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Mental health issues can’t be taken lightly anymore, as the number of patients with mental health ailments is going up shockingly with time. The number of online therapy platforms increases as more people seek counseling services to improve their lifestyles.
Not taking care of your mental health is not intelligent because mental issues keep bulging up in the background, and they suddenly strike you hard. Thousands of people deal with work-life stress or have ongoing problems in their relationships. Still, most of them will deny booking sessions with online therapy services or in-person therapy sessions.
Mental health issues don’t go away unless you seek assistance from certified mental health professionals. You may have thought that being less energetic in your life or having a negative mindset is normal, but they are not.
The seed of a severe and threatening mental health disorder is sowed in your mind as an ignorable symptom like long-term fatigue or chronic stress. Eventually, that can become something extreme and completely take over your life. Problems like anxiety and depression tend to recur anytime without even hinting.
Developing a mental health issue is expected in this era of nuclear families and PDAs. When left untreated, minor symptoms can turn into chronic and life-threatening mental health conditions over time. Mental health issues can appear in your life regardless of your age, gender, and lifestyle, and such an issue can ruin your life completely.
Now, most less-knowledgeable people don’t find online therapy compelling, and they assume that their conditions will improve automatically. That’s how they push themselves to the edge, and that’s the reason behind the increasing numbers of homicide cases, violence, and crimes.
Hundreds of licensed clinical social workers are there to help people with mental health disorders and other mental issues. The best online therapy platforms can bring back spontaneity and joy in your life again. Of course, you need to visit an online therapy platform before things get worse.
As we already said, the number of online therapy platforms is countless, and a user can’t check the services of each platform separately. Most mental health patients don’t remain in stable mental states, and they lack the patience to evaluate the worth of each online therapy platform available on the internet.
Our research and editorial team dived deep into the issue. Our experts tried their best to create a list of the best online therapy platforms on the internet so that mental health patients get the best care without hassling and spending hard-earned on the wrong programs.
In this list, you will come to know the best online therapy platforms and online mental health care facilities that offer good services through video and audio messaging. These online therapy programs are undoubtedly the best online mental health counseling options.
The Best Online Therapy Services in 2022
As you start searching for an online therapist online, you come across hundreds of mental health services that claim to be the best in the industry. However, not all these online counseling services are reliable.
Some online mental health services are just there to lower your bank balance. Even some online mental health services don’t even collaborate with licensed therapists. They usually hire novice counselors to get money from clients.
You surely don’t want to fall into such a trap. We endeavored to help you get rid of mental health issues quickly. The following list will introduce you to the top online therapy services collaborating with medical doctors and certified professional counselors to provide the best and fastest care.
| Better Help | Around 22000 reputed professional therapists are available on the platform to help users. |
|---|---|
| Talk Space | The platform makes it possible to match you with the most suitable therapist within minutes. |
| ReGain | The best platform to reinforce the joyful vibe in your relationship is to make it more lively. |
| Brightside | The platform implies clinically-proven strategies and methods to help users get rid of their problems. |
| Calmerry | One of the most promising anxiety-relieving platforms on the internet |
| Online-Therapy | It provides you with a complete toolbox that helps you accomplish the tasks assigned by your therapist. |
| MyWellbeing | An excellent platform for customized counseling services |
| Health Sapiens | A reputed hub for famous doctors nationwide, and you can match with your preferred doctor within minutes. |
| Faithful Counseling | The therapists combine Christian perspectives with modern counseling strategies to help Christian users. |
| Teen Counseling | The one-stop solution for all types of teenage problems |
| Pride Counseling | A decent platform that is focused on helping LGBTQ people improve their lifestyles. |
| Self-Therapy Journey | The platform enables you to get rid of guilt, grief, and sadness guaranteed. |
| Cerebral | A reputable platform to take care of your mental state and mental health. |
| Doctor on Demand | Enormous board-certified doctors are available on the platform to assist patients in improving their mental conditions. |
| MDLive | You don’t need to go through tiring hassles to book appointments with therapists as you book appointments through this platform. |
| 7Cups | One of the top virtual counseling websites available on the internet for everyone |
Better Help
When it comes to the best online therapy services, the name Better Help is bound to go at the top as the online therapy platform has earned users’ confidence across the world by providing top-notch services. Better Help is the platform that can help you sustain yourself throughout the mental health turbulences effortlessly.
