Instahelp is a platform for online psychological counselling, which connects those seeking help with psychologists. Those who seek help can send their questions online to experienced psychologists, in order to find a solution through individual counselling online. Counselling is carried out via computer, smartphone or tablet directly in the Instahelp app, and is thus always at hand. Furthermore, we ensure full anonymity, fast response and flexibility regarding location and time.
Instahelp represents a service offering additional to the existing counselling system in classical counselling and does not replace therapy programmes. Instahelp is focussed on psychological help. Due to legal conditions, a diagnosis followed by therapy is not offered.
Instahelp offers the following advantages compared with counselling in person:
Full anonymity: You can freely choose your display name and also use an anonymous email address. In this way you’ll be able to have completely anonymous counselling. Online: You can choose whether you want to communicate via video, audio or text chat. Additionally you can avoid awkward situations in the waiting room. Geographical flexibility: By means of our apps, you’ll be able to benefit from counselling anywhere. Our Instahelp apps are available for desktop, tablet and smartphone. Temporal flexibility: Contact your psychologist as soon as you would like to speak or write about your problem. Waiting times and journey times are obsolete. Your psychologist will contact you during the initial contact within a maximum of 24 hours.
Psychological counselling at Instahelp does not replace medical or psychological counselling or treatment on-site and is not suitable for the diagnosis or treatment of psychological conditions. In cases of psychological diseases and psychoses, severe trauma, suicidal thoughts or severe addiction conditions, Instahelp should not be used.
In case of need please contact your doctor immediately or contact the following institutions (free of charge): Deutschland
1. Choosing your psychologist
As a first step, you select a psychologist who specializes in your field of concern and who meets your needs in terms of e.g. availability of time and form of communication (text, video, audio). Selection and registration are free of charge.
2. Non-binding initial session
After selecting your psychologist, you can activate the individual counselling. Your psychologist will contact you within 24 hours. In the initial session you get to know each other and discuss the further course of the counselling.
3. Starting the individual counselling
Your selected psychologist will be at your disposal for the entire counselling. The intensity and frequency of the counselling varies according to your topic and is agreed individually between you and the psychologist.
Our Instahelp team of psychologists consists of experienced clinical and health psychologists, who are available to respond to your personal requests (counselling is fee-based). Due to the fact that each psychologist is specialised in certain psychological areas, the matching helps you to find the right psychologist for your needs. Get an overview of our Instahelp team of psychologists here.
We place the highest value on the quality of counselling. Our psychological partner, the Sigmund Freud Private University of Vienna, has developed the ‘Online Counselling’ university course for Instahelp. The content of this course is adapted for counselling at Instahelp, and the lecturers are specialists in the field of online counselling. This guarantees that the course provides practical content at a high level. Thus, the psychologists are perfectly prepared for their work at Instahelp and offer you the best possible support to sustainably improve your well-being.
Instahelp online counselling is guided by your individual needs and is subdivided into the following three steps:
Choosing an Instahelp psychologist Matching
Our free matching process is available to help you select a suitable psychologist. On the basis of questions, psychologists specialised in the area that suits your needs will be proposed. After you’ve chosen one psychologist, we’ll connect you with them.
initial session with your Instahelp psychologist Getting to know each other and continued problem analysis
In the initial session it’s all about getting to know your Instahelp psychologist and becoming generally familiar with Instahelp online counselling. You’ll examine your problem together, define objectives for the counselling as well as how it should continue (for instance, the frequency with which counselling will take place).
Online psychological counselling Counselling & help for self-help
From the second counselling it’s all about the solution to the problem. The psychologist will establish a counselling plan and will discuss with you how best to work on your problem by means of various different counselling methods. Counselling objectives are jointly assessed and adapted if necessary. You’ll receive individual tasks and exercises that you’ll apply in your everyday life and you’ll discuss together how things are going. The Instahelp approach is solution-oriented, creating a good structure.
At Instahelp you’ll be given clinical-psychological counselling taking into account the scientific and professional-ethical framework, which covers the following areas:
Problem analysis
Elaboration of objectives and approaches for solving problems, taking private and professional circumstances into account
Continuous assessment and adaptation of objectives
Psycho-education and information relating to various different aspects of health impairments, their implications and possibilities of change
Information regarding the psychosocial care system and referral to other specialists if applicable
Identification of health-related risk behaviour
Promotion and preservation of health
Identification and support regarding the avoidance of health risks
Health-related framework conditions and measures for health promotion, healthcare provision and rehabilitation
Preservation or improvement of competences and resources in the management of risk conditions (prevention)
Reinforcement of health-promoting conditions in order to avoid recurrence of psychological distress (relapse prevention, rehabilitation)
Activation of resources: reinforcement of the client’s own initiative and help for self-help
In the context of a concluding talk, a review of the course of counselling and an outlook for the future will be offered.
