Faithful Counseling has been referred to as one of the best Christian therapy sites on the web. The site creates a safe space for patients who want their faith to be a crucial part of their healing.
Today, we are taking a look at Faithful Counseling to see if the platform is right for you. We have taken a true peek behind the curtain to learn about the cost of service, user privacy standards, and how they approach the different levels of faith among Christian patients.
If you are looking to incorporate your faith in your mental health journey, Faithful Counseling might be right for you. But before you make your decision, check out this in-depth review of Faithful Counseling’s full therapy services!
Faithful Counseling Review Score – 3.9/5.0
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 4.0/5.0 |
| Services Offered | 3.7/5.0 |
| Patient Privacy | 4.0/5.0 |
| Cost of Care | 3.5/5.0 |
| Final Score | 3.9/5.0 |
Contents of our Faithful Counseling Review
- Pros and Cons of Faithful Counseling Therapy
- Fast Facts About Faithful Counseling Online Therapy
- The Sign-Up Process
- Services Offered by Faithful Counseling
- Is Faithful Counseling Right for Me?
- Reviewing Faithful Counseling Patient Privacy
- Faithful Counseling Cost and Insurance
- Verdict – Is Faithful Counseling Worth It?
- Faithful Counseling FAQ
Pros and Cons of Faithful Counseling Therapy
Pros
- Christian people can feel safe to discuss their beliefs during counseling.
- There are a variety of providers that will include faith and religion in a way that is right for the patient.
- Users can change their therapist if necessary.
- Patients can cancel their membership at any time for any reason.
Cons
- The site focuses specifically on Christianity, not other religions.
- The specificity of the site means there are less therapists to choose from.
- If users change religious beliefs, they may need to change their therapist.
- The platform doesn’t have a single, set price for services.
Fast Facts About Faithful Counseling Online Therapy
- Faithful Counseling works with around 6,000 independent therapists.
- The Faithful Counseling platform sees around 100,000 visitors a month.
- Live Counseling sessions last between 30 to 45 minutes.
- Messaging is available to users 24/7, but live chat sessions must be scheduled.
- It can take up to 72 hours to be matched with a therapist on Faithful Counseling.
The Sign-Up Process
It is easy to sign up for Faithful Counseling because the website walks you through the entire process.
When you start, you will see a white box that says “What is your gender identity?” which 3 options from which to choose. Once you have selected an answer the question will automatically disappear and a new question takes its place.
The questions will ask about your age, location, marriage, status, physical health, mental health, and other basic information.
After you have answered the background questions, you will be given the opportunity to select all the issues that you want to discuss with your therapist. This includes things like depression, apathy, anxiety, and more.
There are multiple pages of issues and habits to choose from, so be sure to read through each one carefully and be honest about your concerns.
After answering questions about your health, medications, concerns, and suicidal tendencies, you will be asked about your religious beliefs.
First, you will identify which sect of Christianity best matches your beliefs. Then, you will tell the site how often you pray, how long you’ve been practicing, how important your religion is to you, and how you want religion to be incorporated into your therapy.
This information is useful to the platform and lets the algorithm match you to the best therapist for your background and needs.
Next, you will be asked if you were referred to Faithful Counseling.
We recommend choosing any YouTube Channel or Radio Show as your referral choice. That’s because it sometimes leads to a discount on your first month of service on Faithful!
The last 2 steps are:
- Provide information for your login credentials and confirm your email address. You can choose to use your name or a nickname, which helps you maintain anonymity on the platform.
- Choose the preferred credentials of your therapist and describe your therapy goals. Faithful Counseling will do its best to match all your requests and needs when matching you with a therapist.
Services Offered by Faithful Counseling
Faithful Counseling offers multiple types of therapy with multiple levels of religious involvement. During the signup process, users get to dictate how religion should play a role in their care.
Whether they incorporate scripture or just acknowledge the patient’s relationship with Christianity, is completely determined by the patient.
Once that is determined, members will be matched with their therapist and be given a price for the services. This fee covers chat room access, text-based therapy, video therapy, and audio messaging.
Text, Video, and Audio Messaging
Anyone who has ever tried traditional therapy knows how difficult it can be to prioritize the proper issues during their sessions. In between sessions they mentally note struggles and issues, but by the time they get to actually talk to their therapist, they’ve forgotten half the things they wanted to discuss!
On Faithful Counseling, users can send messages to an open chat room at any time of day. These messages will be reviewed by the counselor as they are available, and the information serves as a daily journal to be used in the full sessions, which happen four times a month!
This chat area may even be used by a therapist to provide daily scriptures, motivational texts, and more.
This is a kind of access to mental health professionals that is not available during traditional mental health care.
