Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigning UpTherapy SessionsPros and ConsFinal Thoughts
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signing Up
Therapy Sessions
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
Our Online Therapy MethodologyCurious about the extensive work we did to research and evaluate online therapy companies? Take a look at ouronline therapy methodology.
Our Online Therapy Methodology
Curious about the extensive work we did to research and evaluate online therapy companies? Take a look at ouronline therapy methodology.
We tried online therapy in the past through a subscription service, and while it helped, I didn’t want to go that route again. I wanted the convenience of a telehealth company but I also wanted to be able to use my insurance benefits. This is when I discoveredAmwell, a multi-faceted online telehealth experience that, among other services, provides teletherapy for teensand adults. My hope in finding Amwell was that my teen would find an ally to help steer him in the right direction during this turbulent time. After trying it for 30 days, I can say that he got a lot out of his experience, including tools and techniques he can use moving forward into the new school year.
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How I Signed Up for Amwell
Amwell offers clients a comprehensive telehealth experience, including medical and mental health care. Among mental health services, Amwell’s offerspsychiatryand therapy nationwide through itsHIPAA-complianttelehealth platform. An element that distinguishes Amwell from other similar platforms is the ability to schedule same-day behavioral health appointments.
Amwell
I chose the date option to get a feel for the typical timeframe I could expect to wait before getting an appointment with someone. I was pleased to find next-day availability, and when I chose that from the calendar, it brought me to two providers and their open times. Each provider had a profile pic and a price of $109 for a therapy session before insurance. I clicked the link to view their wider profiles, which provided information such as their educational background, years in practice, specialties, and type of therapy modalities they used to facilitate treatment. I asked my teen to review the options, but he wanted to look at more.
Therapists available on Amwell range from those with little experience in their field to veterans with decades of work under their belts. Scrolling through the available therapists in my searches yielded licensed clinicalsocial workers, board-certifiedpsychotherapists, licensed clinicalpsychologists, etc.
There are several categories of providers from which I could choose, and I was pleased to find one dedicated toadolescent therapy.
However, the downside of choosing the adolescent therapy category was it only populated the same two therapists. After reviewing the biographies together, he decided neither really appealed to him in one aspect or another (they were both older women who didn’t seem to have much experience and their biographies didn’t really speak to him). In order to find a therapist who better suited him, we went to the general therapy category where I repeated this process until we found someone he believed was a good fit. (According to my teen, “She sounded like she would be nice and understanding of a teenage boy.”)
No Forced MatchThe fact that Amwell doesn’t force a match with a provider and allowed us to choose our own was a huge positive. It was a significant timesaver because the therapist we chose turned out to be the one he stayed with versus having to waste visits testing out a therapist before finding one he liked.
No Forced Match
The fact that Amwell doesn’t force a match with a provider and allowed us to choose our own was a huge positive. It was a significant timesaver because the therapist we chose turned out to be the one he stayed with versus having to waste visits testing out a therapist before finding one he liked.
At this point, after choosing our therapist, I could book an appointment. Amwell is not a subscription service, so the cost is per appointment. Here I provided my insurance information and health savings account (HSA) card for payment after the session ended. I was warned that there would be a $45 cancellation charge if I didn’t cancel 24 hours before the scheduled time. The therapist’s page indicated that my insurance might cover the cost, but I wouldn’t know until the appointment. This wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t a risk at this point since no payment was due.
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How Our Therapy Sessions Worked
After booking our first appointment, we downloaded the Amwell app, available on Google and iOS. Through this, my teen could attend his visits from any location. He could check the portal calendar for upcoming sessions and even schedule additional visits. I liked that all of this information was available on the app since it organized everything in one location and made it a true one-stop shop for everything we needed for teen therapy.
Using the AppDuring the 30 days my son tried the Amwell platform, he never had a problem using it, and he never experienced technical difficulties.
Using the App
During the 30 days my son tried the Amwell platform, he never had a problem using it, and he never experienced technical difficulties.
