I have recommended BetterHelp.com to friends and will continue to do so.
The platform clearly offers more FLEXIBILITY including the options of written messages, video, and/or phone. For friends with social anxiety, this has been a huge benefit/of compelling value. For people with AD/HD, the messaging component is also very helping for quick check-ins without blocking off a lot of time.
I definitely value the CONVENIENCE of the platform. Relative to traditional therapy/counseling where one is required to schedule weeks in advance and maintain a consistent appointment time that is often inconvenient (e.g. during business hours, requiring significant time to commute to/from), better help is SO much, well...better! No commuting, booking within 48 hours, and messaging anytime.
I've also had experiences prior to BetterHelp.com where I met with a therapist/counselor with whom I just didn't "jive" off-the-bat...but there was no feedback loop. No free trial to see if there was a good fit. And more often than not, that counselor/therapist was the only person with whom I interacted; there was no manager, no customer service, or even a cursory attempt to ask "is this a good fit for you?". Plus, when you're relegated to an in-person meeting, proximity is extremely limiting to the services that can be offered.
BetterHelp.com, on the other hand, has semi-regular ratings/surveys for the counselor (where there are comments section that are both blind and for the counselor). I've been extremely happy with my counselor so I haven't had any experiences that would "test" their customer service response with regard to therapy issues but based on their feedback/response with general inquiries, I trust it to be extremely helpful. And I would trust BetterHelp.com to match me with someone else if I didn't mesh well with my therapist.
The platform is both HIPPA compliant and extremely easy/INTUITIVE to use. I've used both the phone app and the computer. I've used both the messaging and video/audio. I only ever had one issue with the platform being down. It was fixed in <24 hours and when I emailed better help's customer support, they added several free days to my subscription.
The way I've approached therapy with BetterHelp.com has been to do more-or-less have weekly video chats in conjunction with messaging. I've personally found that using the messaging as a supplement to be extremely helpful to therapy and demonstrate that BetterHelp.com's platform creates more VALUE.
For context, I will say that I used BetterHelp.com for counseling/therapy - not so much diagnosis. I have used BetterHelp.com longer than any other therapist (in a good way...I had quit other in-person therapists when I thought their services were too expensive for the results/support they were providing). I am happy to say that the difference between when I started using BetterHelp.com and now are clearly noticeable and I'm well on my way to achieving the results and goals I set forth when I decided to seek therapy.
The only area for improvement that I can think of is to get my state to allow this online platform to be covered by insurance!
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend