Online therapy services present a convenient and innovative approach to mental healthcare. The fact is, in-person therapy has its limits in terms of flexibility, availability, and pricing. Perhaps more significantly, in-person sessions became exceedingly more difficult to attain in the wake of lockdowns and social distancing requirements. These changes resulted in the increased utilization of online healthcare over recent years—and studies suggest that the rise is here to stay.
As the field of online therapy—also referred to as "e-therapy" or "internet therapy"—continues to expand, so does the number of providers available to choose from. When searching for the right virtual therapy service for your needs, it’s important to consider factors such as pricing, modes of communication, and therapists’ backgrounds. To help guide your selection, we’ve reviewed the best e-therapy providers available today.
Betterhelp - Best online therapy platform overall
Cerebral - Best for affordable monthly pricing
Online-Therapy.com - Best online cognitive behavioral therapy
Thriveworks - Best for therapy covered by insurance
ReGain - Best for online relationship therapy
Teen Counseling - Best online therapy for teens
Pride Counseling - Best online therapy for LGBTQ+
Talkspace - Best for unlimited messaging and flexible payment plans
Calmerry - Best for a wide range of therapy types
Amwell - Best for ease of access
To find the best e-therapy options, we compared several key factors including:
BetterHelp is one of the largest providers of online therapy services, letting you get matched with a licensed professional therapist in less than 24 hours. You’ll be able to communicate with your therapist by phone, video call, live chat, or text messaging.
While the platform doesn’t take insurance, it does offer financial aid for patients with tighter budgets.
Why we chose BetterHelp: BetterHelp’s app and online platform are both user-friendly, giving you access to self-help worksheets on various topics, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and conflict resolution.
Our experience: BetterHelp reviews are positive and the service is reasonably priced. We like the fact that BetterHelp counselors each go through a rigorous vetting process.
Cerebral offers online talk therapy sessions for people suffering from conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Their team of professional counselors provide you with a holistic treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Cerebral’s two-tiered approach of talk therapy and proper medication prescriptions allows you to manage your symptoms and achieve a more balanced lifestyle.
Why we chose Cerebral: Cerebral is one of the more affordable options on our list, while still providing you with a high quality of care.
Our experience: We like the fact that Cerebral’s team checks in with you every month, monitors your medication reactions, and helps you make the necessary adjustments to ensure your treatment progresses as intended.
Online-Therapy.com has a network of counselors from various fields of expertise, with a primary focus on CBT. In addition, their platform hosts a range of interactive worksheets, activities, and self-help assignments to help guide you through its program.
Depending on your preference, you can communicate with your counselor via text, audio, or video chat.
Why we chose Online-Therapy.com: This online therapy provider allows you to switch therapists at any point during treatment. Their journaling tool is another helpful way to keep track of your efforts and improve your well-being.
Our experience: In contrast with some other online therapy services, Online-Therapy.com allows you to view recommended therapist profiles and choose your own counselor based on user reviews, specializations, and accreditations.
Thriveworks’ services include online, face-to-face, and over-the-phone therapy sessions. Their network of professionals are experienced across a wide variety of specialties, including individual talk therapy, psychiatry, couples/family therapy, child therapy, and more.
Why we chose Thriveworks: Thriveworks is in-network with most insurance plans, so you only have to cover a copay for therapy sessions. Even if you’re not covered by insurance, Thriveworks is still a very affordable option.
Our experience: Thriveworks stands out from other online therapy services by offering same- or next-day appointments, keeping wait times to a minimum. You can also contact your therapist between sessions if needed.
ReGain offers convenient online relationship therapy for couples and individuals. Their service matches you with a licensed therapist specifically chosen to address your needs and goals. Its monthly subscription grants one live video or phone session per week, along with 24/7 access to an online therapist.
Why we chose ReGain: ReGain understands everyone’s situation is different and offers reduced fees to those with financial difficulties or disabilities.
