The 10 Most Affordable Online Therapy Services for You and Your Family

Best With Insurance: Talkspace

Key Specs  

• Price: $69 to $129 a week 
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual therapy, couples therapy, psychiatry, teen counseling, medication management 

Why We Chose It

Talkspace offers a wide variety of services, including individual therapy for both teens and adults, couples therapy, and psychiatry and medication management, all covered by an extensive list of nearly 200 insurance plans. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

When more than one family member needs mental health services, costs can rack up quickly—but if your family has health insurance, finding a company that accepts your plan means that you’re only responsible for a copay, which is often far less expensive than an out-of-pocket fee. Talkspace accepts most major health insurance plans that cover individual therapy, teen therapy, and couples therapy as well as adult psychiatry and medication management services, making it the best pick for any family where parents and/or teens need mental health support and need to use their insurance to pay for sessions. While many private practice therapists and online therapy companies do not take insurance, Talkspace accepts nearly 200 insurance plans, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and Premera.

If you are not able to use your private insurance with Talkspace, there may be other options available to you. Talkspace partners with hundreds of employers and organizations across the country to include its services as part of employee benefits. You can also receive reimbursement for services from a health savings or flexible spending account. And if you are uninsured or self-employed, Talkspace offers a variety of out-of-pocket subscription plans for different budgets. 

Plans & Pricing 

If using your insurance to pay for Talkspace’s services, you will only be responsible for your copay—discuss this with your insurance provider to find out the specific costs. If you're paying out of-pocket, Talkspace offers three subscription levels at various price points for teens and adults:

• Unlimited messaging: This plan includes text, video, and audio messaging starting at $69 a week. You can message your therapist anytime and are guaranteed a response on weekdays.
• Messaging and video sessions: For $99 a week, this tier includes the same unlimited messaging features with one live 45-minute therapy session per week.
• Messaging, video sessions and workshops: With this plan you’ll get the same messaging and video session services plus weekly educational workshops led by licensed therapists. This plan starts at $109 a week. 

Other services include:

• Psychiatry and medication management: Cost is $249 for an initial evaluation and $125 per session for follow-ups. You can also bundle this service with other Talkspace therapy services.
• Couples therapy: The cost for this service varies based on location but starts at $396 per month. 

User Satisfaction  

The 105 users of Talkspace we surveyed had positive opinions of the company, with 93% saying they would recommend Talkspace to a friend. Users were also impressed with the quality of therapists available, with 97% reporting they were satisfied or very satisfied with therapist options. Fifty-eight percent of our Talkspace users found the services affordable or very affordable, and 77% rated the company’s value for the money as good, very good, or excellent. Eight percent reported that the most important thing to them when searching for an online therapy service was whether it accepted their insurance, 26% thought that the number of insurance options at Talkspace were better than other companies they’d tried, and 57% told us that they used their insurance to pay for Talkspace’s services. Additionally, 8% of users turned to Talkspace specifically for teen counseling.

One of our testers of Talkspace appreciated the expediency of the service, noting that “for me, it took less than an hour for Talkspace to match me [with a therapist], which impressed me.” She also liked that you can schedule up to four sessions at a time—”I appreciated how much this scheduling system prioritizes the needs of the therapy seeker and helps make committing to therapy just a little easier.”

Best for Teens: Teen Counseling

Key Specs

• Price: $60 to $90 per week 
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual therapy 

Why We Chose It 

Teen Counseling offers therapy specifically for teens age 13 to 19 and operates on a subscription model ranging in price from $60 to $90 a week or $240 to $360 a month, landing it on the lowest end of the average price of therapy. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview

If your teenager would benefit from therapy, it’s important to find a provider who specializes in this age group and the challenges and issues that can accompany it, like low self-esteem and bullying. This is where Teen Counseling comes in. Not only do its therapists specialize in treating teens, but it also operates on a simple, flat fee subscription program, with individual therapy sessions costing less than $100 per session. Prices are comparable to rates you might pay with insurance on other platforms, making Teen Counseling a viable option for a family who wants to get their teen the help they need but also keep costs low. A big perk for parents and busy teens is the flexibility Teen Counseling offers by allowing users to attend weekly therapy sessions that best fit their schedule, including early morning, evening, or weekend availability, all for one low monthly cost. 

