Today, maintaining a successful relationship can be very difficult, even if both parties want it to work. Fortunately, attending couples therapy and couple counseling with a licensed professional tends to impact troubled relationships positively. But still, many people are reluctant to seek out help because of the misconceptions and perceived stigma attached to therapy. But an online service Regain is trying to counter those misconceptions.
Research has shown that online therapy and counseling can be a useful first step for those who’re reluctant to seek counseling and help people overcome their fear of in-person therapy.
American Psychological Association cites evidence that “asynchronous messaging therapy” and “telemental health” can be as effective as in-person therapy. So, if you or your partner are interested in exploring couples therapy but are reluctant to do it in person, Regain might be helpful for you.
What is Regain Counseling?
Regain is an online relationship counseling platform founded in 2016. It provides discreet, convenient, and low-cost access to a licensed therapist via web or phone.
Regain is designed for couples and individuals seeking relationship and marital issue counseling. Their counselors are licensed and accredited psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, or professional counselors. Each has a master’s or doctoral degree in their field. If you are struggling with age issues in your relationships and seeking possible solutions, this is for you.
Regain Insurance and Pricing
- Unfortunately, Regain does not directly work with any insurance providers. But you can check with your health plan to find out if they will reimburse you for Regain services.
- The subscription cost is $60-$90 per week, billed monthly. Prices may vary based on your location and how many sessions you schedule weekly.
- It allows you to cancel your plan anytime if you are not satisfied.
How Regain works
Regain Features
Regain counseling sessions are available via both web or phone. In addition, both partners have a joint account which allows them to communicate with the counselor together.
The counselor and both partners have access to all written communication. Besides, both users can speak privately to the counselor if they want to.
Regain Privacy and Reputation
The infrastructure of Regain is designed in such a way that protects your privacy and safeguard the information you provide to your counselor and to Regain. Their confidentiality and security standards exceed the required measures only to ensure that you can feel safe and comfortable.
Your privacy is protected in different ways:
- State, as well as federal laws, protect all communication that takes place between you and your therapist.
- The organization does not work directly with any insurance company. Therefore, no information is shared between the two entities.
- Once you send a message, you can click on the “shred” button at any time. After that, that message will no longer show in your account.
- All the messages between users and their counselors are encrypted.
Regain doesn’t force you to use your full name or contact information while creating your account. Instead, you can pick a nickname that will identify you in the system.
But still, you will need to provide emergency contact information, which will be kept safe in Regain’s system. Counselors can access it only if they believe you or someone else may be in danger.
The organization is well regarded. Most reviewers cite that response time from therapists can sometimes take longer than a day. However, people who have used the service seem to be happy with their counselors.
Pros and Cons of Regain Counseling
Pros
- Regain focuses solely on relationship counseling
- Their counselors are accessible via the web or smartphones.
- Regain counseling platform is easy to use.
- It offers unlimited messaging and 24/7 access to your counselor.
- This platform is more affordable than other online platforms.
Cons
- It might take several days to be matched with a counselor.
- The matching process is done by a computer, not a real person.
- The platform doesn’t currently support three-way live sessions. This means both partners will have to be in the exact location to use services.
- Counselors cannot diagnose or prescribe medications.
- It may take more time to get a response from your counselor.
- Regain offers no free trial.
Does Regain work
So far, there have not been many studies showings that text-based therapy is more effective than in-person therapy. More surprisingly, there is not any research at all related to text-based relationship therapy.
However, a 2014 review of twenty studies showed some benefits with relationship therapy, including relationship satisfaction and communication. In addition, a survey of 2011 showed that couple therapy improved relationship distress, as well as depression symptoms.
Regain therapy will be the future of couples therapy. Their users seem to be happy with the service they’re providing, lauding with more than 3,000 reviews on the Apple app store.
Is Regain Counseling right for you?
Regain therapy or counseling is for people who want to improve their relationships, whether there are concerns with intimacy, communication, or trust. Their counselors can help you prevent or navigate a divorce or separation or work with you on personal issues.
It is not clear whether Regain works with nonmonogamous couples, so keep this in mind if you decide to pursue counseling here.
It is also important to note that Regain cannot replace in-person therapy for some circumstances. Counselors out there can make a diagnosis, prescribe medication, or work with you if you have a court order.
Final Thoughts
Each online relationship counseling has its pros and cons. Regain might be the right option for you if you want to improve your relationship with the help of counseling online instead of in person. But if you experience a mental health emergency, you must seek immediate medical attention.
