9 Best Online Psychiatry Services, Tried and Tested in 2024

Finding a psychiatrist when you need one can feel like an impossible task. From bloated, weeks-long waiting lists to a lack of insurance acceptance, timely care can be hard to come by. Approximately half of all U.S. counties don’t have any psychiatrists and only 56% of psychiatrists are in-network with any insurance plan. What’s more, a May 2023 study found that only 19% of psychiatrists were accepting new patients and among those, the median wait time for an appointment was 67 days.

Online psychiatry companies are stepping up to fill this huge gap in care. One of the biggest perks of online psychiatry is accessibility. These services offer access to a large network of pre-vetted, highly qualified psychiatrists, many of whom accept insurance, to anyone with internet access. Also, by offering flexible scheduling and reducing secondary costs of in-person visits, such as child care, time off work, and transportation, online care can allow even more people to get treatment.

Such services are skyrocketing in both popularity and availability. To help identify the best online psychiatry services out there, we tasked testers, experts, and our research team to put these companies to the test. We surveyed over 10,000 users at 80 online mental health companies and directories, had testers sign up for the services for at least a month, had three licensed therapists help us evaluate each company, and sent out questionnaires to each company. Given the variety of features and options on our list of top picks, we hope to take the sting out of finding high-quality, timely psychiatry.

9 Best Online Psychiatry Services, Tried and Tested in 2024

Best for Availability: Teladoc Health
Best for Alcohol Use Disorder: Monument
Best for Anxiety and Depression: Brightside
Best for Medication Management: Talkiatry
Best for Patient Support: Talkspace
Best for Ease of Use: Thriveworks
Best for Flexible Scheduling: Doctor on Demand
Best for Budget: LiveHealth Online
Best for Provider Options: MDLIVE

Companies reviewed

8,400

Total users surveyed

350

Data points analyzed

We surveyed 100 users from 55 online therapy companies and 27 therapist directories to understand their experiences with these services. Then, we tested the services ourselves across multiple states, conducted comprehensive data collection research, and evaluated our results with the help of a licensed therapist.

When choosing an online therapy provider, we recommend that you read the company’s privacy guidelines before you sign up to better understand whether it is HIPAA-compliant and whether it shares any private information with third parties. There have been some online therapy concerns raised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several government officials about what user health information online therapy providers collect and what they do with any information they collect.

Our Online Therapy Methodology

Curious about the extensive work we did to research and evaluate online therapy companies? Take a look at our online therapy methodology.

Best for Availability : Teladoc Health

Price: $99 per therapy session, $209 for initial psychiatry appointment and $109 per follow-up
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes. 60 different insurance plans accepted
Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

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Why We Chose It

Teladoc Health is the total package: It is highly accessible and easy to use, accepts insurance, and offers a broad network of well-qualified mental health providers. Among the 80 online mental health services we assessed, Teladoc stood out for its nationwide availability, flexible scheduling, acceptance of a high number of insurance companies, and incredibly high user approval ratings in our survey. With qualified therapists and psychiatrists available in all 50 states, appointments available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and mental health services available for ages 13 and up, Teladoc couldn’t be more available.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Easy-to-use platform
Accepts 60 insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid in some states
Appointments available 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET seven days a week
Available in all 50 states
Live video talk therapy also available
Excellent provider network with good availability
Providers rated highly for caring, respectful attitudes
Can participate in video appointments via app or website

Cons

Psychiatry sessions can be costly without insurance coverage
No prescriptions of controlled substances (e.g. Xanax, Valium, Adderall)
Same-day appointments may not be available
Cannot see insurance plans accepted until sign-up

Our Experience

We assigned three people to sign up for and test mental health services at Teladoc from Missouri, Ohio, and Texas. We felt it was important to see how the service performed in different state markets, especially when it came to provider quality and availability. We had great experiences overall: All of the mental healthcare providers we interacted with at Teladoc were highly qualified, compassionate, and professional. Most importantly, they were helpful. They were good listeners who offered thoughtful insight and actionable advice.

One thing we especially appreciated was Teladoc’s simple online scheduling system. It was much more user-friendly than the ones at other online providers we looked at. Access to both licensed psychotherapists and board-certified psychiatrists is available seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.—which is a much wider range of times than most other online mental health companies offer. Every provider had many open appointment slots when we tested them, and we could schedule months in advance if needed.

However, we were disappointed that this wide availability of appointment times did not translate into being able to find appointments within a day or two. In general, we were able to schedule a visit with our providers of choice within a week. If you need an appointment more quickly than that, you may want to try another service that explicitly offers same-day or next-day appointments. Alternatively, you could try looking at the availability of several different Teladoc providers rather than waiting for an appointment with your first choice of provider. We feel confident that the high demand for Teladoc’s mental health providers reflects the high quality of the service.

Another way Teladoc stood out to us was in how many insurance plans it accepts. The service is in-network with 60 insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid in some states.

However, we would prefer that the full list of accepted insurance providers be available to potential patients before the sign-up process. Using insurance to cover the cost of in-network mental health care means you’ll only pay a copay, thereby making care more accessible.

We liked that our patient portal was accessible on the Teladoc website and app. We also appreciated that we could participate in our video appointments on the website or app, making care truly available from anywhere. The portal also has a messaging center where providers can send after-visit notes or care recommendations and patients can ask follow-up questions or contact customer service.

Though the intake process at Teladoc was not as thorough as some other online therapy companies—consisting of filling out our personal information, insurance details, the reason for our visit, and short questionnaires about our medical and mental health—we believe this won’t be an issue for those accessing psychiatric services at the company since a full mental health and medications history will be collected by your psychiatrist at your initial intake appointment. Our user survey showed that most of the prescribers at Teladoc are psychiatrists rather than physician’s assistants or general practitioners. We believe this is very important since providers with specialized training and experience in psychiatry are better equipped than other types of doctors to diagnose and medicate mental health conditions.

Given our research and experience, we feel Teladoc is a great option if you’re looking for online mental health care, both psychiatry and psychotherapy. However, there are some circumstances where it might not be the best fit. Like most online prescribers, Teladoc’s psychiatrists can’t prescribe controlled substances such as Xanax and Valium for anxiety disorders, or Adderall for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so it is not ideal for people requiring those types of medications. Also, it does not treat psychosis, substance use, or eating disorders.

Plans & Pricing

Teladoc is in-network with 60 insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid in some states. If you’re using insurance to access Teladoc’s services, you will only pay a copay for visits, which varies depending on your provider. If you’re paying out-of-pocket, the pricing is:

$99 per session for all therapy visits
$299 for the initial psychiatry consultation; $119 per session for follow-ups

Appointments are pay-per-visit, which may be costly if frequent sessions are required and/or if your insurance does not cover service. Payment is required upfront via credit card or PayPal.

What Users Say

Teladoc was among the highest-rated companies in our user survey, with an incredible 99% of the 100 users we spoke to rating the service as good, very good, or excellent overall. Its psychiatry and medication management services also received rave reviews, with well over nine out of 10 users surveyed rating their experience with these services the same way.

Perhaps most importantly, Teladoc received very high ratings for responsive, caring, and respectful attitudes of psychiatric providers: 98% of users rated their prescriber’s bedside manner positively, which was higher than the average for all companies we reviewed. In addition, 98% of users rated prescriber qualifications positively. Users also praised its accessibility, provider availability, and insurance coverage. Finally, more than nine in 10 users said they’d recommend Teladoc’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend or family member.