To get started with Teen Counseling, you or your teen will fill out a questionnaire about their health history and issues they’re currently struggling with. Teen Counseling will match you with a licensed counselor or therapist and from there your teen can text their therapist anytime. Teen Counseling offers two different therapy “rooms”—one for the teen and one for the parent. These rooms are private unless your therapist thinks your teen may be a danger to themselves or others.

Plans & Pricing 

Teen Counseling does not accept insurance. The cost of a subscription ranges from $60 to $90 a week depending on your location and therapist availability. It is important to note that Teen Counseling, like its parent company BetterHelp, practices surge pricing, so your costs may be higher depending on how much demand there is for mental health services are in your area—while its out-of-pocket costs are still low compared to many other online therapy companies, keep this in mind when considering Teen Counseling.

Services included in a Teen Counseling subscription are as follows:

• Four live 30- to 45-minute video therapy sessions per month
• Unlimited text, audio, and video messages between sessions

User Satisfaction 

Of the 105 Teen Counseling users we surveyed, 49% found the company’s services affordable or very affordable, and 70% rated Teen Counseling’s value for the money as good, very good, or excellent. Eighty-six percent of users thought Teen Counseling was good to excellent overall, and 72% would be likely or very likely to recommend BetterHelp to a friend or someone like them.

Our tester of Teen Counseling tried out the service with her son, and reported that “the two therapists I tried were professional” and that making use of the texting service between sessions was reliable, noting that “I messaged both of our therapists and heard back from each within 24 hours.”

Best for Parents With Anxiety or Depression: Brightside

Key Specs 

• Price: $95 to $349 a month
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Psychiatry, medication management, and individual therapy 

Why We Chose It 

Brightside specializes in treating anxiety and depression, making it our go-to choice for parents struggling with these issues, and offers three types of services with low, straightforward out-of-pocket prices. It also accepts five major insurance carrriers, making therapy and psychiatry sessions even more affordable for those with Cigna, Aetna, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Anthem CA, and Allegiance plans. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

As a parent, it might feel difficult to attend to your own mental health needs when raising a family, especially if you are dealing with anxiety or depression. Enter Brightside, which specializes in depression, including suicidal thoughts, and all forms of anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety. It offers its services for relatively low monthly pay-per-session prices, and also accepts five major insurance plans, making it easy for parents to access both therapy and psychiatric care from mental health professionals who specialize in anxiety and depression. 

To start, you’ll submit a detailed intake questionnaire to match you with the best provider to fit your needs. As part of your treatment plan you will also regularly fill our surveys to track your symptoms, giving your team data on your progress. Plus, in addition to regular therapy and psychiatry or medication management sessions, Brightside offers interactive self-care lessons to teach coping mechanisms you can use during times of stress when you aren’t able to connect with your provider. 

Plans & Pricing 

When using insurance for Brightside services, you will only pay for copays, coinsurance, deductibles, or prescription costs associated with your plan. Your insurance covers the rest.

If paying out-of-pocket, Brightside offers three plans with set prices:

• Medication only: $95 a month
• Therapy only: $299 a month for one session a week; additional sessions cost $59 each
• Both medication and therapy: $349 a month

Brightside also offers a crisis care plan for those at risk of suicide. This plan is only available through insurance. 

User Satisfaction 

The 105 Brightside users we surveyed said they were impressed with the quality of care they received and the credentials of the therapists and psychiatrists they connected with. Ninety percent of the users we surveyed reported their experience with Brightside was excellent, very good, or good. Users also say the interactive lessons help reinforce concepts introduced to them during therapy sessions. Fifty-one percent of Brightside users told us they sought treatment for depression, and 60% needed help with anxiety.