If you’re one of those who don’t find online therapy compelling, we recommend you get in touch with the mental health professionals of the platform once.
The platform consists of many licensed mental health professionals who offer all services, including cognitive behavioral therapy, relationship counseling, teen counseling, and even psychiatric services being one of the best online therapy services.
Whether the patient is a child or a senior citizen, the professional counselors available on the platform offer customized counseling solutions for patients of all ages.
Depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, Schizophrenia, and all other types of mental problems are handled by the professional counselors of the platforms in the best possible ways. The online platform is trusted by thousands of satisfied patients and users who have been able to improve mental health conditions with proper care and supervision.
| Name Of The Program | Better Help |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $60 to $90 per week |
Talk Space
If you’re looking for online therapy to deal with mental health issues more smartly, you should consider this phenomenal online therapy platform. Talk Space offers in-person therapy sessions and online therapy sessions, and it is one of the best online therapy platforms.
The sign-up process of this platform is extremely straightforward too. After signing up, you can contact industry-leading professionals via phone calls and live sessions after completing the 60-minute assessment. The professional counselors and doctors available on the online therapy platform also prescribe medication.
Suppose you need a family therapist to resolve the internal issues of your family privately. In that case, there is no need to visit a therapist in person, as this online therapy service platform enables you to get in touch with the best professionals online.
Unlike many other online therapy platforms, this platform is backed by many positive reviews. Users who consulted licensed therapists using this platform managed to improve their mental conditions within 2-4 weeks. Also, the online therapists available on this platform are very friendly and cooperative, making patients comfortable.
Being an unlimited messaging therapy platform, this one is different from other online therapy sites, and it comes with the best possible mental health care solutions.
| Name Of The Program | Talk Space |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $260 to $396 per month |
ReGain
Finding out suitable online therapy providers is not as easy as it seems. Enormous online therapists are there who promise to help you, but only a few of them are genuinely helpful in diagnosing your mental issue correctly.
Also, many users find it challenging to go through a therapy session as they feel uncomfortable sharing personal affairs with therapists. If you’re embarrassed about going for a therapy session, ReGain is your best option.
Also, many mental health patients tend to switch therapists regularly as they don’t find convenient ones for themselves. Eventually, that kind of activity delays their mental health improvement.
Coming to this platform, you can get in touch with your therapist via video sessions, which may make you more comfortable. Text, video, and audio – all three mediums of therapy sessions are available with this special and unique platform. If you’ve wasted a lot of time attending the video sessions of inefficient mental health apps, there’s no point in keeping doing so. You should sign up with this platform instead to improve your mental health condition as soon as possible.
Once you sign up with the platform and take the assessment, it will consider your assessment results to find the most suitable licensed professional counselors. However, a drawback of this platform is that it doesn’t accept insurance. So, you can’t use your health insurance to get service from the professionals available on this platform.
| Name Of The Program | ReGain |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $60 to $90 per week |
Brightside
Feeling comfortable with an online therapy provider is pretty hard for many patients. Also, a large group of therapists utilizes traditional therapy procedures only to resolve patients’ problems. Using the latest mental health improvement techniques is very important to help patients improve their mental states.
As you attend live video sessions with your preferred online therapy provider, you can quickly improve your lifestyle and mental health. The licensed mental health professionals available on the platform not only rely on traditional therapy procedures. Instead, they use modern therapeutic techniques and medication management techniques to help patients in better ways.
This is one of the best platforms for people who are looking for family therapists. The licensed marriage and family therapists available here can help you in the best possible ways in terms of relationship counseling. The best-in-class mental health care solutions are available here, and you can book a therapy session for yourself whenever you feel. The platform will allocate a suitable professional who can help you improve your condition.
| Name Of The Program | Brightside |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $95 per month |
Calmerry
If you’re suffering from chronic anxiety, this platform is incomparable to resolving your issues. The symptoms of anxiety can be highly unpleasant, and they can impact your daily lifestyle adversely. So, it’s essential to get rid of anxiety and its unpleasant symptoms as soon as possible.
Calmerry is the best platform for resolving anxiety issues. Millions of users have already improved their conditions with the help of this exceptional platform. The expert therapists of this platform help you deal with anxiety more efficiently.
