Stefanie’s experiences with HelloBetter stress and burnout

4 min reading time

Unfortunately, when Stefanie (41) looked for a psychotherapy place, she only received rejections. Then she became aware of the HelloBetter online therapy course without waiting time and had a prescription written out. Here she reports on her experiences with HelloBetter stress and burnout.

How did you come up with the idea of ​​trying an online psychological therapy course?

Stefanie: When I found out from my doctor that I was heading towards burnout and I realized that I wouldn’t be able to process everything on my own, I took the step of seeking professional help. I spent 2 weeks on the phone calling addresses and only getting rejections. This also put a lot of strain on me emotionally because I finally wanted help, but it didn’t work because of long waiting times or my own costs for quicker appointments. I found out about HelloBetter as an online course through my health insurance company. So I talked to my doctor about it and he gave me a prescription for the online course.

What was your motivation for signing up and what were your expectations?

Stefanie: I finally wanted to feel better again and I didn’t want to have to drive for miles and be under time pressure. At first I had mixed feelings about whether I would get enough help there. You only have online contact with the psychologist accompanying the course. I hoped that you would really receive professional, competent support.

What was your greatest success or insight in the online therapy course?

Stefanie: That I understood and learned how stress and burnout arise and which exercises and techniques I can use to deal with them and work better. 

What did you find difficult about it?

Stefanie: The audio exercises are explained very well and simply and they build on each other from course unit to course unit, but at the beginning I had great difficulty carrying them out and incorporating them into my everyday life. But that’s always a bit difficult at the beginning when you want to learn and apply something new, and as the saying goes: “Practice makes perfect”. I just have to keep at it and it will get easier over time.

Which course content made it into your everyday life?

Stefanie: For me, self-care is a topic that I had always suppressed and neglected, but the course unit on it woke me up, so to speak. I not only have a duty of care and support to others (like my father who needs care), but above all to myself. That was an experience that I now want to pursue better in my life.

What is your conclusion after the end of the course and how do you feel now? Would you recommend the therapy course?

Stefanie: For me it was the best decision to take this online course.

If I had only decided to seek help from a practice, I probably wouldn’t have it today. Many people, like me, are ashamed to seek help. They think they can somehow handle it on their own, but reality shows that this is often not the case. This online course offers people the opportunity to get help in their own four walls and without time or deadline pressure. You can always look for a practice later. But for starters I find it a very good alternative for support.

If you worked at HelloBetter for a day, what else would you want to change about the course?

Stefanie: Personally, I think the therapy course is good as it is. The information should not be overloaded with too much technical language, it should still be structured in an easy-to-understand manner. Maybe include other audio exercise files.

Is there any advice you would like to give to other sufferers?

Stefanie: If you don’t ask or look for help, you won’t get it. This is an experience that has bothered me for a long time. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of when you seek help outside of family and friends. I also took this step very late, but I did it and I don’t regret it.

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We would like to thank you very much for the feedback and encouraging words. We know how difficult it can be to get psychological help. We are all the more pleased that we were able to help Stefanie. We wish her all the best on her journey to more self-care.

7 may 2019