As affiliates of BetterHelp, we could receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
Your mental health is as important as your physical health. Mental health issues like depression can take a toll on your physical health and increase chronic physical illnesses like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
Nurturing mental health boosts productivity improves self-image, and strengthens relationships. Many people refuse to see a therapist due to mental health stigma. Online therapy is a good option for you if you want to seek professional help for your mental health without people knowing.
Online therapy allows you to talk to certified psychotherapists and counselors from the comfort of your home at times that are most convenient for you. Many sites offer online treatment; therefore, it may be a bit difficult for you to decide where to seek help from.
The Top Online Therapy Platforms of 2022
Our editorial team contacted online therapy providers, reviewed different sites, talked to clients, and conducted some testing of their own to come up with the best online therapy programs available. Here are the top online therapy platforms of 2022:
- BetterHelp
- ReGain
- Calmerry
- MyWellbeing
- Faithful Counseling
- Pride Counseling
- Cerebral
- Talkspace
- MDLive
- Health Sapiens
- Online-Therapy.com
- Brightside
- 7Cups
- Doctor on Demand
- Self Therapy Journey
- Teen Counseling
- Neuro Balance Therapy
BetterHelp
BetterHelp is the world’s largest network of licensed, accredited, and trained psychotherapists that can help you with various mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress, among others. The platform provides direct-to-consumer access to multiple forms of online therapy, including individual therapy, family therapy, and couple therapy.
You can schedule your sessions according to your convenience. BetterHelp provides online counseling services via web-based interaction and phone and text communication. BetterHelp is based on a subscription model and does not charge per session. They offer a flexible monthly package that includes several therapy sessions.
BetterHelp is one of the most reliable providers of online therapy. The platform has over 22,000 therapists and over two million patients.
ReGain
ReGain is the world’s largest couples therapy platform. The platform allows you to interact with experienced, accredited counselors that help you deal with different issues within a relationship. ReGain offers different types of couple counseling, including marriage counseling, premarital counseling, and family therapy.
ReGain’s counselors hold master’s or doctoral degrees and are certified by states’ medical boards. You can seek help from ReGain if you are experiencing relationship difficulties and want to resolve them with your partner. ReGain is a network of psychotherapists, professional counselors, and social workers that help you address all types of relationship issues, including feelings of disassociation, cheating, sexual problems, and problems due to external stressors. Regardless of your age, faith, sexual orientation, and marital status, you can use ReGain to claim back your relationship with your partner.
To get started with ReGain, you must complete a questionnaire and invite your partner (optional). The platform provides both individual sessions and sessions with your partner.
Calmerry
Calmerry is an online therapy provider specializing in psychotherapy for anger management, anxiety, stress, childhood abuse, emotional abuse, eating disorders, family conflict, depression, OCD, and mood disorders.
Calmerry provides you access to low-cost online therapy that caters to your specific needs. At Calmerry, you get to interact with licensed therapists through various channels, including audio calls, video calls, emails, and live chats.
The platform provides fast access to emotional support and quality care anywhere and anytime you want. Calmerry also allows you to schedule your live sessions according to your convenience. All you have to do is message your therapist.
MyWellbeing
MyWellbeing is an online community of practitioners that includes hundreds of proficient therapists committed to providing you emotional support and fulfilling your psychological needs.
MyWellbeing is an e-therapy provider that allows you to choose your therapist. The platform comes up with three curated matches for you based on your unique needs. All you have to do is answer a few questions. The platform’s high-end algorithm automatically generates three personalized companions for you that are best suited to serve your psychological and emotional needs.
You can schedule free phone sessions with the three matches to assess your fit. If for some reason, you are not satisfied with the service provided by the therapist, you can ask for other partners from your MyWellbeing guide.
Faithful Counseling
Faithful Counseling is a network of professionally licensed, spiritually informed, and readily accessible therapists that offer Christian counseling and online mental therapy. The platform is committed to providing believers the help they need to keep their faith intact.
Whether you struggle with a particular type of addiction or deal with grief or loss, you can seek emotional support at Faithful Counseling. Each member of Faithful Counseling has a unique approach and preference as to how to include spiritual practices into psychotherapy to discover areas in which a patient may be disobedient to the principle of the Scripture and to help them willingly and lovingly submit to God’s will.
Pride Counseling
Pride Counseling is an online therapy platform that specifically caters to the LGBTQ community while welcoming all identities. The medium is dedicated to providing accessible, discreet, and affordable help to the LGBTQ community who suffer from mental health issues.
