Best Online OCD Therapy

NOCD was founded with the mission “to restore hope for people with OCD through better awareness and treatment.” Its co-founder, Stephen Smith, struggled not only with OCD but with the challenge of being misdiagnosed and not receiving appropriate treatment as a result. NOCD seeks to provide evidence-based treatment for OCD as well as community support and self-help tools.

According to its website, NOCD’s treatment plans can offer quick and long-lasting symptom relief. It employs specialists with training and certification in exposure and response prevention to treat OCD. Clients seeking different treatment plans for OCD might not feel that NOCD is a good fit, though NOCD reports significant improvement for those who use its services. It backs its services with peer-reviewed research indicating its effectiveness.

Therapists employed by NOCD receive specialized training from NOCD to ensure they are qualified to treat OCD at the standards advertised by the company. Per the website, NOCD is additionally committed to offering culturally informed and affirming care to clients of all backgrounds.

NOCD is presently conducting a study in conjunction with Biohaven regarding medication management for OCD. Clients have the option to participate in the study to potentially develop new medication treatment options for individuals with OCD.

NOCD’s treatment plans emphasize exposure and response prevention (ERP), an evidence-based treatment based on cognitive behavioral therapy, to treat obsessive-compulsive-type disorders. It reports that its treatment plans can offer quick symptom relief.

In addition, NOCD provides medication management in New Jersey, with plans to expand to other states. It does not indicate on its website which medications its providers can prescribe.

While peer support is not a substitute for therapy treatment, NOCD also has a community forum on its website, allowing clients to connect with peers going through similar challenges.

NOCD is in-network with most major insurance plans, though it presently only accepts Medicaid in California. It charges $170 per session but offers discounts for those who are uninsured. Members have access to online community forums, which are free to use.

NOCD does not offer subscriptions, so you only pay for sessions used. It also offers payment plans, so you can pay off your balance over time.

Of the 105 users of NOCD we surveyed, 71% had an overall positive impression of NOCD, and 64% would recommend the service to a friend. Twenty-four percent of users indicated that they were able to meet all of their therapy goals, and another 28% stated that they terminated treatment with NOCD due to significant symptom improvement. NOCD is a very niche service, which can make it a great fit for those seeking evidence-based treatment for OCD.

Talkspace was one of the first online therapy platforms, and it is one of the most well-known. It was founded with the intention of making therapy both affordable and accessible.

Talkspace’s website offers a variety of free educational resources and blog posts on a variety of topics, including OCD. While the platform does not specialize in OCD treatment, Talkspace does offer OCD treatment and employs therapists with specialization in OCD.

Upon sign-up, Talkspace matches you to a qualified, licensed therapist based on your responses to a brief survey. Although you do not choose your own therapist, Talkspace makes it easy to request a change if you feel your therapist is not a good fit.

In the past, Talkspace has received criticism for matching clients to providers who are not licensed at the client’s location, but Talkspace says that it presently matches clients to providers licensed at the client’s location.

Although Talkspace’s website indicates that all information and client data is encrypted in a HIPAA-compliant manner, it has been criticized for issues with its privacy policies in the past. Specifically, its privacy policy indicates that it reserves the right to use client data for marketing purposes. Even if this comes from anonymized data, this is something users must consider before signing up for Talkspace’s services.

Talkspace offers individual, couples, and teen therapy, as well as psychiatry services. Users choose the type of treatment they are seeking and the subscription plan they want. Subscription plans include asynchronous messaging, live sessions, and live video workshops.

The cost of therapy through Talkspace depends on which plan you select and what service you are receiving. For individual therapy, clients can choose between three subscription plans, each of which is billed weekly.

• Messaging therapy: This includes unlimited messaging with your therapist, with guaranteed responses from therapists five days per week. This plan does not include live sessions and starts at $69 per week, making it much more affordable than other platforms or plans.
• Video + messaging therapy: In addition to unlimited messaging, this plan offers live chat, phone, or video sessions. Clients can request a therapist who offers a specific type of session if needed. These plans start at $99 per week.
• Video + Messaging + Workshops: In addition to connecting with a therapist via text and video sessions, Talkspace offers workshops on a variety of topics to help those struggling with mental health issues. This plan offers access to these workshops and start at $109 per week.

Couples who want to use Talkspace’s services will pay $396 per month for a subscription that includes both live sessions and unlimited messaging.

Medication management and psychiatry services are billed per session rather than on a subscription plan. The initial psychiatry assessment is $249 and follow-up sessions are $125 per session.

