Your Guide to Getting the Most From Online Therapy

This content is researched and written based on extensive testing by an external reviews team and does not reflect the views or opinions of Everyday Health’s editorial team. Everyday Health may earn a commission from purchases of products featured in this article.

• Online therapy can be an affordable and effective alternative to in-person therapy.
• A positive relationship with your therapist may lead to better outcomes and experiences.
• Goal setting can help you get the most from therapy.
• Online therapy reviews identify a platform’s common benefits and drawbacks.

Online therapy can remedy some common barriers to receiving mental health care: You don’t need transportation to get to appointments, and you don’t need to see a therapist in person if that’s something that makes you uncomfortable. And according to a study published in 2017 in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy.

Online therapy offers an opportunity to work through your problems with a trusted mental health professional at a time and place that works best for you. Below, we walk you through how to find the online therapy platform and therapist that best meet your mental health needs.

Like in-person therapy, online therapy focuses on helping you recognize, understand, and eventually change the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that impact your mental health, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). A therapist who offers therapy sessions online can help you with the same goals as one who offers therapy sessions at a brick-and-mortar location, including confronting past trauma and managing anxiety.

While video is the most common way to access teletherapy, other options include audio-only sessions or live chat. With chat sessions, you log on at a specific time and instant message back and forth with your therapist. Some platforms also allow patients and providers to send messages to one another outside of the live sessions.

Deciding that you want therapy is a significant first step in your mental health care journey. But when it comes to finding the right therapist, it can be challenging to know where to look, who to choose, and how much to budget for care. This guide can help you determine what’s most important to you in a therapist, how to find a good fit, the differences between popular online therapy platforms, and common terminology used in mental health.

1. Determine What’s Important to You in an Online Therapy Platform

Every online therapy platform is different. When deciding which one is right for you, there are several factors to consider:

• Session Format Platforms differ in the types of sessions they offer. Options include video, audio, and chat therapy.
• Specific Modalities of Therapy You may notice that many platforms offer cognitive behavioral therapy, but there are other types as well, which we’ll address later in this guide.
• The Therapist’s Credentials When you’re seeking therapy, the platform may assign you to a licensed psychologist, social worker, or marriage and family therapist, for example. But if you’re looking for a platform that prescribes mental health medication, you’ll need the help of an online psychiatrist.
• Flexible Appointment Times See whether the platform offers appointments after business hours or on weekends, if you need flexible appointment times.

• Cost and Payment Options Consider the monthly cost for subscription plans, the per-session cost for à la carte therapy, and whether the platform accepts insurance or offers financial assistance.

• Additional Features These include the ability to message your therapist outside of your therapy session, self-care lessons, guided meditations, online support groups, and mental health webinars.

Prioritizing these factors can help you make a faster and more educated decision when choosing an online therapist.

Which Platform Matches Your Needs?

According to our reviews team’s survey of 1,000 online therapy users in April 2022, the most important factors when deciding on a platform were insurance coverage, cost, and positive reviews online. Some platforms are more transparent about these factors than others. For example, when comparing BetterHelp and Talkspace, our reviews team found that BetterHelp’s prices were listed on its FAQs page, whereas Talkspace’s prices weren’t listed on its website at all.

Online therapy may not meet everyone’s needs. Some online platforms, including BetterHelp, Talkspace, Pride Counseling, ReGain, and Online-Therapy.com state that they do not offer online therapy for certain symptoms and situations, including:

• Actively having suicidal thoughts
• Having thoughts of harming others
• Feeling that someone you know is in danger
• Experiencing a medical emergency

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself or others, call 911.

2. Budget for the Cost of Online Therapy

The price of online therapy depends on the platform you choose, the plan you choose within the platform, and whether you have insurance. Your provider’s specialty and location may also affect how much you’ll pay.

If you’re looking for online therapy that accepts insurance, start by calling your insurance carrier to confirm your mental health care costs. They can tell you how to find a therapist in your network and how much you can expect to pay for each session.

If you don’t have health insurance, or if your copays are unaffordable, consider an affordable online therapy platform that offers financial assistance or sliding scale payment options. Examples include BetterHelp, ReGain, Teen Counseling, and Open Path Collective.

