Talk therapy can help you deal with various mental health issues. For instance, the goals of best affordable depression therapy platforms include helping someone improve their mood, change certain behaviors, or overcome other problems with the help of a mental health expert.
The word “therapy” comes from Ancient Greek, meaning “to restore” or “heal,” which makes perfect sense if you think of why we decide to visit a therapist in the first place. Therapy can help you overcome your mental health problems, such as unwanted behaviors or harmful thoughts. It can also help experience more positive emotions and improve social skills.
To help clients overcome their mental health issues, therapists should have a license, as well as experience. It’s important to find a real professional when you’re looking for emotional help because the success of the treatment process directly depends on your therapist’s professionalism.
Therapy can be as simple or complex as you need it to be. If face-to-face meetings with your therapist are not possible, online therapy may offer an effective way for people who are seeking help because it does not require clients to be physically present in a therapist’s office. Instead, you can simply talk to them via a video call or even exchange messages.
Therapy from the comfort of your home might be a great solution for those who don’t feel comfortable enough in the traditional setting or don’t have enough time to commute to a therapist’s office. If you’re looking for the best online therapy experience possible, then we recommend that you try out these providers.
Top 7 Best Online Therapy Services:
- Calmerry – Overall Best Therapy Platform for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Teen Counseling – Best Therapy for Teenagers
- Online-Therapy.com – Popular Therapist Hub for Online Counseling
- Better Help – Convenient Online Therapy Services
- Talk Space – Variety of Experts
- Regain – Best For Couples’ Mental Health
- Pride Counseling – Top-Rated Therapy for LGBTQIA+
We know that everyone has different needs and preferences so here is a quick rundown on what these platforms have to offer:
1. Calmerry – Overall Best Therapy Platform for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Calmerry is a mental health platform that was established after Covid-19 in order to help people with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety issues. Calmerry has a well-designed website, it’s easy to navigate and use. Bright colors separate each section of information on the site, and there are links to customer support so clients can quickly get the necessary help.
Calmerry is a platform with professionally licensed therapists from different backgrounds. It also provides therapy for LGBTQIA+ people, offering help to those who have often been dismissed or ignored by society.
Highlights
Advanced matching with therapists: The careful selection of fully licensed and experienced therapists on the platform ensures that you’ll be matched with someone who is just right for your needs. You can also switch therapists for free.
Freebies: Calmerry also offers free self-care tools, including a mood-tracking chatbot Coa.
Active social media accounts: Calmerry has an active social media presence, which is always appreciated by clients. The company posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and shares helpful information for people in need of emotional support or those who want to learn more about their mental issues, like depression, anxiety disorders, grief, trauma, etc.
Resourceful blog: Calmerry’s blog has plenty of helpful articles that cover many topics about self-care and therapy. It can be an interesting read between sessions with your therapist.
Detailed FAQ section: Calmerry has a helpful FAQ section with answers to some common questions. For example, this section features information on how therapy works and what data is collected, as well as privacy policy updates.
Mobile app: People spend many hours on their phones, so it’s no wonder that so many of us are looking for an app that could allow us to access therapy at any time. Calmerry offers a convenient mobile app and unlimited texts so you can send a message to your therapist whenever you want.
Pros
- Flexible scheduling
- Experienced therapists
- Helpful resources on the blog
- Professional customer support
- Free self-care tools
Cons
- Live sessions are relatively short
- No group therapy
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2. Teen Counseling – Best Therapy for Teenagers
We all know that teenagers can be difficult to deal with sometimes. They’re always asking for things, they may blame you for their faults, and they often just don’t know what they want.
The Teen Counseling website provides therapy services for people of all ages, but they specialize in helping teenagers. The site offers both online and face-to-face sessions with a variety of different professionals that can provide the help your teen needs!
Teen Counseling is a great option for those who seek therapy covered by their insurance. They can give you an official receipt so that your provider will know what type of service was received and how much it cost, which may help when submitting claims or asking questions about coverage.
Highlights
Options for teen, parent, or group sessions: A client can receive counseling alone as an individual, with parents, or in a group of teens, which might be helpful in cases where a teen may not be expressive towards their parents.
Areas of therapy: Teenagers face many emotional challenges in their day-to-day lives, including the need to cope with depression and anger. Teen Counseling provides therapy to address these issues, along with tools for improving performance at school so that teenagers can better manage stress while achieving success on all fronts.
Privacy: The team of Teen Counseling is committed to protecting the user’s privacy. They will not share any sensitive information, even with parents, unless their client considers self-harm or violence toward others.
