July 05, 2021

Why YOU Shouldn’t Sell Out to BetterHelp

42 minutes

An interview with Jeff Guenther, LPC from TherapyDen about the ins and outs of affiliate partnerships. Curt and Katie talk with Jeff about the offer he received from BetterHelp and why he turned it down – taking some time to discuss the therapist businesses and influencers who have chosen this partnership and the subsequent backlash from the online therapist communities. We look at how these types of partnerships can be formed, what you should consider when you are approached to collaborate with another company, and how much money it would take for us to sell out.

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.

Interview with Jeff Guenther, LPC, TherapyDen

Jeff Guenther, LPC, is a therapist in Portland, OR. He has been in private practice since 2005 and currently leads workshops on how health and wellness practitioners can build their digital brand and attract more clients online. Jeff is the creator and owner of two highly ranked healthcare directory sites, Portland Therapy Center and TherapyDen.

In this episode we talk about:

Jeff’s TherapyDen story – why/how he started it and the different types of partnerships and other business arrangements that he’s been approached with

How to sift out what is being offered and whether a partnership is beneficial or harmful

The salesy approaches that Jeff just does not respond to

The common origin stories and connections made with tech startups

Why Brighter Vision and others have gotten so much backlash when they partnered with BetterHelp

The movement from the online therapists’ groups to respond to Brighter Vision and the resulting discontinuation of the partnership with BetterHelp

The importance of taking care of the individuals in the profession

The corporate focus on commoditization of therapy

The different ways that companies like BetterHelp may be making money off of therapy clients and therapists (e.g., data mining)

BetterHelp’s plan to take over therapist directories and all of the entry points for therapy

The consequences of BetterHelp’s success and how they are changing the expectations

Ideas about larger provider networks that can be done well to support therapists and clients

The specifics of Jeff’s offer from BetterHelp and why he turned it down

The morals and values questions that come up when facing one of these offers

The practical reasons not to take these kinds of deals, no matter the money involved

The importance of being able to stand behind your partners

Resources mentioned:

We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

TherapyDen

Create a Free Therapist Profile on TherapyDen

Contact Jeff: [email protected]

Swoon Podcast and Jeff's TherapyDen Blog

...more

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By Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Katie Vernoy, LMFT

4.4

235235 ratings

July 05, 2021

Why YOU Shouldn’t Sell Out to BetterHelp

42 minutes

Why YOU Shouldn’t Sell Out to BetterHelp

Interview with Jeff Guenther, LPC, TherapyDen

In this episode we talk about:

Jeff’s TherapyDen story – why/how he started it and the different types of partnerships and other business arrangements that he’s been approached with

How to sift out what is being offered and whether a partnership is beneficial or harmful

The salesy approaches that Jeff just does not respond to

The common origin stories and connections made with tech startups

Why Brighter Vision and others have gotten so much backlash when they partnered with BetterHelp

The movement from the online therapists’ groups to respond to Brighter Vision and the resulting discontinuation of the partnership with BetterHelp

The importance of taking care of the individuals in the profession

The corporate focus on commoditization of therapy

The different ways that companies like BetterHelp may be making money off of therapy clients and therapists (e.g., data mining)

BetterHelp’s plan to take over therapist directories and all of the entry points for therapy

The consequences of BetterHelp’s success and how they are changing the expectations

Ideas about larger provider networks that can be done well to support therapists and clients

The specifics of Jeff’s offer from BetterHelp and why he turned it down