If you prefer to pay per session, you may want to consider Teladoc, MDLive, Amwell, Doctor on Demand, LiveHealth Online, or Sesame. Without insurance, prices range from $80 for a therapist visit with LiveHealth Online to $179 for a 50-minute appointment with Doctor on Demand. All of these platforms accept insurance, aside from Sesame, so you may pay less depending on your insurance plan.

If you’re looking for a subscription service, prices will range depending on the platform, your location, and the plan’s features — such as the number of therapy sessions per month. For example, you can expect to pay between $240 and $360 per month for BetterHelp and between $396 to $436 for Talkspace.

For a budget-friendly option, prioritize which features are most important to you. For example, if you just want the ability to exchange text messages with your therapist and don’t need live sessions, consider Calmerry’s unlimited messaging plan for $228 per month.

3. See if Your Insurance Covers Online Therapy

Many online therapy platforms accept insurance, including Talkspace, MDLive, Teladoc, Amwell, Doctor on Demand, LiveHealth Online, Brightside, Monument, and Sesame. Because coverage varies from plan to plan, always call your insurance provider directly to confirm your coverage and how much you’ll be expected to pay. If your insurance plan is through your employer, you can also contact your human resources department to get that information. Follow up with your online therapy provider or the platform’s customer service to confirm the rate.

If you have health insurance, check your summary plan description. This document can give you more information about what your plan covers and doesn’t cover. The chart below provides an example of what you may see in your summary plan description. (This chart is only for informational purposes.)

Summary Plan Description: Example

When searching for an online therapist who accepts insurance, consider whether they’re an in-network provider or an out-of-network provider:

• In-Network Providers Your health insurance carrier may network with a group of mental health care professionals or platforms to provide you care at a certain price. You can call your insurance company or browse your provider directory to find a provider or platform that is in your network.

• Out-of-Network Providers If you use a mental health care provider or platform that’s outside of your network, you don’t have the protection of a brokered price like with in-network providers. You will be responsible for paying for the service out of pocket. If you receive a superbill, an itemized list of the services you received, you may be able to submit it to your insurance company for partial reimbursement.

The exact amount you receive back will depend on your out-of-network coverage; normally, that amount is based on your coinsurance (a percentage of the total amount you’re responsible for after you’ve met your deductible) and deductible (the amount you need to pay out of pocket for medical expenses before insurance kicks in).

Your employer may provide additional mental health care benefits, too. Some workplaces offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) that can help you find free therapy sessions for any issue that affects your work, including relationship troubles and substance abuse problems, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. If your workplace offers an EAP, you could receive a predetermined number of free therapy sessions.

Is Mental Health Care Affordable With Insurance?

In 2008, the United States passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which forces insurance companies and group plans to cover mental health and substance use services, the same way that they do with medical and surgical services, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The law does not force insurers to implement plans that make mental health care affordable, however. And a study published in July 2020 in the journal Health Affairs found that patients are 3 to 6 times more likely to receive out-of-network care for behavioral health concerns than they are for other medical concerns. This is further exacerbated by the shortage of mental health care professionals in America, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And insurance companies’ low reimbursement rates for those professionals may discourage them from participating in their network.

4. Know What Questions to Ask When Looking for a Therapist

Here are a few questions to consider when searching for the right therapist for your specific needs:

1. Who would you feel most comfortable talking to? Consider factors like age, gender, and what languages they speak. If you’re a racial minority or LGBTQ+, for instance, you may feel more comfortable sharing with someone who personally understands your lived experiences.

While all of these factors are important, Mental Health America recommends keeping an open mind about your potential therapist. Only you completely understand your situation, and your therapist will be relying on you to share openly with them, so that they can put themselves in your shoes.

2. What area do they specialize in? Look for someone whose background fits your therapy goals. If you need help with relationship issues, for example, consider someone who lists relationships as a specialty.

Since many online therapy platforms use an algorithm to match you with a therapist, you may not get a match that meets your preferences exactly. We experienced this with BetterHelp and ReGain. Be sure to read your therapist’s profile on the platform and look them up on the internet to verify whether they’re right for you.

3. What does their bio say? A bio gives you additional insight into your therapist’s values, how they communicate with others, and how they hope to help you in therapy.