Pros
- Offers parental counseling
- Messages with therapists are private
- Focus on teenagers
- Convenient subscription plans
Cons
- No free consultations
- No drug management
3. Online-Therapy.com – Popular Therapist Hub for Online Counseling
Online-Therapy.com is one of the oldest platforms on our list, and it’s still quite popular, which can only mean they’re doing something right. They’ve been around for many years and continue to provide high-quality services.
When you sign up for the website, they’ll ask a few questions about your mental health to better understand your problem. You can also choose what types of therapists you’re interested in, and your preferences will be taken into account during the matching process.
Highlights
A vast library of resources: The website offers a library of resources for those who need help with their mental health. You can find everything from yoga videos to action plans, and even journals where you keep track of your emotions.
Flexible subscription plans: The basic plan features daily messages to your therapist and access to all informational resources, but if that isn’t enough, there are also premium plans available. Premium plans guarantee quick responses and include unlimited messages, along with several live sessions.
Qualified therapists: The therapists on this platform have a minimum of three years of experience and are all licensed to practice in their states. There are therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers who can help you with all kinds of mental health issues.
Reliable privacy policies: With Online-Therapy.com, you can be sure that all messages will always stay encrypted so no one else but you and your therapist will access them. You can also download a copy of your medical records.
Pros
- Reasonable subscription prices
- Therapist’s bios are available on the website
- Valuable additional resources
- First month’s discount
Cons
- No couples therapy
- No group therapy
4. Betterhelp – Convenient Online Therapy Services
The BetterHelp counseling platform offers a wide range of services, including family therapy and depression treatment. The company’s goal is to connect people with the right therapists, counselors, and coaches.
BetterHelp offers a wide range of services to help you with your emotional problems, including anxiety and depression. They can also help overcome addictions and other kinds of mental health disorders.
Highlights
Financial Aid: For those who have a limited budget, BetterHelp offers financial aid and discounts. You may need to answer a few questions about your employment status, monthly income, and children
Experienced therapists: BetterHelp has a team of skilled and experienced mental health counselors to help you with your problems. Here, you can find licensed therapists and social workers, as well as marriage and family therapists.
The matching process: The signup process on Betterhelp is quick and easy. You answer a few questions to create your profile, and then an algorithm will match you with a therapist who meets your requirements. You can also switch therapists if you need to.
Pros
- A vast network of therapists
- You can send a text to your therapist at any time
- A convenient mobile app
- Simple matching process
- Financial aid for eligible users
Cons
- Does not offer prescriptions
- No counseling for children
5. Talk Space – Variety of Experts
Talkspace is one of the oldest online therapy providers that appeared back in 2012. The company aims to break down barriers by making care more accessible, no matter who you are or where you live.
The website has a sleek and stylish design that allows for easy navigation. After signing up, you can choose from among thousands of licensed therapists who offer all kinds of mental health help.
This company also employs psychiatrists. This focus allows them to help people with severe cases of depression, bipolar disorder, and other difficult problems.
Highlights
Accepts Insurance: Talkspace accepts insurance, though it can be limited to certain vendors.
Flexible subscription plans: Talkspace offers a range of subscription plans, with the basic one having no live sessions. Premium subscriptions offer various video packages. Each live visit lasts 30 minutes. You need to use all available slots before the end of the month or they will disappear.
Free Consultation: You can talk to a therapist for free thanks to a consultation feature.
Wide range of services: Whether it be couples counseling or depression treatment, you can find the necessary service on Talkspace. The platform also offers premarital advice and drug management programs.
Pros
- Offers drug management services
- 24/7 access
- Accepts insurance
- Allows you to change a therapist at any time
- Offers couples therapy
Cons
- No therapist bios
- No group therapy
6. Regain – Best for Couples’ Mental Health
There are over 8,000 qualified counselors on the ReGain platform so it will be easy for you to find a good mental health expert for your relationship issues.
Here, you can get the so-need emotional support when dealing with adultery, going through a breakup or divorce, or trying to find that “chemistry” between you and your partner again. The price of this online therapy service depends on your location and the complexity of your problem.
Highlights
User-friendly website: ReGain is a nice resource for anyone who wants to improve their relationship with another person. The website includes helpful blog posts and articles that have been reviewed or fact-checked by licensed therapists so you can learn a lot about relationships.
Customer support: The website has a Q&A section that addresses many issues. It explains how the process works, provides pricing information, and explains the key details on subscription plans.
Special discounts: ReGain offers special discounts for select groups of people, like military veterans and college students. Sometimes, it also offers special programs for clients with limited budgets.
Privacy policies: All details that you share with the therapist will never be shared, making it easier to talk without feeling uncomfortable about what you have to say. Your session notes are encrypted and stored securely offsite, inaccessible to any third parties.
