CLOSED to new questions AMA 12-12-19 Lisa, Clinical Support Mgr therapy program 7Cups - answers online therapy questions
Your Therapy Questions Answered
HI there. My name is soulsings, the ambassador liaison with the 7 Cups therapy program. I am thrilled to introduce a new thread that can help you better understand how online therapy works. Lisa, the Clinical Support Manager for the therapy program at 7 Cups and long-term 7 Cups therapist is here to explain what online therapy is and the benefits associated with this. You may also want to ask questions on what you hope to receive in online therapy with a 7 Cups therapist.
Making the decision to undergo any kind of therapy is your choice and is a very personal journey in your life. Lisa is here to answer any questions you may have on the topic of online therapy. This format allows Lisa to answer questions you have about the therapy program and how it might help in the challenges you face. So get your questions ready and Lisa will answer them as quickly as she can.
Remember this is a 1 week thread and is recieving questions until December 12th at noon, so get your questions in early. Lisa will answer all questions in the order received. Sometimes people ask the same or similar questions, so please read through this thread pages before submitting your questions so you can benefit from all the answers presented here and we can limit duplicate questions from happening.
Thanks for participating in this thread. I look forward to your questions and Lisa's answers.
@soulsings
tagging @LisaDeRegtMBPsS
@soulsings
I have got question about therapy whether do therapists get all 150 $ members pay for it?
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@gentleSun78
Hi gentle!
That is a good question! 7 Cups does all of the billing, advertising, and sends therapists referrals. 7 Cups is provided with 40% of all that a therapist bills. This is in line with what other online companies do as well.
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS 40%! 
Here in the UK none of the therapists I know pays agencies anything like that amount! In some cases they pay an annual fee for a directory listing, but the agency doesn't skim the client's session fee at all. So I'm thinking that 40% can only make commercial sense in some markets.
To put it the other way around, from a client's perspective, in the UK you can use an agency (or another organization) to find a well qualified therapist, but then the agency gets out of the way and you only pay the therapist their fee for each session, which is much cheaper.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Hi Charlie!
Thank you for your comments. I hear what you're saying although online therapy is usually very different. Usually a therapist might have a private practice and they are working with 7 Cups clients in between face-to-face clients or perhaps when a face-to-face client cancels and they find themselves having a gap where they can find the time to help more people. We have the benefit of working online wherever we like and we are not expected to work at certain times and in certain places (although yes, we do have to respond 1-2 times Monday - Friday). Also, members' on 7 Cups are given a competitive rate when compared to face-to-face services. I'm unable to really compare this to any other agencies' billing structure as they are probably all very different.
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS I have really enjoyed reading this AMA, it's a shame that today is the last day too. I have another question , I wonder if you can please clarify whether the 7 Cups Therapists also have to pay a monthly registration fee, and if they do how much that is as $40 was mentioned when this came up in a chat the other day and I wasn't sure what the current status was. Also are there plans to take on any more Therapists?
Thanks for your work answering all these questions.
Listening .... One Step At A Time
I feel sorry for my therapist... 40% is a lot... it means they get paid for a month of work more or less the same amount they would get in just one face-to-face session...
Hello! I suffer from severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. I'm having one to two a week. Some severe, some micro. I am a native English speaker, but live in a non native English speaking country. I've used the "Listeners" on here several time and they are very helpful. I'm currently in an online therapy group that is very helpful. After my last panic attack the Dr told me it was time to move to the next level in therapy. I still have about two weeks more for my prescriptions to take full effect. How can I get started and does 7 Cups pair me up with a therapist? I connect better with women and I am a gay man. I do not have any issues with gay. So LGBT support is not necessarly an important issue, but I want some someone who would be sympathetic. I'm also an apathetic agnostic so that would also be a consideration. A rather odd question, I am on a medical leave from my job for my condition and they will reimburse my expenses, how will I recieve verification of payment? I'm also considering Disability Insurance as my medications are not permitted at my place of business. Would I be able to document my treatment with the therapist? Thank you for you time!