In addition to the plans listed above, Talkspace advertises various discounts and coupon codes. Clients also have the option to purchase subscriptions or psychiatric sessions in bulk to get a discount. However, there are no refunds offered if they purchase in bulk and want to discontinue services later.

Of the 105 Talkspace users we surveyed, 91% rated Talkspace as good, very good, or excellent. Eighty-six percent indicated that therapist qualifications were very good or excellent, and 81% found the service easy to use. 

Although Talkspace has lower-cost plans available compared to other companies we surveyed, only 59% of users reported that the cost was very good or excellent.

Mindful Care’s mission statement indicates that it aims to offer convenient, affordable appointments that clients do not have to wait days or weeks to attend. Clients can choose from different types of sessions and treatment options based on their needs, and the website includes blog posts and educational materials. 

Mindful Care employs medical and mental health professionals from a variety of backgrounds with many specializations and areas of expertise, including treatment for OCD. While its current group therapy offerings do not include groups specifically for OCD, it offers groups that may benefit clients with this diagnosis, including groups for managing life challenges, anxiety, and difficult emotions.

Currently, Mindful Care offers both therapy and psychiatric services to clients in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Connecticut, and Michigan, with plans to expand nationwide. If you are interested in Mindful Care’s services, you can request to be notified via email when it expands to your state.

Clients can request weekend appointments if this works best for their schedule. In addition, weekday appointments can be scheduled from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Standard therapy sessions with Mindful Care are 40 minutes long. However, you can also request MicroTherapy. These 20-minute sessions can be scheduled on the same day if you experience an urgent need to meet with your therapist.

In addition, Mindful Care offers group therapy, with groups held at a variety of times to meet different schedules. You can use the platform just for group therapy or join a group in addition to seeing an individual therapist.

Finally, Mindful Care offers psychiatric and medication management services for a variety of mental health medications.

Mindful Care does not offer subscriptions, so you only pay for sessions that you use. It is in-network with most major insurance plans and accepts Medicare and Medicaid in the states that it serves.

Those paying out of pocket can expect the following rates:

• Intake session: $150
• Individual therapy, 40 minutes: $100
• Individual therapy, 20 minutes: $50
• Group therapy, 60 minutes: $35
• Psychiatric intake session: $175
• Psychiatric follow-up: $75
  

In our survey, 92% of Mindful Care users rated the service as good, very good, or excellent; no users in our survey reported a poor experience. Eighty-two percent were able to get most or all of their needs met with Mindful Care, and 95% had a positive impression of therapist qualifications. Eighty-three percent would recommend the service to a friend, and 66% would use Mindful Care again in the future.

MDLIVE offers therapy services for children aged 10 and up. Although telehealth and online therapy have proven effective for children of all ages, many online therapy platforms do not offer services to anyone under 18, and most of those that do provide therapy to minors will only see adolescents. Since OCD can emerge in childhood, MDLIVE can be a great resource to families who are struggling.

In addition, MDLIVE employs board-certified psychiatrists for medication management for a variety of medications that can be used to treat OCD. Clients can decide whether medication is an appropriate treatment option for them, and their therapist can help them talk through their decision before they request a medication appointment through MDLIVE’s platform.

It is free to sign up for an account on MDLIVE, and you can easily request the type of appointment you need after signing up. When signing up, you have the option to choose your provider. You can request the first available appointment, which will limit your search to providers with immediate availability. This gives you the ability to make an informed decision about your care and get the earliest possible appointment. If you urgently need an appointment, you can see someone who is not your usual therapist. While this is not a substitute for emergency services, this flexibility gives clients more options for their care.

Urgent care appointments through MDLIVE are available 24 hours a day, though therapy and psychiatry appointments are subject to each provider’s availability. MDLIVE does offer evening and weekend appointments, so it can meet the needs of any schedule. This flexibility is an additional asset, as it can be challenging for individuals who work full-time to find a convenient time for their psychiatry or therapy appointments.

MDLIVE offers individual therapy as well as psychiatric services. In addition, you can access both primary medical care and urgent care through its platform.

MDLIVE is in-network with most insurance plans, so the price will depend on your plan and coverage. If you pay out-of-pocket, therapy sessions are $108 per session. Psychiatric appointments are $284 for the initial intake and $108 for follow-up appointments.

