If Spanish is your first or preferred language and you live in the United States, you might prefer to get therapy in your native tongue.
In this article, we will look at how you can get therapy in the Spanish language from a therapist near you. We’ll also explain how to find a good Spanish-speaking psychologist, no matter your counseling needs.
Spanish speaking therapist near me
In this section, we will discuss how to locate and start working with a Spanish-speaking counselor through a number of different platforms.
1. BetterHelp
On this platform, there are two ways to find a Spanish-speaking therapist. The best route is to click “Get Started” on their home page. Here you will be asked a series of questions, through a simple online form you can complete at your own pace. One of those questions will be what language you wish to speak in – click Spanish – and at the end of the form, the system will match you with a Spanish-speaking therapist.
The other way to get therapy in Spanish from BetterHelp is to scroll down the home page to the bottom where you will see a “Find a Therapist” link. Click on this, and enter your home location (city, state and country). You will then see a directory of online psychologists who are licensed to work in your state, and you can select a therapist and proceed to use their services. To find one that is bilingual, simply look for the word “Spanish” in their profile.
A great thing about BetterHelp is the level of financial aid they provide. If you’re on a low income, are a student, or are unemployed, you may be eligible for a discount. Just know that it’s easier to apply for financial aid if you use the first method of joining their online platform (signing up by completing a questionnaire).
2. online-therapy.com
The process of finding a Spanish speaking therapist on online-therapy.com is quite simple. On the home page, click on “Get Started”, and you will fill out a short form, covering:
- Where you live (state and country)
- What your concerns are
- Who you are
- How you wish to communicate
On the next page, you will be offered a therapist and given a weekly price you will pay. At this stage, you can click on the given therapist’s profile and see if they speak Spanish.
If they do not, you can click “Change Therapist” and search the directory of psychologists in your state that offer help for your stated problems, and select one based on your language or other preferences.
This online service specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, which is one of the most common methods of treating a range of different conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. To get support for these types of issues, online-therapy.com is a good choice.
Online vs in-person therapy in Spanish
One of the advantages of online therapy in Spanish is that it may well be easier to connect with therapists who speak your language. If you’re in a state with a lower population of Hispanic Americans, you can connect with a bilingual psychologist online, without having to travel so far as might be the case with in-person therapy.
Online counseling is also often cheaper than in-person therapy. With their rates typically around $80 a session compared to $100-$150 a session for in-person therapy, you won’t have to stress your finances as much to get the help you need.
A final advantage is anonymity. Some people feel a little wary of being physically seen near a psychologist’s office by friends or acquaintances, thanks to the stigma around getting mental health treatment. Being able to talk about your issues without being face to face can allow you to open up more, if this would make you feel more comfortable.
However, with traditional psychology sessions, delivered in person, it’s easier for the counselor to assess your emotional and mental state. If you’re in need of serious help, it’s best to seek out therapists for in-person sessions. In a crisis situation, call the emergency services for immediate assistance.
Online therapies offered in Spanish
All three platforms we’ve looked at offer counseling in Spanish, helping with a range of mental health issues. These include:
- Marriage/couples counseling
- PTSD/trauma
- Alcohol/drug abuse
- Social anxiety
- Anger management
- Panic attacks
… and a range of other issues. Different therapists will use different techniques to support you, including psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
How to get Spanish couples counseling
Marriage counseling and couples counseling is one major therapy that is often done best in your native language.
One of the therapy services we’ve looked at in this article offer marriage and couples therapy in Spanish from licensed professional therapists.
BetterHelp – marriage/couples counseling with ReGain
BetterHelp has a dedicated platform for relationship counseling, called ReGain. They have a range of professional marriage and couples counselors who speak Spanish on the site.
ReGain has the same sign-up process as BetterHelp – you fill out a questionnaire, and a therapist is assigned to you according to the answers you provide. You have the opportunity to provide details and you and your partner’s culture, and explain that you’re looking for a therapist who speaks Spanish.
The one issue with ReGain couples counseling is you can’t join the sessions from different devices. You have to use the same phone, iPad, or laptop to reach your psychologist, so you and your partner have to be in the same location. However, both clients can use the ReGain app and send text messages to their counselor from different devices.
Conclusion
In terms of finding a bilingual Spanish psychologist, psychotherapist, or counselor, BetterHelp is the easiest of the two platforms we’ve looked at to get the support you need, provided you let them assign you a therapist. They also have a sister service, called ReGain, that can connect you with bilingual relationship counselors.
BetterHelp is also cheaper than the other online platform, and when it comes to marriage and couples counseling, BetterHelp’s ReGain product is a great choice.
Not sure which service to use, or how to find a Spanish speaking counselor? Leave us a comment below and we’ll get right back to you.
Richard Shrubb is an established health and social affairs writer based in West Dorset, England. He has authored and co-authored two books on mental health, and in the past been a national newspaper social affairs journalist as well as working with a number of nursing journals in the field.
He has lived experience of mental distress, using his time in treatment for a severe breakdown in the late 1990s to change direction to a career that suited him better, completing a Masters in journalism in 2005. Richard was recently diagnosed with autism too, and he brings a deep level of empathy for those he reaches out to in his work as a result. See examples of his work at www.richardshrubb.com
At home, Richard is a passionate social affairs activist seeking genuine change for the underdog through his work as a trades union officer and social media officer for a range of local campaigns. When not fighting the powers that be, he chills out by walking, gardening, and getting lost in the countryside on foot and by e-bike.
