Overview
Talkiatry at a Glance
What is Talkiatry?
Talkiatry is an online mental health platform that gives you access to psychiatric services for both adults and children 6+. You can choose your psychiatrist from Talkiatry’s range of experienced practitioners, ensuring personalized care for your specific needs. This is different from other platforms, which typically do the choosing for you.
Talkiatry operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, allowing flexibility without long-term subscriptions. This means you can conveniently choose the time and date of each appointment and for how long you’d like to receive help.
With over 600 licensed psychiatrists, Talkiatry covers a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, stress, and ADHD. Talkiatry is only available through insurance, but it partners with most major insurance providers, making it highly affordable.
Who is Talkiatry for?
Talkiatry caters to individuals regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Its 300-plus psychiatrists are experienced in a wide range of psychological difficulties and can help you understand your symptoms and provide the most appropriate medication and talking therapy. If you’re already taking medication, they can help you manage your dosage in accordance with a personalized treatment plan.
Talkiatry is great for those looking for support through insurance. However, it’s not suitable for those who only want talking therapy or are in immediate danger. Additionally, Talkiatry states that its services aren’t appropriate for some issues, such as personality disorders, schizophrenia, or substance-use issues.
Talkiatry features
Talkiatry offers a range of psychiatric sessions tailored to individual needs and preferences. Sessions usually last 30-60 minutes. Individual therapy is available for all ages, with individuals under 18 requiring virtual accompaniment by a parent or guardian.
You also have the option to select whether you would prefer talking therapy included in your healthcare plan. However, this is based on both therapist availability and insurance coverage, so make sure you check with your provider first. The features of online sessions involve live video, phone, and instant messaging, which you can select based on your preferences.
Is Talkiatry Safe and Reliable?
Talkiatry prioritizes your privacy and security by adhering to relevant privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Robust end-to-end encryption ensures secure communication during therapy sessions, whether through video or phone. Your data is treated with utmost confidentiality, shared only with your consent or as required by law, such as in emergency situations where there is a threat to your safety or the safety of others.
Importantly, you maintain control over your personal data and can exercise your right to access and manage it. At any time, you can also request the deletion of your data.
How Talkiatry Works
At Talkiatry, you collaborate with a psychiatrist to address your current challenges in 30–60-minute video or audio sessions. You can book as many sessions as you need, as often as you like, without any long-term commitment.
Once you’ve signed up, you can access Talkiatry’s patient portal to book and attend your sessions. It’s called healow and is available on Talkiatry’s website or app. The interface is intuitive, making it convenient even for those with limited computer proficiency. Simply choose a date and time from your user profile, then click "Confirm Appointment."
However, if you miss, cancel, or reschedule an appointment with less than 48 hours notice, Talkiatry will charge a $100 fee. Appointments will also be canceled, and this fee applied if the appointment is for a minor (below 18 years) and the parent/guardian is not physically present with the minor at the time of the appointment.
How to Get Started With Talkiatry
To get started, visit Talkiatry’s website and click on “Get started” in the top-right corner to proceed to an assessment of your needs and preferences. The following screen will ask you for your email address to receive a verification link. Click on the link within the email to continue the sign-up process, which then asks for your name, address, and telephone number.
Next, it will present a series of questions asking you for details on your current difficulties, such as whether you’re looking for help with low mood, stress, anxiety, and so on.
It will also ask you questions about issues that Talkiatry isn’t suitable for, such as whether you need help with a specific disorder like schizophrenia and suicidal thoughts. Responding yes to any of these will automatically close the sign-up process, and you’ll be redirected to alternative, external resources.
Once you’ve completed each question, including entering your insurance details and personal information, you’ll be shown a selection of psychiatrists that match your criteria.
From here, you can view more information about each psychiatrist, such as their areas of expertise and biography. To continue, select a psychiatrist, click “Book Appointment,” select a date and time, and then “Confirm Appointment.”
You will then receive an email about setting up your profile on its patient portal. Here, you can enter detailed information about your insurance plan to ensure your session is covered.
If you need to reschedule your appointment, contact customer support services more than 48 hours beforehand to avoid paying a cancellation fee.
Talkiatry Customer Service
If you have any inquiries or need assistance, you can reach out via email at hello@talkiatry.com. Talkiatry states it will respond within 15 minutes if you get in contact during the core working hours (8 am to 8 pm EST)—I received a response within four minutes.