4. Do you feel connected with your therapist? While you won’t be aware of exactly how your therapist interacts with you until your first meeting, your sessions should make you feel safe and relaxed, so that you can discuss your feelings and problems honestly. “Unconditional positive regard is a big part of helping clients feel safe and seen in treatment,” says Rachel Davidson, an associate licensed professional counselor with Malaty Therapy in Houston. Davidson adds that this means building a relationship that makes the client feel like their therapist is in their corner.

If you feel like it’s not a good match, or if there are other elements of their care that don’t feel safe to you, you can discuss it with your therapist or switch to a different provider.

How to Know if a Therapist Is a Good Fit

Finding the right therapist can be a process. While they may check all of your boxes, you may still wonder whether they’re the right fit. The National Alliance on Mental Illness recommends looking for a therapist who:

• Treats you with kindness
• Shows you compassion
• Challenges you
• Give you actionable steps to help you reach your goals
• Helps you reach your goals at your own pace
• Checks in on you
• Helps you learn
• Makes your feel accepted and validated
• Gives you culturally competent care
• Treats you as an equal

Many online therapy platforms, including BetterHelp, Pride Counseling, and ReGain, allow you to easily switch therapists if they aren’t a good fit.

If you decide to end your treatment, plan to send your therapist a message or have one last session with them first. That can be a great time to get closure, reflect on your learnings together, and clarify what you’re looking for in a future therapist.

5. Understand the Types of Therapists

Your mental health provider may have any of the following credentials:

• PhD A doctor of philosophy in the psychology field, or psychologist. They complete a doctorate program that trains them for academia and clinical work, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). A license is required to practice as a psychologist.
• PsyD A doctor of psychology, or psychologist. They complete a doctorate program focused on clinical experience, according to the APA. A license is required to practice as a psychologist.
• LMFT A licensed marriage and family therapist. They complete a master’s degree focused on resolving conflicts within a marriage, between couples, and among families, according to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
• LCSW A licensed clinical social worker. According to Mental Health America, they have a master’s degree in social work and can work with individuals and groups. The National Association of Social Workers notes that social workers take a holistic approach to therapy, addressing both internal and external factors that could affect your mental health.
• LPC or LMHC A licensed professional counselor or licensed mental health counselor. The exact terminology depends on the state you live in. According to the American Counseling Association (PDF), they have a master’s degree and can work with individuals, groups, and families.
• Psychiatrist A doctor of medicine, either a DO or MD. They complete four years of medical school, then four years in a residency program. The American Psychiatric Association notes that they will address the physical and emotional symptoms of a mental health issue. They can care for complex conditions, such as bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder, prescribe medication, and provide other treatments, such as deep brain stimulation or electroconvulsive therapy, when seen in person. Some provide talk therapy.
• PMHNP A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. They complete a master’s or doctorate PMHNP program. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, they can assess, diagnose, and treat different mental health conditions.

While all of these professionals can provide therapy, it’s up to you to decide which type is right for you. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you consider:

• What Mental Health Issues You’re Dealing With If you have more severe or complex issues, you’ll need the support of a more experienced provider. The provider’s background can tell you more about whether they’re a good fit. Consider the type of issues you’re facing, too. If you have marriage trouble, look for a couples therapist or a platform like ReGain that offers relationship counseling. If your teen needs support, consider someone who has worked with teens or who works for a platform such as Teen Counseling.
• Whether You Need Medication Double-check whether your provider can prescribe medication. You may need to see a psychiatrist as well as a therapist to meet all of your mental health care needs.

Can Therapists Write Prescriptions?

If you’re looking for mental health medication online, you’ll need to get it from a platform that offers psychiatry. If a platform offers psychiatric care, it can be from a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner — but not from a therapist, counselor, or psychologist. Depending on the platform, your medication may be delivered to your house or to your local pharmacy.

If your provider prescribes medication, don’t expect it to help immediately. According to the NIMH, antidepressants and antipsychotics can take multiple weeks to reach their full effectiveness. Benzodiazepines and stimulants, on the other hand, take effect relatively quickly.

