Best Online Counseling

ReGain is a cost-effective online counseling service that was created specifically to help couples address relationship issues. It offers flexible options with providers who specialize in relationship counseling. You and your partner will participate in tailored sessions via video, chat, or phone with a licensed provider.  You can even also join calls and video sessions from separate locations, so your partner doesn’t have to be present in the same room.

Though the matching process can take a few days, the platform will connect you with a counselor who best suits your needs. Its team consists of experienced clinical therapists, psychologists, clinical social workers, and other mental health providers who can help you and your partner work through conflict and build a stronger relationship. It also offers convenient monthly subscriptions you can cancel anytime.

ReGain’s monthly fees range from $60 to $90 weekly, billed every four weeks, depending on where you live, demand, and the therapist you match with. The company doesn't accept insurance, but you can pay using your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA). You can also request an itemized breakdown of your payments to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement, but this depends on your coverage details.

Our survey revealed overall positive experiences from users of the service. Seventy-seven percent reported satisfaction with the overall quality of their counseling sessions, while 80% said their therapist met all or most of their needs. The overwhelming majority (88%) felt their therapist was qualified and knowledgeable of their needs. While one of our reviewers was wary of the ongoing investigation of ReGain’s parent company, BetterHelp, over its privacy policy, they still felt their experience with their counselor was excellent.

Using digital technology, Talkspace gives teens ages 13-17 the ability to speak with qualified counselors in all 50 states via video chat, live chat or messaging on the website or app. With over two decades of experience, the company has a wealth of resources and multiple package offerings.

Signing up for Talkspace is simple. After answering a series of intake questions and choosing a monthly plan, your teen will be matched with a counselor, which typically takes a few days. Your teen’s counselor will work with them to develop an individualized plan and set achievable goals based on their needs—whether they’re dealing with anxiety, depression, bullying, relationship problems, trauma, difficulty sleeping, stress, or something else. The therapist will work to help teen clients identify triggers and develop positive coping skills.

Talkspace has a user-friendly app that’s available on iOS or Android, and can be used for phone, live chat, messaging, and video sessions.

Talkspace has three subscription plans to choose from:

• Messaging: Starts at $65 per week; users can message their therapist anytime
• Video + messaging: Starts at $99 per week; users can send unlimited messages and schedule video sessions
• Video + messaging + workshops: Starts at $109 per week; users have access to messaging, live sessions, and weekly workshops

Talkspace accepts insurance and HSA/FSA payments. In-network insurance providers include Premera, Cigna, Optum, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and others. Exact pricing can only be determined once you create an account, submit insurance information, and match with a therapist. The cancellation policy requires a 24-hour advance notice to avoid being docked a session credit.

Talkspace users reported high satisfaction with the service. Ninety percent had positive experiences with the platform, while 92% felt their therapist was knowledgeable. Eighty-eight percent found the platform helpful for connecting with a therapist, and 82% would recommend the service to a friend. Three out of four testers reported being open to using Talkspace again for future counseling needs.

Financial Therapy Association is a directory of expert counselors who offer individual, couples, premarital, and specialty sessions around money management and finances. Its unique option to narrow search results by financial qualifications sets it apart from other platforms—filter options include certified financial therapist, certified financial behavioral specialist, and financial fitness coach. Financial counselors on the platform use evidence-based methods to help you and your partner navigate questions and concerns related to money management and triggers around money.

You can also narrow your search based on other needs, such as languages spoken, identity, and more. Trust is a crucial component to finding the right financial counselor, which is why it’s helpful that Financial Therapy Association allows users to access detailed bios of each provider before making a decision. Contact information is on the right-hand side of the bio page, enabling you to call, email, or visit the provider’s website for more details.

Rates vary based on your needs, therapist, and session length. Most providers listed don't accept insurance. However, this depends on the individual and should be discussed directly with the provider. Payment options, cancellation policies, and additional fees should also be addressed with the provider before scheduling an appointment.

Most users reported satisfaction with the services they found through the Financial Therapy Association. While 66% of survey respondents reported reaching out to more than one counselor before finding the right fit, 98% said their chosen counselor met some or all of their needs. Eighty-one percent were still seeing the same therapist they found through the platform at the time of completing our survey, and 81% reported being likely or very likely to be with the same therapist six months later.

Many don't realize the impact of addiction until it takes over their life. Counseling at Mindful Care is available for individuals with opioid use or alcohol use disorder who are ready to make a change. Through the secure platform, therapy seekers from Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Michigan can connect with a counselor for 20-minute or 40-minute sessions, depending on their needs.

With Continued Care, clients work with the same counselor for as long as they need to maintain sobriety. The company also offers a virtual Urgent Care plan for prompt mental health support. While it doesn’t replace in-person crisis care, Mindful Care providers are licensed and qualified to prescribe certain medications. This includes buprenorphine—a medication used to treat addiction. The company recommends at least one year of treatment through its platform before discontinuing therapy.