People in the LGBTQ often have a difficult time accepting who they are. Pride Counseling is designed to help individuals in the LGBTQ community deal with social stigmas and embrace themselves.
The platform offers subscription-based membership for the United States and the United Kingdom residents. At Pride Counseling, you can get online therapy via chat, video call, or phone call.
Cerebral
Cerebral is a subscription-based online platform that offers various mental health services. The platform charges a monthly fee for access to certified therapists, counselors, and physicians who provide therapy via message, audio call, and video call.
In addition to online therapy, Cerebral offers prescription medication management. Cerebral sends the prescribed medication directly to the person’s residence in discreet packaging. Users can also ask for medication refills.
Talkspace
Talkspace is an online health care provider offering virtual mental health services. The platform provides many payment plans that cater to different budgets while providing quality health care. You can connect with a licensed and experienced therapist on Talkspace via live chat, audio call, or video call. In addition to online therapy, Talkspace provides other services like psychiatric evaluation and medication management.
When you register on Talkspace, you are required to complete a form featuring questions about your symptoms and medical history. Once you complete the questionnaire, the system’s algorithm initiates the matching process and connects you with a suitable counselor.
Talkspace allows you to share your thoughts with your counselor anytime you want, regardless of where you are. Your counselor will respond to your message at their earliest convenience. Some plans also allow you to engage in live chats with your therapist. All programs offered by Talkspace are flexible, starting at $99 per week. Weekly live sessions and round-the-clock messages are provided in all plans. Talkspace is also in-network with some insurance plans.
You can also get couples therapy at Talkspace. As the service is contract-free, you can cancel anytime you want.
MDLive
MDLive is an online platform offering therapy and psychiatry services. Most insurance plans cover the services provided by MDLive. One of the largest telemedicine platforms allows patients to choose their providers instead of matching algorithms like Betterhelp and Calmerry. However, the provider’s availability varies depending on the state you live in.
Health Sapiens
Health Sapiens is a subscription-based online platform offering accessible medical and mental health care to individuals in need. The platform does not require booking; instead, it is accessible 24/7, so you can get medical attention whenever you need it. All doctors and counselors of Health Sapiens are licensed and have been selected after a rigorous screening process.
Health Sapiens also provides additional training to its professionals to conduct online sessions, slightly different from in-person consultations. The platform offers many plans that cover both physical and mental health.
If you subscribe to the HealthSapiens Medical Plan, you can speak to a physician or counselor as many times as needed. Regardless of where you are, you will reach a doctor if you need to. Doctors at Health Sapiens assess your symptoms and provide a diagnosis or treatment plan. If your treatment plan includes medications, the platform sends the prescribed medicines to your nearest pharmacy.
Online-Therapy.com
Online-Therapy.com is an online subscription-based platform that allows you to have cognitive behavioral therapy from the comfort of your home. The platform specializes in providing treatment for stress and anxiety. From depression to phobias to panic attacks, you can seek help for a wide range of mental health issues at Online-Therapy.com.
Online-Therapy.com is an easy-to-use therapy app that supports multiple ways of communication. You can get e-therapy on the platform through various channels, including phone sessions, video sessions, live chats, and messaging. The subscription plans offered by Online-Therapy.com are relatively cheaper than other online platforms providing cognitive behavioral therapy. Additionally, subscriptions come with a ‘toolbox’ of resources.
The platform has licensed psychotherapists from over 27 states within the U.S. You can read their bios on the website. Online-Therapy.com is an adult-only platform that does not offer medication management services or group therapy.
Brightside
Brightside is a mental health care company that offers online services for various mental health problems, including insomnia, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The company offers a multitude of options for both medication and therapy.
With Brightside, you can conduct all your appointments virtually and have medication delivered straight to your doorsteps. All you have to do is complete a questionnaire by answering simple questions about your medical history and current symptoms. After that, you meet your medical provider virtually, prescribing you a treatment plan. As your treatment continues, you can message your healthcare provider anytime you want. You can also schedule follow-up meetings according to your convenience. You’ll get notified if your healthcare provider is not available at a particular time. All therapists and doctors of Brightside are licensed by the state and hold master’s degrees or higher.
7Cups
7Cups is an online therapy platform that provides 24/7 access to chat rooms where users can discuss a wide range of mental and emotional health topics for free. If you are looking for help in the form of a supportive community rather than individual psychotherapy, 7Cups is an excellent platform for you.