Benzodiazepines and stimulants are both controlled substances. The government regulates their use due to the high potential for abuse and addiction, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Many platforms that offer psychiatry services, including Talkspace, will not prescribe these medications online.

6. Familiarize Yourself With the Different Types of Online Therapy

Every therapist has an area of specialty (like anxiety or depression), a certain level of training and experience, and a preferred treatment modality (how they treat specific mental health issues).

According to the Cleveland Clinic, some general types of therapy include:

• Psychodynamic Therapy This approach is used to help people identify unconscious beliefs that can impact their mood and behavior. It is commonly used to treat people with anxiety and depression or those who have issues with self-esteem or self-expression.
• Behavioral Therapy This focuses more on the barriers to changing a behavior than why the behavior started; it’s commonly used to treat phobias.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) This approach focuses on replacing harmful or negative thought patterns or behaviors with ones that are helpful and positive. It’s commonly used to treat patients with mood disorders, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy This focuses on developing skills to cope with challenging situations and accept difficult emotions; it’s commonly used to treat self-harming patients.
• Humanistic Therapy This approach focuses more on people’s strengths than on treating symptoms or problems. It’s commonly used to help people set goals and deal with self-esteem issues, depression, or anxiety.

Many therapists blend various types of therapeutic approaches in their practice, including other techniques and offshoots of the ones above. That will influence what you experience in therapy.

For example, many people with bulimia struggle with emotional dysregulation, according to Wake Forest University. They may feel like their emotions change quickly, often in ways that seem outside of their control. A therapist using enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E), a version of CBT meant for those with eating disorders, may ask the patient to journal their feelings before, during, and after a binge and purge episode — and then they’ll discuss the entries with the patient during the following session.

The right treatment method depends on your situation, the current psychological research, and your therapist’s treatment modality, according to the APA — and most therapists use a combination of treatment approaches. Many platforms and their affiliated therapists will mention what treatment approaches they use on their website or profile. Online-Therapy.com, for example, only uses cognitive behavioral therapy.

7. Check Online Therapy Reviews

Customer experiences can be a significant determining factor when deciding whether an online platform is right for you. According to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 41 percent of users chose their platform because it had positive reviews online. For reputable reviews, look at sources like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Also, as Harvard Business Review notes, keep in mind that many online reviews represent the more extreme views about specific products and can be biased.

So, as you read reviews, acknowledge that you will not have the same exact experience that someone else had. Consider these questions:

• How frequently do therapists respond? Since many platforms let you message your therapist outside of your appointment time, read a few reviews to gauge users’ experiences with therapist response frequency.
• Were reviewers satisfied with customer service? Check whether there are common issues people run into with customer service and whether they were satisfied with how the company responded. Some platforms don’thave a customer service phone number and instead rely solely on email, making it harder to resolve issues promptly.

• Were reviewers satisfied with their therapist? While you won’t necessarily have the same therapist that a reviewer did, their experience with a specific therapist may tell you a lot about how the company vets the people it hires and what you could expect from a therapy session on the platform.

• Was it easy to use the platform? Look at factors like whether the app is easy to navigate and whether reviewers encountered any technical issues. If you’re paying for the service, you will want the most seamless experience possible. Technical issues can impair your ability to request care or log in to your appointments.
• Were reviewers able to schedule convenient appointment times? Some platforms, such as Talkspace and BetterHelp, offer a limited number of monthly sessions that don’t roll over to the next month. If you don’t use them, you lose them. Check to see whether reviewers were able to see their therapist at times that fit their schedule.
• Was it easy to use insurance, if accepted? While some online therapy platforms accept insurance, that doesn’t guarantee that it will be affordable or in your network. Check reviews to see how the platform handles insurance, how services are billed, and whether reviewers received any surprise bills.
• Did reviewers get a good value for what they paid? The cost of therapy, including any amenities like unlimited messaging and self-care lessons, varies from platform to platform. Look through reviews to see whether users felt like they got a good value for the price they paid.
• Were reviewers satisfied with their therapist match? If not, could they switch? Some online therapy platforms, including BetterHelp, Teen Counseling, and ReGain, use an algorithm to match you with a therapist. Read reviews to see whether people feel like they got a good match — and if not, whether the platform let them switch. Was it easy to get someone new? Were they satisfied with the replacement?

