Becoming an online therapist offers a rewarding career pathway in a rapidly growing field. Ensuring you have the necessary credentials, such as the appropriate degree and license, will help set you up for success in this booming, competitive field.
Table of Contents
- What Does an Online Therapist Do?
- How Long Does it Take to Become an Online Therapist?
- Becoming an Online Therapist
- Education Requirements for Teletherapy
- Do You Need a License to Be an Online Therapist?
- Online Therapist Salary and Job Outlook
- Is Online Therapy as Effective as In-Person Therapy?
- Become a Licensed Therapist
This guide will walk you through key points about how to become a teletherapist in California, including what a remote therapist does, how long it takes to become one, as well as educational and training requirements. In addition, we’ll also discuss the benefits and efficacy of teletherapy, the economic outlook for the field, and the various degrees and college majors that can help you prepare for a career as an online therapist.
What Does an Online Therapist Do?
An online therapist is a healthcare professional who provides mental health support through digital platforms or mobile apps. Depending on the client’s preference, online therapists generally use video calls and web chats to connect and communicate.
From student or individual counseling to group and family sessions, remote therapists provide various types of therapy, including:
- Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapy
- Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) Therapy
- Dialectical-Behavioral (DBT) Therapy
- Exposure Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Like traditional therapists, web-based therapists specialize in a wide variety of topics and disorders. As a teletherapist, you can help clients work through conditions or issues, such as:
- Addiction and substance abuse
- Anger management
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Depression and bipolar disorder
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Phobias
- PTSD and trauma
- Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
How Long Does it Take to Become an Online Therapist?
Becoming an online therapist doesn’t happen overnight. The journey involves obtaining a relevant degree, completing supervised clinical hours, and earning the type of license required to practice in your state.
We’ll discuss each of these requirements in more detail later. However, the entire process can generally take between six to eight years. This period includes completing your undergraduate program, graduate studies, and clinical hours. The timeline can also be shortened or lengthened depending on factors like:
- Studying full-time vs. part-time
- Enrolling in an accelerated program
- Whether you decide to pursue a doctorate degree
- The number of attempts you require to pass professional exams
Here’s an example of how a typical timeline might break down:
- Bachelor’s Degree — 4 to 5 years
- Master’s Degree — 1 to 3 years
- Clinical Hours — Varies by state, such as California’s 3,000-hour requirement
Becoming an Online Therapist
As you map out your path to becoming a remote therapist, you need to make an important decision about which route you’ll take: start your own private practice or join an established telehealth network like TheraPlatform.
The choice that’s right for you depends on your personal preferences, goals, and strengths. S, what factors should you consider when weighing this important decision? Let’s look at some pros and cons.
Telehealth networks provide immediate access to potential clients, along with technical and administrative support. Plus, they take care of their own marketing and advertising, which means you can spend less effort acquiring patients and more of your time treating them.
Thanks to their built-in dashboards, tools, and tech support, telehealth platforms can make it easier for new providers to get started. However, the drawback is that they often come with less freedom and lower pay due to platform fees.
On the other hand, starting a private practice allows you a much greater degree of autonomy and independence. You are responsible for setting your rates, selecting your clients, and crafting your brand. The disadvantage is that you won’t have built-in support when it comes to marketing and attracting new clients, handling billing and insurance matters, or adhering to legal and ethical guidelines. In short, you’ll have more freedom — but also more administrative tasks and responsibilities.
Education Requirements for Teletherapy
Whether you plan to provide care online or in person, there are rigorous educational requirements to become a therapist, particularly in the state of California. To become licensed to practice, you must earn a master’s degree at minimum, with many students continuing on to pursue doctoral degrees after completing their master’s programs.
There are various types of programs that can position you for a career in teletherapy, but online therapists generally hold a degree in psychology, counseling, or social work. Here are a few types of relevant degrees that you might wish to consider exploring:
- Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT)
- Doctorate of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)
- Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, California
- Master of Arts in Psychology
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MSCMHC)
- Master of Social Work (MSW)
Depending on the college or university you attend, it may be possible to earn your degree online, which gives you more flexibility to learn at your own pace while simultaneously lowering the cost of your education.
No matter what type of degree you ultimately choose to pursue, it’s important to look for programs that are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which serves as a mark of quality and shows that the program meets industry standards.
In addition to earning your master’s or doctorate degree, a new California law enacted in 2023 now requires aspiring and active teletherapists to complete a short telehealth training course. As the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) explains in an April 2023 notice, “Applicants for licensure and current licensees renewing on or after July 1, 2023, are required to complete three hours of training or coursework in the provision of mental health services via telehealth.” Along with remote marriage and family therapists, this requirement also applies to remote clinical counselors, remote clinical social workers, and other types of licensed online therapists in California.
Whether you plan on joining a telehealth network or starting your own practice, an advanced degree like an MSW, DMFT, or PsyD equips you with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and ethics training needed to become a successful therapist.