7Cups is a massive support network that has active listeners available 24/7. The platform is obtainable in 189 countries in 140 languages. The medium hosts a range of chat rooms dedicated to specific mental health topics. The chat rooms are monitored centrally, ensuring that bullies and trolls are removed from the chat rooms.
Doctor on Demand
Doctor on Demand is an easy-to-use online therapy app in-network with many health insurance policies. Doctor on Demand is a network of certified, licensed, and experienced mental health professionals committed to improving affordable, patient-first healthcare access.
Doctor on Demand is one of the very few online therapy providers that let you choose your therapist or doctor. You can read the biography of all therapists and doctors on the website. Children over the age of ten can also seek mental health help at Doctor on Demand.
Self Therapy Journey
Marketed as a GPS for the mind, Self Therapy Journey is an online tool that helps you deal with psychological issues and improve your mental well-being. Whether you want to work on your self-therapy journey on your own or have an experienced companion monitoring your progress, Self Therapy Journey is an interactive tool that helps you take command of your personal growth.
The platform also allows you to join an online community of people dealing with similar issues. You can interact with them via chats and share your progress with them.
Teen Counseling
Teen Counseling is a sister site of BetterHelp that provides online psychological and emotional support to teenagers. At Teen Counseling, individuals aged 13 and 19 can seek help for anxiety, bullying, eating disorders, self-esteem problems, anger issues, and depression.
Teen Counseling is committed to providing competent therapy to teenagers while offering complete discretion so that they can open up to their counselors. The platform won the Verywell Mind’s Best for Teens award. Teen Counseling also provides therapy sessions to parents to learn how to function within a family unit. It is a subscription-based platform that supports multiple communication options, including lice chat, phone sessions, and video sessions.
Bonus Online Therapy Program: Neuro Balance Therapy
Neuro Balance Therapy is a breakthrough 10-second ritual that can purportedly offer relief from balance problems by reviving the dead nerve in your feet. You can get instant access to the digital version of Neuro Balance Therapy for $97. You can also get a physical copy of Neuro-Balance Therapy that includes the DVD and spike ball delivered directly to your doorstep.
The Top Online Therapy Ranking Criteria
While all online health care platforms claim to offer quality services, not all are true to their word. Our team of medical experts has carefully vetted all products on our list. The following criteria were considered to separate the best online therapy platforms from the worst:
Licensed, Accredited, Board-certified, and Experienced Therapists
While preparing the list, we were particularly wary of websites that do not display the credentials of their therapists. All platforms in our list offer therapy sessions by licensed, accredited, and board-certified psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. The therapists at these platforms hold master’s degrees or higher.
Ease of Use
When it comes to health care, convenience matters the most. While preparing the list, we preferred online healthcare providers with easy-to-navigate websites and simple registration processes.
Positive Customer Feedback
Our medical team waded through thousands of customer reviews and testimonials to distinguish between the best and worst online therapy platforms. As therapy is all about how a patient feels, we paid great attention to customer feedback while compiling the list. All health care platforms on our list are backed by positive customer feedback.
Insurance Coverage
While many health insurance plans include telemedicine and telehealth coverage, they do not cover all online therapy platforms. If your health insurance does not cover your online therapy sessions, you may end up paying even more than you have to pay for in-person physical sessions. Most, if not all, platforms on our list are in-network with several health insurance plans.
Price & Value
Some people can pay $200 out-of-pocket per week for online therapy. However, some people cannot afford to spend that much. Online therapy sessions typically cost between $50 and $200 weekly. Most platforms are based on a subscription model, and they charge $300 to $600 per month for online therapy. Our list comprehends a range of options with different rates. We preferred platforms that offer quality care with flexible subscription plans. However, we were not biased towards any specific price point.
Money-Back Guarantee
A satisfaction or money-back guarantee is a good way of standing behind your product. Online therapy may not work for everyone. Additionally, not all e-therapy platforms are equally suitable for everyone. While preparing the list, we preferred online therapy platforms that offer contract-free services that can be canceled at any time. All mediums on our list offer health care services backed by a satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the service, you can contact customer service and request a refund.
What is Online Therapy?
Online therapy or e-therapy refers to psychotherapy performed through the internet. Online treatment involves various mental health services offered in real-time or time-delayed. In this type of therapy, trained professional counselors and individuals seeking psychotherapy use computer-aided technologies to interact with each other.
E-therapy services are offered through email, audio calling, video conferencing, texting, or live chat. While online therapy has some limitations, it can be as effective as conventional face-to-face meetings. It can be used both as a replacement for in-person visits and in conjunction with traditional therapy.
