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Have you been feeling down lately? A little stressed out? Do you feel like you want someone to talk to but you're limited by your local options? Or maybe you just don't have time for extra driving in your busy schedule? No matter what your therapy needs, if you feel like you need help, you deserve it.
Whether you're a long-time therapy patient, or you're looking to turn over a new leaf with your mental health, there are tons of online options to make your therapy journey easier. But where can you get started? There are so many online therapy choices and so many different therapy styles that it can be hard to choose which way to turn.
Tuesday, March 19th
BetterHelp provides a fantastic membership model therapy service that offers a huge range of professionals to assist you with your particular needs. Therapists indicate what their areas of expertise are so that members can receive therapy related to topics that most affect them. With affordable prices and overwhelmingly positive patient reviews, BetterHelp leads the pack when it comes to online therapy.
Sesame is an excellent all-around option for someone who wants therapy tailored to their needs. Offering multiple purchase options, prices as low as $35 a session, and the ability to get prescription medication if needed, Sesame stands tall among the competition as offering the complete package. They provide both mental health and medical options in their Sesame Plus membership. Sesame easily scores very high marks in our review of online therapy providers.
HealthSapiens is a great value for your money in online therapy. With a package that gives you 6 video call sessions and unlimited messaging for under $200 per month, HealthSapiens stands out among its competition. Although some customers are concerned about difficulties canceling the service, if you're planning to use online therapy for the long term, this is a fantastic deal. However, keep in mind that HealthSapiens has a lower bar when it comes to accepting counselors, and they don't offer prescription medications.
PlushCare is one of the top performers among online therapy platforms due to its all-in-one approach and reasonably priced counseling sessions. With prescriptions available as well as a variety of therapy styles, PlushCare is worth a look.
Started in 2020 to address the concerns of the pandemic, Calmerry is a subscription program for counseling. Calmerry offers video and messaging sessions at competitive prices. However with only 30-minute sessions, higher prices for weekly packages, and no options for medication, they sit in the middle of the pack in our review.
A solid option, Online-Therapy provides competitively priced cognitive behavioral therapy to individuals and couples. With a combination of video guides, audio lessons, and text segments along with weekly therapy and worksheets, they have a full package for self-guided therapy with unlimited texting. However, if you want weekly therapy sessions you'll have to pay extra, and it starts to get pricey past tier 1.
Mindbloom is an at-home subscription box offering a counseling-based ketamine treatment for anxiety and depression. Opened in 2019, Mindbloom uses a team of doctors to determine if clients are eligible for a treatment that doesn't put clients on antidepressants. This a unique option for someone not looking for a traditional therapy session.
MyWellbeing is a database-style website that connects you with mental health professionals for free. With 6 different states served, this platform can connect you with therapy services for over 52 different mental health needs; however, you may not find someone in your state or who is authorized to practice remotely where you live.
Talkspace looks exciting when you arrive at the landing page, but unfortunately, their variety of therapy styles and offerings for individuals, couples, and teens don't make up for their high prices and poor customer service. With one-star ratings at the BBB and elsewhere, they just don't compare to other options on our list.
Despite standing out as an option that offers prescriptions, Brightside Health is one of the most disappointing options on our list. Even though this online therapy platform makes big promises on the site, they average 1-star ratings from customers and appear to be more expensive with much shorter appointments. Many customers noted that they were dropped from service without warning and were not refunded. Choose a higher-rated resource to get good online therapy.
Telehealth and online therapy have become popular options. Nearly four in ten Americans (38%) have used telehealth services to meet with a medical or mental health professional, up from 31% in previous years. The majority of those who use telehealth or online therapy now started after the pandemic. Most patients are using telehealth through a video format (69%), while 38% have used phone calls only.
While many originally believed that telehealth and online therapy were lower-quality services compared to in-person treatment, the opinion on telehealth has increased by 40% since 2021. The National Center for Health Research found that online therapy is effective for treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. So, no matter what you need from your online session, you can be assured that you're getting the same treatment as an in-person session.
So, how do you choose the best online therapy provider for your needs? There are a lot of factors to consider. If you're not sure where to start your journey, here are a few things to help you decide:
To help you find the right kind of online therapy for you, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular providers across the US. We hope these will make it easy to start prioritizing your mental health in the best way for your needs.
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