Good, Bad, and Mixed: Online Therapy Platform Reviews*

*Reviews taken at time of publishing

8. Have a Goal in Mind

To get the most from online therapy, have goals in mind to share with your therapist. According to the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center, setting goals can help you work toward the life you want, while better managing your mental health.

Your goals can be short-term, like starting a new morning routine, or long-term, like making new friends or improving your self-esteem. Sharing these goals with your therapist from the start can help you stay accountable and ensure that you’re both working toward the same results.

“It’s important to have a treatment plan that people feel speaks to their reasons for being in therapy,” says Billy Roberts, a licensed independent social worker and therapist in private practice in Columbus, Ohio. “A good amount of time is spent considering goals and helping increase clients’ confidence in our ability to meet them.”

To set your own goals, think about what you want from your life, both in the next few months and years. To stay on top of your goals, the Eisenberg Family Depression Center recommends making them SMART:

• Specific What goal do you want to achieve, and what do you need to do to get there?
• Measurable How will you measure your progress toward that goal?
• Achievable Is your goal realistic?
• Relevant Why is the goal important to you? How does it work with your other goals in life?
• Time-Based When do you want to reach your goal?

Therapy is a process, and it can take time to see change. What’s most important is that you’re making sustainable, positive choices that add to your life. As you continue the therapy process, you and your therapist can check in on your progress and reevaluate your goals as necessary.

There are a few ways to save money on online therapy:

• If you’re interested in ongoing care, consider a subscription-based platform. For weekly therapy sessions, you could save money by opting for a subscription plan instead of paying per session. With plans through BetterHelp, for example, you can get weekly 30- to 45-minute therapy sessions (depending on how much time you need with your therapist) for about $60 to $90 per week.
• If you’re interested in just a few sessions, consider paying per session. With à la carte therapy, you aren’t financially bound by a monthly subscription. You can get therapy when you need it and when you can afford it.
• Check financial-aid eligibility. Some plans, including BetterHelp and Pride Counseling, offer ongoing discounts for eligible members, including veterans and students. Depending on the platform, expect to answer questions about employment, monthly income, military status, number of children, and other questions related to your finances, in order to determine eligibility.
• Consider text-based therapy. Many platforms, including Calmerry and Talkspace, offer unlimited messaging plans, meaning you can text your therapist at any time. While the response times differ by platform, you can often get this type of therapy at a discounted rate, compared with video or audio sessions.
• Look for first-time discounts. Many platforms offer discounts on your first month of therapy. Be sure to confirm that you can afford the future monthly charges without the discount though.

We evaluated different platforms to find the best online therapy options for 2023, considering factors like cost, insurance, value, and customer experience. Here are our top picks:

• Best customer experience: BetterHelp
• Best online therapy with medication option: Brightside
• Most affordable online care: Calmerry
• Best online therapy for couples: ReGain
• Best online therapy covered by insurance: Talkspace
• Best online therapy for members of the LGBTQ+ community: Pride Counseling
• Best online therapy for treating alcohol use disorder: Monument
• Best for on-demand appointments: Sesame
• Best online cognitive behavioral therapy: Online-Therapy.com
• Best online therapy for teens: Teen Counseling

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform for anyone ages 18 and older. It offers live sessions lasting 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how much time you need with your therapist, via video, phone, or live chat. It also offers unlimited messaging between you and your therapist outside of your appointment times. Of the BetterHelp users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 50 percent said that they received responses from their therapist the same day. Because of the variety of session formats and the positive reviews on both Trustpilot and BBB, we chose BetterHelp as the online therapy platform that provides the best customer experience.

BetterHelp has 4.08 out of 5 stars on BBB, based on 438 reviews. Trustpilot gives it a score of 4.6 out of 5, with 4,592 reviews. Of the BetterHelp users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 46 percent said that they chose the platform because of its positive reviews online.

Once you finish your intake questionnaire, you’ll receive a therapist match. If you aren’t satisfied with your match, you can switch therapists at any time. While BetterHelp doesn’t accept insurance, it does offer financial assistance. You can apply during the sign-up process, during which you will be asked questions about your employment status, monthly income, military experience, number of children, and other factors that may make you eligible for a reduced rate.