Our experience: With ReGain, you can pick and choose your therapy appointments entirely around your schedule. This makes it a particularly convenient option if you are restricted in time.
Teen Counseling offers access to over 13,000 therapists specializing in child and adolescent mental health. Its sophisticated matching process connects you and your teen with a therapist based on your needs. You can use Teen Counseling’s online services on your computer or any other device, giving you the convenience to receive counseling on the go.
With Teen Counseling you can book weekly live sessions based entirely on your schedule. Price reductions are available depending on your income and disability status.
Why we chose Teen Counseling: Teen Counseling is one of the only online therapy services designed with adolescents, and their specific set of challenges, in mind.
Our experience: Teen Counseling enables parents and children to communicate with a dedicated therapist either individually or jointly, within a safe and private setting.
Pride Counseling boasts budget-friendly online therapy for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Counseling charges weekly rather than per session, allowing for multiple meetings within the same week. It also has a mobile app that offers access to all of the website’s features, with the added benefit of receiving mobile mental health support.
Pride Counseling does not include family therapy, support groups, which could be beneficial to LGBTQ+ individuals. They also do not work in-network with insurance providers, although its low weekly counseling rates make it more affordable than traditional in-person therapy.
Why we chose Pride Counseling: Perhaps Pride Counseling’s greatest benefit is that it offers a safe, supportive environment for LGBTQ+ community members to address their mental health issues, with all therapists trained specifically for this community’s needs.
Our experience: Pride Counseling places a strong emphasis on discretion, by giving you the option to sign up with a nickname, while other services typically require your full legal name.
Talkspace is an e-therapy platform that offers counseling and psychiatric treatment for teens, adults, and couples. They employ a detailed matching process to connect you with a licensed and experienced therapist based on your circumstances.
They accept insurance and offer three weekly payment plans. The two higher-tier plans include live sessions, but only the highest tier plan includes therapy via messaging with guaranteed daily text responses to any questions you may have.
Why we chose Talkspace: Talkspace specializes in over 40 areas of clinical therapy, so you can feel confident that your needs will be met.
Our experience: We were impressed by the expedient response times that Talkspace therapists and counselors demonstrate. Whenever you need the help, their care providers are available to lend support.
Calmerry is an e-therapy network with therapists trained in a wide range of specialties, including grief counseling, couples counseling, and LGBTQ-related therapy. They give you two ways to communicate with counselors–texting and video sessions.
All plans include unlimited texting 24/7, daily responses from therapists, and the option to switch counselors or cancel at any time.
Why we chose Calmerry: Calmerry performs thorough background checks on its therapists to ensure the quality and reliability of the counseling services you receive.
Our experience: Calmerry doesn’t simply match you with a therapist; their blog provides information about therapy methods (including CBT, emotion-focused therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy) so you can understand which approach truly fits your needs.
Amwell offers flexible online therapy with a network of over 350 professional counselors specializing in a variety of therapy methods. Their platform is accessible through their website or mobile app, and doesn’t require you to subscribe—instead, they conveniently allow you to pay per-appointment.
You can search for available therapists by using the filters on the platform, and easily schedule an appointment once you’ve found the right fit. While this means you won’t be able to contact therapists between sessions, the upside is you spend less time waiting for the help you need.
Why we chose Amwell: Amwell is a one-stop-shop for all of your healthcare needs, including but not limited to therapy services. Its professionals can even write you a prescription if necessary. Additionally, Amwell is connected to 125 insurance providers, which can help lower your out-of-pocket costs.
Our experience: Unlike most online therapy providers, you don’t have to wait to be matched to a therapist when using Amwell. Their filter-and-find process puts more agency in your hands, giving you the relevant information you need to choose the right counselor.
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Service quality, therapist accreditations, cost of care, and modes of communication are essential features to look at when comparing the best online mental health services. We've compiled the chart below so you can easily see how our top 10 online therapy platforms differ in terms of overall user reviews, affordability, and how you'll communicate with your counselor.