Best for Alcohol Use Disorder : Monument

Price: Starts at $15+ per month
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Peer Support

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Why We Chose It

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in America—it’s estimated that approximately 28.6 million U.S. adults have AUD. Unfortunately, due to treatment barriers and stigma, fewer than 1 in 10 people with AUD seek treatment. Because of its effectiveness in treating the condition, medication is considered a first-line treatment for AUD. But again, few people access these treatments: less than 2% of people with AUD were prescribed medications known to be effective in treating the disorder. This is why Monument’s service is so important. By offering specialized treatment of AUD that combines online psychotherapy and medication management, and by accepting insurance, Monument makes effective treatment accessible to more people. Among the 80 companies we assessed, few online mental health services treat AUD and fewer still prescribe the most effective medications.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Specialized focus on alcohol use disorder
All providers have experience treating substance use disorders
Accepts many insurance plans
Well-coordinated therapy and psychiatric services
Access to therapist-moderated support groups
Can prescribe medications shown to be effective in treating alcohol dependence

Cons

Only non-controlled anti-craving medications prescribed
No built-in referral network to inpatient rehab
Must pay $15 community membership fee, not covered by insurance
Therapists not as involved and supportive as other sites
Services not available in all states

Our Experience

Monument treats alcohol use disorder with medication and therapy, and while we could not assign someone to test out its medication services (we did not find it ethical to do so), we did test out the sign-up process and other aspects of the service, surveyed 105 users, extensively researched the company, and sought expert insight on it.

Overall, we were impressed with Monument’s offerings and service model. First of all, simply offering high-quality treatment online is a boon to patients with AUD. For those concerned with the stigma, it may prove easier to seek care online. Plus, online treatment reduces other barriers to care, such as transportation and childcare, and ensures that people in areas without in-person care options can still receive much-needed treatment.

We also love how unique Monument is as a specialized telehealth platform for people with alcohol use disorder. The platform encourages a multidisciplinary team approach by assigning each client both a therapist and a physician for medication management.

The program emphasizes a limited set of non-controlled substances to help with alcohol cravings, such as disulfiram and naltrexone.

We thought one of Monument’s most impressive features was its providers. Unlike most other services, Monument’s therapists and prescribers all have experience and expertise in treating substance use disorders. This makes all the difference in ensuring exceptional-quality care that caters to those with AUD. Our user survey reflected this important point: Nearly all of the Monument users we surveyed (a whopping 97%) said the service was better than other similar services they had tried in the past. When citing the reason they believed Monument was a vast improvement compared to other online mental health services they’d previously used, 40% said its therapists have better qualifications, experience, and/or specialized training, and 51% said Monument’s website and patient interface was easier to use.

Another way Monument stood out to us was that peer support stands at the core of its treatment model. A wide body of research shows that group therapy is especially beneficial for those dealing with substance use disorders. It can reduce feelings of isolation and stigma, help increase interpersonal and communication skills, and allow people to share and practice coping strategies. Group therapy has comparable outcomes to individual therapy on the key points of treatment continuation, substance abstinence, and improved psychological symptoms.

A $15/month community membership buys you access to Monument’s many therapist-moderated support groups and 24/7 online community forum. This would be a great place to start for those beginning their journey with sobriety or moderation since community membership doesn’t require participating in therapy or medication management appointments.

Groups meet anywhere from twice a month to three times a week and are aimed at specific ages or identities, such as women, men, BIPOC people, LBGTQIA+ people, parents, or relatives, as well as topic-based groups such as mindfulness, codependency, and self-compassion. Although Monument’s therapists can help with some co-existing disorders, such as anxiety or depression, which are common in people with substance use disorders, its providers cannot prescribe medications to treat those conditions. They also cannot treat any co-occurring use of other substances. We were dismayed that Monument’s website did not mention referrals to more intensive levels of service, such as residential or inpatient treatment.

Monument is not available nationwide. Currently, it is available to residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. Still, for those interested in seeking medication, therapy, and group support for AUD, we recommend Monument as a solid care option.

Plans & Pricing

Monthly membership is required to access Monument’s services. Membership fees are not covered by insurance.

Community membership costs $15/month, billed monthly, and grants access to:

Therapist-moderated virtual support groups
24/7 anonymous community forum
SMS-based drink tracker (coming soon)
Daily affirmations

You can add on further services per your needs and budget. Programs you can add to your community membership include:

Specialized therapy: Includes everything from community membership plus virtual appointments and chat-based messaging with a therapist
Medication-assisted treatment: Meet with a licensed physician to discuss your medication options and get a prescription, if appropriate.

If paying out of pocket, these services cost:

$100 each for physician appointments
$149 per month for therapy appointments every other week
$249 per month for weekly therapy appointments

Therapy and medication services may be covered by insurance; check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage terms. Monument accepts Medicare, Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and other plans. Specific plan coverage varies by state.

What Users Say

Most of the 100 users of Monument who we surveyed had generally positive experiences with the service, especially on the point of provider expertise. In all, 99% of users rated their overall experience at Monument as good, very good, or excellent, and all 100% of users rated their experience with its psychiatry and medication management services the same way. In addition, 100% of users surveyed rated prescriber qualifications and bedside manner positively. Finally, 95% of users surveyed said they’d recommend Monument’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Best for Anxiety and Depression : Brightside

Price: $95-$349 per month
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

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Why We Chose It

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in America, affecting approximately 30% of adults at some point in their lives. As for depression, nearly 17% of U.S. adults will experience depression during their lifetime. That’s why we love Brightside Health. It specializes in treating anxiety and depression online by offering psychotherapy and psychiatry services. It provides streamlined, coordinated treatment plans for all types of anxiety and depression, and is available in all 50 states. In our research into 80 online mental health companies, Brightside stood out among the competition for its focus on tracking patient progress to ensure improvement. It has patients regularly fill out surveys to track their symptoms, allowing provider teams to see whether treatment is working or not and then make adjustments to medications or therapy approaches accordingly.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Coordinated platform for therapy and psychiatry/medication management
Primary focus on depression and anxiety
Available in all 50 states
Access video appointments on website or app
Asserts 60 million Americans eligible to access services using health insurance
Uses evidence-based approaches of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication

Cons

Adults only (18 and over)
Excludes more severe psychiatric conditions
Provider is selected for you
Only video appointments
Short sessions

Our Experience

We had three people test out Brightside Health’s mental health services from North Carolina, California, and New York, three different-sized markets in different areas of the country. Each time, we tried the service for at least a month and tested out at least two different providers to gauge provider availability and quality and the therapist-switching process.

We were consistently impressed by the high quality of the providers and the care we received at Brightside. Not only was every provider highly qualified—with a decade or more of experience in the field—but they were also personable and warm.

One thing we liked about Brightside’s care model was that it offers coordinated psychiatry and psychotherapy services. What’s more, you can sign up for either service individually or purchase a bundle of both services at a discount. And while Brightside accepts most major insurance plans, we really love that even without insurance, its services are on the low end of the average cost of therapy.

Brightside’s out-of-pocket prices for psychiatry services are especially low: For $95 a month, you receive one 15-minute psychiatric appointment, medication delivery ($15 per medication), and ongoing provider support, including medication adjustments. This is much lower than the national average for psychiatric care, where an initial evaluation can run as much as $500 and follow-up visits are in the neighborhood of $200 each. Since the potentially high costs of treatment can compound any pre-existing anxiety, Brightside’s relative affordability with or without insurance makes us feel particularly good about recommending the service.

One of the best things we found about Brightside’s psychiatric care was that most prescribers are psychiatrists rather than general practitioners or physician’s assistants. Medical providers who are specially trained in psychiatry are better qualified to diagnose and medicate mental health conditions than other providers.