After signing up with the platform, you’re connected with the best professional who can handle your case with expertise as you go through the brief assessment. Thousands of patients with anxiety managed to improve their conditions within 12 weeks with this platform, and the number is still increasing.
Also, the sign-up process is easy and fast, and you won’t find any difficulty getting in touch with a specialized professional. The live video sessions available on the platform are beneficial in calming down patients with anxiety. As you sign up with this platform, a suitable therapist will be allocated for you within approximately 24 hours, making the platform a special one.
| Name Of The Program | Calmerry |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $42 per week |
Online-Therapy
It takes only a minute to find the best therapist for yourself on Online-Therapy. Hundreds of experienced professionals are available here, and you can easily select the best therapist for yourself. The professionals offer customized counseling plans and therapeutic services on Online-Therapy, which helps users improve their mental conditions.
Online-Therapy guides you through the path of self-improvement with the help of certified and verified professionals. The live video sessions reduce your mental turbulence and improve your overall lifestyle.
Conditions like eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and others can be improved with the digital worksheets, yoga activities, and activity plans available on Online-Therapy. This one is one of the best online therapy websites on this list, considering the wide range of benefits.
| Name Of The Program | Online-Therapy |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $31.96/week |
MyWellbeing
MyWellbeing is a platform that makes finding a suitable therapist to treat your mental health condition easier. The website introduces you to three perfect therapists to treat your situation, and you’re supposed to answer some questions to select the best match for yourself.
No matter your mental condition, it’s possible to get rid of that with the video sessions. This is the right platform if you tend to switch therapists frequently and don’t get the right one.
To resolve your problems, you can conveniently access the live video sessions with your preferred therapists. So, this platform is a top-notch recommendation for people with all types of mental health conditions. The therapists available on the platform use proven techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy and other unique therapeutic strategies to help patients. Also, the experts make medication management much easier for users.
| Name Of The Program | MyWellbeing |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $80-$300 per session |
Health Sapiens
When it comes to medication management, very few mental health websites and platforms can match the level of this telemedicine platform. Health Sapiens is designed to help users struggling to deal with different mental issues.
The telemedicine platform makes medication management extremely easy, and that helps users reduce their dependence on mental health medications. As you sign up with this platform, you can expect to improve your condition with better medication management techniques, making it possible to get rid of the side effects of medications.
| Name Of The Program | Health Sapiens |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $24.95/month |
Faithful Counseling
If you’re a Christian and need in-person therapy from an established online therapist, this platform is a solid contender to become your best choice. Individuals looking forward to attending cognitive behavioral therapy sessions and other therapy sessions can benefit from this platform.
The specialty of this platform is that the counselors and experts available on the site attempt to resolve the mental issues of Christian patients while counseling them using Christian perspectives. You can utilize the growth prospects of Christianity to enhance your mental condition.
The platform blends Christian perspectives and modern therapeutic strategies to find the best-customized solutions for every user. That makes the platform a unique choice for Christians suffering from mental disorders and psychological issues.
| Name Of The Program | Faithful Counseling |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $60-$90 per week |
Teen Counseling
Teenage problems are not uncommon, and these problems have been there for ages. Anyway, this modern era emphasizes teenage issues smartly and gives importance to such matters. The main target of this platform is to help teenagers deal with their problems through live video sessions and consultations.
Standard video therapy sessions available on Teen Counseling can help users resolve eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, bullying, etc. The doctors are available at Teen Counseling practice different patterns of cognitive-behavioral therapy and other therapies to help teenagers.
Teenagers can access live sessions and talk to licensed therapists to get the best psychiatric services. Teen Counseling is one of the most promising platforms for video therapy. Teen Counseling is especially famous for its excellent psychiatric services. This is a strong competitor of Online-Therapy and similar sites.
| Name Of The Program | Teen Counseling |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $14.50-$80 for two months |
Pride Counseling
The people of the LGBTQ community face constant hardships in their daily lifestyles, and they need counseling services at affordable rates to improve their mindsets. Pride Counseling is the best platform for LGBTQ people who suffer from chronic mental issues.