Mindful Care has three plans to choose from:

• Psychiatry + medication: $75 per session, plus $175 for initial evaluation
• Individual and group therapy: $35 to $100 per session, plus initial evaluation
• Addiction recovery: $49 per month for medication-assisted treatment, 1-on-1 and group therapy, and care navigation

Mindful Care accepts insurance and HSA/FSA payments. Accepted insurance providers include Cigna, Optum, Aetna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and others. Insurance coverage is verified before your first appointment. You can make payments at any time through the HIPAA-compliant patient portal.

Mindful Care users report a high satisfaction rate, with 92% saying they had an overall positive experience. Eighty-two percent felt their provider met all or most of their needs, and 83% were likely or very likely to recommend the platform to friends and family in need of similar services. One of our testers felt that while the 20-minute “microtherapy” sessions they had felt a bit rushed, they really benefited from Mindful Care’s group therapy sessions.

Monument is an online counseling platform specifically designed to help those recovering from alcohol use disorder. Its founder, Mike Russell, struggled with his own relationship with alcohol for years—his occasional drinking began to control his ability to stop at just one drink. Through his experience, Monument was born as a way to reach the masses by offering accessible and personalized treatment options.

Led by specialized therapists and board-certified physicians, the Monument team provides medication management, group therapy, and peer support. The company also offers on-demand messaging for those needing immediate help outside scheduled sessions. Medications prescribed by Monument doctors include disulfiram and naltrexone, two FDA-approved drugs used to treat alcohol addiction.

Monument offers three plan options:

• Total care: $249 per month (without insurance); includes four therapy sessions/month, unlimited physician visits, medication management, chat, support groups, and 24/7 community forum
• Physician care: $9.99 per month plus a $45 initial fee (without insurance); includes initial physician consultation (additional appointments cost $45), medication management, chat, support groups, and 24/7 community forum
• Community membership: Free access to support groups and a 24/7 community forum

Monument does accept insurance, so your out-of-pocket cost could end up being $0.

Seventy-eight percent of Monument users said they were satisfied with their experience. Seventy-three percent reported all or most of their needs being met, and 62% would recommend the platform to those needing similar services. Additionally, 97% of users reported Monument was better than services they had used in the past. 

“Virtual alcohol use counseling is a great option for people who don’t feel like group support or a twelve-step program is right for them,” said Hannah Owens, LMSW, a subject matter expert. “It also makes treatment more accessible because you can access services from the comfort of your own home—for people ambivalent about starting treatment, that accessibility could be the tipping point.”

Grief can be a life-altering experience that is difficult to cope with, which is why many people opt for a counselor to help them through it. LiveHealth Online has counselors who specialize in grief support, as well as a variety of other specialties.  It also has general healthcare providers on staff should you want or need support for conditions outside of mental health. 

Patients receive personal attention from the comfort of their homes via video sessions through the secure platform. Though grief isn't the platform’s only specialty, LiveHealth Online stands out for its impressive selection of counselors specializing in this area.

The process is simple: After creating an account, users can select a therapist based on their availability and needs. Each 45-minute session focuses on learning ways to better cope with grief, find inner peace and acceptance, and process loss. If medication is needed, LiveHealth Online also offers psychiatry services (counselors cannot prescribe medication).

Unlike subscription-based models, LiveHealth Online is pay-per-session. Counseling sessions cost between $80 and $95, while psychiatry visits are a flat fee of $175 for the initial visit and $75 for each follow-up session. The platform also accepts most common insurance plans and HSA/FSA payments.

Our survey data found that 90% of LiveHealth Online users were satisfied with their experience. Factors that contributed to this high level of satisfaction included the convenience of online scheduling, availability, and overall cost. Eighty percent of survey respondents said their counselor met all or most of their needs, and 87% would recommend the service to others. Our tester said their counselor was easy to talk to, and the virtual platform was simple to use and free of glitches.

The postpartum period can be an overwhelming time for many parents, especially if they’ve previously been diagnosed with mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. Doctor on Demand provides a comprehensive telehealth service with counseling and advice from experienced postpartum specialists. Users also have access to women's health physicians who can help monitor the physical symptoms of postpartum depression and related conditions, such as anxiety, stress, loss, miscarriage, and family issues.

After creating an account and answering a few brief questions, users can schedule an appointment with a mental healthcare provider within minutes. The platform can help you choose a qualified postpartum counselor, or you can browse through all available providers to find one that best fits your needs. Medication management is also available, should you and your counselor deem treatment with medication useful or necessary, but Doctor on Demand's physicians can't prescribe stimulants and benzodiazepines such as Xanax.

Doctor on Demand offers two options for people seeking mental healthcare. You pay per session; there are no subscription plans.

• Therapy and counseling: $129 for 25 minutes; $179 for 50 minutes
• Psychiatry and medication management: $299 for a 45-minute initial appointment; $129 for 15-minute follow-up sessions

Sessions could be as little as $0 with insurance. The platform also accepts HSA/FSA payments. Enter your insurance information on the sign-up page to learn more about your coverage. The platform will then provide you with your new out-of-pocket total after insurance.

