A woman who sought therapy after she was sexually assaulted has tearfully recalled the moment her therapist told her she was ‘attractive’ during an online session. 

Amanda, who sought a therapist on the online platform BetterHelp after a sexual assault triggered memories of past abuse, said she felt ‘uncomfortable’ after the therapist recommended she deal with the trauma by dating ‘three men’ because she was ‘attractive’.

Amanda shared her agonising story on Channel 4‘s I Don’t Trust My Therapist: UNTOLD, a documentary which accuses the company of ‘misleading’ clients. 

Better Help is the world’s largest online mental health platform, providing mental health services directly to clients for £50 to £80 per session. It operates in both the US and UK and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Following heavy influencer marketing and podcast sponsorships, the brand has  become a household name – but it’s not without controversy.

Amanda (pictured) broke down in tears after revealing her experience at the hands of a former therapist after she told him she was sexually assaulted

Amanda (pictured) broke down in tears after revealing her experience at the hands of a former therapist after she told him she was sexually assaulted

Amanda shared her agonising story on Channel 4 's I Don't Trust My Therapist: UNTOLD, which was presented by journalist and mental health advocate Jackie Adedeji (pictured)

Amanda shared her agonising story on Channel 4 ‘s I Don’t Trust My Therapist: UNTOLD, which was presented by journalist and mental health advocate Jackie Adedeji (pictured)

In the show, journalist and mental health advocate Jackie Adedeji investigated complaints made against the brand by former patients, while also answering questions about its lack of regulation.

One of the users was Amanda, who claimed she was made to see three separate therapists in three months during her subscription with BetterHelp.

Speaking via video call, she told Jackie of her encounter with the unnamed therapist after confiding in him about her sexual assault.

She said: ‘We had a conversation regarding the fact that I was getting back on the dating apps.

‘I wanted to kind of put some feelers out there – see how I feel about it. Although I wasn’t ready at that time to actually take a step forward into communicating with anybody or actually go on dates.

‘And he said: “You should be dating. You’re a very attractive woman”.

‘The homework that he gave me for that session was to meet up with three men before our next session. And at that point I felt very uncomfortable’.

Amanda then paused before breaking down in tears, prompting a concerned Jackie to send her a ‘hug through the screen’.

Amanda replied: ‘I just need a moment.’

This was just one of three negative experiences she had experience with BetterHelp.

Hannah (pictured) another participant in the show, recalled her thoughts of self harm after being told by one employee that sexual assault by a partner was 'not rape'

Hannah (pictured) another participant in the show, recalled her thoughts of self harm after being told by one employee that sexual assault by a partner was ‘not rape’

Amanda said she was assigned the male therapist after she parted ways with a female therapist on the platform – who she claimed asked her to consider her ‘role’ in the abuse she had suffered.

‘We began talking about the relationship that I had and the abuse that I went through’ said Amanda. ‘You know, emotional, sexual, physical at times.

‘I recall she had made a comment about halfway through the session along the lines of you know “had I considered the role that I was playing in this relationship that was leading to me being abused?”.

‘I really just took that one instance of somebody saying: “Have you thought about this?”.

‘It changed everything. Well, for a really long time.’ 

Later on in the documentary, viewers were introduced to Hannah, an American woman based in London for six years. 

She too sought mental health services on BetterHelp after being sexually assaulted by a partner.

Hannah was subscribed to the app for three months and had 10 sessions with two different therapists.

She recounted thoughts of self harm and being told by one employee that sexual assault by a partner was ‘not rape’.

She shared: ‘So I had explained to her that I was in an abusive relationship and that I had been raped by my partner – and I described to her what happened  to me.

‘And she said to me: “Oh well that’s not rape because it was your partner, it’s not like someone climbed through your window and attacked you in the night”.

‘I started feeling like I don’t know if I can make it through, like, without doing something to myself because I just didn’t know how to feel better.’

Martina, a youth support worker awaiting an ADHD diagnosis from the NHS, slammed a BetterHelp therapist for failing to turn up for their first session.

She claimed that after requesting a refund for the no-show, she was instead offered an apology and a week’s free subscription.

Later on Martina, a youth support worker awaiting an ADHD diagnosis by the NHS, slammed a BetterHelp therapist for failing to turn up for their very first therapy session

Later on Martina, a youth support worker awaiting an ADHD diagnosis by the NHS, slammed a BetterHelp therapist for failing to turn up for their very first therapy session

Later on, Jackie, who said therapy once ‘saved her life’, found that BetterHelp’s policy required all hired professionals to have been practising for at least three years. 

Staff must also be registered with a body that governs therapists and counsellors in the UK.  

Perplexed as to how these therapy horror stories could then exist, the host contacted Meg Moss, the head of policy and public affairs at National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) who stated there was ‘no regulation in terms of online therapy platforms’. 

She said: ‘At the moment there isn’t a mechanism to do that. What you would have to do in terms of regulation is you’d have to go through parliament and other kind of government bodies.

‘As far as we’re aware no one is having that conversation yet’.

BetterHelp was founded in 2013 with UK citizens having access to the platform for the first time in 2016.

According to the documentary, it boasted an annual revenue of a staggering $1 billion between 2022 and 2023. 

The company is known for their aggressive marketing through platforms like social media, with the brand reportedly spending up to $10.5 million on podcast sponsorships in one month alone.

Jackie contacted Meg Moss (pictured), the head of policy and public affairs at National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) who admitted that there was 'no regulation in terms of online therapy platforms'

Jackie contacted Meg Moss (pictured), the head of policy and public affairs at National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) who admitted that there was ‘no regulation in terms of online therapy platforms’

And due to the private platform claiming to offer users 24/7 access to therapists upon signing up, patients are easily lured away from the NHS where they may otherwise have to wait up to 12 weeks.

Jackie also revealed that NHS mental health services are currently ‘oversubscribed’ with an estimated 969,000 referrals to children and young people’s mental health services between 2022 and 2023.

In response to the documentary, BetterHelp said: ‘Member experiences with BetterHelp are overwhelmingly positive and can provide benefits over alternative UK counselling options.

‘We have a rigorous vetting process for our UK therapists that requires them to have at least three years of experience, be qualified and registered/accredited by their respective professional organisation, and be a registered, trained, and experienced UK Practitioner Psychologist, Accredited Therapist, or similar applicable recognized professional certification.

‘Your quoted claim that “no one” provides oversight for BetterHelp is simply incorrect. 

‘We have an in-house team of licensed therapists who conduct quality assurance reviews based on member feedback and concerns.’

I Don’t Trust My Therapist: UNTOLD is available to stream on Channel 4

Post source: Daily mail

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