While Online-Therapy focuses on all-around counseling sessions and Teen Counseling aims to help teenagers, Pride Counseling connects LGBTQ people with professional psychologists and counselors.
Pride Counseling is arguably the best online therapy website with unique features and facilities. If you belong to the LGBTQ community, Pride Counseling is the best place to contact your preferred licensed therapist.
Online therapy becomes seamless and convenient with Pride Counseling. Even the services offered by Pride Counseling are better than the services of Online-Therapy to some extent. So, get a subscription to Pride Counseling today to enhance your mental health naturally.
| Name Of The Program | Pride Counseling |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $60 to $90 per week |
Self-Therapy Journey
Whether psychological problems or emotional disorders, everything can be treated with the medical doctors available on this unique platform. This is the best address if you want an online therapist for relationship counseling or medication management.
The online therapists of this platform utilize cognitive behavioral therapy and other techniques for relationship counseling. The online therapy program enables you to avail yourself of the best mental health care facilities quickly.
Also, you can avail yourself of psychiatry services and essential counseling services through live video sessions. All formats are available for counseling services, including text, video, and audio facilities.
| Name Of The Program | Self-Therapy Journey |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $30 per month |
Cerebral
The best online therapy awaits you at Cerebral. An efficient group of licensed clinical social workers is available on the platform, and they improve the quality of online therapy services offered by this online therapy website. This website is a one-stop solution for mental disorders and other mental health conditions.
A licensed clinical social workers’ expert team can improve anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other severe mental conditions. Also, the pricing of the website is reasonable for everyone. The in-person therapy offered by the website is more than satisfactory.
You can consult with the most reputed mental health professionals and marriage and family therapists through this platform, and that too for affordable charges.
| Name Of The Program | Cerebral |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $30 for the first month |
Doctor on Demand
Doctor On Demand is an outstanding online mental health counseling portal that enables you to avail yourself of a customized therapy session every time you book psychiatric services through this platform.
Doctor On Demand is the best bet for standard financial aid. The platform is an exceptional platform to get the best online therapy. You can also find the best family therapist with live sessions via text, video, and audio. Doctors are also available on phone calls to provide counseling services on this platform. Registering with this platform ensures considerable financial aid, and you save a lot of money while using this platform.
| Name Of The Program | Doctor On Demand |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | $0.08 per minute |
MDLive
Isn’t it impressive to consult with the top licensed therapists while using your health insurance? Well, MDLive accepts health insurance policies provided by different health insurance providers.
This is the best platform to restore your mental health without spending a lot. Your health insurance policy will cover the charges of online therapy consultation on this platform. Also, the platform offers a wide variety of counseling services, and most of the services are covered by health insurance policies.
Online counseling becomes much more convenient with the platform, and you can utilize your health insurance policy to improve your mental condition while using this platform.
| Name Of The Program | MDLive |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | Up to $82 |
7Cups
The presence of enormous licensed therapists on this platform makes it highly beneficial. Most people with a mental health conditions remain searching for people to listen to their mental clutters and issues. If you want someone to hear you out without any judgment, this unique platform is undoubtedly the best choice.
This online therapy website has collaborated with hundreds of expert mental health professionals who can resolve your mental issues using proven strategies. This platform never lets you feel alone; one of the best online therapy websites and platforms. You need a few minutes to connect with your preferred therapist and talk about your insecurities and mental problems.
This online therapy platform can serve you in the best possible way, and you can attain mental clarity. As a result, your overall lifestyle and mental condition improve.
| Name Of The Program | 7Cups |
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| Advertised Features |
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| Side Effects | Side effects don’t come with the platform sessions; instead, your path towards improvement becomes clearer. |
| Price | Free live chat with volunteers, or $150 per month |
These are the best online therapy platforms to help you recover from severe mental disorders and chronic psychiatric ailments. These websites and platforms are competent enough to support you in proven ways. So, you should use your preferred site or platform to start your mental health improvement journey effortlessly.
How We Ranked The Best Online Therapy Platforms
As you have gone through the article so far, you must have been wondering how we managed to pick these online therapy platforms among so many options available on the market.
Be it in-person therapy or live video sessions, you must get the best online therapy provider by your side. It’s not a good idea to consult with every other licensed therapist you encounter on the internet.