In our survey, most Brightside users (60%) reported being seen by a psychiatrist, which was significantly higher than the average of 38% reported for all companies. We also appreciated that the service appears to have an appropriately conservative approach to psychotropic medications. To accurately diagnose a mental health condition and recommend the best potential medication often takes more than one appointment, so we were happy to see that most Brightside users (68%) said they were prescribed medication after two to four visits with their provider.

Another perk of Brightside is the user-friendly platform with streamlined sign-up and care, which is available via the website or the Brightside app.

After you complete the free assessment questionnaire and select a monthly flat-fee plan, you'll be assigned a treatment provider. Therapy is accessible via weekly video sessions and additional a la carte sessions (for an additional fee) as needed, as well as unlimited messaging with providers (with a 24- to 48-hour response time on weekends).

Psychiatry is available via additional video sessions. Treatment is targeted toward modalities and medications that address anxiety and depression, including cognitive behavioral therapy, app-based exercises to use on your own, and symptom progress trackers.

One of Brightside’s biggest weaknesses, though, is the short session length. Therapy sessions run 30 minutes, and after the initial psychiatric evaluation, follow-up psychiatry sessions are only 15 minutes long. Therapy sessions tend to run 45 minutes to an hour on average at other services, though—while a few companies offer 30-minute follow-up psychiatry appointments—15-minute follow-ups are pretty standard. In addition, controlled substances (such as Xanax or other benzodiazepines) are not prescribed, so for more severe or specific diagnoses that require them, Brightside may not be ideal.

Plans & Pricing

Brightside offers three plans, which all include a 12-week self-care syllabus.

Medication only: $95/month for one 15-minute psychiatric evaluation, medication delivery, and ongoing provider support, including medication adjustments
Therapy only: $299/month for unlimited messaging and four monthly sessions with your therapist; additional appointments available for $59 per session
Therapy and medication: $349/month; includes everything in the two other plans

In addition to health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payments, Brightside Health accepts the following insurance plans (may vary by state):

Cigna/Evernorth
Aetna
Optum/UnitedHealthcare
Anthem CA
Allegiance
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana
PEHP

What Users Say

Brightside was rated highly by the 100 users we surveyed. Overall, 98% rated the medication management and psychiatry services as good, very good, or excellent. When asked what they liked about Brightside’s psychiatry and medication management services, 71% of users said their prescriber was available when they needed them. What’s more, 99% of users said they’d recommend Brightside’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend, and 98% rated prescriber qualifications as good, very good, or excellent. Finally, 98% of users rated prescriber bedside manner as good, very good, or excellent.

Best for Medication Management : Talkiatry

Price: Depends on your insurance
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes. BCBS, Optum, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, and others
Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

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Why We Chose It

Talkiatry is our top pick for virtual psychiatric medication management because it prioritizes quality patient care. Talkiatry not only specializes in psychiatry, but it’s also one of the few services that specifically emphasizes psychiatric care delivered by board-certified psychiatrists. At many other companies, psychiatric nurse practitioners, general practitioners, or physician’s assistants primarily provide medication management, but psychiatrists are the most highly trained in mental health care. Among the 80 companies we assessed, Talkiatry stood out for its ability to prescribe controlled substances. This means Talkiatry can treat a much wider array of mental health diagnoses than many other online services, such as bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and substance use disorder.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Therapy and medication management offered
Longer session times than most other services
Mostly highly trained psychiatrists on staff
Broad variety of diagnoses treated
Treats ages 5 and up
Network of more than 300 psychiatrists
Switching psychiatrists is easy
Can prescribe controlled substances
Accepts insurance

Cons

Only accepts patients via insurance
Doesn’t accept Medicaid
Not available in AK, DE, HI, ID, NM, ND, SD, or WY
Cannot treat more severe diagnoses

Our Experience

We had two people test Talkiatry from New York and both had good experiences using the company’s adult psychiatry services.

We found the psychiatrists to be professional yet kind and conversational at our intake appointment and we loved feeling like we had plenty of time to ask any questions or give more information about our medical and mental health history. Those positive experiences, coupled with the thorough sign-up process, made us feel confident about the appropriateness and personalization of the treatment plan we were subsequently provided with.

When it came to finding a provider, we loved how Talkiatry asked what we were looking for, like if we preferred they specialize in a certain condition or have specific cultural knowledge/sensitivity. Then we could select a provider from a list of those with availability or peruse suggested matches.

If you’re looking for same-day or next-day care, Talkiatry likely shouldn’t be your first choice: Most initial visits occur about a week from sign-up. But wait times to see an in-person psychiatrist are typically much longer, perhaps even several months, depending on your location.

What impressed us most was Talkiatry’s long sessions. The service’s appointments are double the length of most other online mental health companies: psychiatric intake sessions last 60 minutes and follow-up appointments last 30 minutes. We felt these longer sessions promoted a higher level of patient care because they gave us plenty of time to explain our situation and gave providers plenty of time to get all of the information they needed from us in order to form a complete picture of our mental health.

We enjoyed being able to send direct messages to our prescriber anytime in Talkiatry’s Healow app and get a response within 48 hours. While many other online mental health companies allow you to message your therapist at any time, we’ve come across very few services that allow you to message your psychiatrist.

Happily, we found that making follow-up appointments or switching providers was simple. Talk therapy is also available on Talkiatry, but requires a referral from one of its psychiatrists.

Another aspect of Talkiatry’s service that we love is that it treats children as young as age 5, a rarity among online psychiatry providers. Child psychiatry is another crucial care shortage area for mental health treatment. Because the need for care far exceeds its availability, child mental health was declared a national emergency by the American Academy of Pediatrics in October 2021. In the U.S., the average wait time to see a child psychiatrist is around seven and a half weeks. Talkiatry can go a long way in helping to fill this huge gap in service.

One area we had to investigate before recommending Talkiatry’s medication management services was its record of responsible prescribing practices. This is a particularly important concern when a service provides psychiatric care for young children. It’s not uncommon for telehealth companies to get into hot water for allegedly overprescribing certain psychiatric prescriptions.

Given Talkiatry’s ability to prescribe controlled substances, such as stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or benzodiazepines for anxiety, we wanted to be especially prudent about assessing its provision of medications. Our research and testing show we can be confident about Talkiatry’s approach to medication and the appropriateness and general reliability of its prescribing practices. In our survey, three-quarters of Talkiatry users reported having between two and four appointments before being prescribed medication. This is good news since we prefer that psychiatrists see patients more than once before determining if medication is a good idea and which one might be the best fit.

One thing to be aware of with Talkiatry is that care is only available via health insurance—there is no self-pay option. Another downside is that the service is not available to residents of Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wyoming.

We believe the high level of care provided by Talkiatry, coupled with its wide range of ages treated and its ability to treat a wider variety of conditions, make it a great psychiatric medication management provider.

Plans & Pricing

Talkiatry only accepts patients via health insurance. It takes most insurance plans and automatically screens for approval. To see an estimate of your copay before signing up, you can input your insurance information. Even with insurance, accessing in-person psychiatric care can be difficult due to limited and outdated network listings with long waiting lists. Talkiatry helps with that, although the service is not available in all states and some areas have fewer prescriber options. There are no subscription costs; the service uses a pay-per-visit model.

What Users Say

In our user survey, Talkiatry was one of the highest-rated companies when it came to whether users would recommend the service to a friend, with 95% of users saying it was likely or very likely they’d do so. Nearly all of the 100 surveyed users reported having a positive experience with Talkiatry: 98% said their overall experience at Talkiatry was good, very good, or excellent, and more than nine in 10 users rated its psychiatry and medication management services as good, very good, or excellent. In addition, all 100% rated prescriber qualifications and bedside manner positively.

