If you’ve been on youtube lately, you’ve probably seen sponsorship ads for the app
better help.
Better help is a wellness app that describes itself as the largest online counselling platform
that aims to help people dealing with issues like stress, anxiety, relationships, parenting,
depression and addictions.
Shane dawson was one of the most prominent youtubers paid to represent better health
in his videos.
But it seems that better help, and the people who are sponsored by better help are involved
in quite a bit of controversy right now, and I’m going to tell you everything you need
to know, right now on IO.
What is good, this is inform overload, I’m charlotte dobre.
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When you’re struggling with issues like anxiety and depression, its always good to
talk to someone about it.
Be it a friend, family member or psychiatrist.
And lately, a lot of youtubers have been backing a company known as better help, an app that
makes counselling super easy.
Better help claims to have licensed therapists and mental health experts available to talk
through texting, phone calls or video chats.
People like Phillip Defranco, Shane Dawson, Elle Mills, Bobby Burns and others have all
been brought on for paid sponsorships.
At first when i saw these sponsorships, I think, wow that’s such a great thing.
Youtubers are being open about their struggles with mental health and they are supporting
a company that aims to help people with their mental health.
Definitely sets a good example.
You should never be ashamed to seek professional help, and the fact that huge influencers are
supporting it is a great thing.
It removes that negative context around talking to a psychiatrist.
But better help is apparently, not what it seems.
Youtubers like ChandlerN Wilson and Gabbie Hanna have been advertising better hep as
an app full of psychologists who could help people going through a tough time.
But the thing is, better help’s terms of service state specifically that they cant
guarantee a professional or even licensed professionals.
The terms of service state as follows, ‘we do not control the quality of the counsellor
services and we do not determine whether any counsellor is qualified to provide any specific
service as well as whether a counsellor is categorized correctly or matched correctly
to you.
Im sorry, lemme get this straight, so people are downloading better help and seeking counselling
because youtubers are saying that the app links them up with licensed professionals…but
better help doesn’t guarantee or even check if you are actually talking to a professional?
Aw hell naw.
And by the way, according to the terms of service, better health assumes no responsibility
for this.
The only person responsible is the individual who signed up for the app.
The terms of service further state.
Why we may try to do so from time, in our sole discretion, you acknowledge that we do
not represent to verify, and do not guarantee the verification of, the skills, degrees,
qualifications, licensure, certification, credentials, competence or background of any
counsellor.
It is your responsibility to conduct independent verification regarding any counsellor that
provides you with counsellor services.
Im sorry, I don’t wanna talk to some random person about my mental health.
I’d rather talk to a friend, not someone rando who can sign up to be a conselor on
an app that assumes no responsibility for their credentials.
To make matters worse, people have been complaining on reddit about their terrible experiences
with better help.
Customers report that councelors don’t show up.
And also, when you sign up for better help, you get a 7 day free trial.
When that trial is over, if you don’t want to continue the service, you can opt out of
paying more.
But better help charged customers hundreds of dollars for one month of the service before
the 7 day trial was up.
Oh and also, people who signed up for the 7 day free trial never got to speak to a councelor
in that time period.
All of this boils down to the fact that none of these issues have been advertised by the
youtubers that have been sponsored by better help.
Some youtubers are taking responsibility.
Phillip defranco tweeted.
I’ve been made aware that there are people calling out one of our sponsors, better help,
a scam because of what has been highlighted as concerning wording in their terms of service.
I reached out to betterhelps founder for a statement to hopefully clear out the matter.
Phillip then tweeted betterhelps councellors website so that people could look through
and check the credentials of each councelor.
I will say that not everyones experience with better help has been bad.
Roberto Blake said that he had a positive experience, and never received a better sponsorship.
But if you simply google better help, you’ll come across hundreds of negative reviews.
It seems like better help, and youtubers, are making money off of people’s depression
and anxiety, and that is just honestly, terrible.
So what to do from here?
Well always google a company and look up reviews before you order anything, any product, any
service, even people you want to work with.
For now, I will let you know that none of the allegations have been verified.
CEO Of better help ALon Matas has tried to back up the company, and he said that he will
be changing the terms of service for better help to show that their councillors go through
background checks.
But that doesn’t change the fact that several youtubers are dropping their better help sponsorships
thanks to this controversy, including phillip defranco.
At the end of the day, its false advertisement.
When a sponsor reaches out to a youtuber, they give them talking points.
I know because I’ve done a few sponsorships on this channel.
And the fact that the company doesn’t want the youtuber to state what has been written
out in the terms of service is suuuper shady.
There should be some sort of disclaimer.
Anyways guys, that’s all I have for you on that, its time to respond to some comments.
Lindsey c – charlotte is adorable, she should be a foster mom to help kids who need it.
what do you think about that charlotte.
I’m already a mom to like 1.1 million potatoes so I feel like being a foster mom is overkill.
Ryan Conlon – his pranks are as fake as charlottes belly button.
Yeah guys I have a stick on belly button that I put on so you guys don’t think im an alien.
Lets go with that.
Mistress jen – I looked at charlottes instagram, charlaychaplin and I can confirm, along with
outfits that are how to put this, wow, very hot, I can say that there are in fact pics
with her belly button.
No idea how this started but hopefully ends
the controversy.
SEE?
I TOLD YOU.