These Online Therapy Services Are Making Mental Health Care More Approachable & Accessible

Talkspace is an online therapy service with thousands of licensed therapists and thousands of positive reviews to back it. Insurance is accepted and many types of therapy are offered, including CBT, humanistic therapy, psychodynamic therapy, DBT, and more. While the platform suggests therapists for you based on a detailed intake form, you do have the ability to choose your own therapist from a few options.

From the moment your provider is selected, you’ll feel supported. The app supports 24/7 messaging capabilities and provides an estimated response time whenever you send a message. Note, responses are only guaranteed on weekdays. Through the app, you can track your goals and progress and access additional mental health resources.

Talkspace has a few plans to choose from, depending on what level of support you are looking for. The “plus” plan gives you text, video, and audio messaging capabilities; the “premium” plan offers all that plus one 30-minute live session per month; and the “ultimate” plan includes unlimited messaging and four 30-minute live sessions per month. There is a psychiatry branch, Talkspace Psychiatry, which focuses primarily on medication management and is separate from the online therapy plans.

Cost: $65 per week

Even if you’ve just started your search for online therapy options, you’ve likely come across BetterHelp. It’s the largest online therapy service that exists today, with newer branches for specialized therapy including Teen Counseling, Pride Counseling, and Regain. Like its sister brands, BetterHelp has an easy-to-use interface and a quick-yet-detailed sign-up process that helps match you with a therapist for your individual goals and preferences. Don’t worry, though, if you mesh with your therapist, it’s fairly simple to request a new one.

Therapy sessions on BetterHelp can be phone calls or video chats. Between appointments, you’ll have unlimited messaging access to your therapist. Our testers began messaging with their therapists even before their initial session, which helped them build a connection and feel more comfortable heading into the appointment. Not all providers offer video sessions, so be sure to make note of your preferences and double check with your appointed therapist if that’s something you are looking for.

If you think you can’t have life-changing breakthroughs in online therapy, think again. Our full BetterHelp review dives deeper into why even someone who has gone to in-person therapy for years was a fan of BetterHelp.

Cost: $60 to $90 per week, billed every four weeks

Contrary to what you may have previously believed, couples therapy is not reserved for those facing extreme issues. In fact, even couples who simply want to improve communication or receive guidance on upcoming milestones could benefit from seeing a couples therapist.

Owned by BetterHelp, Regain is an online therapy provider designed specifically for couples. The platform gives users access to licensed professionals, with specialization in couples therapy. When you sign up, you’ll complete a full questionnaire to indicate which areas you’d like to work on, as well as any preferences you have for specific certifications and methods of communication.

As with all BetterHelp brands, your therapist will be assigned to you based on the criteria you outline at sign-up. Regain makes it simple to change your therapist if you don’t find the first one to be a good match, but you will never be given the option to choose a specific therapist. That said, it’s important for both you and your partner to connect with your therapist, so we recommend giving it a few sessions and then discussing with your partner to see how you are both feeling.

Regain offers live video sessions, with messaging access to your therapist between sessions. While every session focuses primarily on relationships, there is the option for one partner to start ahead of the other—and there will never be an extra charge for a partner joining. Regain does not currently accept insurance, and lands in the middle of our pricing scale.

Cost: $60 to $90 per week

If you’re looking for accessible therapy options for your teenager, Teen Counseling (TC) is an excellent choice. A branch of BetterHelp, TC has a similar model, with an app and multiple methods of communication offered, including video chat, phone calls, or messaging. As with BetterHelp, insurance is not accepted, and prices range from $60 to $90 per week, billed monthly.

Teens from 13- to 19-years-old can use TC to work through issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or bullying. Once the parent completes the signup process to match their child with a licensed counselor, each session will be confidential between the teen and the therapist.

While the therapist is required to report any sign of abuse or if the teen is thought to be a danger to themselves or others, parents will otherwise not have access to anything discussed in these therapy sessions. Each of these counselors specializes in helping teenagers, but they cannot provide a diagnosis and the service is not meant for emergency situations.

Cost: $60 to $90 per week, billed every four weeks

Designed specifically for members of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Counseling offers a variety of therapy modalities, including trauma-focused, psychodynamic, and cognitive behavioral therapy. You will be automatically paired with a therapist based on your intake form, but every therapist on the platform has at least three years of experience and a valid license. If for whatever reason you do not feel like it is a good match, you can request a new therapist assignment through customer service.

Your session can be a phone call, video call, or live chat, depending on what you and your therapist prefer. In between sessions, you’ll have 24/7 access to private chat rooms for messaging. While the app provides extensive access to therapists and licensed professionals, it is not meant for urgent crises or emergency situations. It is also not suitable for minors or court-ordered therapy.

Cost: $60 to $90 per week, billed every four weeks

Brightside offers video therapy sessions and unlimited messaging with multiple subscription plan options: a medication plan, a therapy plan, and a medication + therapy plan. All therapists have a masters degree or higher, and if you are on a medication plan you will be matched with a licensed psychiatrist, physician, or psychiatric nurse practitioner. The cost of the medication is not included in the membership fee, and while a wide range of insurance plans are accepted, there is no financial assistance offered to those without insurance.

Brightside uses a proprietary data-driven technology, PrecisionRX, to analyze patients and recommend medication options to the provider. In 2022, the brand funded and co authored a study with medical science journal, Cureus, which found that patients who received care from Brightside experienced a significantly higher reduction in symptoms than those who received treatment as usual.

One downside of this service is that a few of the site's therapists have fairly limited availability when it comes to scheduling. On the bright side (pun intended), the signup process tends to be quite fast. You will typically be matched with a therapist within one business day.