In our survey, 91% of users had an overall positive experience with MDLIVE. Eighty-one percent were able to get all or most of their needs met through the platform, and 82% were satisfied with the provider options available. Eighty-four percent of users would recommend MDLIVE to a friend, and 66% would use the platform again. In addition, 73% said that MDLIVE was better than other services they had tried.

LifeStance offers therapy and psychiatric services in 34 states, with plans to expand and offer nationwide coverage. LifeStance aims to provide evidence-based mental health services with the best possible client experience, including accessible customer service, psychological assessments for accurate treatment planning, and psychiatry services.

Clients using LifeStance can choose their own therapist based on expertise and training, so you can select a therapist who specializes in OCD treatment and CBT interventions. Therapists can incorporate trauma-informed treatment and provide referrals for psychiatric treatment as needed.

LifeStance’s website indicates that it aims to provide tailored services and treatment plans for each individual’s unique needs, with providers trained in evidence-based interventions including CBT and related therapies. Users can choose in-person therapy or telehealth sessions based on their comfort level or the type of care that they need.

LifeStance offers individual therapy for children and adults, family therapy, and couples therapy, as well as psychiatric care. It also provides psychological and neuropsychological assessments, as well as medical assessments.

LifeStance does not have subscriptions, and clients pay only for sessions attended. It is in-network with most insurance plans, which can help reduce the cost of care. However, specific costs are not listed on the website, and information about out-of-pocket costs for those without insurance is not published.

Eighty-eight percent of users surveyed said that their overall experience with LifeStance was good, very good, or excellent. Ninety percent were satisfied with the therapists’ qualifications, and 73% were able to find a therapist who met most or all of their needs. Seventy-five percent of those we surveyed would recommend the service to a friend, and 88% stated that LifeStance was superior to other therapy platforms they had tried in the past.

The age of onset for OCD varies greatly, but it can develop as early as age two to three. Because of this, it is important to have treatment options for very young children. While many online therapy platforms limit services to specific client ages (often 18 and up, 13 and up, or sometimes 10 and up), Thriveworks employs therapists for clients of all ages.

While Thriveworks is available in 49 states plus Washington, D.C.. It offers in-person and online therapy, as well as psychiatric care. Clients can choose their own therapist or ask Thriveworks to help match them to someone with appropriate expertise. It offers flexible scheduling, with evening and weekend appointments available.

Thriveworks’s website has a large library of free resources, including posts and articles about mental health and a free e-book. Clients also get access to Therapy Buddy, a mobile app with mental health resources and support. TherapyBuddy is password-protected for client privacy.

Thriveworks offers online therapy for individuals, couples, and families. It treats children and has the option for in-person sessions in some areas. In addition, referrals for psychiatric services are available.

It is difficult to find specific payment information on Thriveworks’s website, as its cost of service varies by location. It is in-network with many insurance providers, which can help cover the cost of therapy and can mean that your child receives care for as little as the cost of a copay. Some Thriveworks therapists are Medicaid providers, though availability depends on location.

According to Thriveworks’s website, out-of-pocket pay is “as little as $160 per session,” though an upper limit is not noted.

According to our survey, 90% of users had an overall positive experience with Thriveworks. Sixty-eight percent indicated that the process of getting matched to a therapist was good or very good, and 87% stated that the company was helpful in matching them to a therapist. Eighty-eight percent were satisfied with therapists’ qualifications, and 78% were able to find a therapist who met most or all of their needs

Amwell offers a variety of online health services, including therapy, psychiatry, and urgent care, and clients can easily authorize providers across the platform to access their records. If a client sees multiple providers for their treatment team, Amwell makes continuity of care easy.

In addition to OCD, Amwell providers specialize in a wide variety of other mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, sleep problems, panic attacks, and eating disorders. Since many individuals with OCD have additional mental health diagnoses, it can be important for a provider to have expertise in multiple conditions.

Amwell therapists additionally train in a variety of interventions and therapy styles, so clients can find a therapist whose approach fits their needs and preferences. Therapists at Amwell use cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and other evidence-based treatments.

Clients in all 50 states can sign up for care through Amwell and can receive therapy and psychiatry services. Children as young as 10 can receive therapy with guardian consent, and sessions are available seven days a week, offering flexibility.

Amwell offers a variety of treatment options, including therapy, psychiatry, and urgent care. Its therapy services include individual therapy, couples therapy, therapy for children ages 10 and up, and family therapy.

Amwell accepts many insurance plans, so if you have insurance, it will likely help you cover the cost of service. It also works with many employee assistance programs, which can cover the cost of a certain number of sessions. For those paying out-of-pocket, sessions are $109 each when meeting with a master's-level therapist and $129 when meeting with a doctoral-level therapist. 

