The Best Online Therapy

Saturday, February 15th

2025 Online Therapy Reviews

Sesame

Sesame connects you directly with board-certified doctors across all 50 states for video appointments, often available within hours. You can access therapy sessions starting at just $45 to $68 (even less with a Sesame Plus membership), and since they cut out insurance middlemen, you'll save up to 50% compared to traditional care. We're most impressed with their transparency - you'll see upfront pricing and can choose your own provider from their marketplace of verified professionals. We highly recommend starting your search for online therapy with Sesame, especially if affordability and quick access to care are your priorities.

Mindbloom

If you're looking for a unique approach to mental health treatment, Mindbloom offers at-home ketamine therapy that's completely legitimate and clinician-supervised. You'll get a carefully-structured program that combines medication with therapeutic support and community connection, all managed through their user-friendly app. While it's pricier than traditional therapy at $418 monthly and requires a treatment monitor, the 89% success rate for anxiety and depression is impressive, especially for those who haven't found success with conventional treatments. While Mindbloom isn't our first-choice recommendation for everyone, it could be a game-changer if you're seeking an alternative to traditional talk therapy and are comfortable with this unconventional approach.

Brightside Health

If you're looking for online mental health care and can afford the high monthly costs, Brightside Health offers both therapy and medication management through their platform. You'll get matched with licensed providers who use AI-powered tools to personalize your treatment, along with self-guided lessons and progress tracking to keep you moving forward. Their services focus mainly on anxiety and depression using a structured CBT approach, but they've expanded to treat other conditions too. While they accept insurance, some users report unexpected billing issues and coverage problems that can leave you with hefty surprise costs. Given the number of negative reviews and potential billing headaches, we'd recommend Brightside only if you have thoroughly verified your insurance coverage or can afford payment out of pocket.

MyWellbeing

If you're looking for a personalized way to find a therapist (especially in NYC), MyWellbeing could be your perfect matchmaker. Through a thoughtful questionnaire, they'll connect you with three compatible therapists who match your needs, preferences, and budget - and the matching service won't cost you a dime. While the session fees ($100 to $300) are on the pricier side compared to other online therapy platforms, many therapists offer sliding scale rates, and you might get significant insurance reimbursement if you have PPO coverage. The lack of customer reviews gives us pause, but since the matching service is free, we think it's worth a shot if you're in their service area.

Online-Therapy

Looking for online therapy that's more than just video chats? Online-Therapy offers a complete CBT-focused package with daily worksheets, yoga videos, and messaging alongside weekly sessions. However, you might face frustrating technical issues and long wait times for live sessions. The monthly billing system and lack of therapist choice could be deal-breakers, especially since you're paying around $200 upfront before knowing if it's a good fit. Given the platform problems and limited independent reviews, this service is decent but not exceptional.

PlushCare

PlushCare might catch your eye with their promise of healthcare that's as easy as ordering takeout. You can connect with therapists through video sessions and even get prescriptions if needed, all from the comfort of your home. However, at $169 per session that might only last 20-25 minutes, you're not getting much bang for your buck. When you add in the concerning reviews, unclear therapist qualifications, and potentially limited state availability, we recommend looking elsewhere for your mental health needs.

BetterHelp

If you're looking for online therapy that's easy to start and won't break the bank, you might first think of BetterHelp. They'll match you with a professional through a detailed questionnaire, and you can chat, text, or video call them based on what works for you. However, they have a sketchy history of sharing user data with advertisers and potentially unethical limits on messaging that make us seriously hesitate to recommend them. While their weekly rates of $70 to $100 might seem reasonable, you'll probably want to look elsewhere if privacy is a top concern or if you need consistent, unlimited support.

Calmerry

If you're looking for online therapy, Calmerry might seem appealing with its mix of text and video sessions starting at $247 per month. You'll get matched with a therapist who supposedly specializes in your needs, whether that's anxiety, depression, or relationship issues. However, there are serious red flags about therapist credentials - some "licensed therapists" turn out to be life coaches with minimal training. While the platform offers convenient features like mood tracking and flexible scheduling, the short 30-minute sessions and reports of unresponsive therapists make it hard to justify the cost. Our verdict: Skip Calmerry and look for a more trustworthy online therapy platform.

Cerebral

Cerebral is an online therapy platform that provides virtual therapy and medication management. While it offers the convenience of telehealth services and flexible scheduling, its history of privacy violations and data sharing with companies like Facebook is a significant concern. Pricing isn't particularly competitive, and with only two therapy sessions per month on its basic plan, the level of care may not be sufficient for many users. Add to that past prescription-related controversies and mixed customer reviews, and we can't recommend Cerebral for online therapy. There are better, more trustworthy options available.

Talkspace

If you're looking for online therapy that's convenient and works with insurance, Talkspace might seem appealing at first glance. You can message your therapist anytime through your phone or computer, and they offer everything from individual counseling to psychiatry services with medication management. However, their questionable privacy practices, reports of unprofessional therapists, and history of fake reviews are major red flags that shouldn't be ignored. While Talkspace could work as a last resort if you're in immediate need of affordable therapy, we recommend exploring other options first.