Top Ten Online Therapy Platforms
With the rapid advancement in telemedicine, more and more online therapy service providers have started offering services via phone, text, email, or messaging, but the question remains how to know the best one suited to your needs.
Keeping this in mind, here are our top ten recommendations for the best online therapy platforms, chosen on the basis of credibility, business acumen, online reputation and reviews, and their social impact to ensure they meet our high standards.
Contents
LiveHealth Online:(5 / 5)-Best for common health conditions
Price: $80 per session with a therapist
$95 with a psychologist
$175 for psychiatry and
$75 follow-up visit
Insurance: Accepted by almost all
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions: Anxiety, depression, grief stress, relationships, and more.
Key features:
Therapists are available 24×7 including weekends and sessions can be arranged within a few days of opening an account. Customers looking for on-demand care for minor ailments may wish to consider LiveHealth Online.
Pros:
- No sign-up costs
- Delivers online therapy in all 50 states of the US
- accepts many insurance plans.
- reasonable rates, no monthly subscription
- treatment for common ailments provided almost immediately.
Cons:
- lab services are not offered which may limit the scope of treatment to its users
- LiveHealth physicians prescribe only those medicines which are on their website. ED medications and muscle relaxants for example are not prescribed.
- LiveHealth does not complete some of the commonly requested medical forms such as service dog requests, camp physicals, etc
- High-speed internet and computer or the smartphone is a must for using LiveHealth
Talkspace:(4.9 / 5)-Best for communication
Price: $65-114 per session (without insurance)
Insurance: Accepted by almost all Cigna, Optum, Resources for Living, etc
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions: Depression, relationship
Psychiatry and medication management, eating disorders, chronic illness, couples therapy, teen therapy, and more.
Key features:
Talkspace allows its users to access licensed therapists 24×7 through online messages and weekly live video sessions.
The app offers a therapy goal tracker for users to stay abreast with their therapy aims, and at the same time allows the user to change their plan to meet the requirements of their goals.
Pros:
- round-the-clock access with therapists with the option to schedule live chats.
- accepts insurance
- flexible plans with the option to cancel anytime
- offers couples therapy with the ability to schedule live sessions.
Cons:
- does not offer a group family counseling
- live sessions are limited to 30 minutes, which may prove short for in-depth analysis
- Talkspace has age ramifications. Not meant for children without the parent’s consent.
- no sliding scale of financial aid is available through Talkspace.
Cerebral:(4.5 / 5)- Best for sleep disorders
Price: Care counseling is $30 for the first month. Then $85 Coaching is $59/month
then $145 Coaching+medication $79/month then $195
Insurance: Medicare, Blue Cross, Aetna, Blue Shield
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions: care counseling, nutrition, and weight loss medication, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and prescription medicines.
Key features:
Assessments at regular intervals, video/phone sessions with your therapist, and medicine delivery (if prescribed) are all included in the price of the subscription.
Pros:
- Multiple plans on offer based on user needs
- Low-cost prescription offered
- accepts insurance
- Cerebral is also available for the uninsured
Cons:
- Service is not available in every state
- service unsuitable for substance use, suicidal prevention, and schizophrenia
- not recommended for nursing or pregnant women
- only available for users aged 18 and up.
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MDLive:(4.5 / 5)-Best membership plans
Price: $108 per 45-60 minutes for a therapy session.
$284 per15-30 minutes for a psychiatry session
Insurance: Blue Cross, AvMed, Blue Shield, Humana Cigna, and more
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions: Work and financial concerns, parenting problems, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and couples counseling.
Key features: Offers flexible appointments, even on weekends for therapy and psychiatry. MDLIVE offers 24×7 virtual care for non-emergency mental health and medical conditions.
Pros:
- MDLive accepts insurance
- appointments are available for ages 10+
- live chat for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- 24×7, all days open for taking appointments
Cons:
- Long wait time for appointments
- technical issues while using the app
- appointment cancellation without notice
- negative reviews from some therapists
BetterHelp: (4.2 / 5)- Best overall
Price: $60-90 per session
Insurance: Not accepted
Therapist option: NO
Conditions:
Offers couples counseling, teen therapy, members of the LGBTQ community, and additional services like group therapy and journaling sessions in partnership with universities and businesses.
Key features:
BetterHelp features a chat room, live chat, live phone sessions, and live video sessions all in a traditional manner but online. Currently the biggest online therapy site in the world.
Pros:
- patients can connect with their therapist at any time by messaging.
- 150 digital worksheets and free group seminars are available each week.
- access with experienced therapists with the option of remaining anonymous.