For psychiatry services, initial assessments are $279, and follow-up appointments are $109.

Users we surveyed had good impressions of Amwell, with 88% saying that their overall experience was excellent, very good, or good, and 87% saying that all or most of their needs were met. Seventy-six percent were satisfied with the therapist options available, and 91% rated therapist qualifications as good, very good, or excellent. Seventy-eight percent would recommend Amwell to a friend, and 70% would use the platform again if needed.

PeerVida is a peer support group platform, but its website states that it is “not the completely unstructured ‘free-for-all’ you get with traditional peer groups.” While peer support is not the same as therapy and cannot substitute for traditional therapy, many people benefit greatly from connecting with others who are going through similar experiences. PeerVida’s groups are run by certified peer support specialists who have clinical training in running these groups, as well as their own personal history of mental health issues, including OCD.

In addition to providing training to peer support specialists, PeerVida uses evidence-based interventions to ensure that participants receive quality care.

PeerVida offers peer support groups for a huge range of presenting concerns, including OCD. Groups are affordable and offered at a variety of times for every scheduling need. If your schedule changes quickly, you have the option to sign up as little as 30 minutes prior to the group start time, as long as the group has openings. Groups are limited to 10 participants each.

Some individuals with OCD experience distressing and intrusive thoughts that they might cause harm to other people (sometimes referred to as harm OCD), including that they might hurt or kill loved ones, children, or strangers. These thoughts can be difficult to talk about. While professionals know that people with harm OCD do not want to act on their thoughts and are not a danger to others, these individuals might struggle to fit in with peer support groups if others are disturbed by their thoughts. PeerVida uniquely offers a support group specifically for people with harm OCD, giving them space to process their anxieties and thoughts.

PeerVida’s platform is HIPAA-compliant, confidential, and secure. Since peer support groups are not the same as therapy, they are not always held to this standard, so PeerVida’s commitment to confidentiality is an asset.

PeerVida offers support groups for people with similar symptoms or concerns. Groups are capped at 10 attendees to ensure that everyone has a chance to share and connect with other group members.

OCD-specific support on PeerVida includes:

• Intrusive thoughts group
• General OCD support group
• Shame and guilt group for OCD
• A group for those who experience intrusive thoughts about pedophilia or harm to others

Users pay $35 for each group session that they attend. There are no subscription plans offered. Since peer support groups are not therapy, PeerVida does not accept insurance, and its services are not reimbursable.

Users must cancel at least 48 hours in advance to receive a refund, and refunds include an 8% fee for administrative costs.

PeerVida was not included in our survey of online therapy services because its services are not technically therapy. However, none of the other online therapy services reviewed offered groups specific to OCD.

PeerVida is consistently listed as a beneficial mental health resource for those seeking group and peer support. It does not seem to have third-party user reviews listed online.

Meet Monarch is a directory that potential clients can use to find a therapist. It is free to use and includes both therapist contact information and a myriad of free educational resources. It has therapists listed in all 50 states.

Meet Monarch users can search for therapists specializing in OCD treatment. When filtering results based on specialty, Meet Monarch will promote free blog posts and articles to help you. For example, when searching for OCD therapists, Meet Monarch will recommend articles about warning signs of OCD and the different types of OCD.

When searching, you can further filter results to therapists who are in-network with your insurance company, have evening or weekend availability or otherwise fit your scheduling requirements, and offer specific types of therapy. This makes it even easier to find a therapist who meets your needs.

In addition to directory listings, Meet Monarch allows scheduling directly through its online portal. You can find a therapist and request an appointment all on one platform, making it a very efficient and user-friendly service.

Therapists on Meet Monarch offer a variety of services, including individual, group, family, and couples therapy. Users can filter their search based on the type of therapy they are seeking.

Each therapist listed on Meet Monarch sets their own rates and makes their own decisions about accepting insurance. Users can filter based on cost and insurance plan. Seventy percent of those we surveyed were satisfied with their ability to find a therapist who accepted their method of payment, and 73% were able to use their insurance with the therapist they found on Meet Monarch.

Our survey results indicate that users had positive experiences with Meet Monarch. Seventy-eight percent rated Meet Monarch overall as very good or good, and 70% found the website easy to navigate. Fifty-three percent were able to find a therapist who met all their needs, and an additional 40% were able to find a therapist who met some of their needs. Sixty-three percent would use the directory again.