While this form of therapy has been available for more than 30 years, it has become more standard with online video chat systems development.
Common Types of Online Therapy
Individuals seeking online therapy can connect with their therapists in many ways. Here are some of the options for online treatment:
Video sessions
Online therapy mainly occurs in the form of video sessions. Video sessions provide therapists and patients with an experience similar to physical sessions. Therapists conduct private sessions with their clients using a secure video platform.
All major health insurance providers offer some form of telehealth and telemedicine coverage. However, telehealth services covered by health insurance vary depending on your specific plan. Before you book an appointment with an online counselor, you must check if they are in-network.
Audio Call Sessions
An online therapy session can also occur via a point-to-point audio call. Many sites and private therapists offer this service. Audio calls or phone sessions typically serve as a backup option when a video session cannot be conducted due to technological issues. Many health insurance packages do not cover phone sessions, so you must verify this beforehand.
Messaging
Online therapy sessions via text messaging or emailing are not as practical as audio or video call sessions. Additionally, insurance plans usually do not cover this type of therapy. E-therapy via email or texts is generally performed in conjunction with other forms of online therapy or in-person therapy sessions.
While this type of therapy may work as a complementary treatment, it is not effective as a standalone treatment for severe mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As nonverbal cues are a crucial part of psychotherapy, miscommunications are most likely to occur in this type of therapy. Therapists and counselors often fail to interpret the emotions of patients correctly.
Live Chats
Online therapy can also be performed via live chats. This type of therapy can be effective when completed with phone sessions, video sessions, and access to group therapy chats. Many private therapists and subscription sites offer this service.
Online Group Therapy
Online group therapy is a type of therapy where a licensed therapist interacts with multiple patients in a virtual session. This type of e-therapy is an excellent option for individuals looking to interact with other people facing issues similar to theirs.
Online group therapy can be performed via audio, video, or group chats. Depending on your specific insurance plan, it may or may not be covered by health insurance. Nonetheless, it’s less expensive than individual sessions for people who pay out-of-pocket.
What Can Online Therapy Help With?
According to the available clinical evidence, online therapy can help with various mental conditions, including depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, smoking abstinence, and eating disorders.
Research suggests that patients who receive therapy online seem to be as satisfied as patients who receive in-person treatment. Some studies even suggest that anxiety patients receiving online therapy made the same progress as patients receiving in-person treatment.
Early studies on online therapy show mixed results. For example, there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of e-therapy for couple counseling. Similarly, several studies show that online family therapy sessions are less effective than in-person sessions.
Some studies also support the effectiveness of massage therapy when combined with in-person sessions or other forms of online therapy. However, the effectiveness of online therapy as a standalone treatment for severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia has not been supported by ample scientific evidence.
Pros of Online Therapy
While starting may be daunting for some people, it offers many practical and emotional benefits. Many people don’t seek professional help despite experiencing severe mental health issues. While some people forgo mental health treatment due to the fear of being judged, some simply cannot make time out of their busy schedules. Online therapy is more manageable, accessible, time-efficient, and inexpensive than in-person therapy. Here are some of the primary benefits of online therapy:
Accessibility
Online therapy allows rural residents, underserved minorities, expatriates, and people with disabilities to get mental health support from the comfort of their homes. People located in underserved areas by traditional counselors can now seek professional help online from more component therapists.
In addition to the accessibility of therapists, online therapy makes information more accessible. Clients can benefit from the transcripts of communication between the therapist and the patient. However, transcripts maintain the client’s anonymity and are only made available to the public with the client’s consent. You can also get access to your transcripts and monitor your progress.
Online therapy also makes counseling accessible to people who start therapy but fail to complete their treatment due to their busy schedules. Online therapy significantly reduces the number of missed appointments.
Comfort & Convenience
Online therapy comes with greater comfort and convenience for both clients and counselors. Neither therapists nor clients have to travel for their sessions—additionally, people like the idea of confidentiality associated with online therapy. Many people feel more comfortable attending online sessions than in-person sessions as they don’t want to be seen at a therapist’s office.
Introverts often feel more comfortable in online sessions because of the removed environment. As introverts tend to be more at ease in online sessions, therapy flows more effectively, and sessions turn out to be more productive. Online therapy allows you to get psychological counseling anywhere you want.
Affordability
While some therapists charge the same fees for online and in-person sessions, online therapy can be relatively inexpensive as no travel costs are involved. Online treatment only requires the parties to have internet access.