Best for Patient Support : Talkspace

Price: $69-$109 a week for therapy, billed monthly; $65 for additional sessions
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

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Get $85 off your first month with code VERYWELL85.

Why We Chose It

Talkspace emphasizes easy accessibility to its experienced mental health treatment providers by allowing you to contact your provider any time day or night with guaranteed responses five days a week, and offering text-only therapy for even more convenience. Access to care is one of Talkspace’s major strengths, with well-qualified therapists and psychiatric providers available within 48 hours after completing a brief assessment questionnaire. After you are assigned a provider, you can message your therapist anytime via the app. Talkspace has a particularly broad network of providers, which helps in terms of accessing more specialized care for certain diagnoses. Unlike many other online platforms, Talkspace can help with conditions such as eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Pros & Cons

Pros

Easy to use, accessible platform
Treats wide range of mental health diagnoses
Large network of providers available in most states
Asserts 100 million Americans can access service via insurance
Can participate in appointments via the app or website
Can message providers between sessions

Cons

Text-based therapy is not ideal for everyone
Psychiatric services can be costly if you pay out-of-pocket
Provider assigned to you from a small number of preselected choices

Our Experience

Talkspace is one of the better-known online mental health services out there, boasting millions of users. That's due in part to its well-designed website, easy-to-use app, affordable care bundles, and well-funded ad campaigns featuring celebrity promoters. Because it’s so popular, we wanted to be sure to do our due diligence in putting its service to the test, so we had nine people from across the country test out Talkspace.

Testers hailed from markets large and small: California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and South Dakota. We also instructed testers to try out at least two different providers at the service. Varied market sizes and meeting with multiple therapists allowed us to better assess Talkspace’s provider availability and quality. Overall, we had a positive experience. All of the providers we met with were warm, patient, and understanding.

Talkspace's online psychiatrists can help with a variety of conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and insomnia. Like most telehealth services, Talkspace cannot prescribe medications deemed controlled substances.

Although therapy services are available via video, phone call, live chat, or asynchronous text, psychiatry services are only accessible via video visits—however, we love that you can message your provider at any time between visits, a rarity among telepsychiatry services. Talkspace truly makes mental health care accessible from anywhere by allowing you to schedule and participate in your appointments on the Talkspace app or website, and letting you be in contact with your psychiatrist anytime you need them helps Talkspace support its patients in a way few online therapy companies allow.

Another big perk of Talkspace is its acceptance of insurance. Many large, popular teletherapy platforms, such as BetterHelp, do not accept any type of insurance, making care financially out of reach for many. Talkspace asserts that 100 million Americans have access to its services—including psychiatry services—through their health insurance.

One thing of note that we found was that our second provider was often a better fit for our needs than the ones we were initially matched with. That wasn’t a problem given the many provider choices available to us and how easy it was to switch providers.

In addition, while mainly text-based therapy is appealing for some, it can feel more impersonal and emotionally disconnected for many others and isn’t always the ideal standard for mental health care. Our experience reflected this dip in care quality with messaging. Therapists are required to respond once a day, but they often took 12 hours to respond.

The biggest issue was that the therapist’s text responses sometimes felt canned and impersonal, as if they had been copied and pasted from a script. So we only recommend therapy via asynchronous texting for mild concerns, short-term care needs, or as a complement to live therapy sessions and/or psychiatric services.

While the service offers several tiers of therapy bundles of various prices based on how you want to communicate with your therapist, we wish it offered a money-saving bundle that included both therapy and psychiatry/medication management services, as Brightside Health does. As it is, Talkspace’s psychiatry services are not included in any of its subscription plans.

Given its wide insurance coverage, ability to treat a wider range of conditions than other platforms, availability of medication management and therapy services, and ability to message providers between sessions, we think Talkspace is a great option for online mental health care.

Plans & Pricing

Talkspace’s psychiatry fees are higher than many other platforms and are not included in any therapy bundles. That means its psychiatric services may be out of reach for many due to cost.

Talkspace offers three therapy plans:

Messaging Therapy: From $69/week, includes unlimited messaging with daily therapist responses five days a week
Live Therapy: From $99/week, includes four live therapy sessions a month via live chat, phone, or video
Live + Messaging Therapy: From $129/week, includes messaging and four live sessions

There are no plans that include psychiatry. An initial psychiatric evaluation costs $249 and lasts between 20 and 90 minutes. Follow-up appointments are $125 each. If medication is prescribed, that will be an additional cost.

What Users Say

Talkspace was rated one of the easiest platforms to navigate in our user survey, with 94% of the 100 Talkspace users we surveyed saying it was easy or very easy, higher than the 90% average for all companies. Plus, nearly all users said the company was better than other, similar services they’d tried in the past. It was also one of the highest-rated platforms for patients feeling much better afterward and for flexible scheduling. Also, this site had one of the best ratings for prescriber availability, and 99% of users rated prescriber qualifications highly. Of the users surveyed, nine out of 10 rated both their overall experience at Talkspace and the platform’s psychiatry and medication management services as good, very good, or excellent. Overall, 95% of users said they’d recommend Talkspace’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend or family member.

Read the Full Talkspace Online Therapy Review

Best for Ease of Use : Thriveworks

Price: Varies by insurance; self pay starts at $200 per session
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

Learn More

Why We Chose It

If you’re looking for an online mental health service with the convenience and ease of use of a large company, but the feel of a boutique private practice, look no further than Thriveworks. Many companies claim to offer a variety of services, but once you get to the website you can’t see how to sign up for that specific offering. At Thriveworks, things couldn’t be more simple or straightforward. Thriveworks is a comprehensive online psychiatry and therapy platform that offers access to a vast network of well-qualified providers. Simply click on which service you need—psychiatry, individual therapy, family therapy, child therapy, or couples counseling—and you’ll see a list of provider options and their next available appointment slots. Best of all, it doesn’t hide tons of info behind a member paywall, so you can peruse provider profiles, insurance details, prices, and appointment availability without signing up.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Wide range of appointment times
Easy scheduling
Can see provider bios, prices, insurance info, and available appointments before sign up
Can choose your provider
Q&A coach available 24/7
Accepts most major insurance plans
Online psychiatry available to ages 14 and up
Individual therapy for children and adults, couples therapy, and family therapy available

Cons

Psychiatry/medication management not available in all states
Platform more disjointed when coordinating with med management
Providers for teen/child services not as plentiful as adult services

Our Experience

The four people who tested Thriveworks—from Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Massachusetts— signed up for various services, including child therapy, adult therapy, and couples counseling. One of the most common words in our testers’ reports of their Thriveworks experience was “easy.” From signing up, finding information on the website, and getting ahold of customer service to scheduling sessions, switching providers, or adding a psychiatrist to your care team—you name it, we found it easy.

Provider availability was a key feature of Thriveworks, both in our testing and survey of 100 Thriveworks clients. It’s no wonder since appointments are available seven days a week.

Our testers found that therapy appointments were often available within 48 hours, and Thriveworks asserts it will do its best to get you an appointment with a therapist within three to five days of signing up. As for psychiatry services, Thriveworks says most users can see a provider within seven days of signing up. We found that if you live in a larger state, you will likely be able to find an appointment within three to five days.

Providers are available at a range of hours and for frequent sessions, though appointments outside of typical business hours will tend to fill up first.

Therapy services are available to children (any age) and adults, while psychiatry services are available to anyone age 14 and up. In our experience, though, provider availability for adult services was much more robust than for child/teen services. In many areas, filtering our search for providers who offered teen/child therapy or psychiatry dramatically reduced our list of provider options.

