The conversations surrounding mental health problems have changed significantly in the past twenty years. What was once bottled up, brushed under the carpet, and even seen as a weakness, has now been recognised for the common experience that it is. Anyone and everyone is exposed to mental health issues at some point in their lives, and a great many of them need some extra help to get through them. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing significant mental health problems, you’re doing the right thing by looking for a licensed therapist or psychologist, as evidence-based psychotherapy is the only viable treatment option for issues like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), depression, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), eating disorders, and more. 

Of course, the question is, who do you choose? To help whittle down your choices, today, we’re going to be taking a look at one of the most popular online therapy centers in America: Manhattan Mental Health Counseling. Read on to discover what makes them stand out and whether or not they’re right for you. 

A Quick Overview of the Center

So, what exactly does Manhattan Mental Health Counseling offer? 

Despite the name, this practice provides its services via teletherapy. Client and therapist will converse via video conferencing software, enabling every interaction to take place from the comfort of the person’s own home. Clients will be matched with a therapist with expertise in their exact problem, and with twenty-six different conditions treated, nearly everyone will be able to find a mental health professional who can get them to where they want to be. 

Importantly, each approach is tailored not only to the type of mental affliction, but the client’s specific flavor of it. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and there are no cookie-cutter programs. 

How the Care Model Works

The care model at Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is nice and simple for prospective clients to follow. 

The list of disorders treated can be found in the sidebar of the website, and clicking on each of them will take you to a detailed blog page. This is a really great way of providing the client with a grounding in whatever disorder they’re seeking to treat, as it’s often the case that even if someone knows they need help with something, they don’t necessarily know why. Offering this level of information upfront ensures the client is as prepared as possible before signing up for treatment. 

Regarding the signup process itself, all the person needs to do is fill out a quick form, afterwhich one of the practice’s representatives will get back to them. From here, schedules are aligned, calendar entries are booked, and the first session can take place. The therapeutic model will be different depending on what needs to be treated, but short, medium, and long-term goals are cleverly implemented to keep the client motivated.

Manhattan Mental Health Counselling uses a system called Progress Pathways, which is a personalized growth tracker that celebrates the client’s achievements at every step with badges, trophies, and a progress bar. It offers an intuitive way to see progress that would otherwise be unclear or undefined. 

Some people will still require in-person therapy, however, so it’s important to remember that as well-designed as it is, the care model doesn’t cater to absolutely everyone. In terms of payment, the practice supports a wide range of insurance providers, including United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Health First, Affinity, and Molina Healthcare, but more on this below.

Payment and Insurance

Manhattan Mental Health Counseling clearly pride themselves on making therapy as accessible as possible. They’ve identified that payment is one of the biggest barriers to progress, as pay-by-session models are often far in excess of what the average client can afford, leading them to terminate therapy early or skip consultations. 

As mentioned above, the practice has partnered with several of the biggest insurance providers to ensure the service is available to a wide range of people, with online therapy with insurance being between $0-$70 per session. Not every provider is there, but with a sizable chunk covered, payment becomes much less of an issue. For those who would prefer it, out-of-pocket payments can still be made – it’ll cost $175 per session and $200 for the intake session. Handily, everything you need to know about payment can be found via a dedicated payment blog, and it’s nice to see this level of transparency. 

Pros and Cons

Now that you get the gist of how Manhattan Mental Health Counseling works and what some of the main benefits are, let’s round off with the main pros and cons of using their service. 

Pros

Broad Clinical Scope: One of the best things about this practice is the number of therapies on offer. It’s not often the case that you see an online therapy service cater to this many types of problems, so Manhattan Mental Health Counseling truly stands out in this regard. 

Relationship-Driven Approach: With so many therapies available, you might assume that corners needed to be cut, but somehow, this isn’t the case. Reviews consistently praise the center for its relationship-driven approach, with therapists who truly take the time to get to know their clients on a personal level.

Optimal Accessibility: Whether through their efforts to make a robust payment system or the online sessions themselves, it’s clear that the practice has done its best to make mental health work as accessible as possible. 

Cons

Limited Appeal for Those Who Want (or Need) In-Person Support: For some people, the online method simply isn’t appealing, and it may even be a limitation depending on what they’re suffering with.

There May Be a Waiting List: Just because therapy is offered online doesn’t mean there won’t be a waiting list. Given the popularity of this practice, you may have to wait longer than you’d like, especially if you need to allow time for your insurance to go through. 

Wrapping Up 

Ultimately, for anyone looking for evidence-based, convenient therapy at a price point they can swallow, Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is a great bet. They tick all the boxes for just about anyone, so you should absolutely shortlist them as an option. Good luck on your journey!