/7 access to the therapy chat room.
The therapists are required to respond to their patients at least once a day Monday through Friday.
If patients aren’t vibing with their therapist, they are allowed to request a new one at no additional charge.
We like that the talk therapy is easy to use, though we’d prefer live therapy sessions to also be an option on 7 Cups.
Is 7 Cups Emotional Counseling Right For Me?
Sometimes, people just need someone to listen to them and not judge them for their problems. They need a place to safely air their grievances and get emotional support to work through the tough times.
If that sounds like you, you should try 7 Cups Emotional Support Counseling. The service is completely free and has helped hundreds of thousands of people address their issues. The volunteers receive training to learn to actively listen to users and there are forums and group chat rooms for further support.
Is 7 Cups Paid Therapy Right for Me?
7 Cups paid therapy is a good option for patients 18 and over who are struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, grief, PTSD, eating disorders, low self-esteem, trauma, and any other emotional or mood disorder. Specifically, these services are great for patients who want to access therapy without the pressure of meeting face-to-face.
Reviewing 7 Cups Patient Privacy
When it comes to 7 Cups paid therapy, the site is fully HIPAA compliant and works hard to protect the privacy of patients. Anyone that has access to a user’s data is doing so to improve the functionality of the site or to provide agreed-upon services. These people are all bound by confidentiality to protect the patient.
On the free version of 7 Cups, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Users can potentially release private information to volunteers that may not be protected. While volunteers are instructed not to share user data, they are not bound by the laws that a licensed therapist would be.
That’s why 7 Cups advocates for users to use common sense when communicating without volunteers and avoid providing any information that can link back to their real identity. This includes:
- Social Media Handles
- Contact Information
- Real Name
- Photos
Overall, we think 7 Cups is doing a good job with protecting user privacy, but think that when it comes to free services, discussing safety with new users should be a higher priority.
7 Cups Cost and Insurance
7 Cups is mostly a free service, but there is an option for paid therapy from a licensed professional. This service costs a flat fee of $150 a month and covers unlimited text therapy access.
| Service | Term | Price | Billed As |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership | Forever | Free | Free |
| Talk Therapy | 1 Month | $149.99 | $149.99 |
This paid service is the same price for all users and is very comparable to the pricing of talk therapy on other teletherapy sites.
Does 7 Cups Therapy Have a Financial Aid Option?
7 Cups does not offer financial aid, but they do have a platform that provides free access to emotional support from peers and volunteers. Users needing paid services may be able to find an introductory coupon online, but this discount usually only applies to the first month of service.
Does 7 Cups Take Insurance
7 Cups does not accept insurance for their services. Luckily, part of their services are free and wouldn’t require insurance in the first place. Though many users would love to be able to use insurance for paid services, it is not currently an option.
Luckily, the services are much cheaper than standard therapy, which may make it more accessible to users despite the lack of insurance acceptance.
Verdict – Is 7 Cups Worth It?
It is hard to find reasons not to recommend 7 Cups. Users can sign up for free and anonymously dip their toes into the world of counseling. It isn’t quite the same as talking to a licensed therapist, but scientific studies have shown the service to be incredibly effective.
If users do feel they need to speak with a licensed therapist, 7 Cups offers that service for a relatively low price of only $150 a month.
Why You Should Try 7 Cups
- The service has both a free and paid variety to help cover the needs of all patients.
- The cost of paid services is very low when compared to traditional therapy.
- Paid users get 24/7 access to the therapy chat room.
- Free users can talk to trained volunteers or participate in groups and forums.
7 Cups FAQ
Why is The Site Called “7 Cups?”
The site is named after the ancient Chinese poem, 7 Cups of Tea by Lu Tong. The poem’s narrator describes the levels of healing they experience while drinking 7 cups of tea. The platform takes this concept as inspiration for their free platform and aims to make it a place where users can feel like they are “drinking cups of tea with a close friend.”
What is The Age Limit for Users on 7 Cups Emotional Counseling?
7 Cups allows users of ages 13 and older.
What is The Age Limit for Listeners on 7 Cups Emotional Counseling?
Listening volunteers on 7 Cups must be at least 15 years of age. Teen listeners are only matched with teen users.
What is The Age Limit for Users on 7 Cups Paid Therapy?
Users of 7 Cups paid therapy must be at least 18 years of age.
Can I Use 7 Cups Paid Therapy if I Have Suicidal Ideation?
Yes! While 7 Cups is not the right resource for a user in an immediate crisis, it is good for depressed or anxious users who have issues with suicidal thoughts or ideation.
How Long Will It Take To Start Talking to My Therapist on 7 Cups?
If you have paid for a paid therapy experience on 7 Cups, you can expect to receive your first communication within 24 hours.
Can I Change My Therapist on 7 Cups?
Users paying for therapy from a licensed therapist will be able to request a new therapist once. This is done in their subscription settings. If they need to change therapists again, they will need to contact customer support.
Is 7 Cups Therapy Done Over Instant Messaging?
No. Instant messaging implies the therapist goes live in a chat room and waits for communications from the patient. This would limit patients to speaking to their therapist within a designated window.
Instead, there is a general chat room that users can sign into and use any time of day. Their therapist will log in to the same chat room 1-2 times a day, Monday through Friday, and reply to their patient.