Weekly Live-Sessions (Video, Call, or Chat)
Members will receive four live sessions with their therapist each month. These sessions are scheduled by the user and are dependent on the availability of the therapist. Some sessions may be 30 minutes while others are 45 minutes. No session will be less than 30 minutes unless the patient chooses to leave early.
The session can be carried out face-to-face over video chat, or through a live chat room, or over a phone call. The patient can choose whichever way feels most comfortable to them.
Are There Any Free Services on Faithful Counseling?
No. Faithful Counseling will let users create an account for free, but there are no self-help services or other amenities for free.
Is Faithful Counseling Right for Me?
Faithful Counseling is a great therapy platform for Christians that struggle with mental health and confidence. The site lets you tailor your therapy experience to include just as much religion as is right for you.
For that reason, we think Faithful Counseling is right for most religious people. Here is a closer look at who this platform will and won’t work for!
Who Faithful Counseling is Right For:
- Christian patients who feel their religion should be an important part of their healing.
- Users who want a therapist that understands how religion plays a role in their mental health.
- Those who want to feel free from judgment when discussing their Christian faith and beliefs.
Who Faithful Counseling May Not Be Right For:
- Non-religious patients who do not want religion to be a factor in their mental health care.
- Patients who prefer the approach from non-religious therapists.
- Those who are triggered by Christianity or who don’t trust religious individuals.
Reviewing Faithful Counseling Patient Privacy
We know that nobody wants to start talking to a therapist if their information is going to be shared with those around them. Luckily, Faithful Counseling is not only HIPAA compliant, but they allow users to sign up with a nickname, which increases anonymity.
In fact, Faithful Counseling is even more private than regular therapy or church counseling because users don’t have to interact with people they know and can avoid busy waiting rooms. Faithful Counseling sessions can be done from anywhere that has access to the internet and conversations with the therapist are fully encrypted.
Faithful Counseling Cost and Insurance
Like other sites under the Better Health umbrella, Faithful Counseling adjusts the price of its services depending on the location of the user. This ranges from 50-90 dollars a week but can be adjusted down through financial assistance.
| Service | Term | Cost per Week | Billed As |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership | 1 Month | $50 to $90 | $200 to $360 |
Users will see the cost of their services and will need to purchase a plan before they are matched with a therapist. There are no insurance options, but the cost of a month of service is often less than the cost of a single therapy appointment with traditional therapists.
Key Details About the Pricing at Faithful Counseling
- The average weekly cost of service is $80.
- The cost of service is charged monthly and covers four live sessions.
- Users can use a discount code to discount their first month of service.
- There are financial aid options available to low-income users.
Does Faithful Counseling Offer Financial Aid
Faithful Counseling does offer financial aid to users who need help with their monthly service cost! To apply for financial aid, go to the payment page and click the button labeled “I Can’t Afford Therapy.”
You will be directed to an application form that asks about your financial status, family size, employment, and more. You will be given an instant result and know immediately the price of your discounted monthly fee.
The max discount is 40% off. The discount lasts for three months. When your aid expires, you can apply for an extension.
Does Faithful Counseling Take Insurance
Faithful Counseling does not accept insurance. They also don’t submit any requests to insurance on the patient’s behalf.
If a user wants to apply for reimbursement from their insurance, they will need to contact their provider and discuss the next steps.
Verdict – Is Faithful Counseling Worth It?
Faithful Counseling has a lot going for it. The platform is easy to use, they offer financial aid, and the sign-up process asks for a ton of information to ensure patients are matched with the correct therapist.
If you are a Christian (any denomination) who is seeking better options for mental health care, Faithful Counseling is definitely worth it!
If you aren’t a Christian or don’t want your religion incorporated in your mental health care, other providers under the Better Help umbrella may be better for you.
Faithful Counseling FAQ
Is Faithful Counseling Associated with Better Help?
Yes! Faithful Counseling is one of many teletherapy sites owned and operated by the parent company, Better Help.
Is Faithful Counseling Expensive?
Faithful Counseling is a bit pricey. However, when you break the cost down over the services provided, Faithful Counseling is far less costly than traditional counseling. In the United States, the average cost of a single therapy session is around $200. On Faithful Counseling, each therapy session (and unlimited texting before and after this session) costs between $40 and $80.
Can Non-Christians Join Faithful Counseling?
Yes! You don’t have to be a Christian to join Faithful Counseling, but Christian patients are much more likely to benefit from the niche therapists on the site. According to one poll, less than 10% of users on Faithful Counseling identify with a different religion than Christianity.
How Long Does it Take to Get Matched With a Therapist on Faithful Counseling?
Faithful Counseling will match users with a therapist as quickly as possible. Some users are matched within an hour, others wait up to 3 days to be matched.
Can I Meet My Therapist Before I Pay for Faithful Counseling?
No. Users must pay for a full month of service before they are matched with a therapist.