Our Brightside tester “found that both therapists I met with offered outstanding care,” noting that “they were kind and responsive, and my first therapist used the chat feature accessible in the portal to send me helpful worksheets on issues we had discussed after our session.” This touch is something she especially appreciated, as she “found taking the self-care lessons in tandem with the therapy sessions to be very effective⁠—I could use the lesson to reflect on what I had discussed in the session or use the session to talk about what I’d learned in the lesson. It was also helpful to revisit key tenets of [cognitive behavioral therapy] through the lesson that I had discussed with my therapist on my own.”

Best for Parental Peer Support: Peer Collective

Key Specs

• Price: $14 to $28 per session 
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Peer support 

Why We Chose It 

Sometimes a parent might need more emotional support than their partner or family can provide. Peer Collective is a peer support platform that connects users to peer counselors who can provide a listening and sympathetic ear about any number of challenges a parent might be facing. And at $14 to $28 a session, it’s one of the most affordable options we reviewed. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Parenting can be hard, especially if you are dealing with mental health concerns; sometimes, you just need to talk with someone (other than your partner) who’s experiencing the same thing for support and guidance. Peer Collective stands out among the online therapy platforms we reviewed thanks to its unique peer support model. Developed by a counseling psychology scholar, Peer Collective’s mission is to connect users with empathetic listeners, or peer counselors. Parents can turn to this service for support with concerns like parenting issues, depression or anxiety, or relationship problems and be certain that they can speak to someone who has faced the same challenges and will help talk them through their situation. This service is especially helpful for parents who feel like they need an outside opinion and support before addressing any issues with their partner or family. And with its prices ranging between $14 and $28 per hour, Peer Collective is affordable for many.

As with other online mental health support services, you’ll start by filling out a short questionnaire to give Peer Collective an idea of your history and needs. The company will provide you with a list of recommendations and you can choose a peer counselor from those suggestions. 

It’s important to note that Peer Collective does not provide traditional therapy services. The peer counselors at Peer Collective receive training and must pass a series of tests before they can connect with clients, but they are not licensed therapists. This could be one reason why the cost of sessions with Peer Collective is much lower than what you will likely find on other platforms. 

Plans & Pricing 

The Peer Collective website does not offer much explanation or information about pricing, but does say sessions range in price from $14 to $28. 

User Satisfaction 

The lack of licensed therapists doesn’t seem to deter users, who overall report positive experiences with Peer Collective. Seventy-nine percent of the users in our 2021 survey of the company said Peer Collective was either a little better or much better than similar services they had used in the past. Seventy-nine percent also rated Peer Collective’s services as a very good or excellent value for the money.

“Peer support like what Peer Collective provides can be an indispensable support system for parents and families who need outside support and advice when dealing with internal issues,” says Hannah Owens, LMSW, a therapist and subject matter expert for Parents. “It creates a safe space to work through problems with someone who understands what you’re dealing with.”

Best Without Insurance: Open Path Collective

Key Specs

• Price: $40 to $80 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, group and couples therapy

Why We Chose It 

Open Path Collective is an online therapy directory that offers an extensive network of providers for any member of the family—parents, kids, and teens. Open Path Collective’s payment structure also differs from other platforms in that every therapist in the directory offers a sliding scale fee of between $30 and $80 per session, with the goal of making services affordable for families who are uninsured or underinsured. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Many American families cannot afford health insurance, putting otherwise affordable mental health care options out of reach. Open Path Collective’s standard pricing model and diverse directory of therapists who can treat any age group makes it our top choice for parents, children, or families who cannot use insurance to pay for mental health care. Because every Open Path Collective therapist uses the same fee structure, offering mental health care that ranges between $30 and $80 per session, prospective clients can take cost out of the equation when determining which providers on the platform would be the best fit for them and their family. 

All therapists in the Open Path Collective’s directory have at least a graduate degree in their specialized field, and you can adjust your search to find therapists who specialize in just about any mental health condition as well as providers who treat children and adolescents. Some providers also offer in-person therapy in addition to online sessions. So, whatever type of help your family is looking for, you can find it through Open Path.

