Leave a Review Headspace Care (Ginger)
Good in theory but Fails to deliver
Ginger is a decent concept for people with mild mental health issues but the execution just fails to deliver in my eyes. The coaches often find themselves having to chat with multiple clients at once. On the flipside, the client then goes to other applications on their phone while awaiting a reply, taking them out of the moment. It’s a disruptive, bumpy process. Video chatting is an option for those who seek therapy over coaching; however access to therapy is capped after two months so how deep can you really get? The main resource upon which Ginger is built is the catalog of self-help cards. These are generally 3-5 page reads with bullet points that are grounded in science but so generic and common-sense sounding that most will just skim them without driving much benefit. There are some cards with audio portions as well. To those who enjoy such meditations, this might be helpful. As Headspace and Ginger integrate further, perhaps this will become a more prevalent feature. For coaches, this is definitely a preferable app to something like Talkspace (formerly talktala), but there are plenty of ways to run a remote practice now on your own. For prospective clients, if your employer offers ginger at no cost, then they likely offer other health benefits that will enable you to see an individual therapist (even remotely) at little to no cost outside of this app. Have your therapist work for you, not for a tech company. All the best 🤗Show lessqwerty26
if I’m being honest…
Extremely helpful if you’re motivated to help yourself and put in the work! Knowing there is 24/7 access to chat alone makes me feel I have a bit of security, even if I don’t use it as frequently as I think I need it. I’m able to send a message through chat when my coach is offline to get those intrusive, panicked/urgent thoughts off my chest. They usually respond much quicker than expected to support/put me at ease. So far my coach has been absolutely wonderful, responsive and insightful. Has been a positive experience for me, as I am ready to make changes and move forward.Show lessKateKGel
Discriminatory
The Ginger app was offered to me through my employer as a mental health benefit. I was enjoying using it for check-ins as the app suggests. After about 3 months of using the app pretty regularly, my “coach” (out of nowhere) let me know that I would be blocked from using the app, and that the Ginger “clinical team” had deemed me not eligible to use their text based “coaching.” There was no explanation provided. Nothing inappropriate occurred up until that point and things were overall smooth. The only conclusion I can draw is that the app has to discontinue users who regularly use the app for cost purposes. However, this is something my employer pays for, but now for some unknown reason, I don’t have access to. I would not recommend this app as they seem to pick and choose (of paying patients) who they *want* to work with and block others for no apparent reason.Show lessmelind
Absolute life changer!
I first joined a few months ago when I was looking into mental health options through my insurance. I was very hesitant because who does online therapy?…. Umm this girl. It’s been a life changer. My therapist is Kristen and she has legit become like a big sister and my best friend (she probably don’t know that). But it’s so organic and I feel so safe and seen in every session. She’s helped me get out of an abusive relationship, find courage to peruse a new career path and tackle my childhood abuse demons. All in the last 6 months. I would highly recommend!!!Show lessNurseStev
Therapist availability
With less than 24 hours to go before my “intake” appointment, I received a message from Member Support stating that my appointment had been canceled, because the therapist was no longer with the company. There is a cancellation policy for patients, which states that they will be charged $125 for canceling within 24 hours of an appointment, and I had scheduled this appointment over two months ago, because this was the first available appointment. I hope you can understand how disappointing it is to have less notification than what is being demanded of patients. It is difficult to believe that Ginger didn’t have the opportunity to reschedule or give me more notice of cancellation. However, if that is the case, I’m not sure why anyone would expect to be seen in a reasonable amount of time. That being said, Coaching (which is different than therapy) on Ginger is fantastic and has made a tangible positive impact in my life. I have had no problem scheduling coaching sessions and am able to text with someone weekly. That person also responds outside of our scheduled discussions.Show lessdillyvan
Please read before downloading: My experiences
This is a scam. Your counselor doesn’t care to listen how you reflect on the incidents you have experienced but sends you few pdf files to read and when you ask if they are not interested to listen to you, their response is “there is a difference between coaching and counseling” well played though. With nice lexical tricks, you’re selling your app and capitalize on people’s emotions. They apparently failed to charge my credit card but also send me countless e-mails to put my credit card info back in so they can take the outstanding amout… BUT GUESS WHAT… You can only put your card information if you want to buy another month of subscription. Geniuses! Seriously who came up with this ridiculous plan? If I am owed money to you, take it, I don’t want to keep it, but DO NOT TRY TO SELL ME ANOTHER MONTH OF SUBSCRIPTION THAT I DO NOT WANT BEFORE THAT.Show lessQuick Mystery
No Psychiatrists; therapists not experienced
They want $30 per month for info you can find on Google; “coaches” will only try to get you to form positive habits but won’t let you tell them about what you are feeling. A therapist was assigned and I guess didn’t want to help so she made believe her WiFi was not working then made believe she was trying to find another appointment slot (this after waiting three months for an appointment). She then texts me directly and became rude so I would change therapist instead of just saying she couldn’t help me. I must have touched something in her that bothered her (best guess). Oh! Good luck finding a psychiatrist. I bet they will now reach out and say, “We are sorry that your experience was negative. Please reach out and someone will definitely try their best to help.” Right . . . They really want the $30 per month—that’s it. Good luck!Show lessgalafuzeapps
Horrible Member Support
The Ginger coaches, therapists, and psychiatrists are amazing. If it weren’t for the great support and accessibility that I have with them and this being a part of my EAP at work, I would be going elsewhere. Member Support over the last few weeks has either ignored or been extremely late in responding to me. I’m talking well over two or three days. The only way to contact your psychiatrist and therapist is through them. There’s no way around that. Who do you reach out to when they don’t respond? Just by messaging them again without any responses. It’s ridiculous that there’s only one accessible route, and there’s no path of escalation.Show lessrafinator86
Hit or miss coaches and inaccessible app
My first coach took forever to text back so over the course of our 40 min initial session, we probably exchanged about 20 texts so it was hard to stay engaged. She was clearly copy pasting her texts from something because of the grammar and typos (e.g., “Ask them how they feel about…”). Then, she pretty much ghosted and was impossible to track down. I needed more support and accountability than “reach out to me when you want to chat.” The second coach has been better because we actually scheduled standing check-ins but it still feels a little gimmicky with more or less boiler plate responses and lack of deep knowledge in psychology. My biggest gripe is that the app isn’t iPad compatible/keyboard compatible. I have a disease that sometimes makes it hard to stare at a screen and type on the phone. Sessions would also go much faster if I could use a keyboard.
PLEASE make the app keyboard accessible!
Also have had many glitches with scheduling and random coaches being added to my team. If they could fix the app and hire more competent people I’d raise my rating.Show lessKatja88945
I’m sure it’s helpful
I don’t want to say it’s not a good service if it’s helped people. For me it’s been something I was extremely hopeful for and I was giving it the benefit of the doubt I had three sessions two of them only a week apart then because after each of the first two my therapist though the app continued to say “let’s schedule the next session for two weeks” finally feeling like my issue aren’t a real “issue” just schedule two weeks out then my appointment was canceled because my therapist put out they are sick. It’s understandable but I had reached out before saying I already had concerns my therapist wasn’t wanting to talk with me. Idk just frustrated since I already don’t like this and was hopeful I’d get some help. Now I just feel
Worse. So great, go I’ll go the man route and just push it down.Show lessCyody
