Lyra vs. BetterHelp: Which is Better for Mental Health?

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of mental health care has evolved dramatically. Online mental therapy and psychiatry platforms have become the new normal, offering accessible and effective solutions for individuals seeking mental health support in the United States.

However, with the proliferation of telehealth platforms, the decision-making process for patients has become increasingly complex. The abundance of choices has left many overwhelmed, especially those dealing with mental health conditions. Fear not; we’re here to simplify the selection process for you.

As promised, this article will provide a comprehensive review and comparison of Lyra and BetterHelp, helping you make an informed choice that aligns with your unique mental health needs.

About Lyra

Lyra Health was founded in 2015 by David Ebersman. The platform is headquartered in Burlingame, California, and was launched with the goal of revolutionizing mental healthcare services by breaking down medical and administrative barriers. Its mission was to ensure that more individuals could access the right mental health treatment in the easiest and most convenient way possible.

David Ebersman, who previously served as CFO at Facebook (Meta) and Genentech, founded Lyra Health. The platform now serves over 2.5 million patients worldwide, all with the aim of establishing an efficient system that benefits both clients and clinicians.

About BetterHelp

Alon Matas and Danny Bragonier established BetterHelp in 2013, later acquired by Teladoc. The virtual mental therapy/counseling platform is based in Mountain View, California. It has an impressive network of more than 30,000 licensed mental health professionals. 

BetterHelp was designed to focus on flexible, individual online mental therapy for adults worldwide at affordable rates. It’s much more economical than conventional, in-person mental healthcare. And that too without the requirement of any health insurance.

Lyra vs. BetterHelp: In-Depth Comparison

Stay with me as I do a detailed review and comparison of the two platforms, including their features, price, and their pros and cons.

1. How Does it Work?

To start off the discussion, I will explain how both these online mental therapy platforms work.

Lyra

Lyra practitioners use goal-oriented, evidence-based treatment for patients in all age groups, including holistic family care. It has helped the platform earn a great reputation in the mental healthcare ecosystem.

When I signed up with Lyra, I could connect with my healthcare provider in multiple ways, such as via video calls, in-person visits, or live chat/text messages. I also had the option to proactively lead and control my treatment with the self-led approach through its digital resources, exercises, and cognitive behavioral therapy lessons.

I was also happy about finding a therapist on the same day I joined the platform. The waiting time is short and can last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours max. I could even talk to my counselor on weekends, which was great considering my busy schedule throughout the entire working week from Monday to Friday.

Lyra is an integrated virtual mental healthcare system that caters to online/offline counseling needs, therapy, self-care, psychiatry, and medication management according to specific preferences and lifestyles.

The platform uses clinically proven treatment, impact-driven approaches, and protocols based on solid pre-assessments for knowing symptom history, such as the PHQ9 and GAD7 tests. The best part is that Lyra only collaborates with providers who offer EBTs or evidence-based treatments.

The platform has a demo and efficient progress tracking features that helped me improve and be a better version of myself every time. I achieved my short-term and long-term goals in a meaningful, more measurable way.

If you are a company, you can join Lyra to provide mental healthcare benefits to your employees via the EAP  (Employee Assistance Program).

BetterHelp

Unlike Lyra, BetterHelp’s online mental therapy services are only available to adults aged 18 years and older.

I was prompted to sign up with basic details and complete an analytical questionnaire to get started on the platform. These were meant to evaluate my mental health and understand my counseling needs and preferences.

The process is quite straightforward and is like most virtual therapy platforms in the industry. However, BetterHelp does not specialize in everything under the sun. The digital platform does not have the expertise to offer psychiatric treatments and prescription-based mental healthcare.

I was matched to a therapist in about a little over 24 hours based on my location, mental condition, and the other relevant responses in the submitted questionnaire. There are multiple ways to communicate with your therapist, such as phone calls, text/chat, and video sessions.

Once paired with your provider, my counselor gets notified about my request for mental healthcare consultation.

I was matched with my therapist in approximately a day, which was quick. She was okay with all my preferences and immediately asked me to begin scheduling talk therapy.

However, I also had the option to switch to another provider if there was no answer from them in 24 to 48 hours, which is the usual turnaround time for providers to get back to you. BetterHelp also offers self-guided mental healthcare via 150 digital resources and insightful group seminars led by highly qualified mental health professionals.

2. Pricing/Affordability

Lyra

My company’s partnership with Lyra made me a member and eligible for its services free of charge. Thanks to EAP support offered by the platform. The services are no-cost, even for all dependents.

However, you can use your insurance provider’s plan to reduce your treatment cost after you are done with a certain number of sessions with Lyra. A free consultation is also available before you get started formally.