Unlike many of the other online therapy platforms featured here, Open Path Collective does not recommend therapists or automatically assign you to a provider because it is a therapy directory—essentially an online phone book. This can be a positive feature for those who would like more control over who they work with, but can also lengthen the process of finding the right fit because you need to reach out to each provider individually. 

Plans & Pricing

Open Path Collective charges a one-time, lifetime membership fee of $39. After that, the sliding scale rates are:

• $30 to $60 for individual therapy
• $30 to $80 for couples and family sessions 

User Satisfaction 

Overall, users report high levels of satisfaction with Open Path Collective. Some say finding a therapist took longer than anticipated, but once established with a provider, users say they are happy with the quality of care, with 90% rating the directory as good or very good overall. Thirty-six percent of the 180 Open Path users we surveyed said cost was the most important factor to them when choosing a directory and searching for services. 

Our tester of Open Path Collective was especially impressed with how easy and straightforward it is to search for providers, specifically pointing out that “one of the things that impressed us about Open Path’s search function is that it automatically hides therapists who are not currently accepting new clients, so every search result displayed has potential.” Additionally, she noted that “I really enjoyed being able to browse the site without any pressure at all to sign up. I’m the kind of person who closes a window as soon as they ask for my credit card number to proceed, so I found Open Path really inviting and comfortable to browse in.”

Best for Postpartum Depression: Hers

Key Specs

• Price: $99 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of therapy: Individual

Why We Chose It 

Postpartum depression is, unfortunately, an all-too-common problem faced by birthing parents. Hers is a platform specializing in mental health issues affecting women-identifying and nonbinary folks, including mood disorders related to childbirth and parenting, like postpartum depression. And all of Hers’ postpartum services are available for one flat price.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Postpartum depression is a condition that affects many parents, and can come with feelings of extreme guilt and shame. It is often helpful for those dealing with postpartum issues to discuss their feelings with a therapist specializing in this condition. That’s where Hers comes in. All therapy sessions with Hers cost $99, which is comparable to other platforms and lower than the average rate per session nationwide, and it’s easy to find providers on the platform who specialize in treating postpartum depression. The platform also offers access to psychiatry services and medication management for $85 a month, which is also far lower than the standard cost of these types of services.

In addition to therapy and medication management, the mobile app version of Hers also offers free videos on mental health topics to help teach tools for managing symptoms. 

Plans & Pricing 

The cost of all 50-minute talk therapy sessions with Hers is $99. 

Psychiatric treatment and medication management for anxiety and depression costs $85 a month, or $49 a month for a three-month subscription. 

User Satisfaction 

Seventy-five percent of Hers users rated the services’ value for the money as good, very good, or excellent, reporting that the platform is intuitive and easy to use and that therapists offer compassionate care. Users also report that therapists work with them to cultivate mindfulness tools through exercises they can do between sessions. One respondent in our user survey also cited the implementation of goals with her therapist as a positive experience because it helped her see the potential for progress. Four percent of our 105 surveyed users reported that they were a new parent, and 3% sought services specifically for postpartum depression.

Our tester of Hers told us that, “during my therapy sessions, I found my provider attentive and knowledgeable,” explaining that “they not only affirmed what I was experiencing but also shared homework I could realistically incorporate into my busy lifestyle.” She also reported that “I felt the therapist I met with was able to meet all of my needs.”

Best for Children: LiveHealth Online

Key Specs

• Price: $80 to $95 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual

Why We Chose It

LiveHealth Online offers individual talk therapy for kids ages 10 and older at a price lower than most out-of-pocket services and with the option to use your insurance coverage, making it our top choice for best affordable online therapy for children. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Many online therapy platforms only serve adults and the few that do provide services to kids tend to focus on teens ages 13 and older. LiveHealth Online offers therapy for kids as young as 10, making it a great option for families with school-age kids who could benefit from talking with a mental health professional.

LiveHealth Online accepts several major insurance plans, including Anthem Blue Cross, Empire Blue Cross and Simply Healthcare Plans, which can lower LiveHealth’s already below-average therapy rates. Most notably, LiveHealth Online also accepts Medicare and Medicaid, which makes it an outlier among many of the major online therapy platforms and gives families with these forms of coverage more options. 