Through your subscription plan, you’ll have messaging access with your therapist or psychiatrist. Just keep in mind that all sessions are video calls—there is no option for audio phone calls or live chat.

Cost: $95 per month for medication management; $349 per month for therapy & medication; pharmacy copay per prescription

If you prefer a therapist that can prescribe medication, you’ll want an online service with psychiatrists. Dr. On Demand has doctors specializing in conditions such as grief and loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, postpartum depression, and more. You’ll be matched with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication and will call in necessary prescriptions to your local pharmacy.

One major selling point for this platform is that it accepts a number of different insurance plans. Our pricing refers to out-of-pocket rates, for those who do not have insurance coverage. While this is one service that does not offer chat or email support, the therapists have availability seven days a week for video chat sessions. And because the site only has psychologists and psychiatrists, you can feel confident that your provider has undergone an extensive amount of training.

Anyone who is new to therapy will appreciate the helpful resources on the Dr. On Demand website, outlining various symptoms and sample treatment plans. Signing up for therapy can be overwhelming, but this level of detail helps give a better understanding of what to expect. This provider is also very detailed in outlining the privacy and confidentiality parameters and gives patients the ability to choose their own therapist, versus other service’s method of automatically pairing you up based on a survey alone.

Cost: 25 minutes for $129; 50 minutes for $179; $299 for initial visit

7 cups is an online therapy service providing therapy to members 18 and older, and community support for teenagers 13- to 17-years-old. Chat rooms are available 24/7 to all members, as a safe space to connect with peers and get support from people who understand what you are going through.

Along with therapy services and unlimited messaging, 7 cups also provides various self-help resources such as videos and worksheets to dive deeper into your mental health journey. While the chat rooms are free, there are no mental health professionals in these rooms. To work with a licensed therapist, you’ll need a monthly membership ($150/month).

Keep in mind, you will not have traditional therapy sessions, and instead will have the ability to message your therapist as often as you’d like in a private chat room. Your therapist will then reply once or twice a day, on weekdays only.

Cost: $150 per month for access to therapists; free for chat rooms

A bit different than a typical online therapy subscription service, LiveHealth Online operates on a pay-per-session model. The great thing about this is that there’s no commitment and you can cancel anytime. On the downside, this does land it on the more expensive end—but insurance is accepted.

All that said, LiveHealth Online has an incredibly simple (and free!) sign-up process and makes it easy to access mental health professionals, including psychiatrists and a range of licensed therapists. Since there are psychiatrists available, medications can be prescribed. You’re also able to choose your provider based on individual preferences and easy-to-view upcoming availability, as opposed to being matched up with a therapist automatically.

While there are not any extras such as guides, courses, chat rooms, and journals, this is a straightforward and reliable platform for anyone seeking talk therapy or medication. Just note, the only communication is through your video sessions.

Cost: $80 to $95 per session; up to $175 for first psychiatry session; $75 for follow-up psychiatry session

While, yes, texting capabilities are incredibly convenient for online therapy, video therapy has a much more similar feel to in-office therapy visits. Amwell’s video therapy settings allow you to adjust your view so you’ll only see your therapist, not yourself—which helps you focus on the conversation, not yourself, and is greatly appreciated by those of us who spend a good portion of the day looking at ourselves on video calls.

The service itself is very easy to use, whether on-site or on the app. There are different types of therapists available on Amwell, including psychiatrists who can prescribe medications. And, if you’re looking for a more holistic experience, you can use Amwell for other forms of healthcare, too, not just therapy.

It’s worth mentioning that there are no messaging or texting options on Amwell—so, if you’re looking for more frequent support between sessions, this is probably not the right pick for you. While there are not many online therapy services that accept insurance, Amwell is one of them and accepts many insurance plans.

Cost: $109 for therapist with a master's; $129 for therapist with a Ph.D.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common forms of talk therapy, so it makes sense to have an online therapy service dedicated solely to this method. CBT is backed by extensive research, and is seen to be most effective in treating those with anxiety, stress, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

While Online-Therapy.com does have a specialized focus, it truly is a holistic experience. Through your membership, you’ll have access to a slew of mental health resources: worksheets, yoga, meditation, weekly live chats with a therapist, an online journal, and unlimited messaging capabilities. Just keep in mind, while you can message any time, the therapists are typically only available on weekdays during business hours.

This platform is a great choice for anyone looking to embark on a self-discovery journey through a well-rounded approach (of course, with a deep focus on CBT). It’s not for you if you’re seeking a different form of therapy, or if you want to be prescribed medication. Insurance is not accepted, but the cost is on the low end of our pricing scale.

Cost: $40 to $80 per week

One of our top picks for the best online sex therapy, Modern intimacy offers individual therapy, couples therapy, and sex therapy. While it is on the more expensive side, you’ll have access to extensively-trained practitioners specializing in sex and relationship challenges, mood disorders, addiction, self-esteem and self-confidence issues, alternative lifestyles, body image and eating disorders, LGBTQ affirmative therapies, and more.

Modern Intimacy offers a free 30-minute phone consultation, during which you can ask any question you have to determine whether it’s the right service and provider for you. From there, you’ll see your therapist via video sessions, and will pay per appointment. Every Modern Intimacy practitioner is highly trained and educated and will help you work through any relational or individual issue using different methods of talk therapy, research-sharing, and homework assignments. If you are looking for an online service with therapists who will hold you accountable, this is a great choice.

It’s important to note that Modern Intimacy is only available to Florida, Illinois, Colorado, California, and New York residents.

Cost: $150 to $300 per session