When he logged in for a session, there was little to no wait until his therapist joined. Unlike other platforms or even in-person therapy sessions I have attended in the past, Amwell sessions lasted 45 minutes. My teen ended one early because he said he had “run out of things to talk about” with his therapist. (This just so happened to be on a night when he was trying to get to another activity a few minutes early to spend time with friends.) Even so, I can see the benefit of having 60-minute sessions and would have preferred them.
My teen is very disorganized, which is not a surprise given his age and maturity level. But for someone whose interests are as varied as his, not being organized leads tomemorylapses and heightenedstressfor all of us. The therapist suggested my teen use a calendaring system that was easier to utilize than the one he was attempting and that color-coding various projects and activities could help withfocusandaccountability. My teen agreed to try this, and I saw an immediate improvement in his behavior.
Switching ProvidersWe did not switch providers during this month, but the process seems to be a matter of making an appointment with a different therapist.
Switching Providers
We did not switch providers during this month, but the process seems to be a matter of making an appointment with a different therapist.
There does not appear to be an obligation to contact customer service or even let a therapist know about no longer working with them. Had we needed to switch, this would have been my preferred process. I’ve had experience with subscription-based therapy companies where switching meant filling out forms about why I wanted someone new or contacting customer service to perform the switch. Being able to simply schedule an appointment with someone else is a definite plus.
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Overall, Amwell performed well in many facets. The biggest room for improvement for me is the limited number of adolescent-specific providers.
ProsDedicated Amwell app for iOS and AndroidSame-day appointments may be availableCan pick a therapist based on geography, specialties, and availabilityOpen calendar makes booking convenientAccepts a wide variety of insurance providersConsFinal price is unknown until insurance is processedAdolescent therapy category only yielded two therapistsAppointments were shorter than other companies
ProsDedicated Amwell app for iOS and AndroidSame-day appointments may be availableCan pick a therapist based on geography, specialties, and availabilityOpen calendar makes booking convenientAccepts a wide variety of insurance providers
Dedicated Amwell app for iOS and Android
Same-day appointments may be available
Can pick a therapist based on geography, specialties, and availability
Open calendar makes booking convenient
Accepts a wide variety of insurance providers
ConsFinal price is unknown until insurance is processedAdolescent therapy category only yielded two therapistsAppointments were shorter than other companies
Final price is unknown until insurance is processed
Adolescent therapy category only yielded two therapists
Appointments were shorter than other companies
Teenagers live life in flux, and mental healthcare is a crucial component of their overall well-being. With so many teens reporting a decrease in overall happiness and a drastic increase inanxietyanddepression,I needed to do what I could to support my teen. I hoped that an Amwell therapist could give him some strategies to fall back on when he felt overwhelmed with all the social and developmental changes he was going through. I was thrilled that things went so well, and his Amwell therapist turned out to be a source of encouragement and support as he prepared for the upcoming school year.
Amwell User Survey ResultsWhen I look at our experience compared to our survey of 100 Amwell users, the numbers support my feelings of satisfaction:99% reported that they felt Amwell was excellent, very good, or good overall98% of respondents said that all or most of their needs were met100% of users agreed that the therapists' qualifications were excellent, very good, or good98% felt that Amwell’s value for the money was good, very good, or excellent95% said that they were likely or very likely to recommend Amwell to a friend or someone like them
Amwell User Survey Results
When I look at our experience compared to our survey of 100 Amwell users, the numbers support my feelings of satisfaction:99% reported that they felt Amwell was excellent, very good, or good overall98% of respondents said that all or most of their needs were met100% of users agreed that the therapists' qualifications were excellent, very good, or good98% felt that Amwell’s value for the money was good, very good, or excellent95% said that they were likely or very likely to recommend Amwell to a friend or someone like them
When I look at our experience compared to our survey of 100 Amwell users, the numbers support my feelings of satisfaction:
With so many choices in finding online mental healthcare, Amwell does a great job of solidifying itself as a formidable platform. For my teen, the guidance he received in the month he used the service proved to be advice he can put into action now and into the future.
1 SourceVerywell 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.Mental Health America.Depression in teens.
1 Source
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.Mental Health America.Depression in teens.
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.
Mental Health America.Depression in teens.
Hannah Owens, LMSW
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