We considered several factors while shortlisting these online counseling platforms in the ranking process. The following points will describe what factors we kept in mind to rank these online counseling platforms:
Licensed and Board-certified Online Counseling Professionals
Not every online counseling service collaborates with licensed clinical social workers and professional counselors. If you’re signing up with an online counseling platform, it’s normal to look for the best professionals.
While ranking the best online therapy platforms, we checked whether the licensed clinical social workers and medical doctors available on the platform are qualified enough or not. We cross-checked the list of licensed therapists available on each online therapy platform listed above.
After screening numerous platforms, we enlisted the platforms that came up with a group of licensed therapists only. So, we can assure you that these platforms are the best ones to check out if you’re looking for an online therapist.
Custom-matching
The best online therapy platform is supposed to assess your condition before allocating a licensed therapist to help you. The custom-matching facility is essential to make users comfortable in in-person therapy.
Unfortunately, not all online therapy platforms allocate clinical social workers or licensed professional counselors based on the conditions of the users. If you’re suffering from clinical depression, you need an expert professional who specializes in handling patients with depression.
The same applies to patients with other mental disorders too. So, it’s pretty essential to select an online therapy platform that allocates therapists based on users’ requirements. All the platforms mentioned above assign therapists based on the conditions and needs of the patients. That’s why they made it to this list.
Some of the platforms above also come with doctor-on-demand facilities to help users in the best ways.
Ease of Use
A user-friendly interface or procedure is a non-compromisable factor for an online therapy platform. While looking for a licensed therapist in a professional platform, a user should find it hard to check the profiles or assess his mental health condition.
Also, users who aren’t tech-savvy can’t handle online therapy sessions effortlessly. When you attend a therapy session online, you need to feel that the platform is convenient and easy to use. That will make you comfortable while consulting with the service provider.
Considering all these, we listed the therapy services that come with easy-to-use platforms. All the listed platforms are easily usable, and non-tech-savvy users can easily use them.
Communication Modes
This is the most important criterion for ranking the best online therapy platforms. Some users prefer live video sessions, while others prefer unlimited messaging therapy platforms. Also, some people prefer phone calls to get consultations from their preferred therapists.
The platforms mentioned above offer text, video, and audio messaging facilities to make users comfortable with the procedures. It’s always good to go for a platform that offers text, video, and audio messaging facilities. That helps you feel comfortable eventually.
So, make sure that you sign up with a platform from the list that lets you consult with your therapist via your preferred medium.
Customer Reviews
We especially emphasize the customer reviews of the online therapy platforms above to determine their rankings. If you are searching for a licensed therapist and you’re signing up with a platform to find the best therapist for you, you better check the customer reviews of the platform.
The customer reviews of an online therapy site help you evaluate the worth and efficiency of the platform. Some platforms are incomparable in connecting users with licensed marriage and family therapists, while others are famous for their psychiatry services.
No matter what an online therapy platform promises to offer, you need to check the customer reviews of the platform to get a better idea about its services and offerings. Especially people who are about to book sessions with marriage and family therapists should check the customer reviews of the platforms they choose.
This article’s online therapy platforms are backed by thousands of positive reviews and decent ratings. That’s why we couldn’t help adding these platforms to this list.
Charges and Value-For-money
Not all platforms come with affordable rates, and not all of them are value-for-money either. Many platforms charge plenty for live sessions and phone calls, while some affordable and reasonable service providers are also present on the internet.
Usually, an online therapy service charges a considerable amount of money, and it’s unwise to pay a lot of money to an inefficient platform for poor-quality services. So, we think it’s essential for every user to get information about the fees charged by a therapy platform before signing up with that.
Our research and editorial team included the platforms that offer reasonable live video sessions and phone calls so that users with all financial standards can avail themselves of online therapy treatments.
Digital Worksheets and Other Facilities
Apart from live sessions and other basic facilities, you can expect many other exciting facilities from your preferred online therapy site. Sites that offer unlimited messaging therapy services are the top preferences of users, and other special facilities are also provided by the best online therapy websites and platforms.
You should expect the best possible services apart from live sessions and other basic facilities when paying a lot of money.
The top websites offer digital worksheets and task reminders to help perform the tasks assigned by your therapist. That enables you to improve your condition way faster than usual.
