Best Online Therapist Services 2026
Therapy on your time, in your space

How Does Online Therapy Work?

Most online therapy companies offer 3 main types of counselling: real-time chat, video chat, and phone chat.

Email and text message counselling is popular with people who want to be able to think out their questions and write them out before asking. These tend to not be free-flowing conversations like with phone or video chats, but being able to write out what you want to say can be preferable. Typically these chats are done through your personal email to a special, secure email provided through the site, which can help safeguard your anonymity.

Video chat will require a reliable internet connection and will allow you to speak with a virtual therapist face-to-face, if not in the same room. It’s intimate, personal, and allows you to establish a rapport that can be more difficult with the written word.

Real time chat puts you into a secure line and allows you to chat back and forth with a counsellor in real time. Think of it like having your own chat room with a counsellor who’s there to listen to what ails you.

When you sign up for an online therapy service, you’ll typically be asked to take a short quiz to determine which sorts of issues you’re dealing with, which can be used to help the service match you with a counsellor who may specialise in your concerns. If you’re seeking out online counselling for your child, the quiz will ask you a lot of questions about what you think the child needs help with, before sending the child an invitation on your behalf.

How Much Does it Cost?

The prices vary by company, but typically online therapy services charge a monthly fee to use the service, and don't charge by minute or hour or text. For instance, BetterHelp, one of the bigger names in the industry, charges a flat fee of between £40-£70 per week, including all messaging, chats, phone, and video sessions.

These memberships tend to be quite flexible, and allow you to quit at any time.

Most online counselling is not covered by private insurance, so while it’s cheaper than in-person therapists, you will typically have to pay out of pocket.

How to Choose the Right Online Therapy Service

Before you sign up for an online therapy service, do a little research. Take a look at how the company screens its counsellors and if their certification checks out. You can also look at online testimonials by clients to get an idea about the quality of service.

You’ll want to decide which types of counselling you want—chat, video, or email—and if they’re available through the service. If you’re interested in using the service on your smartphone, see if the company has an app and if you’re allowed to have sessions with your counsellor by chat on your phone.

In addition, check what type of security they provide and if your chats will be encrypted, and if you’ll have the ability to remain anonymous to your counsellor.

Look at the price also, and see if it fits your budget. In addition, see if you can quit the membership at any time, or if its binding.

How to Choose an Online Therapist

Once you’ve decided on an online therapy platform, your next step is to choose a therapist.

Most online therapy sites let you view all of the counsellors available on the platform. Since many sites have hundreds of available counsellors, you’ll want to narrow down your options, which you can do by considering what you need from a therapist and then reading their bios to find the best fit.

Since every person requires something slightly different from a counsellor, it’s a good idea to know at least to some degree what you’re looking for in a counsellor. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Specialism: Online therapists specialise in everything from anxiety and depression to couples counselling. Make sure to choose a counsellor whose specialisms support your goals and needs.

Approach: Counsellors offer everything from traditional talk therapy to CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and more. Consider your needs, read up on the different approaches if you need to, and choose a counsellor who offers the support that will best serve you.

Accessibility: Make sure to choose a therapist whose schedule aligns with yours. It’s also a good idea to make sure they conduct therapy over your preferred medium, be it live video, phone, or email.