When asked what they liked best about Thriveworks’ psychiatry services, 68% of users we surveyed said their prescriber was available when they needed them. This was much higher than the 37% average for all companies whose users we surveyed. There were several other things users noted appreciating, with more than one-third reporting they felt like prescribers were responsive to their questions and medication needs, cared about their well-being, and respected their wants and needs regarding medication. This high level of satisfaction with Thriveworks’s providers and a sense that they truly cared about us and our issues may partly be because the service’s psychiatry appointments are 30 minutes long—double the industry norm of 15 minutes for most follow-up psychiatry sessions.

We were impressed to find that most of the prescribers at Thriveworks are psychiatrists, rather than general practitioners or physician’s assistants. Providers with specialized training in psychiatry are better equipped to diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe the appropriate medications. In our survey, nearly two-thirds of users reported their prescriber was a psychiatrist.

One caveat is that the network of psychiatrists is smaller and limited to 26 states and the District of Columbia.

While therapy services are available in every state except Vermont, psychiatry services are only available to residents of Arizona, Arkansas, California Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington D.C.

We feel confident that Thriveworks’ ease of use, coupled with its highly qualified providers, insurance acceptance, and range of appointment times, make it a great choice for people who don’t want the task of finding the mental health care they need to turn into yet another complicated, time-consuming project.

Plans & Pricing

Thriveworks’ providers all accept different insurance plans, which sounds annoying until you hear that you can filter therapists by which insurance plans they accept. Among the accepted plans are:

Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Cigna | Evernorth
Compsych
Humana
Medicare
Optum/UnitedHealthcare

If you’re paying out of pocket, prices also vary by provider: for example, you may pay $200 for a first-time therapy session and then $160 for subsequent sessions. For psychiatry/medication management, initial intake sessions start at around $300, with follow-ups at around $210. Each provider’s rates can be found on their profile page.

What Users Say

Nine out of ten users reported overall satisfaction with their Thriveworks experience. The company’s psychiatry and medication management services were especially beloved by those surveyed: Nearly all users rated these services as good, very good, or excellent, 100% rated prescriber bedside manner as good, very good, or excellent, and 96% said they’d recommend these services to a friend or family member. In addition, 100% rated prescriber qualifications as good, very good, or excellent. Thriveworks also scored high on the points of ease of sign-up and ease of finding a provider.

Best for Flexible Scheduling : Doctor on Demand

Price: $134-$184 per therapy session; $299 for psychiatric consultation: $129 per psychiatric follow-up
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

Learn More

Why We Chose It

Doctor on Demand is a large telehealth site that offers medical as well as mental healthcare services, including therapy and medication management. The company stood out among the 80 other services we assessed for having same-day and next-day appointments available in many areas, offering night and weekend appointments, and providing 24/7 coaching services. Doctor on Demand also boasts an impressively broad selection of highly qualified providers, high customer satisfaction ratings, and a collaborative care model that allows your therapist and psychiatrist to work together. Also notable is that the company offers treatment for a wide array of psychiatric diagnoses and can treat children as well as adults. With simple scheduling and acceptance of most major insurers—including Medicare—Doctor on Demand makes it simple to find affordable care quickly.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Most prescribers are psychiatrists rather than physician’s assistants or nurse practitioners
Evening and weekend appointment times available
Same-day or next-day appointments may be available (depending on location)
Mental health services available to children ages 1 to 17 (with guardian participation)
Checks insurance coverage and shows your copay during sign-up
Accepts over 300 insurance plans, including Medicare
Available nationwide
Can schedule and participate in appointments via web portal or app

Cons

Controlled substances not available
Only video sessions
Can be pricey if out of network
Only search filters for provider identity are gender and languages spoken
Can’t see list of accepted insurance plans until during sign-up
Must create an account to see providers and appointment availability
Can’t contact providers between sessions

Our Experience

We assigned two testers to sign up for mental health services at Doctor on Demand. One was an adult from North Carolina and the other tried out both Doctor on Demand’s teen psychiatry services and individual adult therapy services from Pennsylvania. Each time we were seeking treatment for anxiety, and each time we had a great experience.

We love that the service offers appointments during a much wider timeframe than most other companies.

We found open time slots for mental health sessions from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, seven days a week. And we found that psychiatrist appointment openings were far more plentiful than therapy sessions.

Doctor on Demand offers one of the fastest initial access times for a mental health provider: You may be able to score an appointment within a few hours, depending on your location and schedule. So if you’re looking for same-day or next-day service, this may be the site for you.

This wide appointment availability comes with caveats, of course. If you live in a smaller state or have a very limited timeframe for when you can schedule appointments, finding an appointment quickly may prove more difficult. Alternatively, if you have a pretty open schedule and can snap up the soonest available appointment, you may be seeing a provider that day or the next. In addition, if you prefer to choose an appointment by the provider rather than by the soonest opening, we typically find that a good provider match can be worth the wait of a few more days. In most cases, you should be able to find an appointment within a week.

We also loved how easy it was to sign up. Simply create an account by providing your personal details and insurance information (if applicable). Then you’ve got access to a portal where you can request an appointment, complete a mental health screening questionnaire, add family members, see your visit history, or message customer support. We really appreciated that as soon as we entered our insurance information, we were shown our copays for various visit types. This was helpful to have before we booked any appointments.

When making a mental health appointment, we could specify whether we were looking for a therapy or psychiatry session.

While we weren’t required to fill out a mental health screening before requesting an appointment, it’s best to do so since it gives the provider a better picture of your mental health going into the appointment. After filling out the screening, we received recommendations for treatment as well as a list of providers to choose from and their appointment availability for the coming weeks.

When searching for a provider, we could filter the list of provider options based on their availability, specialty/focus area, gender, and language; however, one thing we didn’t like was that we couldn’t filter based on our preferences for provider race, religion, or sexuality. We were also concerned that there was nothing denoting “LGBTQIA+ ally” or “BIPOC cultural sensitivity” on provider bios. Explicitly designating themselves as culturally aware and/or queer-affirming is increasingly important for mental health providers. While we felt it was important for potential patients to be aware of these lacking features, please note that we have no reports of Doctor on Demand providers being intolerant, and the company backs up its commitment to diversity with data about the identities of its providers.

We really appreciated the quality of Doctor on Demand providers: they were understanding, approachable, and offered helpful insights into our issues. We felt heard and understood and never rushed.

We love that Doctor on Demand fosters communication and collaboration among the members of your care team, a rarity at most large telehealth services. That means if you’re seeing both a therapist and a psychiatrist at the company, they work together to share notes about your case to improve the overall care you’re receiving.

We feel confident in recommending Doctor On Demand. It allows patients access to specialized care with insurance during a wider range of times than most other services.

Plans & Pricing

At Doctor on Demand, there are no subscription fees: you pay per appointment. The service accepts insurance, but if you’re paying out of pocket, you can use a credit card, PayPal, an HSA, or an FSA. The out-of-pocket cost for psychiatry sessions is $299 for the initial 45-minute intake appointment; subsequent 15-minute follow-up sessions are $129 each. You can extend the sessions for an additional fee if needed. For therapy, you have the choice between a 25-minute session for $129 or a 50-minute session for $179. Note that the system automatically signs you up for the 50-minute therapy session; you have to go in and change the session length if you want the shorter option.

What Users Say

Overall, Doctor on Demand had high satisfaction ratings across several categories including ease of use of platform, responsive providers, and generally feeling all needs were met. Of the 100 users we surveyed, an incredible 99% rated Doctor on Demand as good, very good, or excellent. Users especially found their prescribers to be caring and conscientious, and 97% said it was likely they would recommend Doctor on Demand’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend or family member. In addition, 91% said the service was better than other, similar services they’d tried in the past.

