I’d urge anyone considering BetterHelp to think carefully before handing over personal information to a for-profit, unregulated online counselling platform. While the idea of accessible mental health support is appealing, it’s important to follow the money: BetterHelp is owned by Teladoc Health, a publicly traded company. That means their primary obligation is to shareholders, not your wellbeing.
They profit not just from your subscription fees but potentially from the data you hand over. Your messages, your emotional history, your personality traits — all of it is stored. While they claim it's secure and private, data policies can change, especially if the company is sold or merges. What feels like a private moment with a therapist could become a dataset in someone else’s asset portfolio down the line.
Giving away detailed psychological profiles to unregulated platforms creates a permanent record of your most vulnerable traits. In the wrong hands — say, a future parent company more aligned with advertising, predictive policing, insurance, or political profiling — that information could be repurposed, reinterpreted, or even sold off in ways you never consented to.
Regulation hasn't caught up to the risks yet. You're effectively creating a map of your mind and trusting that no one will ever use it against you. That’s a big gamble.
If cost or waitlists are barriers to therapy, I'd recommend checking with local mental health charities, your GP, or regulated UK-based platforms that fall under the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or equivalent bodies. At the very least, look into platforms that are transparent about their data retention policies and therapist qualifications.
20 May 2025, 2:15 pm