The initial session takes place in the Instahelp app. You can arrange a video, audio or text chat with your psychologist. The conversation is anonymous and secure thanks to end-to-end encryption.
In this conversation, explain what brought you to Instahelp and feel free to talk about any questions you have about counselling.
Together you will then set a counselling goal or define a focus for the next few weeks and discuss how regularly you will see each other.
Counselling is a process that can take you through ups and downs. Your psychologist will be at your side so that you can work actively to bring about change.
Preparation: For your first appointment, think about how you can create a pleasant atmosphere for your first conversation. We have put together some tips and tricks here.
Once you’ve chosen your psychologist, you can expect a first answer within 24 hours. After that, you agree the frequency of counselling with your psychologist.
Yes, in the first step you will choose your psychologist with the help of the Welcome Assistant. This psychologist will be available to you for the entire period of counselling for your individual support. In special cases (holidays, dissatisfaction etc.) you can change your psychologist. Find out how here.
When you register, you can select a psychologist who specializes in your field. If you want to change the psychologist, go to “Manage counselling” in your settings and click on “More info” and “Change psychologist”.
Take some time for yourself before and after your counselling session. Plan a time buffer for this when you make your appointment.
10 to 15 minutes before and after the counselling session are sufficient to
get away from your everyday activities before the counselling session begins, to calm down and make yourself comfortable.
reflect on what has been discussed or complete your notes after the session.
This way you can take as much as possible from each session, maintain your feeling of relaxation for as long as possible and integrate your insights into your everyday life.
Relaxed on your couch or focused at your desk, with a cappuccino or a cup of tea: The following points will help you to create the right setting for your counselling session.
Choose a place in which you won’t be disturbed and make yourself comfortable.
You will probably talk or write with your psychologist about issues that you do not want to share with everyone. This open exchange should not be disturbed by noise or other people.
Also turn off sources of digital interference. For example, if you are working on a laptop, put your smartphone away and close browser tabs that you don’t need.
For a video or audio call, consider using headphones. This can lead to even more confidentiality and better mutual understanding.
In any case, have a pen and paper ready in case you want to make a note of something important.
Video & audio call
Most counselling sessions at Instahelp take place via video call. Video calls are the closest thing to a face-to-face exchange. Your psychologist and you can understand each other even better thanks to body language and facial expressions when the picture is turned on. Of course, you can also switch it off if you feel more comfortable with it. Then it’s just like a conversation over the phone.
Text chat
For some people it is easier to put experiences, thoughts or feelings into words in a written exchange. It can help to think in a structured way without getting stuck in thought loops. Writing down your feelings can be a relieving act on its own and you can also document and read your messages at any time, just like in a diary.
The prerequisite for successful counselling via text chat is that you enjoy writing messages and take the necessary time for it.
A prerequisite for couples counselling at Instahelp is that both of you can attend the session in front of the same screen via video chat.
First, you will choose a psychologist from our team together.
One of you will take care of the registration and payment (unfortunately it is not possible to switch between different accounts).
Then you’ll start with a regular Instahelp initial session, in which you get to know your psychologist. You’ll discuss what brings you to Instahelp and what you expect from the counselling. Together, you define goals and agree on the further course of the counselling process.
You can find information about the rate for couples counselling on our price overview.
In general, Instahelp has a 24-hour cancellation period. An appointment must always be cancelled or postponed at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise the psychologist is still entitled to payment. If the appointment is postponed / cancelled at short notice or not at all, the psychologist can no longer assign the appointment to another person and would otherwise be left with unutilised time. This also applies in the event of illness or similar.
Payment is possible via credit card, Apple Pay or PayPal and will be prolonged automatically from the 2nd counselling unit onwards so that the counselling can continue seamlessly. Further debits will only be made once the currently paid counselling session has been completed. Counselling can be terminated at any time, allowing you to continue using it for the period you have already paid for.
In the settings you will find the menu item “Manage counselling”. Click on “Manage counselling”, in order to open the display for your current payment settings.
In the payment settings, you can see your current counselling model and until when it is valid. Below, you are also shown the date of the next planned prolongation of your counselling, including the next counselling model. If you would like to change the counselling model for the future extension, please click on the button “Change” next to it.
Counselling model
Here the chosen counselling model will be displayed (50 min., 30 min). You’ll see your selected tariff and the amount you’ve paid. Here you’ll find an overview of current prices and scope of services.