Ninety-four percent of the Doctor on Demand users we surveyed rated the platform as good to excellent overall. Seventy-five percent said all or most of their needs were met, and 79% would recommend the service to others. The vast majority (86%) said their sessions' value was worth the cost. When we tested the service, our tester felt their counselor offered insightful support, and the service was comparable to more traditional therapy they’d had in the past.

Anger can be a challenging condition to treat because it typically affects more than one person—such as a family member or life partner. Online-Therapy.com uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in its online counseling services; CBT is effective in reducing anger and other negative emotions. This type of therapy helps individuals identify and restructure harmful thought patterns while learning to regulate their emotions and behavior. The platform offers individual and couples counseling sessions—so couples can address anger issues along with any other issues they may have together—and a range of tools to help individuals better control anger, such as worksheets, videos, activity plans, and more.

To get started, you select from a list of mental health issues and answer a few questions about your preferences. After creating an account, you're matched with a therapist and can schedule and pay for your first session. Sessions take place via live video, live audio, and text chat.

There are four subscription plans available. Each plan includes unlimited messaging, a worksheet library with unlimited replies, and activity plans and videos.

• Basic: $50 per week; no therapy sessions are included (just messaging)
• Standard: $80 per week for one live 45-minute session
• Premium: $110 per week for two live 45-minute sessions
• Couples therapy: $110 per week for one live 45-minute session

The first month of any plan is 20% off. Insurance is not accepted, but users can pay with HSA or FSA funds. A 24-hour cancellation policy applies, or you'll lose the session from your weekly allotment.

Eighty-five percent of surveyed users had a positive experience with Online-Therapy.com, with 72% reporting that most or all of their needs were met. Over three-quarters (82%) would recommend the platform to others, and 79% said they felt the value of their sessions was worth the cost. Eighty-six percent felt the services they received were better than those at other companies they used in the past. While one of our users encountered some technical issues during video sessions, they appreciated how easy it was to switch therapists when they felt their first match wasn’t a good fit.

LGBTQ+ individuals may have more difficulty finding a counselor who shares their background simply because they’re a smaller community. That’s why it’s important for them to have access to a database filled with inclusive, LGBTQ+-affirming counselors. TherapyDen is an online counseling directory that focuses on providing culturally competent and affirming services to its users. The platform provides comprehensive mental health services with hundreds of practitioners. You'll find individual and couples counseling, family therapy, medication management, and child and adolescent services listed, and you can narrow your search by location, provider type, insurance accepted, specialized experience, and more.

This is a directory, so each provider has a bio page with details about their experience, approach, specialties, and techniques. Accepted insurance plans are also listed (not every directory has this feature), so you can see if a provider you're interested in is in-network with your plan. Some providers offer free consultations for prospective clients, so you can better understand their style and methods before committing. Faith, states of practice, and a video introduction are available on some providers' profiles. After choosing a provider, you can use the contact button to reach out for more information or to schedule an appointment.

TherapyDen does not provide counseling services directly; instead, you'll need to contact each provider individually for their rates and appointment availability. Insurance may cover some sessions or medication management visits, but coverage depends on the policy and individual practitioner. Cancellation policies, payment options, and forms of communication (phone, video, etc.) also vary by provider.

Our survey revealed that users had an positive experience with TherapyDen overall. Around 89% of respondents rated their experience with the platform as good to excellent, Factors that were most important to users when selecting a provider included therapist qualifications (33%), finding a therapist with a similar identity or cultural background (30%), and finding an affirming provider (27%). More than 97% of TherapyDen respondents felt they found a provider that met some or all of their needs. 

“Being able to find a therapist who shares your cultural or racial background or gender or sexual identity can make all the difference to someone who has struggled to find affirming and informed care in the past,” Owens said. “Having a directory of providers who all identify as belonging to marginalized communities can make the search for mental healthcare feel safer, especially for those who need to bring their experiences of discrimination and trauma to therapy.”

Ours works differently than traditional premarital counseling—it combines online learning with weekly Loveware sessions, which are self-paced activities and exercises. Users also have access to a “guide” or counselor and other experts as they work through the program. The process encourages couples to become more emotionally connected and develop a framework for successful communication and collaboration. 

Each session focuses on a different topic, such as finances, parenting, or boundaries. After signing up, both partners will participate in a virtual video session with an Ours guide. Upon completing your interactive Loveware sessions, you'll meet with your guide a second time and receive personalized feedback and recommendations.

While this more hands-off approach might not suit every couple, Ours’s methods are backed by over 10,000 hours of research to offer an exceptional experience to grow your relationship.

Ours offers users a 6-session package for $400. Each package includes two live sessions with an expert and four self-guided Loveware sessions. All told, it takes about 10 hours to complete. Insurance is not accepted, as is the case with most couples counseling programs.

Eighty percent of survey respondents reported a positive experience with Ours. Seventy-eight percent said their provider met all or most of their needs, while 84% felt their provider was qualified to handle their concerns. Additionally, 61% would recommend the service to a friend or family member. One of our reviewers did the course with her new spouse. Both felt the program was very helpful, and the guide provided tailored support.