Read the Full Doctor on Demand Online Therapy Review

Best for Budget : LiveHealth Online

Price: $80-95 per therapy session; $175 or less for an initial psychiatry session; $75 per follow-up
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Children's Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

Learn More

Why We Chose It

One of the biggest barriers to mental health care is high out-of-pocket costs. That’s why we love LiveHealth Online. It offers one of the widest networks of highly qualified providers at one of the lowest costs, with an easy-to-use, comprehensive platform. Among the 80 companies we assessed, LiveHealth Online stood out for its low out-of-pocket prices. After the initial $175 psychiatric intake appointment, follow-up visits with a psychiatrist are just $75 each. These prices are less than half the national average for psychiatric care, which is around $500 for an initial session and $200 for follow-up sessions. As for talk therapy sessions at LiveHealth Online, those cost $80 per visit with a therapist or $95 per visit with a psychologist, on the lower end of the national average cost. Even better, you don’t need to pay a membership fee or pre-pay for a large bundle of sessions to enjoy these low rates. Plus, LiveHealth Online is incredibly transparent about its pricing. The cost of each service is clearly listed on its webpage, not hidden somewhere in the FAQs or held back until sign-up, as is frequently the case on other telehealth platforms.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Per-visit out-of-pocket costs lower than most other services
Available in all 50 states
Covers most common psychiatric conditions
Accepts insurance
Talk therapy also available for ages 10 and up
Can schedule and participate in appointments via website or app
LGBTQ-affirming providers denoted with “ally” rainbow flag on profile

Cons

Doesn't take as many insurance plans as some other companies
Initial psychiatry visit may be up to a two-week wait
Controlled substances not available
Psychiatric care only for ages 18 and up
Not all providers LGBTQ+ affirming
Provider availability during nights and weekends may be limited

Our Experience

LiveHealth Online is a well-organized, easy-to-use telehealth site offering virtual medical and mental health services in all 50 states. We assigned two people to test its mental health services, one from California and one from Ohio, and had a mix of good and not-so-good experiences. We appreciated that at the beginning of appointments, therapists laid out clear expectations for the session and detailed their expertise and availability. While we found that most of our providers were helpful and easy to talk to, one used antiquated, offensive language concerning trans people despite being identified as an LGBTQIA+ ally on their profile. If you or someone you love is a member of this group, another site may be a better fit. Still, the low out-of-pocket prices at LiveHealth—with an initial psychiatric assessment costing $175 and follow-up sessions costing $75, which are prices almost unheard of in the psychiatry industry—made it stand out as a good resource for those who cannot afford the usual exorbitant prices of psychiatric services.

In addition to affordability, we loved that LiveHealth Online makes care more accessible by allowing you to participate in video appointments via its website or phone app. That means you can truly access care from just about anywhere.

The fact that LiveHealth Online’s providers receive additional training on how to deliver care virtually really showed in our experience. It was clear that providers had experience and expertise in delivering mental health care online. This is a special skill that we have discovered not all online providers possess.

We also appreciated that the video call experience was more intuitive and much less glitchy than many other online therapy platforms we’ve tried. In addition, the app was easy to navigate and the in-app sound and video quality were great.

Evening and weekend appointments are available, and there is a provider on call 24/7 if you have an urgent issue or question, such as a problem with medication or side effects. Unfortunately, though, we found that it may take longer to get an appointment at LiveHealth Online than at some other telehealth services. The company states you should be able to find an appointment within 14 days. While that’s still a lot sooner than most in-person services, if you need care more quickly, another service might serve you better. The longer wait time likely reflects LiveHealth Online’s popularity with customers who appreciate the low cost of service. If paying out of pocket, the affordability and overall quality make LiveHealth Online worth the wait.

LiveHealth Online didn’t match us with a provider but showed us a curated list based on provider availability, and then we got to choose one by reading their profiles.

In California, we looked specifically for a provider who was an LGBTQIA+ ally since we would be discussing our relationship with a trans man. LGBTQ-affirming providers are denoted on the site by an “ally” rainbow flag appearing on their profile picture. Of the two dozen provider options we were offered in this state, only three openly identified themselves as allies.

While that doesn’t mean all of the others would be hostile or disapproving of LGBTQIA+ identities, it does mean they didn’t find it important enough to include on their profile. Of those three options, the soonest appointments for two of them were seven or eight months away; they actually didn’t have any appointment openings for the rest of the calendar year. We hoped these rainbow-flagged providers would prove a safer option for us as a queer therapy-seeker, but unfortunately, the “ally” therapist we worked with (the only one with availability) turned out to be anything but. They even repeatedly misgendered our trans partner.

While people aged 10 and up can participate in talk therapy at LiveHealth Online, a drawback of the platform is that psychiatric services are only available to adults.

Like several other telehealth platforms, LiveHealth cannot prescribe controlled substances, so it is not ideal for people whose conditions may benefit from them. Psychiatric intake appointments last about an hour while your psychiatrist gathers information about your symptoms, previous diagnoses, and medical and medication history. Follow-up appointments will be much shorter, 15 to 30 minutes. Overall, we recommend LiveHealth Online for low-cost, accessible adult psychiatry, though we advise LGBTQIA+ people to tread carefully.

Plans & Pricing

LiveHealth Online follows a pay-per-visit model with no monthly fees. It also accepts several major insurance companies, although not as many as some other large telehealth platforms. Most plans from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross, and Empire Blue Cross Blue and Shield are accepted. It also has some of the lowest out-of-pocket pricing per visit.

Out-of-pocket, you’ll pay:

$80 to $95 for talk therapy sessions, depending on your therapist’s level of experience
$175 for an initial consultation with a psychiatrist; $75 for each subsequent visit

What Users Say

LiveHealth Online was rated highly by users on many survey questions. Our 100 users especially appreciated LiveHealth Online’s affordability, convenience, and psychiatrist availability. Overall, 98% of users rated its psychiatry and medication management services as excellent, very good, or good, and the same percentage said they would recommend the company to a friend or family member. The platform also had one of the higher ratings for respectful providers and ease of connecting to a therapist. LiveHealth Online users were also impressed with its prescribers, with 96% rating prescriber qualifications as excellent, very good, or good, and 94% rating prescriber bedside manner as excellent, very good, or good.

Best for Provider Options : MDLIVE

Price: Up to $108 for therapy; up to $284 for psychiatry
Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management

Learn More

Why We Chose It

As one of the largest telehealth companies in the U.S., MDLIVE makes connecting with an experienced, credentialed prescriber much more convenient and accessible. MDLIVE is an easy-to-use telehealth platform offering comprehensive mental health services. MDLIVE stood out among the 80 companies we looked at for its abundance of well-vetted provider options across most of the country. When asked to rate the number of quality providers available in their state,

Pros & Cons

Pros

Choose your provider from an easy-to-use directory based on profiles and availability
Accessible services, including 24/7 customer support
24/7 medical appointments available 365 days a year
Mental health services available to ages 10 and up
Can schedule and participate in appointments via website or app
Transparent pricing
Can message provider anytime in patient portal
Costs lower than other services, even without insurance

Cons

No controlled substances prescribed
Full list of accepted insurance plans not available until signing up
May have technical issues with video appointments
Certain diagnoses are not treated, such as ADHD

Our Experience

Among our four MDLIVE testers from Connecticut, Missouri, Michigan, and Florida, what impressed us most was the wide range of providers available. MDLIVE asserts that its clinical network is the largest in the nation. Plus, the company is available in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. Thanks to its large network of vetted, licensed, and board-certified providers, MDLIVE offers access to psychiatric treatment for a wide array of diagnoses, typically within a week.