Alternatively, you can engage in live chat with their customer service via telephone at (833) 351-8255. However, I wasn’t able to get through on the phone despite calling several times.
Talkiatry's website includes a collection of blog posts offering guidance on getting started with therapy and an FAQ section for common questions regarding its services and payment options.
How do you switch therapists?
To switch to a different psychiatrist, simply let Talkiatry know via email or telephone that you’re unhappy with your current arrangement. They will then ask you questions to help ensure they match you with a practitioner that more closely fits your needs.
How to Cancel or Pause a Talkiatry Subscription?
With Talkiatry, you only cover your copay amount per virtual session, and you’re under no obligation to continue receiving Talkiatry care if you want to stop. All you have to do is inform Talkiatry via telephone or email that you want to discontinue. To resume, you can get in touch again whenever you’re ready.
Is There a Talkiatry App?
Talkiatry uses a patient portal app called healow, available for iOS (via the Apple store, user score: 4.6) and Android (via Google Play, user score: 4.6). Although it’s not compulsory, you can use this app to conveniently manage and make appointments with your psychiatrist. It has a clean, user-friendly interface that’s accessible even for those who aren’t comfortable using technology.
Talkiatry Pricing
How Much Does Talkiatry Cost?
It’s difficult to get precise information on how much Talkiatry costs. Unlike many other online platforms, there’s no fixed price for using its services. It only accepts patients with in-network insurance plans, and how much you’re charged depends on your health insurance coverage.
Before you schedule an appointment, Talkiatry will inform you about any deductible or copay requirements and provide details about your total out-of-pocket costs.
After each visit, Talkiatry will bill your insurance company directly and generate a balance statement for you to pay. Its website indicates that, depending on your plan, the copay could be as low as $25 per visit, “if anything at all”. If you have a deductible plan and haven’t met your deductible yet, the average cost is between $325 and $414 per visit.
Does Talkiatry accept insurance?
Insurance coverage depends on your state, provider, and plan, but Talkiatry accepts most major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Magellan, and ComPsych. The sign-up process asks for your insurance information, which you can use to check if you’re covered. Alternatively, you can check with your insurance provider first to see if you’re covered and the anticipated cost of your copay and deductibles.
Does Talkiatry offer discounts?
Talkiatry currently doesn’t offer discounts.
What can you do with Talkiatry for free?
Talkiatry doesn’t offer a free trial period for psychiatry or talking therapy services. However, there are resources freely available on its website in the form of blog posts, such as its “6 tips for success” in starting therapy. You can also take a virtual tour of the patient portal before signing up to get an idea of what it looks like.
Optional add-ons
Talking therapy is available in addition to psychiatry services. To get talking therapy on top of your usual service, speak to your psychiatrist, and they’ll refer you to a Talkiatry therapist. You can also get limited information on the credentials of therapists and the types of talking therapy available through Talkiatry on its website.
Talkiatry Alternatives
How Does Talkiatry Compare to Other Online Therapy Services?
Talkiatry vs BetterHelp
BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that utilizes a subscription-based model. In contrast to Talkiatry, you need to make monthly payments for four live sessions. BetterHelp also focuses solely on talking therapy and doesn’t provide psychiatric services. Importantly, there is no option to pay through insurance, although some insurance providers may offer partial reimbursement.
Talkiatry vs Cerebral
Cerebral is an online platform that provides prescription and counseling services. With a monthly subscription starting at $85, you can access comprehensive care that includes counseling, behavioral health coaching, as well as medication prescription and management.
In contrast to Talkiatry, it specializes in supporting individuals with depression, anxiety, and related disorders such as bipolar disorder.
Talkiatry vs Brightside
While Talkiatry provides a wide array of psychiatric services for various mental health conditions, Brightside specializes in offering therapeutic and medical support specifically for individuals experiencing depression and/or anxiety. It offers comprehensive treatment plans that include both talking therapy and psychiatric services through a medication plan.
Bottom Line (Is Talkiatry Worth It?)
I appreciate Talkiatry's straightforward and user-friendly online interface, as well as its unique approach to selecting a therapist. In contrast to other platforms, Talkiatry allows you to explore a diverse pool of licensed and experienced psychiatrists according to your specific requirements, enabling you to choose the professional who best suits your needs.
Accessing psychiatry services for a wide range of needs makes Talkiatry unique. The ability to pay through insurance also makes it affordable for many, although this might be off-putting for those who’d prefer to, or can only, pay through cash-only options.
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