Plans & Pricing 

If using insurance, you will be responsible for a copay for each session. If you are paying out of pocket, here is a breakdown of LiveHealth Online’s prices:

• Video talk therapy sessions with a therapist: $80
• Video talk therapy sessions with a psychologist: $95
• Initial consultation with a psychiatrist (only available for adults): $175
• Subsequent visits with a psychiatrst (only available to adults): $75

User Satisfaction

Our survey results indicate LiveHealth Online is easy to sign up with and simple to use. The 105 LiveHealth users in our survey generally reported favorable opinions of the platform, with 90% rating their experience as excellent, very good, or good. Eighty-seven percent of users also said they were likely or very likely to recommend LiveHealth Online to a friend. 

Our tester of LiveHealth Online was impressed with both her therapist and the virtual platform itself, saying that “The in-app sound and video are high-quality and easy to access,” and “because LiveHealth Online therapists receive additional training in delivering online care, I found the video call experience more seamless and intuitive than on many other online therapy platforms.” She felt that “the therapist was also clear about their expectations, availability, and expertise, which started the session off on the right foot,” and she “was equally happy with my follow-up session. My therapist was easy to talk to and clearly had experience in delivering online care.”

Best for Couples Therapy: E-Therapy Cafe

Key Specs

• Price: $55 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual therapy, couples therapy, marriage counseling 

Why We Chose It

E-Therapy Cafe is a small, boutique online counseling service that offers both individual and couples therapy to parents for an incredibly low per-session rate, especially compared to the cost of couples therapy at other online therapy companies—this means that parents don’t have to choose between getting help for themselves and getting help for the rest of the family.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Many parents would benefit from couples therapy, but because this service is usually not covered by insurance, the extra cost might keep you from seeking the help you need. This could mean trouble for the family as a whole, as challenges that could be addressed in couples therapy might take a toll on your home life (for example, kids witnessing their parents fighting more, which can make being home feel more like volatile and stressful home environment for children). E-Therapy Cafe offers low-cost, pay-as-you-go therapy options as well as subscription membership packages for parents seeking online couples counseling. The membership packages include either four or eight sessions a month and are an especially good deal if you plan to attend sessions once or twice a week. 

This platform also offers discounts for first responders and veterans, who have higher rates of depression than the general population and who might need couples therapy with their partner to work through their issues together. E-Therapy Care also offers a 10% discount to college students who may benefit from an online therapy model more than an in-person model, since mental health stigma is a common barrier to treatment for this population. So if there’s a young adult in your family, they can access more affordable couples therapy services as well. 

Plans & Pricing 

E-Therapy Cafe offers three different options for payment:

• Pay-as-you-go: $55 per session
• E-Therapy Four: $196 a month for four sessions
• E-Therapy Eight: $360 a month for eight sessions 

User Satisfaction

E-Therapy Cafe users report overall favorable opinions of the online counseling platform. Ninety percent of the 105 users in our survey rated their experience with E-Therapy Cafe as good, very good, or excellent overall, and 80% rated the platform as a good, very good, or excellent value for the money. Seven percent of E-Therapy Cafe users reported specifically seeking couples therapy through this platform.

One of our testers of E-Therapy Cafe told us that “I tried couples therapy and I feel that my therapist did a very good job making sure that both my partner and I felt safe to speak openly and be heard.” Specifically, our tester liked that her and her partner’s therapist “would always create room for both perspectives.”

Best Support Group Resource: Circles

Key Specs

• Price: $79 a month
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Group therapy and support 

Why We Chose It

Circles is an online therapy platform offering group support for life events that can affect a family’s mental health, like grief after a loved one has passed away or separation or divorce from a partner. This platform connects you and any adult members of your family to a community of peers who can relate to your struggles for one low monthly cost.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Group support can be beneficial to parents who need guidance and assurance from other parents who have faced similar challenges, like choosing to divorce or talking to children about a loss in the family. Circles provides cost-effective options for attending daily group sessions on dozens of subjects, including family-specific topics like parenting and adoption, as well as issues that can affect entire families like grief and loss or divorce and separation. Any adult member of your family can attend peer-led audio group sessions for free, or sessions led by qualified mental health professional for $79 a month. For both the free groups and the groups available with subscription, you can attend as many groups as you like, giving you the most bang for your buck.

