Advertisement
Is Talkspace Good For People New To Therapy? Here's My Firsthand Experience
Even though I regularly preach about the importance of mental health for your overall well-being, I have a small confession to make. I've never been to therapy.
First things first, it's important to clarify that I don't believe in any taboos about therapy. It's an important tool for managing your mental health and can have a profound impact on your relationships with others.
However, I've always been intimidated by starting therapy—and I've had plenty of excuses for skipping it. Therapy was out of my budget; there wasn't enough time in my schedule to meet with someone in person; switching therapists would be awkward.
But Talkspace took away my excuses. The online platform connects you with licensed professionals with options for phone, text, or live video therapy sessions. Signing up takes less than five minutes and even shows you what's covered by your insurance.
When signing up for therapy was scary, Talkspace made it a lot easier. And the best part? I'm planning to stick with it long term. Below, I'll uncover what it's like to enter your first therapy session and dive into my experience using the Talkspace platform.
- Signing up for Talkspace took me less than 15 minutes—which included hunting down my insurance plan—and the site matched me with a professional within an hour.
- My therapist felt warm and comfortable despite an online session. I felt confident in the site's vetting process and licensing requirements.
- My copay for each session was only $40 (though most users pay $0). It made therapy feel affordable, when most people are complaining about the costs.
- Booking my first session was super easy (and I like that my therapist had tons of availability to work with my schedule).
- Therapy feels like it's on my terms. I could decide how often we should meet, how long we should meet, and what goals I wanted to track—which can all be done in the Talkspace platform.
What is Talkspace?
Talkspace is an online therapy service that offers affordable services for couples, individuals, and even teens. You can choose whether you want traditional therapy or psychiatric care. The former will connect you with licensed therapists or mental health counselors, while the latter will specialize in medication management.
When you join, you'll be prompted to select the exact type of care you're seeking, along with sharing information about yourself. If you opt for traditional therapy, your questionnaire will focus on your current mental state with questions about how you're currently feeling. Anyone seeking psychiatric support will need to share a bit of context about their medical history to help the platform find the right fit.
What plans does Talkspace offer?
Talkspace kick-starts your journey by sharing potential plan options. Users can opt into using insurance or decide to pay out of pocket. The plan options include:
- $104/week for a 30-minute video session & messaging therapy
- $73/week for messaging (messaging five days per week)
- $115/week for video, messaging & workshops
A someone new to therapy, I wanted to go all in with live video. While I know that text therapy can be helpful for many, I'm someone who shows their emotions on their face (even when I'm composed with my words). Having someone watch my reactions and facial expressions felt like the best way to get the most out of my sessions.
My first therapy session with Talkspace
Prior to my first session, I was extremely nervous. While I knew I was vetting the therapist to ensure they were a fit for my needs—and Talkspace would let me switch health care providers at any time—I didn't really know what to expect in my session (and it was 60 minutes long!).
Thankfully, Talkspace provided pre-session questions to help me get into the correct mindset. These questions helped me gauge what I currently felt and where I could benefit the most from support. And while I hadn't started my session yet, I loved that it provided prompts to help guide your therapist through the best way to interact with you—it's a two-way street!
Once I logged into my session, I was immediately at ease. I'd opted for a female practitioner (you have the choice!) because I felt they could best relate to my experience—and she met all of my expectations. Her presence was calming yet inquisitive, with thoughtful tidbits of knowledge woven into our conversation.
There were moments when I could tell she was trying to understand a bit more of my mental health—asking about a recent period of poor sleep and questioning how big of a role anxiety played in my life—but ultimately she allowed me to guide her through my background with ease. The session ended with my therapist providing a goal, which can later be tracked in the platform to see my progress over time.
Despite my hesitation about online therapy, I was shocked that I cried at least once despite feeling like my mental health was in a great space. The session revealed how much work I'd put into trying to change habits that weren't serving me, but it also showed how much further I had to go.
And while my rave thoughts about my session could be attributed to the power of therapy, I think the process was so simple because of Talkspace. It felt like the platform had thought of everything to make starting therapy a breeze: a cheat sheet of questions to make the most of your session, a tool to track your progress over time, and a streamlined system that makes utilizing your insurance so easy.
FYI
Is Talkspace legit?
Not only is Talkspace HIPPA-compliant, but it also uses encrypted messaging, two-factor authentication, and even biometric login options like Face ID to protect your data. And while the security is legit, so is the vetting process for therapists.
Talkspace requires mental health professionals to be licensed and verified, with a background check. Additionally, they need 3,000+ hours of clinical experience to offer their services on Talkspace.
The takeaway
Beginning therapy isn't just about "fixing" something. It's a wellness practice—just like eating well or moving your body. It's a way of nourishing your inner life, developing emotional strength, and living with more intention. And for those of us who've never tried therapy before, Talkspace offers a soft, inviting on-ramp to that journey.
By lowering logistical barriers and providing professional, licensed support in a digital space, Talkspace meets a modern need: mental health care that's accessible, judgment-free, and rooted in the belief that caring for your mind is as essential as caring for your body. And yes, I've already booked another session.