No upfront cost is mentioned on the website, as Lyra is an EAP and will directly work in sync with your employer. You are free to opt out of it, but if you plan to take the services and miss a particular session, you must pay back the session cost to your company.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp charges between $60 to $90 every week, depending on your location, availability of the provider, the location/timezone, the total professional experience of your provider, your mental health needs, and so on. Therefore, it is difficult to pre-estimate mental therapy costs on BetterHelp.

My weekly talk therapy cost was around $75, billed every month. During the course of the treatment, I was allowed to schedule multiple consultations as per my requirement. However, the pricing is highly dynamic on the platform, even though it is subscription-based.

3. Insurance Coverage

Lyra

Lyra has a mandatory limit of 12 consultations, after which the platform accepts various insurance plans to cover the treatment costs. Primarily, companies collaborating with Lyra’s services fund the treatment cost of their employees through EAP.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp does not provide insurance coverage as it offers affordable mental healthcare services/therapy. However, the platform offers financial aid to students, veterans, and patients from the underprivileged sections of society.

You need to separately apply for financial assistance or aid on the website to help them know about your financial situation and get discounted treatments on an individual basis.

4. Accessibility

Lyra

Lyra is an international integrated mental healthcare platform that offers global mental healthcare support in 180 countries. It’s amazing how its services operate seamlessly, transcending geographical and cultural barriers worldwide. It includes all of Lyra’s offerings.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is also a great platform when it comes to accessibility around the world. Thanks to its worldwide network of mental healthcare providers and its semi-automated therapist/counselor matching system.

It can find you the right professional, no matter which corner of the world you are located in, making the services highly accessible and convenient.

5. Privacy

Lyra

Lyra seems committed to providing its patients with complete data security and privacy protection.

The platform ensures HIPAA compliance, too. However, there has been a concern among company employees that their personal information was leaked and shared with their employers.

Lyra’s questionable privacy policy and data collection practices via surveys are concerning. But the platform has refuted such allegations. Even though the data is shared anonymously, patient’s permission is also of paramount importance, which has been skipped by Lyra.

Given this backdrop, many employees demand more transparency in the process. It’s, therefore, advisable to vet the privacy policy thoroughly before deciding.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp allowed me to access its services anonymously under a nickname of my choice set during the sign-up process. I was only required to disclose an emergency contact number, just in case.

The platform is HIPAA-compliant. However, despite its bold assurances and tall privacy claims, BetterHelp is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegedly selling sensitive patient details to social media businesses without the patients’ consent. This definitely is concerning and might raise a red signal for potential clients.

6. Available Treatments

Here are some of the treatments available in both these online platforms, starting with Lyra:

Lyra

At Lyra, the idea is not limited to targeting a particular mental health condition because it aims to make your overall recovery journey better in all aspects.

The platform follows a uniquely comprehensive approach. It has many options when it comes to care plans, including family care, preventive care, treatment for moderately severe mental health problems, protocols to holistically address complex mental health conditions, medication management, and more.

Here are the care services available at Lyra. However, I think the website needs to explain the details of its offerings so patients can easily decide which one to opt for.

• Clinical leave evaluation
• Unlimited manager consultations
• On-site therapy
• Training and workshops

For companies that have already partnered with Lyra, their employees are eligible for the following benefits through EAP:

• Financial services
• Critical incident support
• Child care
• Elderly and pet care
• ID theft services and legal services

The platform also provides specialized care to help you fight off substance abuse issues, suicidal tendencies, and other acute mental health troubles.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp has a way simpler structure. It has only been created to provide psychotherapy or talk therapy to adults across the globe. If you are in deep psychological distress or in a crisis situation, BetterHelp may not be the right platform for you.

Here is a list of mental health disorders that the platform can address through online talk therapy/counseling:

• Depression, anxiety, stress
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• ADHD
• Grief management
• Love, family issues
• Dementia
• Physical or sexual abuse and Midlife Crisis
• Huntington’s disease
• Marriage problems
• The mental health of men and boys
• PTSD, panic attacks
• Neuroticism
• Paranoia
• Parenting issues
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Psychosis
• Impulse control disorder
• Bipolar disorder and more

7. Pros and Cons of Lyra

8. Pros and Cons of BetterHelp

Conclusion

BetterHelp is a more inclusive platform; anyone can use its services anytime, anywhere. Whereas Lyra is an EAP, so you need to be working with an employer that has tied up with the platform for providing free mental healthcare to its employees.

However, the only con is that BetterHelp doesn’t offer psychiatric treatments, medication management, or other comprehensive mental healthcare services available at Lyra. You might have to look elsewhere if you need psychiatric assistance.

You can choose Lyra if your company supports the employees’ special benefits program via the platform.

BetterHelp can be a better choice if you are not supported by EAP and are looking for affordable and effective talk therapy services for treating mental health illnesses with mild to moderate severity.