The mission of Circles is to connect people who can offer peer support to others in a group therapy setting. And given that group therapy is especially helpful for people experiencing big life changes, like a job loss, the death of a loved one, or separation from a partner, Circles is a great choice for support during stressful life events that can change the family dynamic. 

Plans & Pricing 

Circles offers a free trial for 14 days. You can also attend peer-led audio groups for free. Access to expert-led, closed group sessions require a subscription, which is $79 a month. 

User Satisfaction

Users in our survey reported generally positive experiences with Circles, though the scores are slightly lower than other online therapy platforms reviewed here. Eighty percent rated their overall experience as good, very good, or excellent and 70% said they were likely or very likely to recommend the platform to a friend. Nineteen percent of our 105 users reported that they were seeking help from Circles for family issues, and 5% were looking for support for relationship or marital issues. Eighty percent rated Circles’ value for the money as good, very good, or excellent.

Our tester of Circles attended one of the groups available by subscription, and felt that her group’s facilitator “was lovely, welcoming, funny, and personable.” During her group, “the facilitator guided us with leading questions, which she made sure we each had a chance to answer, though it soon evolved into a more natural group conversation,” and our tester ended up feeling “very heard, supported, and emotionally buoyed by the session.”

Best for LGBTQIA+ Affirming: Calmerry

Key Specs

• Price: $228 to $360 a month
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual

Why We Chose It

Calmerry employs providers who specialize in LGBTQIA+ identities and issues and offers a convenient and affirming space for talking through feelings and processing challenges that you might face as an LGBTQIA+ parent, all for subscription rates rivaling the costs found at other online therapy companies. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Parents who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community face challenges that most heterosexual parents do not, including discrimination and lack of acceptance of their families and their own roles as parents. This means that LGBTQIA+ affirmative care is more important than ever. Calmerry’s therapists are licensed and experienced psychologists, clinical social workers, or licensed professional counselors who specialize in addressing the many different mental health challenges and emotional issues that a member of the LGBTQIA+ community might face, including discrimination and family conflicts that might arise for you as an LGBTQIA+ parent.  

Calmerry’s online therapy platform is largely message-based, allowing for the exchange of text or audio messages between you and your therapist. This model can help increase therapy access for people who may feel more comfortable discussing their challenges in writing, but may not be best for people who would like more face-to-face interaction with a mental health professional. While the messaging-based subscription option at Calmerry is the most affordable, chat-based services are not really an appropriate substitute for talk therapy; we recommend a plan with both messaging and video sessions, the prices for which are on par with or even lower than other similar services that offer messaging, like Talkspace and BetterHelp.

Plans & Pricing 

Calmerry offers three subscription options:

• Messaging only: $228 a month
• Messaging and one video chat per month: $298
• Messaging and four video chats per month: $360

User Satisfaction

Users in our survey said Calmerry therapists are warm, welcoming, and quick to respond to messages. Our survey indicated overall positive experiences with the app, with 86% of the 105 users we surveyed rated their experience with Calmerry as good, very good, or excellent. When asked what Calmerry did better than other companies, 24% reported that their therapist was more culturally supportive when working with clients who are LGBTQIA+.

Our Calmerry tester reported that, “overall, I felt my therapist was able to meet and address my specific needs,” and that “my therapist and I were able to make a connection and find some common ground.” Our tester said that her therapist “was good at relating and identifying with the things I was experiencing.” Specifically, they were able to establish a rapport over both being parents: “As a fellow mom, she was also always good at highlighting the importance of self-care, and how moms especially struggle with taking the time for themselves. As a mom of a toddler, this was reassuring to hear from someone who wasn’t a family member or friend.”