Frequently Asked Questions

My Mental Care is an online talk therapy platform based in Japan. We make mental health support more approachable and affordable, so even those who’ve hesitated in the past — due to cost, stigma, or uncertainty — can take the first step toward feeling better. Our platform is designed to offer culturally competent care, with therapists who understand your background and provide support that truly resonates with you. We’re building a space where anyone can find care that fits their life, their culture, and their pace!

While both coaching and therapy aim to support personal growth, they differ in focus and approach. Therapy often explores past experiences, emotional patterns, and deeper mental health issues to support healing and self-understanding. Coaching, on the other hand, is typically future-oriented — helping you set goals, build skills, and take action toward personal or professional success. At My Mental Care, our therapists are trained to work with emotional challenges and can also support goal-setting when it aligns with your needs.

Therapy with My Mental Care can support a wide range of outcomes, including deeper self-understanding, emotional clarity, healthier behavior patterns, improved communication skills, better stress management, and a stronger sense of self-worth. Our therapists tailor their approach to your unique needs and goals, helping you lighten your emotional load and make more thoughtful decisions in your everyday life.

Talk therapy is a process where individuals verbalize emotional burdens and worries, helping them organize their thoughts and gain deeper self-understanding. Through dialogue with a therapist, clients can become more aware of underlying feelings and thought patterns that are often difficult to recognize on their own. This helps clarify the root causes of problems and possible paths to improvement. Talking in a safe, supportive environment also eases feelings of isolation or anxiety, and contributes to the restoration of self-worth and confidence. With regular sessions, clients can also learn practical skills for managing stress, improving communication, and navigating daily life.

Try to find a quiet, comfortable space where you can feel relaxed and speak freely — maybe even bring your favorite drink! You might also want to jot down a few things you’d like to talk about (totally optional). Filling out the pre-session questionnaire will help your therapist better understand your needs and offer the support that fits you best.

That’s completely okay — finding the right match is an important part of the process. If you feel like your current therapist isn’t the best fit, you can easily request a rematch. We have a diverse team of therapists with different genders, cultural backgrounds, and areas of expertise. You can simply choose someone you’d feel more comfortable talking to.

The free 15-minute initial session is only available for your very first session here. If you are matched with a new therapist after that, sessions will be the standard 50 minutes and paid.

Yes. To build trust and ensure safety, we ask that you keep your camera on during your session. Research shows that seeing facial expressions and the surrounding environment improves communication and the overall effectiveness of therapy.

The number of sessions depends on your goals and situation. In the first session, you and your therapist will clarify your goals and create a plan together. Therapy ends when you feel satisfied with your progress and confident in your emotional well-being — but you’re always welcome to continue or return for support anytime.

Connection issues may occur in crowded places or shared networks under heavy load (like streaming). Avoid using the platform while on the move. Before your session, please make sure you're not using VPN or private browsing (incognito mode).

If you want to cancel your first session, please click the “View Details / Cancel” button in your chat to complete the cancellation process. If you’d like to reschedule, please cancel your current booking first, then make a new reservation.

To cancel a session, go to the chat screen with your therapist and click the "Details / Cancel here" button. If you cancel at least 24 hours in advance, there will be no cancellation fee. Cancellations within 24 hours of the scheduled time will incur a 1,500 yen cancellation fee. (Note: There is no fee for canceling the initial session.)

To change the session time, please cancel the original booking and make a new reservation. A 1,500 yen fee will apply for cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled session time. (Note: The fee does not apply to initial sessions.)

If you miss your session without notice, it will be considered a no-show. For your first session, it will be automatically marked as used, and your next booking will be for a regular 50-minute session.For 50-minute sessions, the full session fee will be charged.

Yes, if a therapist has availability, you can book a session at least 30 minutes in advance.

Payment is charged after each session. Session fees vary by therapist. An additional 10% of the fee is charged for every 5-minute extension.

To reduce the therapist’s workload outside of session hours, chat messages are limited to preset messages except during the 30 minutes before and during your session.

Therapists aim to reply within 12 hours of receiving your message. Please note that therapists also have two scheduled days off per week.

This service employs “payment confirmation after session completion” to ensure secure transactions.
At the time of booking: Your card issuer may send a transaction notification to verify card validity, but payment is not finalized at this stage (pre-authorization).
After session completion: Payment is formally finalized once the administration confirms the session's completion.
※ You may see two notifications on your card statement, but rest assured there will be no double charges.
※When using debit or prepaid cards, the balance may be temporarily deducted at the time of booking and later refunded. However, the final payment will be for one session only.