Convenient Session Scheduling
The majority of platforms available on the internet are busy serving many clients with different problems like eating disorders and others. Whether you want live video sessions with your preferred therapist or phone calls, scheduling bookings becomes troublesome unless the platform has a convenient scheduling procedure.
Significantly, the demand for marriage and family therapists is sky-touching nowadays, and scheduling appointments with them through online therapy portals or websites has become a tough job.
The websites and platforms listed above come with exceptional session scheduling features and facilities. That’s why we considered adding them to this list.
Refund Policies
Some famous online therapy programs and websites offer refund policies to their users to earn their trust. If an online therapy website is confident about the services of the professionals they collaborate with, the website will not refrain from offering a satisfaction guarantee to users.
So, it’s a better idea to go for a website that assures you to refund your money if you’re not satisfied with the services provided by the site.
Health Insurance Acceptance
Nothing can be a better choice than an online therapy website that claims to accept insurance. Unfortunately, most online therapy websites and platforms don’t take insurance policies.
Still, the list contains some online therapy providers and platforms that accept insurance policies. We suggest you go for the services that accept insurance policies as you don’t need to pay the upfront charges in that case.
We used these criteria to rank the websites and platforms mentioned in the list. All the online therapy providers listed in the article offer premium and effective services and medication management facilities.
If you want to book an appointment with a licensed marriage and family counselor online, keep these criteria to select the best one.
Scientific Evidence Behind Virtual Therapy
Hundreds of users want to get virtual therapy to improve their mental states, but most remain skeptical. Surprisingly, numerous scientific studies have verified the beneficial sides of virtual therapy, and we would like to inform our readers about the scientific evidence.
This study was conducted in 2014, and it proves that virtual sessions are equivalent to in-person sessions in terms of improving mental disorders and other cognitive issues. The researchers found that patients could develop better mental stability and clarity with virtual therapeutic sessions. There is no doubt that this research is a landmark in establishing the beneficial sides of virtual therapy.
On the other hand, This 2021 study proves that most therapists find it extremely hard to catch up with the progression of their patients in cases of virtual sessions. Also, not all therapists comply with the laws of all 50 states of the USA, making it hard for them to continue providing their services.
Another study took place in 2016 and proved that patients who had undergone virtual therapy consultation sessions could improve their conditions impactfully. Also, the patients were more than happy with the online live sessions.
This 2020 study shows the effectiveness of CBT and eCBT in improving patients’ cognitive states, and the study concludes that the effects of CBT remain the same regardless of the medium. This study revealed that CBT through online mode is equivalent to in-person CBT practices.
Why Should Online Therapy Be Your Preference?
Mental health therapy online seems fishy to many patients with mental issues. You may ask why you would go for virtual sessions instead of in-person sessions? The following points will elaborate on why virtual therapy is an advantageous option for you:
24/7 Availability
Booking in-person therapy sessions might be troublesome at times. Even when you need to talk to your therapist badly, you may not get their appointment immediately due to their busy schedule. On the other hand, booking virtual sessions is almost immediate, and you don’t need to wait too long to get an appointment. You may get your appointment within an hour through virtual platforms or apps.
It Saves A Lot Of Time
Visiting your therapist’s place or chamber might consume a lot of time, and you may miss out on some important meetings or client meetings in that case. But if you go for a virtual session, you won’t need to manage time to get therapy. Minimum waiting periods, faster booking, and almost immediate consultation make virtual sessions better choices for working professionals and busy individuals.
Location Doesn’t Matter
When you book a virtual session, you don’t need to worry about your therapist’s location. No matter where you’re located, you can avail yourself of the best therapeutic services across the globe. Even if you have to change your locations on and off, it won’t impact your virtual therapy appointments.
Comparatively Reasonable
Going for an in-person appointment may not be light in your pocket. On the other side, virtual sessions are not overpriced at all. Rather virtual therapy appointments are cost-friendly and more affordable, and users with all financial standards can afford them conveniently.
Reduces Your Embarrassment
Hundreds of clients feel embarrassed about confessing their mental problems to their therapists. That can be problematic to some extent. When you go for an online counseling appointment, you are less likely to feel embarrassed about confessing your issues.
Some studies have even proven that virtual sessions are as practical as physical appointments to enhance people’s mental states.
