5 Best Online Therapy Services: Top Virtual Therapy Apps and Sites 2022

It’s estimated that one in four people in the world will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Mental health problems can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. They can have a significant impact on every aspect of a person’s life, including physical health, relationships, work, and overall well-being.

But they’re often misunderstood and stigmatized, which can make it difficult for people to seek help.

Undoubtedly, mental health matters. And it’s essential that we break down the barriers that prevent people from seeking help to improve their mental health.

This is where online therapy comes in. Online therapy provides people with the ability to get quality mental health care from the comfort of their own homes. In addition, online therapy is often more affordable than traditional therapy, making it accessible to everyone.

Finally, online therapy is convenient and flexible, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule. So if you or someone you know needs relationship or self-esteem counseling, anxiety or depression therapy, consider online therapy as an option. It could be the first step on the road to recovery and a better life.

To help you decide, the experts tested the following 5 best-rated online therapy platforms. Let’s check out their ins and outs.

Note: If you need immediate help, call 911. Otherwise, contact emergency resources for time-limited support.

5 Best Online Therapy Platforms in 2022

Calmerry – Best online therapy platform overall for personalized care
Talkspace – Best platform for online therapy and psychiatry
Online-Therapy – Best online therapy with an all-round approach
BetterHelp – Best service for convenient communication with an impressive pool of providers
7 Cups of Tea – Best for affordable text therapy and free emotional support

1. Calmerry – Best online therapy platform overall for personalized care

Calmerry is a convenient, HIPAA-compliant online therapy platform that can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. As the company states, Calmerry’s mission is to make quality mental health care flexible, consistent, and accessible to everyone and tailor it to anyone’s needs.

Calmerry’s therapists provide professional help via chat and live video calls. You can also use their free mental health toolbox (mood-tracking chatbot Coa, journaling, and other helpful resources) to support your process and facilitate the growth of mental health skills.

Pros:

Background-checked, licensed therapists
Matching experts will find a suitable and available therapist within 1 hour
Unlimited text & audio messaging and live videos
Flexible scheduling
Free mood tracking and journaling tools
Helpful resources on the blog and free webinars
Responsive 24/7 client support via phone, email, and private portal
Free therapist switch
Free app for Android & iOS

Cons:

May not be covered by insurance
No group sessions
Therapy via phone calls is unavailable
No medication prescription services

Who Can Benefit from Online Therapy on Calmerry?

Anyone can benefit from online therapy on Calmerry. The company goes the extra mile to ensure that their mental health professionals are qualified, experienced, and well-versed in evidence-based therapeutic modalities. In addition, the platform offers access to counselors who speak your language and can provide online therapy services in all 50 states.

You can schedule live video appointments for the time that works for you. You can also message your therapist as often as you want, and they will respond within their working hours that are available to you to see.

Talk with them about:

Anxiety
Depression
Stress
Addictions
Anger management issues
Trauma
Self-esteem issues
Relationship and family issues
Grief and loss
PTSD
OCD
LGBTQIA+ issues
Emotional abuse
Eating disorders

And they can meet many more other online therapy needs.

How Much Is Online Therapy Calmerry?

At Calmerry, you can choose among 3 flexible monthly subscription plans. All of them are 30%-discounted for the first month. And you can cancel anytime.

Prices start from $42/week for the messaging plan.

Messaging + 1 live video costs $207.96 per month with a discount and Messaging + 4 live videos is $269.96 per month.

You can add extra video sessions as many as you need with any plan.

2. Talkspace – Best platform for online therapy and psychiatry

Founded in 2012, TalkSpace is one of the leading online therapy platforms. The company offers several plans and pricing options to suit different needs and budgets and provides access to a network of over 4,000 licensed therapists. TalkSpace has helped over 1 million people find support and healing.

TalkSpace offers individual online therapy as well as couples and teen counseling. Users can choose between live video sessions or messaging-based online therapy.

The platform also offers online psychiatry services for initial evaluation and medication management.

Pros:

Free initial consultation with a matching agent
Multiple online therapy formats: individual, couples, and teen therapy.
Online psychiatry services
Billed monthly, quarterly, and biannually
Access is available through the website and user-friendly app
Referral program for friends and family
Works with major insurance providers

Cons:

The matching process can take up to several days and is based on the algorithm
Therapists are paid for the number of live sessions conducted and the number of words they write to clients
Psychiatry services are costly
Clients aren’t eligible for refunds for the unused time

Who Can Benefit from Online Therapy on TalkSpace?

Overall, TalkSpace is a comprehensive and user-friendly online therapy platform that can be a great resource for anyone seeking mental health support.

The service hires only licensed mental health professionals who are experts in their field. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or relationship issues, online therapy on TalkSpace can help. Consider this service to get professional support for:

Anxiety
Trauma
OCD
Bullying
Grief
Parenting
Gender identity
Depression
Childhood abuse
Chronic illness
Relationship issues
Eating disorders
Sexual health
Anger management
Mood disorders

Besides online therapy, Talkspace offers access to psychiatric services with licensed prescribers. They can conduct an initial evaluation and prescribe medications, developing a treatment plan.

How Much Does It Cost?

