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With more options than ever, choosing an online therapy service can feel overwhelming, especially if you are trying therapy for the first time. The good news is that the abundance of options means there is a good chance you can find one best suited for you.

Ultimately, choosing the right online therapy service—or therapist—for your needs is very personal.  What might work for you might not work for someone else—and that’s OK. However, when you’re searching for care, there are a few things we recommend you consider to help you make the right choice.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

What Type of Therapy Does It Offer?

Most therapy companies and directories will connect you with therapists that can provide individual talk therapy, but some offer other types of therapy that might be a better fit, such ascouples therapy,family therapy, orgroup therapy(where you’ll join a group that meets regularly with peers who are dealing with similar mental health challenges). Others specialize in peer counseling, where you speak to someone with lived experience or the same condition as you who is trained to support others, orsupport groups, which do not require the attendance of the same group members every week like group therapy does.

Some other initial questions you might want to ask yourself about a service include the following:

Sign-Up Process and User Experience

Online therapy comes with a number of logistical questions you may want to think about while choosing a service, especially if you are concerned about user experience, flexibility, and other similar issues, like the following:

Paying for Online Therapy

While online therapy can be flexible, convenient, and more affordable than in-person options, it still represents a considerable expense for a lot of people. Financial questions like these are likely top of mind as you’re getting started with your search:

The 8 Best Online Therapy Services that Accept Insurance, Tried and Tested

Key Considerations for Online Therapy

Who Is Online Therapy For?

Online therapy is a good option if you’re living with mild to moderate symptoms of mental health conditions such asdepression,anxiety,OCD,traumaor PTSD, andgrief and loss.

It can also be especially useful if you live in atherapy desert, which is a place where access to mental health care is limited or nonexistent because there aren’t enough providers near you. So if you live in a rural area, cannot travel to a therapist’s office because of your work schedule or childcare needs, or cannot find an in-person therapist near you, online therapy is a great alternative.

However, online therapy is not for people with more serious conditions. For example, saysAmy Marschall, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, “if someone is in a major crisis and requires inpatient care, online therapy is not adequate to address that.” It is also not for you if you experience dissociative or psychotic symptoms that are interfering with your ability to distinguish reality.

What Kind of Online Therapist Should I Choose?

The key to knowing which type of therapist is right for you is having a good grip on what your goal is for therapy. Similar to in-person practices, the type of providers available depends on the online platform. Some offer only therapists, some only psychiatrists, and some a combination of providers, including licensed counselors and social workers. Each type of provider is appropriate for a variety of therapeutic goals, needs, and treatments.

For example,psychiatristsare medical doctors who can prescribe medication to treat mental health conditions, but therapists have a master’s or doctorate degree in counseling or psychotherapy and provide talk therapy only.

There are different types of therapist credentials, includingpsychologists,licensed social workers,licensed marriage and family therapists, andlicensed professional counselors or mental health counselors. Some, such as psychologists and licensed clinical social workers, can diagnose you with a mental health condition, even if they cannot prescribe you medication. Others, like marriage and family therapists, have specialized training that focuses more on treating couples and families.

If you’re not sure what kind of therapist is best for you, look for an online therapy company that offers a matching session with a professional who can help you find the right provider or that has you fill out a comprehensive intake form so it can better match you with the right kind of therapist.

Is Online Therapy Effective?

Yes, online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for certain conditions. For example, a 2018 study found thatcognitive behavioral therapy, which is a therapeutic technique that many of thecompanies we included above use regularly, was highly effective at treatinganxiety disordersanddepressionwhen used in an online format, while another 2019 study found online therapy to be effective for adult depression.

Online therapy for children and adolescents has also been proven effective, and the virtual interventions for kids who need mental health care continue to grow and improve.

Are There Free Online Therapy Resources Available?

Yes, there are online resources available that you can use for free, such as:

However, you should know that free services, emergency services, and peer support services do not provide the same level of personalized care as regular therapy appointments with a therapist you see consistently.

Should I Be Concerned About My Privacy When Using Online Therapy Services?

Online therapy companies, like all online services, collect personal data and information about anyone that visits their sites and uses their services. In addition, since online therapy companies are telehealth services, they also collect and store private health information about their patients.

In order to know how an online therapy company uses, stores, or shares yourprivate data, we recommend reading the company’s terms and conditions and privacy policy. Look for any mention of which third parties it shares information with (i.e., does it share with advertisers?) and see if the company states that it isHIPAA-compliant(which means that it follows the federal law protecting personal health information).

As for what you discuss in session, your online therapist will follow the same client-to-therapist confidentiality rules as an in-person therapist. This means that they will not share what you discuss with them unless you are a threat to yourself or others, there is evidence of abuse or neglect to a child, elderly person, or person with disabilities, or they receive a court order to provide information.

A Word From Verywell

For many, online therapy is a highly accessible and affordable option for therapy. It has been proven effective in the treatment of many mental health concerns, and is widely available across the US and abroad. If you think you might benefit from therapy but live in a therapy desert, cannot travel to in-person sessions, or need a therapist who can accommodate your schedule, online therapy could be a great choice.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Andrews G, Basu A, Ciujpers P, et al.Computer therapy for the anxiety and depression disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: An updated meta-analysis.J Anxiety Disord. 2018;55:70-78. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.001Marcelle ET, Nolting L, Hinshaw SP, Aguilera A.Effectiveness of a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform for adult depression: a naturalistic feasibility study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019;7(1):e10948. doi:10.2196/10948Schueller SM, Stiles-Shields C, Yarosh L.Online Treatment and Virtual Therapists in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2017 Jan;26(1):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Oct 15. PMID: 27837935; PMCID: PMC5123797.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Andrews G, Basu A, Ciujpers P, et al.Computer therapy for the anxiety and depression disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: An updated meta-analysis.J Anxiety Disord. 2018;55:70-78. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.001Marcelle ET, Nolting L, Hinshaw SP, Aguilera A.Effectiveness of a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform for adult depression: a naturalistic feasibility study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019;7(1):e10948. doi:10.2196/10948Schueller SM, Stiles-Shields C, Yarosh L.Online Treatment and Virtual Therapists in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2017 Jan;26(1):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Oct 15. PMID: 27837935; PMCID: PMC5123797.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Andrews G, Basu A, Ciujpers P, et al.Computer therapy for the anxiety and depression disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: An updated meta-analysis.J Anxiety Disord. 2018;55:70-78. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.001Marcelle ET, Nolting L, Hinshaw SP, Aguilera A.Effectiveness of a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform for adult depression: a naturalistic feasibility study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019;7(1):e10948. doi:10.2196/10948Schueller SM, Stiles-Shields C, Yarosh L.Online Treatment and Virtual Therapists in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2017 Jan;26(1):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Oct 15. PMID: 27837935; PMCID: PMC5123797.

Andrews G, Basu A, Ciujpers P, et al.Computer therapy for the anxiety and depression disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: An updated meta-analysis.J Anxiety Disord. 2018;55:70-78. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.001

Marcelle ET, Nolting L, Hinshaw SP, Aguilera A.Effectiveness of a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform for adult depression: a naturalistic feasibility study.JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019;7(1):e10948. doi:10.2196/10948

Schueller SM, Stiles-Shields C, Yarosh L.Online Treatment and Virtual Therapists in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2017 Jan;26(1):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Oct 15. PMID: 27837935; PMCID: PMC5123797.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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