Hi all,
I've been fighting with myself for months on whether to post this, but recent events are piling up for me and my fear of potential consequences for posting such a thing is being outweighed by all the shit I've been going through.
Over the past couple of years, there have been a few online platforms for receiving therapy which have cropped up. You can text chat with a counselor or psychologist, as well as video chat. The two I've heard the most about and which seem reputable, from my research, are Talkspace and Betterhelp. I'm leaning more towards Talkspace because a couple of podcasts I listen to sometimes offer promo codes so that when you sign up, you get a discount on your first month of service with them.
The main thing that is stopping me, though, is whether or not such platforms are accessible. I know that many custom video chatting services are a nightmare to work with when it comes to using a screen reader. I don't necessarily want to write to the sites in question and ask if they are aware whether their platforms are screen reader friendly, though, because if I do that, and sign up, they might decide not to work with me because I'm blind. I think it would be better to disclose that later, once I've already been matched with a therapist, much like most of us only disclose our blindness once we've gotten a job interview. As sad as it is, people do discriminate, and I don't want to be out money if A. the app turns out to not be accessible after I sign up, or B. people decide they're uncomfortable after I've already paid.
So, does anyone have any experience working with these platforms? Since I am well aware that this is a sensitive, stigmatized topic that most people don't want to attach their names to, hell, I'm squeamish about it myself, if you would rather respond to this via PM, please feel free to do so. The closest I got to an answer was on an Applevis forum post where someone asked this question, but never got any responses, which I can only assume is due to the fact that this is such a taboo topic.
Oh, one more thing, the reason I'm not pursuing a more traditional approach is twofold. First, there would be major issues with me being able to get transportation to and from appointments, not to mention that the people I live with would not be at all supportive of me doing this, to put it mildly. Secondly, most private therapists charge a lot more than these sites do, and no, we're not talking about something that's too good to be true, at least not from what I can tell. Betterhelp apparently costs $40 a week, and I think Talkspace is slightly more than that. I'm going to struggle to pay for this as it is, but it's better than the alternative, since most therapists charge upwards of $100 per session.
So, if anyone can shed some light on the experience they've had with such services, I'm primarily interested in the accessibility of the IOS apps, as well as how well they work in a browser, as well as any comments you might have about whether you found the therapists to be accepting of blindness/disability in general, I would sincerely appreciate it. And, again, if you do have experiences but don't feel comfortable sharing, please don't feel pressured into doing so. I am well aware that this is a public forum, and that people lose their jobs over having their mental health struggles outed all the time. Thanks in advance.