The prices of Talkspace are above the average on the market. It offers 3 subscription plans for individual counseling:

$65/week – includes unlimited messaging therapy
$79/week – includes unlimited messaging therapy and a live video
$99/week – includes unlimited messaging therapy and 4 live video sessions

Online therapy for couples costs $99/week, and teen counseling is about $65/week. This includes only text messaging. Check whether your insurance provider can cover online therapy services on Talkspace.

Initial psychiatry consultation costs $250, and every follow-up is $125.

3. Online-Therapy – Best online therapy with an all-round approach

Online-Therapy is the place to go if you’re looking for online therapy and mental health tools that are both comprehensive, professional, and user-friendly. They have an 8-section program with 25 worksheets in each section, as well as videos with meditation and yoga exercises, and self-assessments.

Pros:

Experienced and licensed CBT therapists
Online therapy program based on CBT
Comprehensive mental health toolbox
Wellness exercises to accelerate your progress
You can combine independent and therapist-led work

Cons:

Therapists aren’t available on weekends
With the Basic plan, you can’t contact your therapist at any time
No mobile app
No group therapy

Who Can Benefit from Mental Health Services on Online-Therapy?

Online-Therapy’s therapists are licensed, experienced, and trained in the CBT approach. They provide online therapy for:

Anger issues
Depression
Stress
Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
BPD
GAD
PTSD
OCD
Insomnia
Relationship issues
Weight problems, and many more

Also, you can work independently using their comprehensive mental health toolbox with helpful resources.

What’s the Cost of Online-Therapy?

Three subscription packages are available on Online-Therapy:

The $39.95/week Basic package includes only text messaging and has no express replies as well as live sessions. You will pay $59.95 per week for a plan with messaging and a single live session lasting 30 minutes. And there’s a Premium plan for $79.95 per week with two sessions lasting 60 minutes each.

On all packages, you can get 20% off the first month.

4. BetterHelp – Best service for convenient communication with an impressive pool of providers

BetterHelp is a company that provides affordable online therapy to people around the world. They strive for a safe, stigma-free environment and have hired 19 thousand licensed therapists as of 2018.

Pros:

Covers a wide range of mental health problems
Frequent webinars and groupinars
Financial aid can be provided for online therapy if you qualify
Many client-therapist communication options: text, phone, video (live and asynchronous format)
Multiple pricing plans
Over 26,000 fully-licensed therapists

Cons:

Only one subscription plan with changing prices
Many clients report that providers are uninvolved in the process
Not always available customer service

Who Can Benefit from Online Therapy on BetterHelp?

BetterHelp is a safe, affordable, and convenient online counseling platform that offers professional help for individuals, couples, and teens. The platform connects people with Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), and clinical psychologists.

While the majority of users are adults, many adolescents also use BetterHelp to receive the guidance they need.

BetterHelp provides online therapy and counseling for:

Anger
Anxiety
Depression therapy
Eating disorders
Family counseling
Grief counseling
Sleep disorders
Trauma
Abuse counseling
Intimacy issues
And more

What’s the Price for Online Therapy on BetterHelp?

BetterHelp offers only one subscription plan that starts at $60 and may rise up to $90 per week. It’s billed monthly, and the price may vary based on your location and the qualification of your therapist.

But you can get financial assistance if you qualify.

5. 7 Cups of Tea – Best for affordable text therapy and free emotional support

7 Cups of Tea is a platform that allows people to connect with trained listeners for free, anonymous, and confidential emotional support through text. The website contains a wide variety of resources on topics such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and more.

The service also provides access to free 2-20 group support chats. Of course, it has licensed counselors available at your fingertips if you need online therapy through text.

Pros:

Over 160,000 listeners from 189 countries
They’re available 24/7
Free, confidential emotional support
Online therapy with professional providers through text
Free 2-20-group support chats
Affordable online therapy

Cons:

Listeners are not mental health professionals and may not provide the help you need
No audio, phone, and/or video sessions
Unclear UI
The majority of therapists respond just once every day
A small pool of therapists

Who Can Benefit from Mental Health Services on 7 Cups of Tea?

7 Cups of Tea is an option for those who need emotional support, feel validated and accepted, and become a part of a peer community.

The platform provides a safe space for people to grow and share their stories without judgment. They can join pre-existing communities like teen chat or specific chat rooms that focus on certain topics such as stress, anxiety attacks, and depression symptoms among other things.

Besides, licensed psychotherapists can also provide professional help and treatment if you need it.

What’s the Cost of 7 Cups of Tea?

Join 7 Cups of Tea for free to talk with trained listeners and access support groups and helpful resources. You can also pay $150 per month if you want professional online therapy services.

Conclusion on the Best Online Therapy Services

Mental health is an important subject that concerns every person, yet many are hesitant to seek help. Far too often, we feel alone when going through personal struggles, and it may seem as though no one understands what we’re going through.

But by seeking out professional assistance through online therapy conducted via video, text, or audio, we can get support to cope with mental health problems and improve our well-being.

Online therapy has proven effective in helping people find the treatment and support when they need it – no matter where you live or what time of day it may be.

One of the most influential online therapy reviews sites, Drmental.org, found that in 2022, there are 5 platforms that stand out as being among the best online therapy sites and apps: Calmerry, Talkspace, Online-Therapy, BetterHelp, and 7 Cups of Tea.

Each of these platforms has something unique to offer, so it’s important to read the reviews and find the one that will be the best fit for you. If you’re struggling with your mental health, don’t wait to get help. Check out one of these 5 great online therapy options today.

Source:

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