What Are the Drawbacks of Online Therapy?
We have already discussed the vivid positive sides of virtual therapy, but did you know the drawbacks? Let’s talk about the disadvantages associated with virtual therapy:
Limited Acceptance of Health Insurance
You don’t get the opportunity to utilize your health insurance when you go for virtual therapy. A limited number of virtual therapy websites and platforms accept health insurance policies, and the majority of them don’t. It can be difficult for a middle-class individual to pay for health insurance and bear the costs of virtual therapy separately at the same time.
Poor-quality Services at Times
You can’t expect similar services from all virtual therapy websites and platforms. Some platforms will impress you with their services, while some will be highly disgraceful. You can’t expect decent services unless you find out the best therapy platform for yourself.
Serious Psychiatric Ailments Can’t Be Improved
If the intensity of your psychiatric condition is extreme, you probably won’t be able to improve your situation with virtual therapy. Virtual therapy is suitable for minor psychological issues and chronic diseases. Virtual therapy is not recommended for patients with chronic and severe psychiatric conditions. Especially, violent patients should be taken to a mental hospital instead of virtual therapy.
These are some of the drawbacks of virtual therapy. Also, some patients feel that online services aren’t comfortable for them. However, considering the positive sides of virtual therapy, it can be said that it is a handy option for many patients but not for all patients.
FAQs About Online Therapy
Q: Do Online Therapy Websites Offer Free Online Therapy?
A: Well, some online therapy sites and portals offer free consultations for first-time users. However, no online therapy website provides completely free services.
Q: Does My Insurance Cover Online Therapy?
A: This depends on the online therapy site you’re choosing. Some online therapy sites accept insurance policies while others don’t. If you already have an insurance policy, it’s better to go for an online therapy site that takes medical insurance policies.
Q: How Much Does Online Therapy Cost?
A: Generally, online therapy costs around $50-$75 on average. If you go for more reputed websites, you may pay $300-$500, while standard sites charge $60-$100.
Q: What About The Confidentiality Of Online Therapy?
A: The majority of patients with mental conditions refrain from booking online therapy as they remain concerned about the confidentiality of such sessions.
If you book online therapy through verified websites and portals, you never have to remain concerned about confidentiality. Verified websites and portals have robust security configurations to protect the confidentiality of users.
Q: How Long Do You Need to Continue Online Therapy?
A: Continuing online therapy is the key to improving your mental condition. Disrupting the continuity of online therapy may delay your progress towards mental healing. According to the latest studies, patients with mental disorders need to continue attending counseling appointments for 3-6 months to get expected results.
Q: Do You Need To Continue Taking Therapy From The Same Therapist?
A: Changing your therapist frequently is not a good habit. That may disrupt the flow of your mental progress and mental healing. It’s better to stick to a particular specialist because he can easily keep track of your progression and help you heal yourself.
Q: Do Therapists Prescribe Medications?
A: No, therapists usually don’t prescribe medications. A doctor needs to study medicine to prescribe medicines to patients. Therapists generally educate patients about different mental improvement strategies and practices to improve their mental conditions. However, psychiatrists hold the authority to prescribe medications, and they can help you with medication management as well.
The Best Online Therapy Services in 2022 Final Word
As the number of mental improvement websites increases, patients with mental ailments get the support they need. The number of homicides, crimes, other mental disorders, and unwanted things is under control with the expansion of the mental healthcare industry.
However, most online platforms related to mental improvement are not up to the mark in delivering expected services. Restoring your cognitive health is not easy unless you seek professional assistance. Enormous licensed clinical social workers work restlessly to help patients with mental conditions.
Such service providers have been able to help thousands of patients so far. Also, spreading awareness about virtual therapy services is essential so that more patients get help. The virtual therapy service providers and websites attempt to provide users with the best-in-class services. Also, they are implying effective marketing strategies to spread awareness reading the necessity of virtual counseling sessions.
This article compiled the names of the most popular virtual therapy platforms that can make virtual counseling easily accessible and affordable. Our research and editorial team scrutinized these websites and platforms’ services and customer reviews to gauge their efficiency.
We suggest you go for any of the top online therapy platforms above to resolve your cognitive health issues. These platforms can make it possible to improve the quality of your lifestyle by supporting your mental health.
