Why a Local Private Practice May Be a Better Fit Than an Online Therapy App
If you've ever looked into starting therapy, you've probably seen the ads. BetterHelp. Talkspace. Online counseling platforms have made it easier than ever to find a therapist from your couch, and that visibility has introduced a lot of people to mental health support who might not have tried it otherwise. That's genuinely a good thing.
But easier to find doesn't always mean the best fit for your needs. If you're weighing your options, there are some real, meaningful differences between working with a local private practice and signing up for one of the big app-based platforms. Here's what's worth knowing.
You Get to Choose Your Counselor
One of the bigger frustrations people report with subscription-based therapy apps is the matching process. You fill out a questionnaire, and the platform assigns you a counselor. Sometimes the fit is good. Sometimes it isn't, and switching can feel like starting over.
At a private practice, you're choosing your counselor from the start. You can read about their background, their approach, the populations they work with, and the specific issues they specialize in before you ever schedule a first session. That kind of informed choice matters. Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in counseling (Norcross & Lambert, 2019). Starting with a counselor you feel drawn to gives that relationship a better foundation.
You Know Exactly Who Is Licensed to Practice in Your State
Licensure requirements for counselor/therapists vary by state, and this is an area where app-based platforms have faced real scrutiny. A 2023 Federal Trade Commission settlement found that BetterHelp had shared user health data with outside parties for advertising purposes, which raised significant concerns about privacy practices for mental health consumers (FTC, 2023).
When you work with a private practice counselor in Ohio, you're working with someone who holds a license issued and regulated by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. That license is public record. Their credentials are verifiable. And they are accountable to a licensing board that sets and enforces professional and ethical standards.
That accountability doesn't disappear when therapy is done over video. It's about knowing the person holding your most personal information has professional obligations that go beyond a platform's terms of service.
In-Person Therapy Is Still Available When You Need It
There's a lot of value in telehealth. Our team does this all the time! Scheduling flexibility, no commute, the ability to do a session from home on a hard day. Private practices like Sandstone Counseling often offer both in-person and virtual sessions, so you get to decide what works for your life.
For some people and some issues, though, being in the room with someone matters. Certain therapeutic modalities, including EMDR for trauma and PTSD, are often most effective when delivered in person. If your needs change, or if you're working through something that benefits from a physical space, a private practice gives you that option without switching providers.
Your Counselor Has Real Continuity With Your Story
Subscription platforms have reported high turnover among their counselors (O'Loughlin, The Guardian, 2023). Some clients have been switched to a new therapist without much notice. In mental health care, that kind of disruption isn't just inconvenient. It can actually set back progress, particularly for people navigating trauma, grief and loss, or emotional dysregulation.
When you build a relationship with a counselor at a private practice, you're working with someone who is building a real picture of your life over time. They remember what you talked about three sessions ago. They know your patterns. They understand your context. That depth of knowing someone is hard to replicate when the relationship is mediated through an app that may reassign your case if your counselor takes time off.
Billing and Insurance Transparency Is Clearer
Many app-based platforms operate on a subscription model that doesn't interface well with health insurance. You may be paying out of pocket for a service that feels affordable monthly but adds up fast, and the platform may not provide the documentation your insurance company needs for reimbursement.
Private practices typically work directly with insurance companies and can provide proper clinical documentation. It's worth calling your insurance provider and asking specifically about in-network therapists before assuming one option is cheaper than the other. Sometimes the math surprises people.
You're Supporting a Local Practice Rooted in Your Community
This one is a little different, but it's real. A local private practice is run by a person, not a corporation. At Sandstone Counseling in Green, OH, the counselors working with clients are members of this community. We understand what life looks like here, the pressures, the pace, the culture. That local context can be surprisingly meaningful in a therapeutic relationship.
When you invest in a local practice, you're also investing in local mental health care infrastructure, which has a ripple effect for the whole community.
Ready to Take a Step?
If you've been on the fence about trying therapy, or if you've tried a platform-based service and felt like something was missing, Sandstone Counseling would be glad to talk with you. You can reach out to learn more about the counselors, ask about availability, or just get a feel for whether it might be a good fit. There's no pressure, no algorithm, just a real person who's ready to listen.
Sources:
Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2019). Psychotherapy relationships that work (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Federal Trade Commission. (2023). FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into sharing health information and then monetized it.https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/03/ftc-says-online-counseling-service-betterhelp-pushed-people-sharing-health-information-then
O'Loughlin, E. (2023). Inside the murky world of online therapy. The Guardian.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please consult a licensed mental health professional. If you are in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