Confidentiality
Like conventional therapy, online therapy is conducted in compliance with the Federal Council of Psychology rules, a professional organization representing the psychologists of the United States. Nobody can get access to your data and conversation between you and your therapist without your consent. The Federal Council of Psychology has strict rules for doctor-patient confidentiality. Your data and dialogue with the therapist are secured through encryption.
Many people don’t seek professional help because they don’t want people to know they have mental health problems. Online therapy allows you to get mental health support without anyone knowing your business.
Cons of Online Therapy
While online therapy has the edge over traditional treatment on many fronts, it has its fair share of disadvantages and risks.
May Not Be Covered By Insurance
Whether or not e-therapy is covered by health insurance depends on your specific plan and the state you reside in. While some policies provide telehealth coverage, some do not cover online therapy sessions. Some mental health professionals don’t accept insurance as payment for virtual services. On the other hand, traditional therapy sessions are covered by most health insurance policies.
Some States Don’t Allow Out-of-State Providers
As many states do not permit out-of-state therapists to offer their services, your therapist must be registered in both their home state and your home state. Deborah Baker, a legal counsel for the American Psychological Association, explained in an article for the APA’s Monitor on Psychology that some states allow out-of-state providers to offer services for a limited period, i.e., 10 to 30 days annually.
Confidentiality And Privacy Concerns
As online therapy has a layer of complexity, many people have privacy concerns about online treatment. These privacy concerns mainly exist due to technical problems. People worry about privacy leaks and hacks as information is transmitted online in e-therapy.
Lack of Response to Crisis Situations
As online therapists are distant from clients, there may be delays in response during a crisis, for example, a nervous breakdown. Lack of response or delayed response in an emergency is a significant concern regarding online therapy.
Not Suitable for Serious Psychiatric Illnesses
Online therapy cannot cater to serious psychiatric illnesses, such as autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. People with chronic mental conditions require close attention and in-person treatment.
Online therapy is not recommended for severe psychiatric illnesses unless in-person therapy or other treatments are included in their plan. As the scope of e-therapy is limited, it’s not practical for people with complex symptoms of a mental health condition.
Overlooks Body Language, Facial Expressions & Vocal Signs
Psychotherapy is less about what a person is saying and more about what their demeanor reflects. Facial expressions, vocal signals, and body language help the therapist understand the client’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
While some delivery methods of e-therapy, like video calls, allow therapists to get a deeper insight into the client’s behavior, they lack the intimacy that comes with direct human contact. Young people often feel more comfortable during online sessions as they are familiar with such methods of communication. However, some situations can only be handled in a real-world environment.
Ethical and Legal Concerns
As online therapy does not have geographic restraints, enforcing legal and ethical codes can be difficult in online treatment. Before seeking help from a therapist online, you must confirm their qualifications and experience. You should either seek help from a reputable therapy site or therapists listed in the online directory of psychotherapists.
How Much Does Online Therapy Cost?
Online therapy is considered an inexpensive alternative to traditional in-person therapy. Most therapists charge between $75 and $150 for an in-person therapy session. As most therapists recommend one session per week, you have to pay $300 to $600 per month for in-person therapy.
Therapists typically charge less for online therapy sessions compared to in-person sessions. However, e-therapy is mainly based on a subscription model, which means you end up paying the same rate regardless of how many sessions you take per month. Online therapy by private therapists is considerably cheaper.
What To Consider Before Starting Online Therapy?
While online therapy can be effective in many situations, it’s not suitable for all kinds of mental health problems. For example, psychiatric illnesses and mental health conditions with more severe and complex symptoms require direct attention and in-person intervention. Online therapy can be used as a complementary treatment for these conditions. However, it cannot work as a standalone treatment.
Talk to your doctor about whether or not online therapy is suitable for your specific situation. You can add it to your treatment plan as supplementary therapy with in-person sessions. If you believe that e-therapy may be right for you, review some therapy sites to decide which best suits your needs and budget.
Benefits of Seeing a Therapist
Psychotherapy comes with a wide range of benefits. About 75% of people who start seeing a therapist experienced significant improvement in their mental health after six months of treatment. Here are some of the benefits of psychotherapy:
Improves Communication Skills
Psychotherapy helps you hone your communication skills. Vocalizing your thoughts in therapy sessions helps you discover different ways to communicate things. With better communication skills, you learn to navigate almost all areas of your life. Whether you tend to cringe from arguments or lose temper quickly or fear confrontation, therapy helps you acquire skills you need to feel confident anytime you express your feelings.