@BradleyK
Hi Bradley,
Thank you for sharing with us how you've been feeling as this is a huge step. It's great that you've found 7 Cups. I'm so glad you've been using our wonderful listeners on this site as I know they put in so much care and attention when providing emotional support to 7 Cups members. Suffering from severe anxiety, depression and panic attacks sounds very exhausting and I can only imagine how the panic attacks really impact your life as they seem to be happening often. I would encourage you to also consider going to see a doctor to ensure there are no other underlying reasons (other than what you're going through right now) why you're having regular panic attacks.
During these panic attacks, it's important to tell yourself that it will pass despite it being very unsettling. Try to tell yourself that the attack is a brief moment of heightened anxiety and that it will end. Focus on your breathing, inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 3 and exhale fully (please adjust this to whatever feels comfortable for you). I would encourage you to research mindfulness techniques and join our wonderful mindfulness community here as this has been very beneficial working with what you're going through: https://www.7cups.com/home/mindfulness/ We also have areas on the site for anxiety, depression and ways in which to cope with panic attacks too.
You can search for a female therapist in our directory of therapists: https://www.7cups.com/therapists/ Finally, I feel like you need to ask these questions to the people who are working with your disability allowance and your medical leave as I want to be sure you receive the right information.
@soulsings
is it worth trying therapy if it'd going to put you into dept?
how can a online therapist help with eating disorders and halicinations?
@Hope2come
Hi there Hope,
Thank you for your questions. Therapy is a paid service and an individual considering therapy should try to find the best solution with regards to therapy being something that they feel is worthwhile financially or not. We have therapists on 7 Cups that are highly experienced in treating eating disorders. They will help a person suffering with an eating disorder by providing psychoeducation as to what you're suffering with, they will help you identify the triggers associated with your eating disorder and develop coping skills which will be tailored to you. Cognitive behavioural therapy has been proven to be very effective in treating eating disorders so you may find this is offered to you during online therapy. Each therapist will have a different approach but above all they will ensure menbers' feel safe expressing themselves.
I feel if you or someone you know is suffering from hallucinations that it's best they go to see an in-person mental health specialist as these can become very severe. Online therapy isn't right for everyone and one of these factors is the following: You have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness and require more intensive face-to-face supports
@Hope2come To answer your first question, I am aware that some people do borrow money to pay for therapy because after successful therapy they will be able to earn more and pay back the loan. But doing that is a risk, because therapy can never be guaranteed to be successful.
For eating disorders, my understanding is that no form of therapy is certain to work. In real life I know some very experienced CBT therapists, and they tell me they can never be sure that CBT will be effective for eating disorders. Some forms of eating disorder can become very serious and life-threatening, requiring hospital treatment.
For hallucinations, I agree with Lisa that seeing a mental health specialist is best. Medication is sometimes required, so seeing a doctor might be a good first step.
If you'd like to discuss all this in more detail, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Thank you for your very thoughtful answers RarelyCharlie :). Absolutely agreed, eating disorders can be life-threatening and it's most important to always go to see a doctor if you are suffering with one. Lots of wonderful work can be done in therapy but combining psychotherapy with medical assistance can be very useful for some people especially suffering with a diagnosis like eating disorders and experiencing hallucinations.
I had a bad experience with therapy the first time I tried it. I felt like I was at the end of the road when even therapy didn't work for me. What would be your suggestions?
@gregariousAcai1247 The therapists I know tell me they hear this all the time about other therapists their clients have tried. It seems that some therapists are just not very good. A bad experience with a therapist can leave you feeling that you can't be helped, but it's often because the therapist was badly trained, and with a better therapist you'll feel very different five minutes into the first session.
Sometimes you can find a good therapist by asking someone who has had successful therapy for a recommendation. Sometimes your doctor will know which therapists are good at their work. Unfortunately, for some people the only way to find a good one is by trial and error.
If you'd like to discuss all this in more detail, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie Hi Charlie, thank you for another helpful answer. Unfortunately I don't have the budget to sample around for therapists :(. I could barely afford the therapy rate here on 7cups.
It was really odd because the two 7cups therapists I tried had good reviews but weren't able to work with me. I really don't know what else I could do.
@gregariousAcai1247 That makes me curious about what went wrong, to be honest. If it was just one therapist I would think it's just bad luck, but two in a row? And they both have good reviews? There must be a reason for it.