For example, our testing found 24 therapists available in New York, with six of those having an open appointment within the next two days; California boasted an especially long list of providers (both therapists and psychiatrists), though the wait for appointments was closer to weeks than days.

We appreciated that evening and weekend appointments were available, as well as 24/7 access to customer service. Even better, MDLIVE’s mental health services are available for children and teens ages 10 and up, a rare offering at most telehealth companies.

We were also impressed by the providers’ experience levels and varying types of expertise. Most providers had at least several years of experience. You can choose your provider directly from an easy-to-navigate index when you register.

Being able to read provider profiles and choose one for ourselves based on their specialties, attributes, and availability meant we were sure to find a good match for our needs and situation. The providers who treated us were equal parts helpful and compassionate, professional and approachable: a perfect balance. In fact, we had such a great experience with these highly skilled providers that we would consider continuing treatment with them should we need it.

MDLIVE follows a similar general telehealth model of other large national companies, offering virtual medical care as well as comprehensive therapy and psychiatric services via an easy-to-use platform. Outside of live video appointments, we liked being able to message our provider anytime through the patient portal on the MDLIVE website or phone app. This is a less common offering at many comparable platforms. Similarly, we love how accessible MDLIVE makes mental health services by allowing users to attend appointments either on the website or its phone app.

Another area where MDLIVE stood out was employee satisfaction. The therapists we interviewed at the company said they’ve had a great experience working with the service. They love that MDLIVE doesn’t micromanage their provision of care and that it pays them well for their services compared to other telehealth companies.

Among the downsides we discovered at MDLIVE were technical issues with video sessions. During one of our sessions, the screen suddenly froze multiple times, then cut out before the appointment was supposed to be over.

Because our session lacked a smooth ending, we felt this glitch affected our ability to develop a good rapport with our provider. Another area of potential concern is whose interests the company prioritizes. Cigna now owns MDLIVE and insurance companies are known to guard their bottom line above all else. Given that, our experts felt users should be on alert for any behavior that seems to be prioritizing the concerns of the company over those of the patient.

Like most telehealth services, MDLIVE does not prescribe controlled substances. In addition, the company does not treat certain conditions such as ADHD, acute psychosis, active substance use requiring detox, and moderate to severe autism.

While provider and appointment availability varies by state (as with all services), we believe that compared to other large telehealth companies, MDLIVE offers exceptional access to a high number of qualified providers.

Plans & Pricing

MDLIVE offers therapy as well as psychiatry and medication management services via a pay-per-session model. Several major insurance plans are accepted, including Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and even Medicare and Medicaid in some areas. The company asserts that 62 million Americans have access to MDLIVE as a covered benefit through their health insurance plans. Out-of-pocket, therapy appointments cost $108; psychiatry appointments cost $284 for the initial evaluation, then $108 for subsequent sessions.

What Users Say

In our survey, users rated MDLIVE as one of the top platforms in terms of ease of navigation. All 100% of users rated their overall experience at MDLIVE positively, and 98% of users rated the platform’s psychiatry and medication management services positively. All 100% of users rated prescriber qualifications as good, very good, or excellent, and 98% rated prescriber bedside manner as good, very good, or excellent. In addition, 97% of users said they’d recommend MDLIVE’s psychiatry/medication management services to a friend or family member.

	Best For	Price	Is Insurance Accepted?	Does it Accept HSA/FSA?	Type Of Therapy	Communication Options		Reset All
Teladoc Health	Best for Availability	$99 per therapy session, $209 for initial psychiatry appointment and $109 per follow-up	Yes. 60 different insurance plans accepted	Yes	Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry	Audio, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Monument	Best for Alcohol Use Disorder	Starts at $15+ per month	Yes	Yes	Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Peer Support	Messaging, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Brightside	Best for Anxiety and Depression	$95-$349 per month	Yes	Yes	Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry	Messaging, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Talkiatry	Best for Medication Management	Depends on your insurance	Yes. BCBS, Optum, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Medicare, and others	Yes	Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry	Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Talkspace	Best for Patient Support	$69-$109 a week for therapy, billed monthly; $65 for additional sessions	Yes	Yes	Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling	Audio, Live Chat, Messaging, Phone, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Thriveworks	Best for Ease of Use	Varies by insurance; self pay starts at $200 per session	Yes	Yes	Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling	Audio, Phone, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
Doctor on Demand	Best for Flexible Scheduling	$134-$184 per therapy session; $299 for psychiatric consultation: $129 per psychiatric follow-up	Yes	Yes	Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling	Audio, Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
LiveHealth Online	Best for Budget	$80-95 per therapy session; $175 or less for an initial psychiatry session; $75 per follow-up	Yes	Yes	Children's Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling	Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me
MDLIVE	Best for Provider Options	Up to $108 for therapy; up to $284 for psychiatry	Yes	Yes	Individual Therapy, Medication Management	Video Chat	Learn More	Hide, not for me

Key Considerations for Choosing the Best Online Psychiatry Service

There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing which online psychiatry service is best for you:

Price: Cost and insurance coverage are clearly important factors (as reported on our user survey), so it’s important to review fees and insurance plans accepted before signing up for any service. Know your monthly budget and whether or not you want to pay per session or pay a monthly fee for a set of recurring services. Also, decide whether you’re OK with paying a membership fee in addition to service fees. Consider the length of appointments, provider qualifications, and additional perks (like the ability to message your therapist) when calculating the value for money.
Treatment area: The focus of an online psychiatry service is also important: does it specialize in care that includes your particular diagnosis or age group? (For example, certain sites specialize in care for ADHD or depression and anxiety but not much else.) Can it treat multiple issues that you may have (such as additional co-occurring conditions like substance use)? Do you have access to a therapist in addition to a psychiatrist/prescriber? How broad is the service's network of providers where you live, and what are their qualifications? If you’re looking to find out whether or not you’re experiencing a diagnosable condition and what that is, you’ll want to start with a more general online psychiatry service.
Medication options: The particular medications/prescribing services available are important to check. Most companies are not allowed to prescribe controlled substances. Some may have less experience or comfort with certain types of medications or diagnoses. Access for refills or discussing urgent side effect issues should also be considered. Also, check if medication is a separate charge or included in the service fees.
Scheduling: Scheduling is one of the best potential advantages of online psychiatry companies, but only if the service actually has good availability for a wide range of times, and with the same provider each time instead of a more worrisome random provider approach. Ease and accuracy of scheduling is also important. If you have a specific need for appointments that fall outside of normal business hours, look for services with the widest range of scheduling options. And be sure to consider if you’re willing to wait a bit longer for service in order to secure appointments at a specific time.
Financial assistance: Most online psychiatry services accept insurance, and many try to make services affordable even without insurance. Still, some service fees may be able to be waived or reduced, and some psychiatrists may offer sliding scale pricing. It’s always worth emailing customer service to inquire about making services within your financial reach.
Ease of switching therapists: You’ll want to be sure the service has a relatively easy way to switch to a different provider in the event you don’t feel that the first one is a good match. Look for services that ensure easy access to customer support for technical issues (such as video signal problems) or billing concerns.

How Do I Choose an Online Psychiatrist?

An array of smiling faces and random facts can be daunting to navigate at first; what are the important things to consider when choosing your mental healthcare provider?