Helps With Conflict Resolution
Therapy helps you resolve different types of conflicts in your life. From establishing boundaries in relationships to assertively stating your opinion to directing your needs, the treatment enables you to find peaceful solutions to all internal and external conflicts in your life. Conflict resolution is an important skill to learn for everyone as it makes you better at dealing with different situations in life.
Improves Mental Health
Psychotherapy can effectively treat various mental health conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, depression, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therapy is highly effective for anxiety disorders. Many people with anxiety conditions respond well to lifestyle changes and psychotherapy treatment. Several anxiety conditions can be treated efficiently without medication.
Strengthens Relationships
Family therapy sessions help improve family relationships. Therapy for the family includes individual and group sessions in which a therapist helps family members mend bridges and deal with trauma, grief, and addiction problems, among other struggles.
Helps Develop Coping Skills
Everybody needs a plan of action to confront different challenges in life. Psychotherapy helps you develop the skills you need to countervail things holding you back in life. In therapy sessions, you discover other ways to work through different issues in your life positively. With these coping skills, you can overpower all life challenges and remove all impediments to your personal growth.
Develops Optimism
Everyone needs support to survive the challenging period of life. People who get the proper support emerge stronger from the troughs. If you are not getting the appropriate support from your friends and family, therapy may help. Therapy helps you eliminate negative thoughts that hold you back and contribute to more difficulties. Psychotherapy is a mental exercise that helps you become more confident and hopeful in life.
Does Online Therapy Work? Scientific Evidence For Online Therapy
Many experts argue that the therapist cannot assess an individual’s mental well-being through online channels. The therapist can often read into the patient’s body language, voice tone changes, and facial expressions in online sessions.
Additionally, the relationship between the therapist and the patient is a vital component of psychotherapy. The anonymity of the client may jeopardize this relationship-building process. However, some experts argue that anonymity makes clients open up more conducive to their treatment. In online sessions, clients often reveal feelings that they may be reluctant to share in face-to-face sessions.
According to the available scientific research, online therapy can be effective for many mental health conditions. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychological Disorders in 2013, online cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective, acceptable, and practical form of healthcare for mental health issues. In this study, researchers concluded that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder.
In another study conducted by Portland State University in 2016, online therapy sessions can be equally effective as face-to-face psychotherapy sessions if performed correctly. These conclusions were drawn as researchers believed that the medium of communication could not hamper the working alliance.
According to a study published in the Public Library of Science in 2005, online therapy can effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder as in-person treatment. This study continued for a year, and researchers concluded that online cognitive behavioral therapy was cost-effective and had favorable outcomes on the individual’s mental health.
In a 2014 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers concluded that online therapy was equally effective as in-person therapy for clinical depression. Similarly, another 2014 study published in Behavior Research and Therapy concluded that major anxiety disorder could be treated through online therapy sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Therapy
Our medical team gets zillions of questions about online therapy daily. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about online therapy:
Q: Is online therapy suitable for everyone?
A: Online therapy is an easy and effective way to get mental health support. However, online therapy does not work for all mental health problems. It may not be suitable for people suffering from chronic mental health problems or psychiatric illnesses, such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Q: Who can get mental health support online?
A: Anyone experiencing mental health problems can seek mental health help online. You can use any of the platforms mentioned above to get mental health support. Online therapy is available for everyone, from teenagers to couples to the elderly.
Q: Does health insurance cover online therapy?
A: Health insurance may or may not provide coverage for online therapy, depending on your specific plan. Many platforms on our list are in-network with dozens of health insurance providers. You must check with your insurer to confirm whether or not your plan covers online therapy.
Q: Can I choose my online therapist?
A: While some platforms allow you to choose your therapist, some use a matching algorithm to select a therapist who can best serve your unique needs.
Q: Can I change my online therapist?
A: Yes, many platforms allow you to change your therapist anytime you want. Some mediums require you to wait till the expiration of your current plan to change therapists.
Q: Does doctor-patient confidentiality bind, online therapists?
A: Yes, online therapists are bound by the same ethical codes and laws as therapists that provide in-person sessions.
Q: How long does an online therapy session last?
A: An online therapy session typically lasts for 30 to 60 minus. Some platforms also offer shorter or longer sessions.
Q: Can teenagers and children get online therapy?
A: Yes, teenagers and children can get online therapy. Many online therapy platforms are exclusively designed for children and teenagers.
