Sesame vs Talkspace for February 2023 | Best Online Therapy Services

Item: Sesame vs Talkspace
Rating: 4.5
Author: Top Consumer Reviews

Wednesday, February 8th

2023 Online Therapy Reviews

Sesame

BBB accredited
Video therapy
Video psychiatry
Couples therapy
Prescriptions
Rates typically $100-$400 per session
Reduced rates with monthly membership
In-person and virtual options

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.

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Talkspace

BBB accredited
An extensive network of counselors
Offers therapy for couples, teens, and individuals
Psychiatric services available for adults
Text, audio, and video
Prescriptions offered
Pricing starts at $276/month

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.

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The 10 Best Online Therapy Services

Where Can You Find the Best Online Therapy?

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.

Continue reading below

What are the best Online Therapy Services

Online Therapy FAQ

Who is therapy for?

Therapy is for everyone. Therapy is a great place to talk through anything that might be on your mind. If you're worried about relationships, job situations, or feeling anxious in public you can start therapy. Many people attend to find solutions to mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, but you can pop in just to check up on yourself and have a non-biased listener to talk to for a while.

How is online therapy different from in-person?

If you've got a good therapist or psychologist, it's not at all different. You can still talk exactly the same way you do in person, especially if you have video call appointments. However, logistically there are a few differences: you don't need to drive anywhere, but you do need to find a quiet and secluded place where you feel safe talking and won't be interrupted; there can sometimes be a little lag if your internet is slow, so save extra time for technical difficulties; and it can be harder to read expressions over the internet, so it might require a little adjustment for the first or second session.

Psychiatrist, Counselor, Therapist: what's the difference?

All of these need to be licensed to practice; however, between a counselor and a therapist, the main difference is the focus. Both have Masters degrees and licenses for their particular state and type of therapy. Psychiatrists, however, have to have a medical degree, and only they are able to prescribe medication (though some certified nurse-practitioners have also taken extra coursework to be qualified to write prescriptions too).

What's the benefit of online over in-person therapy?

Time and money. Before online options, in-person sessions required a drive and the cost of gas just to get to therapy. Depending on your local options, you were also limited to who was near enough to make the drive worth it. Now, you don't have to worry about traffic or the cost of gas, and you're not limited to your immediate area, opening up the therapy options considerably.

How long are online appointments?

This entirely depends on the therapist and the platform. However, the average appointment is 45 minutes long with some appointments as short as 30 minutes or as long as 50.

How often are sessions offered?

This varies based on the platform you choose and the therapist you schedule with. Everyone has a different schedule, and some programs only offer one therapy session per month while others offer weekly sessions as part of the plan. If you work with an individual therapist instead of a platform subscription, this is something you'll talk about with your therapist during the first session.

How often do I need to go to therapy?

This is something you and your therapist will discuss. If it's a matter of money, many session-by-session therapists are willing to spread out appointments for you. However, many plans offer a subscription that provides you with four sessions a month. Attending once a week is a good place to start, especially if you're coming in to work on something specific.

What should I expect from my first appointment?

After submitting your intake forms, the first appointment is normally just a discussion between you and your therapist to get to know each other better. If you've never been to therapy before, it can be hard to know what to talk about, so your therapist may start by asking questions. No matter what, don't worry. There are no wrong answers in therapy. The session is for you and nobody else.

Continued from above...

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:

Price: How much does a single session cost? Are there any additional fees?
Scheduling: Do you need an hour-long session or something shorter? Do you need a telehealth provider with flexible times for a changing schedule?
Style: Are you looking for a particular style of therapy? Do you want something solo or something for couples?
Therapist: Do you need a degree-holding psychiatrist for prescriptions, or do you want a more casual therapist to talk things over? Do you want someone who's studied particular theories like music therapy or a more generalized approach?
Modality options: Do you only want online sessions, or are you looking for something where you can also have in-person sessions?

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.