Change counselling model
You can switch between the two counselling models at any time. The change will become effective from the point in time of the next payment. In order to select a new counselling model, please click on “change counselling model”. The payment page will open up with the selection of the counselling model. If you select a different counselling model, you’ll be able to see the current as well as the next chosen counselling model in the payment overview.
You can decide how and when you want to communicate with your psychologist. The counselling can be used either with appointments in live text chat, via video or audio call or without an appointment in text chat. The mutual keeping of dates and responsible handling of changing arrangements are essential for appreciative cooperation. If you have not discussed an individual cancellation policy with your psychologist, the 24-hour cancellation policy applies.
If you are unable to attend an appointment, please inform your psychologist directly in the Instahelp App at least 24 hours in advance. Please note that the counselling fee cannot be refunded in case of later cancellations. Psychologists reserve counselling time for appointments and experience has shown that they are not able to reschedule appointments at short notice in case of cancellations under 24 hours. If you are late for your appointment, the time missed at the beginning of the appointment can usually not be added on or compensated. This cancellation policy (at least 24 hours before the agreed appointment) also applies to your psychologist, of course. You will be offered the next possible alternative dates.
Payment for counselling units is made in advance. Instahelp Support reviews all refund requests on a case-by-case basis and always in cooperation with the psychologists. If a refund is not possible, credits for future services can be given in justified cases.
If you have any suggestions that would improve your experience at Instahelp, please feel free to share them by email to support@instahelp.me
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In the settings (vertical dots) you will find the menu item “Manage counselling”. Click on “Manage counselling” to open the display of current payment settings.
To end counselling, please click on the button “End counselling” and confirm your selection in the next view. The termination can be made at any time until immediately before the next payment.
You can continue to communicate with your psychologist and take advantage of any outstanding counselling sessions. After that, no more debits will be made, and your counselling place will be available for other people. The termination can be made at any time until immediately before the next payment. You also have the possibility to pause your counselling for up to four weeks. We reserve your counselling place for you during this period.
Yes, you can pause your counselling and payment for up to 4 weeks without losing your counselling place. In the settings (vertical dots on the top right) you will find the menu item “Manage counselling”. Click on “Manage Counselling” to open the display of your current payment settings. Under “Active counselling” > “Status” click on “change” and define the duration of your counselling pause by defining the date of your next payment.
Some private insurance companies and other partners cover the costs of psychological online counselling at Instahelp. Unfortunately, public health insurance companies currently do not offer cost coverage for online counselling. If you have any questions, please contact us at support@instahelp.me.
As soon as you have registered with Instahelp and verified your e-mail address, you can enter a billing address via the three-dot menu “Edit account”. This will activate the sending of the pro forma invoice.
Important: The pro forma invoice will be sent to you after the end of each counselling session and not when you make your payment. The payment confirmation will still be sent by e-mail immediately after payment has been made.
Pro forma invoices for past counselling units (before your billing address is stored) can still be requested via the support support@instahelp.me.
Payment for the counselling session is always required in advance. This means you must activate the next counselling session with your payment before the next appointment can take place. The payment already debited will therefore be used for your next counselling session. This credit is available until your next counselling session actually takes place. As long as you have not used up this counselling unit, no further amounts will be debited (regardless of your chosen counselling interval).
A refund of a counselling session is possible if it has not yet been used and an agreed appointment has been cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. If both conditions are met, simply contact your psychologist in the Instahelp app. The amount paid will be refunded to you within a maximum of 7 working days, depending on the payment method chosen (exception: refunds to a credit card may take until the end of the month in question).
After selecting a psychologist with our matching, you can create an Instahelp account to log in to your private counselling room.
Once you’ve entered these data you’re inside your personal counselling room. With the email address and your Instahelp password you’ll be able to log into all Instahelp apps (computer, smartphone, tablet). Your psychologist does not see your email address.
During registration you choose an anonymous display name and enter your email address. Here you can also use an address that does not relate to your name. The email address will not be accessible for the Instahelp team during the period of counselling. It would only be used should you have forgotten your password or would like to receive more information via email.
Instahelp uses modern encryption (cryptography) to encode your messages and the messages of your psychologist. Encryption is carried out via a secret key inside your counselling room, which is only available to you and your psychologist. You do not have to remember your key because Instahelp generates it automatically for you with every new login by means of an intelligent function. This so-called end-to-end encryption enables top security, because messages are only decoded locally on the sending/receiving devices”. For security reasons, the secret room key will only be saved on your device whilst you are logged in. In this way, even in the event of a hacker attack on the Instahelp server, there won’t be any possibility to decode the messages and make them readable.
