The Best Online Therapy for Christians, Tried and Tested in 2024 - Verywell Mind

Other Companies We Considered

We considered Cornerstone Christian Counseling and MyCounselor.Online for this review but did not recommend them because they follow strict codes of ethics that are not friendly to the LGBTQ+ community. Note that Faithful Counseling (listed first) also has a mission statement that raises a red flag. As mentioned above, Faithful Counseling providers hold the belief that the Bible is "the only authoritative and infallible rule of Christian faith and practice," and this could prove detrimental for LGBTQIA+ therapy seekers. There are online therapy companies that cater specifically to the LGBTQIA+ community, including Christians.

Cornerstone scored highly on our 2021 user survey, with 78% reporting that the services received were very good or "excellent." It uses a pay-per-session model with prices that range from $58 to $184 per session, depending on the qualifications and experience of the counselor. Cornerstone does not bill your insurance, but it will provide a receipt so you can file the claim on your own.

MyCounselor.Online specializes in specific relationship issues such as intimacy and marriage issues, sex therapy, porn addiction, infidelity recovery, and relationship communication problems. Like Cornerstone, MyCounselor offers pay-per-session pricing that varies based on the experience and qualifications of the therapist. Prices range from $55 to $195 per session. It also offers one free counseling session with the purchase of a membership, and says it will fully refund the membership fee if you decide you don't want to continue.

Guide for Choosing the Best Online Therapy for Christians

Is Online Therapy for Christians a Good Fit for You?

When determining if online Christian therapy is the right choice for you, consider these questions: 

• Do you feel more comfortable talking openly with someone who shares the same spiritual beliefs as you?
• Are you looking for a more affordable and convenient option than in-office therapy?
• Do you find it helpful to incorporate faith-based practices into your mental health routine or treatment?
• Are you a couple looking for faith-based guidance to strengthen your relationship?

If you're doubting whether therapy would be beneficial because you already receive pastoral counseling, consider that while both are beneficial, only therapy is designed to treat mental health conditions with evidence-based approaches. You don't have to choose between one or the other. You can have both.

"Some individuals benefit from religious counseling, but it can be harmful to try to replace therapy with it," says Dr. Marschall. "Unfortunately, some churches push for religious counseling rather than secular therapy, which can prevent people from getting help for their mental health concerns. Christian counseling/therapy with a qualified provider can offer faith-based support along with evidence-based mental health treatment."

Comparing Online Therapy for Christians

When looking for a Christian therapy service that will fit your situation, there are several factors to consider.

• Topic: Look for a therapist or service that specializes in your area of concern, such as anxiety, depression, or stress management. 
• Personality: Make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist and can share honestly, including about your relationship with your faith. 
• Cost: Decide how much you are able to spend per month for counseling services so you don't have to end services early due to financial strain.
• Financial assistance: If cost is a concern, look for an online therapy provider that accepts insurance, health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA) payments, or employee assistance programs, or offers sliding-scale fees or financial aid.
• Scheduling: Find a service or therapist who can meet with you when your schedule allows. Many therapists offer evening and weekend appointments while some services offer 24/7 unlimited messaging.
• Location: Make sure a therapist or company can offer services where you currently are located. A therapist must be licensed in your state.
• Ease of switching: See if a service offers a free consultation, a trial period, or the ability to easily change therapists to make sure you find the right fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

• In general, Christian online therapy costs less than in-person, private-practice therapy. However, not all online therapy companies operate on the same business model.

  Some online therapy companies use a subscription model, which means you pay a set amount per month for a set number of services, such as messaging a therapist or having a video therapy session. Other online therapy companies operate on a more traditional, pay-per-session model. Pay-per-session online therapy usually is more expensive than subscription-based online therapy, though still lower than the cost of in-person therapy. Pay-per-session Christian therapy prices can range from $55 per session to $195 or more per session.

• Online Christian counseling may be a good option if there are scheduling, distance, work, or transportation barriers that make in-person sessions difficult.

  It also may be a good fit if you and/or your partner prefer multiple communication styles such as messaging, journaling, worksheets, and audio chats along with live video sessions. Ensure you have a good internet connection and speed to avoid dropped calls or connection interruptions. It also is important to make sure you have privacy for your sessions.

  Keep in mind that online therapy is not an emergency service and is not good for people with psychosis or suicidal ideation. Christian counseling services specifically might not be appropriate for or supportive of those in the LGBTQIA+ community.

• Because Christian therapists are still therapists, they have to go through the same licensure and education requirements as secular therapists. Therefore, Christian therapy can cover the same topics that other therapists can cover, depending on what issues and specializations the individual therapist is specifically trained in.

  The only difference is the Christian therapist may be more comfortable with integrating spiritual practices such as prayer and scripture references. People have different preferences, so it is important to be aware of what is helpful for you and communicate that to your therapist.
  

• Christian counselors incorporate some of the same approaches that secular providers would in their counseling, such as psychodynamic and behavioral modalities that are common in therapy. Biblical counselors, in contrast, base their counseling only on what can be found written in the Christian Bible. Christian counselors can be licensed mental health professionals; biblical counseling does not require a license or certification.

• Unfortunately, there are few reputable options for free Christian counseling online. MyCounselor.Online does offer one free session with the purchase of a membership (which it promises to refund if you decide you don't want to continue counseling), and there are free services through Focus on the Family, but we have excluded these companies from our list because their platforms are not friendly to the LGBTQIA+ community. We have included Chatnow, which is a free Christian peer support service, but it does not employ licensed mental health providers. There are some ways to save money on therapy, and your church or one in your community may well have counselors who will meet with you for free and may accommodate your need to meet virtually.

How We Tested and Reviewed Online Therapy Services

For this article, we examined Christian-focused online therapy resources and evaluated them by services offered, mission statement (including their position on LGTBQIA+ issues), and cost. We specifically highlighted resources that provided Christian mental health counseling as opposed to biblical counseling, which does not require the provider to be a licensed mental health practitioner.

We sent questionnaires to 55 companies and surveyed 105 current users of each platform. We also reviewed 25 different online therapist directories by surveying 180 users of the service, interviewed therapists listed on the directory, and reached out to each company to answer questionnaires. We also looked at some additional Christian counseling-focused companies as well. This gave us a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data about the user experience at each company.

Each company was evaluated based on the sign-up process, therapist qualifications, user experience, variety of couples therapy offered, session length, subscription options, average cost, value for money spent, and the average percent of users willing to recommend the company to a friend.

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