Session Types Live video, phone, and chat sessions, plus unlimited messaging with your therapist

Price $240 to $360 per month

Accepts Insurance No

Brightside is an online therapy platform that offers the option to see a therapist, a psychiatrist, or both. And because of its proprietary technology that helps providers recommend the medication that’s most likely to be tolerable and effective, we chose Brightside as our pick for the best online therapy with a medication option.

Brightside providers use its proprietary technology, PrecisionRx, as a tool to help them recommend the medication that will work best for the patient based on their medical history and symptoms. In order to test the efficacy of its technology, Brightside coordinated an external analysis that was published in January 2022 in Cureus, which concluded that its patient response rate at first medication recommendation was 50 percent higher than that of a leading U.S. health system.

Brightside accepts insurance and offers three plan options via a monthly subscription. If you use insurance, the price you will pay depends on your insurance plan. If you’re not using insurance, you can expect to pay the following:

• Medication Only Plan $95 per month ($45 for the initial month), plus $15 per medication or your pharmacy copay if you’re using insurance; free home delivery for prescriptions

• Therapy Only Plan $299 per month ($249 for the initial month); includes unlimited messaging and four monthly 45-minute video sessions with a licensed therapist

• Medication Plus Therapy Plan $349 per month ($249 for the initial month), plus $15 per medication or your pharmacy copay if you’re using insurance; free home delivery for prescriptions

Brightside has 1.83 out of 5 stars from six reviews BBB (that’s an F rating), and it is not accredited. There are six reviews on Trustpilot, where it has 2.3 out of 5 stars. Reviewers on both websites mentioned problems with billing and customer service. They also mentioned a lack of responsiveness from their providers. The Brightside users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey were more favorable, however, with 57 percent reporting that their overall experience with the platform was positive or mostly positive.

Session Types Video sessions, plus unlimited messaging

Price $299 per month for therapy only; $95 per month, plus $15 or pharmacy copay for medication plan only; $349 per month, plus $15 or pharmacy copay for medication plus therapy plan

Accepts Insurance Yes

Calmerry’s unlimited messaging plan costs $228 per month, the least expensive for unlimited messaging of all of our best online therapy picks. With this plan, you can message your therapist at any time through text or audio messages. According to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 45 percent of Calmerry users received same-day responses from their therapists.

Calmerry also offers two video therapy plans, with the option of one or four 30-minute video sessions per month. For one video session, you’ll pay $298 per month, and for four, you’ll spend $360. Calmerry does not offer financial aid, but you can save $30 - $65 on your first month depending on which plan you choose.

After filling out your intake form, you’ll work with a customer service representative to find the right therapist for you. Our reviews team was presented with three therapist options, including their credentials and professional bios. You can switch therapists or cancel at any time.

Session Types Live video and chat sessions, plus unlimited messaging with your therapist

Price $228 to $360 per month

Accepts Insurance No

ReGain is an online therapy platform owned by BetterHelp. All of ReGain’s therapists specialize in relationships and treating couples, which is why we chose it as the best online therapy for couples. You can get therapy by yourself specifically for relationship issues, or you can create a joint account with your partner for weekly couples therapy sessions. The price is the same regardless.

When completing your initial questionnaire, you can also indicate your specific reasons for seeking therapy, such as:

• Overcoming adultery
• Understanding your partner better
• Improving your communication
• Preventing separation or divorce
• Learning “good” ways to fight
• Loving your partner again

With ReGain, you and your partner can have 30- to 45-minute live video, phone, or chat sessions. The length of the sessions will depend on how much time you and your therapist need. ReGain also includes unlimited messaging with your therapist, so either partner can send a video, audio, or text message to them at any time. Therapists will respond to messages on their workdays only, and response rates vary. According to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 48 percent of ReGain users received same-day responses from their therapist. You share the chat room with your partner, so any message you send can be seen by both parties.

While ReGain doesn’t accept insurance, it does offer financial aid to those who qualify, including people who are veterans, unemployed, disabled, or low-income. Eligibility for financial aid is determined during the sign-up process.