Please find more infos here.
A call via the Instahelp app can only be started by your psychologist. For this purpose you will make an appointment together. At the agreed time you will be called by your psychologist. Please log in to your Instahelp app in time. A window will appear directly in the Instahelp app to answer the call.
When you are called by your psychologist, a window with the incoming call appears in the Instahelp app. By clicking on “Accept” the call to your psychologist will be connected. The first time you accept a call via Instahelp on your computer, tablet or smartphone, you first have to allow access to your microphone and camera. Afterwards a direct connection between you and your psychologist will be established. A call always starts as an audio call – the video feature is deactivated by default and can be manually activated during the call.
If the authorisation for microphone and camera is blocked, the call cannot take place and all further calls will be rejected as well. If you have blocked the authorization, you need to manually authorize access, for example by clicking on the lock icon in the URL bar in your browser (left next to “https://web.instahelp.me”).
If the call does not work, please check the following criteria:
1) Computer: Please check if you have the latest version of your browser installed. We recommend Google Chrome.
2) Smartphones: Please use the latest version of the Instahelp app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
3) Networks: Some Wi-Fi connections may limit audio/video calls (e.g. public networks or Internet connections in hotels). Try disabling your wireless connection and switching to your mobile data connection.
4) VPN connection: If you use a VPN connection, e.g. for professional reasons, please deactivate it.
5) Ask your psychologist via chat message to try calling again.
6) Restart your used device (computer, tablet or smartphone).
If the problem persists after using the assistance described above, please contact Instahelp Support at support@instahelp.me.
1) Computer: Please check if you have the latest version of your browser installed. We recommend Google Chrome.
2) Smartphones: Please use the latest version of the Instahelp app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
3) Please try to test your video and audio function via the following website: Test website
After allowing access to your camera and microphone, you can start a test recording. Record for about 10 seconds, stop the recording and play it back.
Can you hear and see it?
If not:
– Is the volume of your speaker set high enough?
– Did you use a headset? If possible, try with/without a headset to check if you can hear a sound.
4) If you are using Windows 10 and you are having problems with the sound, please refer to the following page for further assistance: Help web site
5) If your camera does not work, please check the camera access authorization in your operating system and uninstall and reinstall the webcam drivers. You can find detailed instructions, e.g. for Windows 10, here: Instructions
If the problem persists after using the assistance described above, please contact Instahelp Support at support@instahelp.me.
1) Computer: Please check if you have the latest version of your browser installed. We recommend Google Chrome.
2) Smartphones: Please use the latest version of the Instahelp app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
3) Please try to test your video and audio function via the following website: Test website
After allowing access to your camera and microphone, you can start a test recording. Record for about 10 seconds, stop the recording and play it back.
Can you hear and see it?
If not:
– Please check in your settings on your computer or smartphone that the correct microphone is selected.
– Is the volume of your speaker set high enough?
– Did you use a headset? If possible, try with/without a headset to check if you can hear a sound.
4) If you are using Windows 10 and you are having problems with the sound, please refer to the following page for further assistance: Help web site
5) If your camera does not work, please check the camera access authorization in your operating system and uninstall and reinstall the webcam drivers. You can find detailed instructions, e.g. for Windows 10, here: Instructions
If the problem persists after using the assistance described above, please contact Instahelp Support at support@instahelp.me.
1) Computer: Please check if you have the latest version of your browser installed. We recommend Google Chrome.
2) Smartphones: Please use the latest version of the Instahelp app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
3) At least 1 Mbit/s is required for download and upload to ensure stable data transmission. You can test the speed of your Internet connection on the following page: Test website
4) If you are using Windows 10 and you are having problems with the sound, please refer to the following page for further assistance: Help web site
5)If possible, use a different Internet access (e.g. Wi-Fi or mobile data connection on/via your smartphone).
If the problem persists after using the assistance described above, please contact Instahelp Support at support@instahelp.me.
If you receive this error message, Instahelp is trying to establish a connection with the server. With a weak Internet connection this can take a few seconds – please be patient for a moment. The message vanishes as soon as connection is achieved. No new messages can be displayed without connection to the server.
Should the message show up continuously, please go through the following options:
1) Check your Internet connection is active and working.
2) Download the Instahelp Web app in your browser again (F5 or “refresh”) or shut down and restart the Instahelp app on the smartphone or tablet in order to check whether it was just a temporary problem.
3) Should the error message continue to be shown, try to download the latest version of your Internet browser. The most popular browsers are Google Chrome and Firefox.