For instance, if you prefer to communicate with your licensed therapist via phone calls, you should check whether this medium is available with a given online counseling service.
| Compare Top Online Therapy Websites | 1  | 2  | 3 .20210808104248.png) | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 169 reviews | 44 reviews | 30 reviews | Write Review | 70 reviews | 52 reviews | 42 reviews | 52 reviews | 15 reviews | Write Review |
Best for | Messaging your therapist anytime | Anxiety, depression, insomnia, bipolar | Treating non-urgent anxiety | Therapy covered by most insurance plans | Therapists that specialize in relationship therapy | Therapists specializing in teen therapy | LGBTQ+ Counseling | Online therapy and psychiatry services | Affordable therapy, wide range of therapy types | Those who want instant online therapy without the fuss |
Pricing | $60-$90/week per week | From $99/month, $30/month when covered by insurance | $160-$352/month
| $15-$99/session | $50-$80/week per week | $60-$90/week per week | $60-$90/week per week | $69-$129/week
per week | From $50/week | $109-$129/session, potentially covered by insurance per week |
Modes of communication | Text, live chat, video call, phone call | Phone, video calls, texting, email | Video, audio, live chat | In-person, video, phone call | Video, phone, message, live chat | Video, phone, message, live chat | Text, video, audio, and live sessions | Video, phone, message, live chat | Video, message, live chat, and audio message (on iOS only) | Video only |
Accreditation | PsyD, LMFT, LCSW/LMSW, LPC | Board-certified psychiatrists, physicians, PAs, NPs, PsyD, PHD, LCSW, LMHC, LPC, LCPC, licensed marriage and family therapists | MA, MS, MSW, PsyD, PhD | LCSW (LCSWA), LCMHC (LCMHCA) LICSW, LMHC, LGPC, LMFT, LPC, LCWM, LCPC, LPCC, LAPC, LMSW, LAMFT, PhD, PsyD, BC/BE | PsyD, LMFT, LCSW/LMSW, LPC | PsyD, LMFT, LCSW/LMSW, LPC | Minimum Master’s level with state licensure | PsyD, MS, MD, NP, LMFT, LICSW, LMHC, LPC | PhD, PsyD, LMFT, LCSW/LMSW, LPC | PsyD, LMFT, LCSW/LMSW, LPC with master’s or doctoral degree |
As a general rule, yes, e-therapy is cheaper than in-person therapy. Online therapy averages $60 to $80 per weekly session, while in-person therapy typically costs $100 to $200 per session.
There is growing scientific evidence that online therapy is legitimate and effective, with similar outcomes to in-person therapy and numerous benefits for patients and practitioners.
The best internet therapy platforms adhere to strict health regulations like HIPAA and CCPA and employ sophisticated, end-to-end encryption for chats and voice or video calls. However, some providers are known to share de-identified information with third parties like Facebook and Google, so be sure to read privacy policies carefully and do some research online.
For many people and many mental health issues, yes. Online therapy has been shown to be just as effective as in-person therapy in treating a wide variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and addiction. It is not recommended for more serious mental health issues, like severe depression, schizophrenia, or for situations where the patient is likely to harm themselves or others.
Your choice of online therapy may be covered depending on your insurance company. Some virtual therapy sites and apps already have agreements set with insurance companies. If your insurance company doesn’t cover e-therapy, you can always try to get a reimbursement.
Some internet therapy providers like Cerebral and MDLive are covered by Medicare. Call the customer service of a virtual counseling center and ask if they take Medicare, or inquire through Medicare itself.
Online therapists can’t prescribe medications because they might not have the proper accreditations to do so. Only a psychiatrist, someone who is a medical doctor, can prescribe medicine. Psychiatrists can do this both online and in person, but they can’t give medicine for chronic illnesses that require physical examinations.
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