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Saturday, March 25th
Sesame has been open for 5+ years and offers access to online and in-person medical and mental health professionals. The platform offers two options: you can book directly with a therapist or psychiatrist, or you can go through the Sesame Plus membership which makes individual visits cheaper. They offer on-demand appointments and prescription writing through their platform at competitive prices.
Wide fluctation in costs
Like many platforms that connect you with therapists, the final cost for Sesame depends on how much the individual mental health professional wants to charge. Since Sesame offers a full range of mental health professionals from licensed therapists to Ph.D.-holding psychiatrists, the price for a single session can vary significantly. We found rates that typically fluctuated from $100 to $400 per video session.
Save money with Plus membership
However, you can also get the Sesame Plus membership which costs $10.99 per month. This gives you access to a variety of benefits including:
So, while there are still a wide range of fees, you can get reductions to those prices or narrow down your search to more affordable options. We found some of the cheapest single-option therapy sessions as low as $35 per session, so if you're willing to search through the practitioners, you may be able to find some great prices at Sesame.
Safe at Sesame
All of the doctors at Sesame are board-certified. In order to work with Sesame, the doctors and clinicians all provide information about their licenses to practice, their education, and that they have a clean disciplinary record. All of Sesame's healthcare providers, including mental health professionals, are appropriately educated and have met the requirements for experience and safety for the platform.
Wide range of options for therapy and psychiatry
Sesame offers individual therapy, couples therapy, and psychiatry with the ability to provide prescriptions if needed. In each category, you can sift through different mental health professionals. They are presented by location first, and then you can narrow down the options by when you want the appointment, in-person or virtual options, credentials for the professional, language, and gender. If you are looking for a specific type of therapy or a style, you can use the search bar at the top to limit the options only to mental health practitioners who cover the topics that are important to you.
Most mental health topics covered here
Since Sesame works with a variety of practitioners, the topics they offer are as varied as the individuals working for them. Some of the listed topics include, but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, ADHD, couples therapy, sex therapy, stress management therapy, marriage, substance abuse, and career.
A few limitations to be aware of
There aren't a lot of limitations at Sesame, however, it's important to note that some providers won't be licensed in all states. Sesame addresses this by suggesting options within your state and area. They don't appear to serve teens. Also, if you're looking for couples therapy, both members of the couple must attend the session from the same location, even if the session is remote.
Better than traditional healthcare
While there aren't a lot of reviews on Sesame at the Better Business Bureau, the platform is accredited with an excellent "A+" rating. For customer feedback, there are plenty of reviews where Sesame averages about 4.5 stars. Happy customers noted that the service was very easy to use and to book sessions. Some patients noted that they felt more cared for by Sesame than by their regular insurance or healthcare providers. Fast service works for both the medical and therapeutic sides, and even customers with complex disorders like bipolar can get medication quickly through Sesame.
Great all-in-one package
For someone who wants to be able to fit mental health to their needs, Sesame has it all. With either single purchase options, or membership with a variety of health benefits, you can tailor your experience completely. Although some of the psychiatrists on Sesame are expensive, there are also cheaper options on the list, so you can decide what you want to prioritize in order to make ends meet. With offerings for health, mental health, individual therapy, couples therapy, and even the option to provide low-cost prescriptions, there's nothing to lose with Sesame. They are an excellent provider of online therapy needs.
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.
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.
Select any 2 Online Therapy Services to compare them head to head