The therapists I know in real life only very occasionally have clients they cannot work with, and when that happens they always refer the client to someone who they think might be more appropriate.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie I also I also feel like the option to switch therapist should be made more known. I was unhappy with my first therapist within the first few days but she never told me anything about the option to switch out. I held on because I didn't know any other way and I wanted to make my money worth, but after two weeks I thought, I'd rather lose $150 than enduring this some more. Only as I was following the steps to cancel that I discovered the option to switch therapist.
@gregariousAcai1247
Hi Gregarious,
I am sorry that you felt this way using our services at 7 Cups as we want to provide a supportive and healing place to our members. We do encourage members to email customer services if they are having any issues with their therapist as we will always do our best to assist you. We also use this feedback to improve services. We make it clear during the Sophia process that you can switch therapists but again I am sorry if you felt this wasn't clear.
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS
Well I guess I was confused and thought the switch must have been made during the 3-days trial period or something; the point was just that I wasn't referred out even though I was unhappy.
@gregariousAcai1247
Hi Gregarious,
Feeling like you're "at the end of the road" because you feel even therapy couldn't help is very distressing and I am so sorry you've felt this way. It's awful to feel that way because it strengthens the negative feelings stored within us. I want to encourage you that there is always hope and finding the right fit for you, whether that is a particular therapist and/or their therapeutic approach. I would encourage you to think about what you would like from therapy and your goals and see how you feel is best to move forward. You might want to even consider what didn't work during your last experience in therapy as this might help you to work out what you really want.
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS I had an idea of what I wanted and I tried to communicate that but the therapists I talked to weren't able to provide that. I don't know if it's an issue with what I was asking for-- that it could not be provided...
@soulsings @LisaDeRegtMBPsS
@AlisonHumphreysLCPC
@CynthiaStockerLCSWLICSW
@RichJonesMAPGDip
@SarahGeorgeDCS
@ScottFantucchioLMHC
Hi,
I have two questions, which I had previously posted on two separate forums:
1) Can Logotherapy help to cope Anxiety?
2) Is Procrastination a way of Anxiety? If yes, then what copying techniques can you suggest?
I would appreciate if the Therapists could answer one or both questions directly on the corresponding posts, or here.
Thank you,
Leo
Who is the most famous person you have met? -> https://www.7cups.com/forum/AnxietySupport_53/SocialAnxietySupportSharing_247/Introduction_206587/
@ThankYouForLettingMeTryingToHelp
Thank you for the links to your questions! I'm going to let the therapists' know that you would really like to read their answers to your questions. Hopefully you receive some answers very soon. :)
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS : You are more than welcome to provide your answers on my links above, it may be equally fine 
Cc:
@soulsings
@AlisonHumphreysLCPC
@CynthiaStockerLCSWLICSW
@RichJonesMAPGDip
@SarahGeorgeDCS
@ScottFantucchioLMHC
Who is the most famous person you have met? -> https://www.7cups.com/forum/AnxietySupport_53/SocialAnxietySupportSharing_247/Introduction_206587/
Hi everyone!
I look forward to any questions you may have about online therapy :) I will be here for the next few hours. Thank you for taking the time here sending through your questions!
@LisaDeRegtMBPsS thanks for sharing your time and wisdom with us. I have enjoyed reading all your answers to people's questions about 7cups online therapy.
Thanks everyone for your great questions. I look forward to the next program to help you gain more knowledge of online therapy at 7cups.
Take care everyone. 
@soulsings hi there I really need some advice I'm going
through a very difficult time left last job was unable to
find another job. Employers are not giving me chance
I went through a serious relationship loss few years ago
approaching final stages of recovery. I need some help
especially I'm having a hard time finding a job.
@limegreenSkies4050 I am sorry for the losses you feel. Not having a job can be a major impact on our self esteem.
I am not sure how to solve your personal situation, but I can share with you that I have found benefit in creating routines so days are preplanned, doing exercises to keep my energy level up and on a healthy diet that cuts out or reduces starches and sugars and provides adequate protein to avoid mood swings.
A therapist might be an option you could consider. The online therapy is explained more in this thread.
Lisa has a link after their posts in this thread that you can sign up with them for therapy.