4) Should the problem continue, you might be inside a network (e.g. company network), in which the Web-socket connections necessary to use Instahelp are blocked by a firewall. Should this be the case, please contact our Instahelp support support@instahelp.me.
Increase the protection of your account against unauthorised access by activating another authentication in addition to the password. You can use a passkey (or alternatively an authentication app) for this. You can also use several passkeys and an authentication app in parallel to use the Instahelp app on multiple devices (e.g. computer and smartphone).
You do not need an extra app to use a passkey. If your device’s operating system supports passkeys and you have enabled fingerprint or facial recognition, you can easily and conveniently authenticate via your device. Do not activate passkeys on shared devices.
You have lost one of your devices or another person has access to it?
Then deactivate the two-factor authentication. This will invalidate all stored authentication options. By reactivating it, you can then add devices again.
You want to use the Instahelp app on another device?
Click on “Change” under Edit account > Two-factor authentication to add more passkeys or an authentication app.
Under settings (three-dot menu top right) you will find the option to delete your account under “Edit account”. This will irrevocably delete your stored account details and your access to your counselling room.
Become an Instahelp beta tester!
With the Instahelp beta programme, you can test our new mobile apps and their functionalities in the familiar Instahelp environment before they are released. Your original settings and saved data will remain unchanged.
Please note that updates for beta apps are only available in the TestFlight app and not in the App Store. To enable automatic updates for beta iOS apps, simply tap on the profile icon of your Apple ID. Then select ‘Automatic updates’ in the settings menu.
How to get access to the beta version of the Instahelp Android app:
1) Open the Google Play Store.
2) Tap on the profile icon in the top right.
3) Tap on ‘Manage Apps and devices’ and then ‘Installed’.
4) Tap on ‘Instahelp’ to open the details page.
5) Under ‘Sign up for beta programme’, tap ‘Join’ and confirm your participation.
You can now install the latest public beta version. By participating in the beta programme, you get access to public beta versions of the Instahelp app and can test improvements or new features before they are released.
Feel free to send us your feedback on new functionalities if you notice something in the beta app or if you have a problem: support@instahelp.me
Anyone with an active Instahelp account can participate in the referral programme. The people invited as part of the programme must meet the following requirements:
They must be new to Instahelp. This means that people with an existing Instahelp account cannot take part in the programme.
They must register via the referral link you send out.
Only one account is allowed per user. Self-referrals or duplicate referrals are not permitted.
You can find the referral link directly in the Instahelp app under “Help others grow”. You can copy this link or send it directly via the icons of the social media channels or messenger services.
You will receive a € 10 bonus for every successful referral. For every fifth successful recommendation, you will even receive a € 20 bonus. This amount will be automatically deducted when you pay for your next counselling. You can view the current status of your bonuses at any time in your Instahelp account under “Help others grow”.
In order to receive a bonus, the people invited must be new to Instahelp and register via a referral link. In addition, you will only receive your bonus once the invitees have completed their initial counselling. Please note that no bonus will be provided in case of cancellation of the initial session and a refund. Verification that the counselling has taken place can take up to 72 hours.
When a person registers with Instahelp via your referral link and schedules their initial session, they will receive a bonus of € 10 for the initial session.
The bonuses you collect are automatically taken into account when booking your first or next follow-up counselling and deducted from the total amount. Please note that redemption is only possible in whole increments of 10 and a maximum of € 40 can be redeemed per counselling. Remaining bonuses that cannot be redeemed in increments of 10 or that exceed the amount of € 40 will be kept for the next counselling and then automatically credited.
No, if a bonus is available and you arrange your next counselling, the existing bonus will automatically be deducted in full up to a maximum of € 40. If you have more bonuses available, the remaining amount will of course be retained and will then be deducted from your next but one counselling.
No, your friends must register via your referral link and book their first counselling session. If they create an account without this link, they will not count as a successful referral under our referral programme.
If you end your counselling with Instahelp but keep your account, any existing bonus will be retained and will be taken into account for future counsellings. However, please note: If we do not see any account activity within 24 months, we reserve the right to deactivate your account, which will forfeit any remaining bonus.
If you deactivate your account yourself and still have a bonus, this will also expire as a cash payout is not possible.
Instahelp psychologists are subject to strict quality criteria and are chosen carefully. Should you be interested you may apply directly to us. For more information click here.
Yes, Instahelp offers ideal support for the psychological wellbeing of your employees. Here too, counselling is anonymous, keeping the psychological barrier as low as possible. Here you’ll find more information.
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