Credentials: Did the provider attend well-established or well-known academic training programs? Are they actively board-certified, and in what specialties? Do they have any particular focus or experience in an area related to your condition, or training in a specialized therapy modality (such as CBT or psychoanalysis) you might benefit from or prefer?
Experience: How many years out of training is the clinician? Older providers may be more seasoned in some ways but may also sometimes be less up-to-date with the latest treatments and medications.
Identity or cultural background: Is it similar to your own? There may be some advantages and comfort in discussing issues with someone from your own background, but in many cases, providers from all backgrounds should be able to provide competent care as long as their approach is empathetic and open.
Availability and schedule: You may have found the provider of your dreams, but will their schedule match up with yours?

What If I'm Having Thoughts of Harming Myself?

Online psychiatry services are typically not intended for people in severe distress or crisis. Anyone with thoughts, urges, or plans of suicide or self-injury, or mental health symptoms that endanger their own or others’ well-being, should seek in-person emergency care ASAP by calling the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or going to their nearest or preferred hospital emergency room. Other free mental health resources include:

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained volunteer crisis counselor.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator: Find resources and treatment centers near you for help with substance abuse and other mental health issues.
The Trevor Project: LGBTQ youth and young people ages 13-24 can reach a trained crisis counselor by chat, text, or phone, 24/7—no questions asked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Conditions Can Online Psychiatrists Help Me With?

Psychiatrists are physicians with medical training, (i.e., MD or DO degrees, which take four years to complete) as well as psychiatric residency training, which takes another four years. They can treat a wide array of mental health conditions and are trained to diagnose patients and treat them using both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. Some specialize or have additional board certification in particular diagnoses (like mood and anxiety, alcohol use, or eating disorders) or age groups (like child/adolescent or geriatric). Online psychiatrists often cannot treat more severe mental health conditions or prescribe controlled substances. For these services, in-person psychiatry would be necessary.

Are All Prescribers of Mental Health Medication Psychiatrists?

People with different qualifications and training are also permitted to prescribe medications, such as primary care physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and, in a few states, psychologists. These other prescribers usually do not have the same amount of rigorous time and training regarding human physiology and pharmacology in combination with psychiatric expertise as psychiatrists, but some have sufficient experience to prescribe medications for routine or mild mental health conditions.

What Is the Difference Between Teletherapy and Telepsychiatry?

Teletherapy is a more general term referring to psychotherapy conducted remotely online. There are numerous licensed and trained specialists who can provide teletherapy, such as licensed mental health therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Telepsychiatry refers to the practice of psychiatry conducted remotely online and usually refers to services provided specifically by a psychiatrist who does an initial history-taking and diagnostic biopsychosocial assessment, followed by recommendations for treatment involving psychotherapy and/or medication. Psychiatrists are trained in and can also conduct psychotherapy, but a more common treatment model is to split care with a designated psychotherapist and have the psychiatrist focus on medication management.

How Do You Know Online Psychiatrists Are Qualified?

Even if the telehealth platform asserts it screens provider credentials, before making an appointment, you should conduct a quick online search to see whether they have an active medical license in your state, active board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and no signs of unusual medical board complaints or legal issues.

Do I Need to Currently Be Seeing a Psychiatrist to Receive Medication?

As with any medication, it’s important to receive periodic follow-ups from your qualified prescriber to make sure continuation of your medication at its current dosage is the appropriate plan. For psychiatric conditions, psychiatrists are best able to determine with you what the right medication and the most appropriate follow-up period is. Sometimes if a medication is very stable, routine prescribing can be continued by a primary care provider instead.

Do Online Psychiatrists Accept Insurance?

This depends on the psychiatrist and the platform. Some may screen and validate that your insurance is in-network ahead of time; others may not accept insurance up front and make you do paperwork and send out-of-network billing instead, which can be time-consuming and have higher upfront copays or fees. All of the telepsychiatry services listed in this roundup accept several health insurance plans.

How We Tested and Reviewed Online Therapy Services

We evaluated 80 online therapy companies and therapist directories in order to compile this list.

Firsthand Experience

As part of our research, we signed up for talk therapy at all 55 online therapy companies we reviewed. We tested each company's therapy services, and if the company offered other services (such as couples therapy and kid or teen therapy) we tested those too. Our testers are located all across the United States and abroad, meaning we have extensive information about each company's services in a variety of areas.

User and Brand Surveys

In addition, we surveyed more than 10,000 therapy users: 105 at each of the 55 online therapy companies and 180 at each of the 25 therapist directories. We collected over 100 different data points in which we asked users to evaluate each company's services, from their therapist's qualifications to whether they found a therapist who met all their needs to how they'd rate the company overall. We also sent questionnaires to each company we considered, asking for their perspectives on the services they provide, and we interviewed former patients and therapists at the companies where possible.

Research

In addition to the extensive research we performed on each of the 55 online therapy companies we reviewed, we also researched dozens of therapy directories. We tested each by searching for appropriate therapists for 37 hypothetical scenarios that might lead someone to search for a mental health provider across 18 ZIP codes. We then rated the results by how well the therapists we found in each directory could address each scenario, looking into whether it listed competent, licensed therapists who were qualified to treat these issues.

Expert Recommendations

Once we completed this testing and these surveys, we evaluated our findings with the help of three licensed therapists—Amy Marschall, PsyD; Nic Hardy, PhD, LCSW; and Hannah Owens, LMSW—in order to make our recommendations. These therapists provided extensive insight into the ethics and efficacy of online therapy as well as information about relevant therapeutic modalities and approaches.

Best Online Psychiatry Service — VERY WELL MIND / Amelia Manley

Article Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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Sun CF, Correll CU, Trestman RL, et al. Low availability, long wait times, and high geographic disparity of psychiatric outpatient care in the US. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2023;84:12-17. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.05.012
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the United States: Age groups and demographic characteristics.
Mintz CM, Hartz SM, Fisher SL, et al. A cascade of care for alcohol use disorder: Using 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data to identify gaps in past 12‐month care. Alcoholism Clin Exp Res. 2021;45(6):1276-1286. doi:10.1111/acer.14609
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Group therapy in substance use treatment. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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American Psychiatric Association. What are anxiety disorders?.
American Psychiatric Association. What is depression?.
Association of American Medical Colleges. A growing psychiatrist shortage and an enormous demand for mental health services.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Protecting youth mental health: The Surgeon General's Advisory.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. What is child and adolescent psychiatry?.
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Association of American Medical Colleges. Exploring barriers to mental health care in the U.S.

Looking for a Psychiatrist? Try One of These 9 Best Online Psychiatry Services

9 Best Online Psychiatry Services, Tried and Tested in 2024

Our Online Therapy Methodology

Best for Availability : Teladoc Health

Why We Chose It

Best for Alcohol Use Disorder : Monument

Best for Anxiety and Depression : Brightside

Our Experience

Best for Medication Management : Talkiatry

Best for Patient Support : Talkspace

Best for Ease of Use : Thriveworks

Best for Flexible Scheduling : Doctor on Demand

Best for Budget : LiveHealth Online

Best for Provider Options : MDLIVE

Compare the 9 Best Online Psychiatry Services, Tried and Tested in 2024

Key Considerations for Choosing the Best Online Psychiatry Service

How Do I Choose an Online Psychiatrist?

What If I'm Having Thoughts of Harming Myself?

Frequently Asked Questions

What Conditions Can Online Psychiatrists Help Me With?

Are All Prescribers of Mental Health Medication Psychiatrists?

What Is the Difference Between Teletherapy and Telepsychiatry?

How Do You Know Online Psychiatrists Are Qualified?

Do I Need to Currently Be Seeing a Psychiatrist to Receive Medication?

Do Online Psychiatrists Accept Insurance?

How We Tested and Reviewed Online Therapy Services

Firsthand Experience

User and Brand Surveys

Research

Expert Recommendations