Pros
- Modern and easy-to-use platform
- Responsive customer support
- Reasonable cost of subscriptions
- A helpful library of additional resources
Cons
- Matching with a therapist can be impersonal
- No therapist bios
7. Pride Counseling – Top-Rated Therapy for LGBTQIA+
Many people in the LGBTQIA+ community have had bad experiences with mental health services because they haven’t been treated fairly. Pride Counseling was created specifically for the LGBTQIA+ community. Here, everyone can find licensed therapists and enjoy therapy at reasonable prices.
A survey helps a matching algorithm determine your gender and sexual status. It also includes a checklist of common mental health symptoms so the algorithm can match you with experts who are familiar with your problems.
Highlights
Financial aid: Pride Counseling offers discount codes. The organization may also provide financial aid if regular rates are too high for you, which can come in the form of substantial discounts or even free sessions.
Easy to use: Pride Counseling offers unlimited text, audio, and video messages. You can also easily change therapists by using the algorithm that will match you quickly instead of having to search through lists yourself.
Privacy policy: Pride Counseling offers a safe space for those who may be inclined to hide their sexuality because of the current climate of discrimination against sexual minorities. The company makes sure that clients can receive counseling without anyone else knowing that they use such a service.
Pros
- Increased discretion
- HIPAA compliance
- Focus on LGBTQIA+ people
- A wide range of therapists
Cons
- No free trials or consultations
- No therapists’ bios on the website
How We Made the List of Online Counseling Services?
Making a list of the best online therapy platforms can be difficult because there are dozens of similar companies on the internet. Therefore, we have some important criteria that help us evaluate companies’ performance.
We considered the most popular platforms we could find and made a list. After this, we reviewed the list, checking such aspects as licensing, contact methods, and services offered. Other factors that we checked included the cost of therapy and privacy. We analyzed all the important factors and determined which companies offer the best services.
What We Looked For
The following factors were considered when creating this list of best online therapy.
Licensing: We understand the importance of choosing an online therapist who is qualified and licensed. By choosing companies from our list, you can rest assured knowing that they will provide professional care.
Communication channels: Companies that we selected provide different types of online therapy, including text and video therapy. You can always choose a provider that meets your specific needs.
Pricing: We carefully selected our top picks because we know that some clients have limited budgets. That’s why each company meets two criteria: it is affordable, and it provides high-quality services.
Things to Consider Before Starting Online Therapy Sessions
Think about the pros and cons of online therapy before making your decision. How convenient is it? Will it be cheaper than meeting face-to-face with a therapist? How much time do you have for therapy?
Privacy and Security
Before using these services, it’s important that you review their privacy policy and make sure that they do not share any data with third parties unless required by law. End-to-end encryption can protect your personal data so only you and your therapist will have access to it.
Special Services
LGBTQIA+ people often face challenges when it comes to therapy so we only selected companies with a good reputation that are inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly.
FAQ
Is online therapy discrete?
Online therapy platforms use encryption so your messages cannot be hacked. Besides, data privacy laws (HIPAA) protect you from unauthorized disclosure.
How does online therapy work?
It’s important to find the right therapist. You could try phone, texting, or video therapy, depending on your preferences. Some platforms offer limited live chats monthly, and some provide extended packages with unlimited messages and weekly live video sessions.
Is online therapy effective?
Online therapy is a flexible and cost-effective type of talk therapy, which has proven to be effective when treating mental health disorders. It is also more convenient for people with tight work schedules than traditional therapy. Besides, people with certain mental health disorders, like social anxiety, may find online conversations more comfortable than in-person meetings.
Can I access online therapy on my mobile phone?
Websites of companies from our list can be accessed via smartphones or tablets. Besides, many platforms have mobile apps that enable you to communicate with a therapist from virtually anywhere.
Which format is best for online therapy?
There are many ways to connect with an online therapist. You may find it easier to express yourself when texting or opt for live video sessions. Some people also choose phone calls — the format of therapy is up to you.
Can online therapists prescribe medications?
The laws that regulate prescription drugs are strict. They’re controlled by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and online therapists cannot prescribe any medications. However, some platforms have psychiatrists who are allowed to give prescriptions.
Conclusion: Are Online Therapists Worth It?
Mental health is an important part of everyone’s well-being. Such issues as stress, depression, trauma, grief, and anxiety are very common, and everyone deserves to have access to therapy.
Talk therapy has proven to be effective when treating a large number of mental health disorders, but not everyone has enough time for traditional in-person sessions. Fortunately, online therapy platforms offer a more accessible and flexible solution.
The idea of online therapy may seem new, but it has been around for decades. It allows people who cannot or don’t want to commute to a therapist’s office to access mental health services from home.
We’ve selected the best therapy platforms for depression and other mental health issues by comparing prices, therapists’ professional levels, types of therapy offered, etc. If you want to learn more about online therapy platforms, you can check out more detailed reviews on DrMental.org.