Session Types Live video, phone, and chat sessions, plus unlimited messaging with your therapist

Price $240 to $360 per month

Accepts Insurance No

Talkspace is one of the only platforms that accepts a variety of insurance plans and employee assistance programs, making it our pick for the best online therapy covered by insurance. According to Talkspace, 60 million Americans, or roughly 17 percent of the U.S. population, have insurance that would be accepted by the platform.

Talkspace can help teens ages 13 and older, adults, and couples. It also offers psychiatry services for people over age 18. The therapy sessions are normally 30 minutes long and can be held via phone, video, or live chat. All plans also include unlimited messaging, so you can send your therapist audio, video, or text messages at any time. Of the Talkspace users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 49 percent said that they received same-day responses.

To see if your insurance is accepted by Talkspace, search for your health plan or EAP on the site’s partnerships tool.

Session Types Live video, phone, and chat sessions; live workshops; and unlimited messaging with your therapist

Price $276 to over $436 per month for therapy, without insurance

Accepts Insurance Yes

Pride Counseling is a specialty online therapy platform operated by BetterHelp. It matches users with therapists who have a special interest in helping individuals with issues common among LGBTQ+ individuals. You can also request a therapist who is LGBTQ+ themselves. For those reasons, we chose Pride Counseling as the best online therapy for LGBTQ+ people.

During your initial questionnaire, Pride Counseling will ask you about gender identity, pronouns, and sexuality, as well as your mental health symptoms.

Pride Counseling will use your answers from its intake form to match you with a therapist. You’ll meet with your therapist for weekly 30- to 45-minute therapy sessions, depending on how long you and your therapist need, via video, phone, or live chat. You can also message your therapist at any time with video, audio, and text messages. Of the Pride Counseling users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 44 percent said that they received same-day responses from their therapist.

Session Types Live video, phone, and chat sessions, plus unlimited messaging with your therapist

Price $240 to $360 per month

Accepts Insurance No

Monument offers an option for therapy, medication management, or a combination of both to help people change their drinking habits, making it our choice for the best online therapy for treating alcohol use disorder.

Its physician care plan is for individuals who are interested in using a combination of medication and guidance from a licensed physician to change their drinking habits. Physicians may recommend disulfiram or naltrexone (Antabuse), depending on a patient’s needs. The cost is $45 for an initial online appointment, plus $9.99 per month. This plan includes unlimited text messaging with your physician as well as access to therapist-moderated support groups and an anonymous 24/7 community forum. It also covers follow-up sessions, which Monument recommends scheduling every 90 days to make sure the medication is working. The cost of medication is not included in the physician care plan.

There are two online therapy plans, which include the same benefits as the physician care plan plus weekly or biweekly therapy sessions:

• Total Care (Weekly) $249/month; includes all physician appointments, weekly therapy sessions, and unlimited messaging with your physician and therapist
• Total Care (Biweekly) $149/month; includes all physician appointments, therapy sessions twice a month, and unlimited messaging with your physician and therapist

The costs for the physician care plan, therapy plans, and prescriptions may be lower if you use insurance. Monument has a webpage that you can use to verify insurance coverage.

Monument does not have licensed therapists in every state. You must live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Virginia, Georgia, Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Iowa, or Washington, DC, to register for an online therapy plan. However, there aren’t any residency restrictions to access Monument’s free plan, which includes therapist-moderated group sessions and a chat room that’s available 24/7 for community support.

Monument does not have any reviews on Trustpilot or BBB.

Session Types Video and unlimited messaging

Price $152 to $252 per month

Accepts Insurance Yes

With Sesame, you can schedule virtual therapy and mental health prescription refills. You can pick your provider and appointment time, and sometimes you can even get same-day appointments. For that reason, Sesame is our pick for the best platform for on-demand appointments.

Your care options and pricing with Sesame depend on your location. Enter your ZIP code on the site to see which mental health care options are available near you. When our reviews team looked for online therapy in Chicago, for instance, they were presented with two clinical social workers who charged different prices: One charged $105 for a virtual therapy session with a new patient, and the other charged $195. If you join Sesame Plus for $11 per month, or $99 per year, you can save $20 on each of your telehealth visits.