- Changing therapists is relatively easy
Cons:
- since BetterHelp has no psychiatric on their payroll, they don’t offer prescription medications
- BetterHelp therapists will not diagnose any condition.
- does not accept insurance
- user does not have the control over the therapist selected by BetterHelp.
ReGain:(4.2 / 5)- Best for couples
Price: $60-80 per session
Insurance: No
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions:
Couples therapy, relationship counseling, marriage counseling, healing from divorce and breakups, and working through mistrust due to infidelity and co-parenting.
Key features:
Messaging, video calls, mobile apps, photo sharing, and audio messaging. Offers discreet, convenient, and affordable help in relationship counseling in eight different languages. ReGain offers a top-notch web experience on all devices, with unlimited sessions and messaging with your online therapy provider.
Pros :
- One-week free trial offered
- members can cancel their subscription anytime
- a reputed service for marriage and relationship counseling
- licensed and experienced relationship issues counselors on their panel
Cons:
- does not accept insurance
- response waiting time of more than 24 hours
- response from therapists via messenger is not live
- ReGain is not BBB accredited.
Wellnitz:(4 / 5)-Best for chronic ailments
Price: $37.5-87.5 per session which includes four chat sessions,
-one doctor consultation per month, and a 30-day supply of one drug, if needed.
Insurance: Yes
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions:
Wellnite focuses on anxiety and depression by treatment through a combination of talk and chat therapy. You may also be encouraged mindfulness and meditation to manage your stress. The company also treats couples and teens therapy apart from other mild conditions that can be treated with psychotherapy alone.
Key features:
The Wellnite site showcases detailed information about the medicines you should use as a part of the treatment plan. Additionally, they have a well-written blog, a comprehensive F&Q section, and an option for availing of additional resources after signing up for the community newsletter.
Pros:
- provides therapy and treatment at affordable subscription rates
- same-day appointments available
- Doctor’s bio available on the website
- staff includes licensed therapists and board-certified doctors and psychiatrists.
Cons:
- do not offer substance abuse treatment
- only accepts PPO insurance plans
- primarily only CBT techniques adopted
- only the bio of some therapists is given on their website.
therapy pro:(4.1 / 5)-Best for stress and anxiety
Price: $40 per session
Insurance: No
Therapist option: No
Conditions:
Key features: this allows users to speak with their therapists through live chat, video calls or phone calls. Unlike other online therapy apps, therapy pro does not permit the user to choose a therapist, but instead matches them to the right therapist via the results of a questionnaire.
Key features:
eTherapyPro is a platform for online counseling which matches you to a licensed therapist for those suffering from anxiety, depression, infidelity or self-esteem, etc. Moreover, it offers a completely free trial to start out.
Pros:
- free tthe hree-day trial before payment begins
- users can massage therapists either by day or night and on weekends
- matches users with therapists in 24 hours
- users can switch therapists anytime
Cons:
- does not accept insurance
- no receipt for out-of-network reimbursement
- therapist bio data not displayed on site
- no psychiatry or medication management service
Doctor on Demand:(4 / 5)-Best for medication management
Price: $129 per session/25 min
or $179/50 minutes.
Insurance: Yes, but after signing in
Therapist option: Yes
Conditions:
behavioral health needs like anxiety, depression, postpartum grief, prescription medications
Key features:
The app is free, and its features are a clear and simple interface. The app provides 24×7 medical care to anyone ten years and up.
Pros:
- their website offers a free assessment to gauge if treatment is needed or not.
- therapists are available seven days a week
- users can browse available licensed therapists in their state and view their blogs.
- ratings/reviews and images, a must-have feature in an online therapy app.
Cons:
- lack of availability of clinicians
- text messaging is not available
- sessions are through video chat and there is no option for turning off the video.
- more expensive than other online therapy services, especially without insurance.
Rethink My Therapy:(4 / 5)-Best for family therapy
Price: $25-40 per session for the singles plan, couples plan and the family program.
Insurance: No
Therapist option: No
Conditions:
An award-winning app for affordable family and children’s programs that offers talk therapy for children aged 10 and up. It also offers individual and couples counseling.
Key features:
The menu clearly mentions the different types of services the user can sign up for, FAQs, pricing information, and an additional assessment page that provides a free assessment that the user can fill up in advance before starting the conversation with the therapist.
Pros:
- Affordable subscription pricing
- Bio data of all therapists are available on their website
- the free seven-day trial offered
- high user satisfaction
Cons:
- Bio of therapist available only after signing up.
- up to seven days of waiting time for appointments.
- Website not updated
- F&Q page font is difficult to read
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