Do You Need a License to Be an Online Therapist?
In short, yes. You will need to have the proper credentials and licensure to become an online therapist. However, therapist licensing requirements vary by state. The information below is specific to licensing requirements in California. The state in which you intend to base your practice may have slightly different requirements, so be sure to confirm you have the proper licensing and certifications to legally and ethically practice in your state.
In the state of California, you need a license to practice as a therapist, counselor, or social worker, whether you provide services in person or online. You can apply to the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
The licensing requirements vary for LPCCs, LMFTs, LEPs, and LCSWs. For example, here are a few of the requirements you’ll need to complete to become an LPCC:
- Earn your master’s degree or doctorate degree in psychology or counseling
- Register as an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)
- Complete at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience over the course of 104 weeks
- Consent to fingerprint scanning and pass a criminal background check
- Pass the California Law and Ethics Exam
- Pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
To view the complete list of requirements to become licensed as an LPCC, LMFT, LEP, or LCSW, explore the Applicants page of the BBS website. There, you’ll find comprehensive guidelines, instructions, and links for each of the steps you need to complete, including official forms, rules for out-of-state applicants, details about the 3,000-hour requirement, and the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for exam-takers.
Online Therapist Salary and Job Outlook
The telehealth field, including remote therapy, is expanding at a rapid rate. According to an article published in Forbes, the online therapy platform Talkspace went public in June 2021 as part of a $1.4 billion deal. Another teletherapy provider, Cerebral, was reported as valued at $1.2 billion and saw a 640% increase in users since August 2020.
While the lockdowns of 2020 may be over, demand for remote therapy has continued to grow — particularly among certain demographics, such as Millennial females, who account for nearly 40% of all teletherapy users. Surging rates of depression have reached a record-high of one out of every six Americans, and anxiety reportedly affects over 40 million U.S. adults. These findings are likely significant factors contributing to the increased demand for teletherapy.
For aspiring therapists and online therapists, the job outlook is robust. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), psychologists are expected to see 7% job growth from 2023 through 2033, which is “faster than average” (4% for all occupations).
The salary for a therapist can vary widely, depending on factors like where you practice, which telehealth network you join (if any), and your specific title or role. Keeping that in mind, the BLS reports that the median pay for a psychologist was roughly $92,700 in 2023, with the top 10% of earners making more than $151,800.
Is Online Therapy as Effective as In-Person Therapy?
Multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that, for many people, virtual therapy sessions can be just as effective as in-person therapy sessions. Research published in esteemed medical journals, including the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), shows that online therapy can be an effective strategy for managing depression, anxiety, and various other disorders — especially when it comes to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
For example, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders concluded that not only are in-person and online CBT “equally effective,” but in fact, online CBT can be more efficient. “On average,” according to the study, “face-to-face therapy requires 7.8 times more therapist time than iCBT,” or internet CBT. The same study also found that “iCBT has high rates of satisfaction and acceptability,” along with “moderate adherence” following treatment.
More recently, a 2021 Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) study concluded that — although “more randomized controlled trials are needed” — video-chat CBT is overall “effective for clients with psychiatric disorders.” And according to research published in The Lancet, “For quality of life and participants’ satisfaction, eCBT was found to be as effective as face-to-face CBT,” as well as “less expensive than face-to-face CBT.”
Benefits of Teletherapy
For both providers and clients alike, teletherapy can offer multiple advantages over traditional, in-person therapy. Here are a few of the potential benefits that virtual therapy can offer:
- Flexibility — As a virtual therapist, you can set your hours and work from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Comfort — Going to therapy can be an intensely stressful experience, especially for clients who are receiving counseling for the first time. Many clients feel more comfortable and at ease when they can communicate from their own homes, rather than a medical office.
- Accessibility — Virtual therapy improves accessibility for both clients and providers who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or simply hectic schedules. Both parties can engage in sessions more easily when services are accessible through an app or website.
- Reach — People who live in rural areas or underserved communities can get the quality care they need — without making lengthy commutes.
- Affordability — Offering your services virtually means you can work from home, eliminating the need to lease a commercial space or pay for utilities. Lower overhead costs can often mean lower fees for clients.
Become a Licensed Therapist with a Master’s or Doctorate Degree in Psychology from National University
With the right combination of education, empathy, and experience, you can significantly impact clients’ lives. National University can put you on the path. Whether you want to pursue a degree in social work, counseling, or psychology, National University offers a program that matches your goals, like the MA in Counseling Psychology or MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. At NU, you’ll find 75+ accredited programs for full-time and part-time students, including master’s and doctorate programs that prepare you for teletherapy careers in California.
With accelerated courses, evening and weekend classes, and the option to complete your program online or on-campus, NU offers a fast and flexible way to earn your degree. Contact our graduate admissions office to learn more, or start your application online today.
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