Some providers can also prescribe depression and anxiety medications for as little as $5, including delivery. To see if your provider can prescribe these medications, check whether they have a “$5 MEDS” label on their provider profile.

Session Types Live video and phone sessions

Price Varies by therapist and location

Accepts Insurance No

Online-Therapy.com is our pick for the best online CBT platform. All of its therapists are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, and they can help both individuals and couples. Of the Online-Therapy.com users who responded to our reviews team’s survey, 63 percent said that they were very satisfied with their care, when compared with their previous in-person therapy experiences.

Sign-up only takes a minute or two, and you’ll receive a therapist match immediately. You can also switch therapists at any time. The platform offers three plans: basic, standard, and premium.

Every plan with Online-Therapy.com also includes an eight-part cognitive behavioral workbook that you will work through with your therapist. Each section details different things that can affect your mental health, such as anxiety, and it includes activities to help you learn how to recognize and work through difficult emotions.

You can conduct your 45-minute therapy sessions via live chat, video, or over the phone. All of the plans include unlimited messaging. Online-therapy.com states that on weekdays your therapist will take less than 24 hours to provide CBT worksheet feedback, but it doesn’t state how long someone can expect to wait for text message responses. Of the Online-Therapy.com users who responded to our reviews team’s survey, only 30 percent received same-day responses.

Session Types Live video, phone, and chat sessions

Price $200 to $440 per month

Accepts Insurance No

Teen Counseling is an online therapy platform that’s dedicated to helping teens ages 13 to 19. Its therapists have experience helping adolescents navigate issues like eating disorders, stress, and depression — and parents can also sign themselves up to get advice. For those reasons, we’ve chosen Teen Counseling as the best online therapy for teens.

Teen Counseling, which is operated by BetterHelp, works with parents to provide their children with the help they need via video, phone, or live chat therapy sessions. The two most important reasons people chose Teen Counseling, according to our online therapy survey, were that it offers appointments outside of work hours and on weekends, and it has positive reviews online.

Unlimited messaging is available for teens as well as for their parents. Each has a separate chat room where they can exchange private messages with their assigned therapist. Of the Teen Counseling users who responded to our reviews team’s survey, 60 percent received same-day responses from their therapist.

Therapist assignments are made by an algorithm, and you can switch therapists at any time.

Although Teen Counseling doesn’t accept insurance, it offers financial aid in the same way that its parent company BetterHelp does. Teen Counseling does not offer any information about financial aid on its website, but when you register for an account, it does ask you whether you’re a student, veteran, disabled, unemployed, low income, or have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. That information is used to determine whether you’re eligible for a discount.

Session Types Live video, phone, chat sessions

Price $240 to $360 per month

Accepts Insurance No

We independently investigate and recommend products and services that we believe will enrich the lives of our readers and meet their specific needs. We’ve spent many hours carrying out in-depth research into the online therapy market. You can trust our review because we did the legwork for you in these specific ways:

• Engaged in ongoing independent research
• Mystery shopped each of the brands
• Contacted the brands՚ customer service teams to ask questions and gauge responsiveness
• Became customers of online therapy providers ourselves
• Reviewed academic research into the efficacy of online therapy versus in-person therapy
• Read hundreds of verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as the BBB and Trustpilot

Our reviews team extensively scrutinizes online therapy platforms to make sure we only recommend those we believe will make a difference to our readers. Together, we’ve researched prominent brands through the experiences of real customers and consulted with independent mental health professionals to better understand why people seek out online therapy. Read more about our online therapy review methodology.

To find the right therapist, you’ll need to consider things like how much you can afford to pay per month for therapy, the credentials and specialties you’re looking for in a therapist, and your goals for therapy.

If you use an online therapy platform, check online reviews and see whether your insurance will cover any of the costs. Read through your potential therapist’s bio and background to see whether they’re a good fit for your needs. If you start therapy and aren’t satisfied with your care, some platforms will allow you to switch therapists.

If you are in crisis, waiting for an online therapy appointment may not be safe. In case of an emergency, call 911. That includes plans to harm yourself or others. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 (or 800-273-8255). Help is available 24/7.

You can also reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357). The SAMHSA help line is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-days-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals facing mental health or substance abuse disorders.