Mental health is crucial for all areas of our lives. Mental health problems may easily destroy one’s motivation, disrupt sleeping habits, ruin relationships, and even worsen physical health. Therefore, a lot depends on whether or not a person with emotional problems receives timely professional help.
However, many people have busy work schedules so they don’t have much time to commute to a therapist’s office. Accessibility and flexibility are not the strongest sides of traditional in-person sessions, but fortunately, online therapy platforms solve this problem.
According to a study by Forbes, 21% of Americans used teletherapy services at least once last year. Research data shows that online therapy can be as effective as face-to-face sessions when treating anxiety, depression, and many other mental health problems, so it’s no surprise that online therapy is quickly gaining popularity.
Online therapy became much more common during the pandemic and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. People with various mental health disorders often feel isolated and lonely when dealing with their issues, but all they need to do is just ask for help.
There’s no need to struggle with your mental health problems alone because licensed therapists can help you understand what caused your problems and suggest effective coping practices. Along with being accessible and flexible, online therapy is also cheaper than traditional sessions.
Top 5 Online Therapy Platforms in 2022
So, what if you wanted to give therapy a try? What platform should you use? There are many online therapy platforms, and all of them have their advantages and disadvantages. We analyzed such factors as the quality of services, prices, support, and clients’ feedback to make a list of the best online therapy platforms in 2022.
- Calmerry
- BetterHelp
- TalkSpace
- Amwell
- 7 Cups
1. Calmerry
This is a relatively new platform but it has already become quite popular because of the quality of services, great support, and flexibility. This platform connects clients with licensed therapists from all over the U.S.
Mental health professionals have different specializations and licenses, and this platform matches clients with therapists who are familiar with a particular issue. You have to provide some basic information about your problem, and then an advanced algorithm will match you with a therapist.
Calmerry has many therapists, counselors, social workers, etc. Thanks to the range of mental health experts, this platform can help clients who deal with various issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, grief, trauma, anger, low self-esteem, etc. On Calmerry, you can receive cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD or get relationship advice.
This platform takes its clients’ privacy very seriously so all conversations between clients and therapists are securely encrypted. Calmerry has a convenient web interface and mobile apps for iOS and Android so you can access your conversations at any time.
Calmerry allows you to send unlimited text messages to your therapist and schedule live video sessions. Besides, clients receive free self-care tools, like a chatbot that can help you monitor changes in your mood. The cheapest subscription plan costs only $42 per week, and it’s the only platform that offers a one-week plan.
Pros
- Multiple subscription options
- Free self-care tools
- Free therapist switching
- Unlimited messages and video sessions
- Mobile apps
- HIPAA-compliant
Cons
- This platform doesn’t offer psychiatry services
- No group therapy
- No free trials
2. BetterHelp
BetterHelp is very popular and it has a big team of therapists and counselors who can help clients with various mental health issues. This platform offers both individual and group sessions, and it uses algorithm matching.
BetterHelp helps clients with various mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, depression, etc. There are many professionals with all kinds of background and experience so this platform offers a wide spectrum of services.
The prices are rather high compared to some of the other platforms. The cheapest subscription costs $65 per week, and this plan only features messaging. However, some categories of clients may apply for financial aid.
Pros
- Multiple communication channels
- Group sessions
- Multiple pricing plans
Cons
- No video sessions in the basic plan
- Not all clients are satisfied with customer support
3. TalkSpace
This platform is very popular because of its wide range of services and smart marketing strategy. Counselors and therapists get matched with clients based on their specialization, experience, and clients’ symptoms. Here, you can get help with anxiety, trauma, depression, self-esteem issues, and many other common problems.
TalkSpace offers individual, couples, and teen therapy. What makes this platform stand out is the availability of psychiatrists who can prescribe medication. However, psychiatry services aren’t featured in subscription plans so you may have to pay an additional fee to use them.
Just like other platforms from this list, TalkSpace operates on a subscription basis, and the cheapest plan costs $65 per week. However, this plan only features messaging, so if you want to benefit from live sessions, you will have to purchase plans with 1 or 4 live video calls for $79 or $99 per week, respectively.
Pros
- Unlimited messaging
- A free conversation with a matching agent
- Individual, couples, and teen therapy.
H4: Cons
- You cannot request a refund for unused therapy time
- Services may not be covered by insurance
- A time-consuming matching process
4. Amwell
This is one of the biggest telehealth companies that offers a vast range of services, including mental health help. Unlike other platforms from this list, Amwell wasn’t created specifically for mental health. Here, clients can talk to physicians and get help with various physical health problems.
However, this platform also offers mental health help and connects clients with psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors. Therefore, here you can get help with both mild and severe disorders that require medication treatment.
Here, you can schedule video sessions with therapists, but keep in mind that such sessions are only 10 minutes long. You should also find an available therapist. To make the right choice, you can check out reviews from clients.
Amwell doesn’t offer subscription plans for video consultations. A session with a therapist costs $109-$129. If you need to talk to a psychiatrist, the first session will cost you $280, and follow-ups will cost $109.
Pros
- All kinds of teletherapy services
- Psychiatrists are available
Cons
- No discounts
- Video sessions should be scheduled in advance
- No subscriptions
5. 7 Cups
This platform offers a cheap alternative for those who cannot afford therapy or are just looking for someone to talk to. Users can join 7 Cups for free and talk to trained listeners or join various support groups. The listeners on his platform aren’t therapists — they don’t have the necessary licenses and clinical experience. However, they all passed the company’s training.
You can also purchase a paid plan and talk to licensed therapists. For $150 per month, you can send unlimited text messages, but there are no video or audio sessions available.
Generally, this platform is intended for people who are looking for emotional support and want someone to listen to them without judgment. Here, you can find chat rooms dedicated to anxiety, depression, teen problems, or stress, and talk to other people who have similar problems.
Pros
- Communities on various topics
- Free emotional support
- An affordable subscription for text therapy
Cons
- A rather confusing interface
- No video or audio sessions
- A small pool of therapists
- Some clients complain about judgmental listeners
How We Made Our List of the 5 Best Online Therapy Platforms
There is no one-size-fits-all approach in therapy because all clients have unique problems. Besides, when people choose online therapy platforms, they may also have different budgets and prefer different communication channels. Therefore, it’s important to choose a platform that meets your specific needs and expectations.
There are many companies that provide online therapy services, and we decided to compare them based on a set of important criteria, such as the professionalism of therapists, prices, types of services available, reviews from clients, and customer support.
We selected therapy platforms that offer flexibility and allow clients to receive professional mental health help. We also selected companies that care about clients’ security and protect their personal information because we know that this issue is very important for most clients.
When evaluating platforms, we considered companies with a good reputation. We read reviews on various third-party platforms to see what clients say about these services. While some platforms are incredibly popular, clients’ feedback often allows us to learn about disadvantages that may not be obvious at the first glance.
Wrapping Up: Choosing Online Therapy
Thanks to online therapy platforms, taking care of your mental health has become easier than ever. Now you don’t need to commute to a therapist’s office — you can just talk to them via video call or exchange text messages, no matter where you are.
Mental health affects all areas of one’s life so if you have emotional problems, don’t hesitate to ask for help. A great thing about online therapy is that it allows you to work on your mental health even if your work schedule is very tight.
Online therapy has proven to be effective when treating anxiety, depression, self-esteem problems, trauma, stress, and many other issues so all you need is just to choose the platform that meets your needs. If you want to learn more about the companies from our list, feel free to check out more detailed reviews on DrMental.org.
