The Best Online LGBTQIA+ Counseling for Children, Teens, and Adults

Best Overall: Talkspace

Key Specs  

• Price: Starting at $69/week for messaging therapy and $125/session for psychiatry therapy 
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, teens, psychiatry 

Why We Chose It

Talkspace offers counseling from therapists and psychiatrists experienced in working with teens and adults within the LGBTQIA+ community. Many of the therapists identify as a member of the community themselves, while others are not only allies, but therapists who specialize in issues that particularly affect the community, including discrimination, homophobia, or bullying. Others have also pursued specialized cultural competency training and list this in their bios and work histories. Talkspace also takes care in the intake process to ask you if you have any preferences regarding your therapist's gender identity, sexual orientation, or specialization.

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Whether you're looking for a therapist for your teen, parenting advice on how you can best support them, or mental health care for yourself, Talkspace has you covered. It serves teens 13 years and older and is one of the most affordable options for online LGBTQIA+ counseling and will likely offer a plan to fit your budget and needs. It was founded in 2012 and was among the first companies to provide therapy online. It has since grown to become a leader in online therapy. The platform offers therapy specifically designed to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community, with the option to choose an affirming therapist by reviewing therapist bios and specialties. Talkspace also offers psychiatry services and medication management if you need or want treatment beyond talk therapy. 

Although Talkspace offers couples counseling, It does not offer group counseling.

Plans & Prices 

Talkspace offers various plans for three primary services. The first service is talk therapy for teens and adults and includes three different plans:

• Messaging therapy: Starting at $69/week
• Video and messaging Therapy: Starting at $99/week
• Video and messaging and workshops: Starting at $109/week

For psychiatry, the initial evaluation session is $290, and any follow-up sessions are $125 per session. 

Couples therapy starts at $396 per month and involves both live sessions and unlimited messaging with a therapist. If you use all of your allotted live sessions before your next billing cycle, you can purchase additional sessions for $65 each.

Talkspace does not offer free consultations or assessments.  However, it does accept insurance from many major providers, including Premera, Cigna, Optum, Gatorcare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and more. You can see the full list on the company’s website.

User Satisfaction  

Our testers really liked the fact you could message your therapist immediately after signing up. One tester said, "While my teen used the chat to ask questions, the therapist often sent voice note responses. This allowed him to give longer answers without typing. My teen indicated that it felt more personalized than simply receiving texts." While some users did also note that messaging therapy seemed impersonal, 90% of users were satisfied with their experience. Around 78% of users said the provider met some or all of their needs, while 57% of users said the therapy was covered by insurance.  

Best On a Budget: Online-therapy.com

Key Specs

• Price: Plans range from $40/week to $88/week
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: individual, couples

Why We Chose It 

If you're looking for inclusive, affirming therapy but you're worried about how much that care might cost because you're uninsured or underinsured, Online-Therapy.com might be a good fit. Compared to the other companies we reviewed, its monthly plans are less expensive, and it serves adults, teens, and families.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Online-therapy.com is a subscription-based online therapy service that is not only LGBTQIA+ affirming but also affordable. Even though it doesn’t accept insurance, it does offer various subscription plans that make it a very affordable way to get culturally competent therapy for yourself or child. Its plans start as low as $40 a week, but you can rest assured you’re still getting quality care.

All therapists are licensed and certified in a therapy technique called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps patients change negative thoughts and behavioral patterns to more beneficial ones. CBT has been proven to be effective for depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and substance abuse, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.

Therapy sessions are conducted via text or live video, and users are welcome to message their therapist anytime, though responses should only be expected Monday through Friday during business hours.  Even though Online-therapy.com does not accept any insurance,

Plans & Prices

Unfortunately, Online-therapy.com does not accept insurance, however, there are four different subscription plans. These include:

• Basic: Includes therapy and unlimited messaging for $40/week
• Standard: Includes therapy, unlimited messaging, and one live session per week for $64/week
• Premium: Includes therapy, unlimited messaging, two live sessions/week, and express replies to messages for $88/week
• Couples therapy: Includes one live weekly session, unlimited messaging, and individual therapy for $88/week    

User Satisfaction

Online-therapy.com was rated high in satisfaction by users. Our testers liked that it was easy to switch therapists if the first (or second) was not a good fit. Most people (72%) felt their needs were met, and 83% were pleased with the therapists provided. Overall, 85% of users were pleased with the services received from Online-therapy.com.

Best for LGBTQIA+ Group Therapy: Circles

Key Specs

• Price: $79 a month
• Insurance Accepted: No
• Types of Therapy: Group

Why We Chose It 

If you identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community or are parenting a child exploring their identity, you might find yourself navigating unique situations compared to your local peers. Talking to other caregivers can help. Circles lets you meet with other parents in a peer group setting who are going through similar experiences.

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Circles provides a supportive online environment for affirming peer-based therapy for adults 18 years and older. It offers daily online meetings led by licensed mental health experts (either a therapist, a social worker, or a psychologist) on various topics, from LGBTQIA+ community conversations to parenting and sobriety. There are also free group meetings, but peers rather than mental health experts lead those.

Groups aren’t too large, with up to 10 individuals per group, and include people dealing with similar or closely related issues. Users meet once a week with their group and mental health expert to discuss their challenges. Participants can also choose to remain anonymous by either using a pseudonym in video sessions or keeping their cameras off during sessions.

Group therapy may be suitable for those who feel uneasy about individual therapy or cannot afford its cost. The presence of other people facing similar challenges may also facilitate healing and progress, and help members 18+ years old connect with others facing the same challenges and concerns.  

Plans & Prices

Circles does not accept insurance. It offers a single plan that includes group therapy led by a mental health expert for $79/month.  

User Satisfaction

Users were generally satisfied with Circles. Sixty-two percent of users felt Circles provides a better service than other group therapy options they tried in the past, and 68% were likely to recommend it to a friend or someone in a similar situation. Eighty percent of users were overall satisfied with their experience at Circles.

Best for Alcohol Misuse: Monument

Key Specs

• Price: Ranges from $9.99 to $249 per month
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, support groups, psychiatry, and medication management 

Why We Chose It 

Monument is an online therapy service that focuses on helping those battling an alcohol use disorder. If you or a loved one need guidance and support to face and beat alcohol misuse, Monument is a great option. It offers therapy and medication management to help control drinking and free support groups for people who identify as LGBTQIA+ persons. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

A study conducted in 2019 found 14.5 million (nearly 15 million) people ages 12 and older were battling alcohol misuse. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol misuse, Monument offers an online service for people who want to change their relationship with alcohol. It helps people connect with professionals who can assist with Alcohol use disorders. The service started in May 2020 when its founder, Mike Russell, had trouble finding help for his alcohol misuse. Now, the service is available in 18 states and will soon be available in more.

After signing up, you have two options: You can either participate in Monument's free support groups or pay for monthly treatment. The free support groups are led by a therapist to make sure the information shared is correct. There are support groups specifically for LGBTQIA+ people as well.

If you choose the monthly treatment, you will talk to a licensed professional in private therapy sessions via video; the frequency depends on the plan you choose. During these sessions, you and the professional will talk about your alcohol use concerns and if medicine might help. The therapist will also help you with getting a prescription for medications that have been shown to help with alcohol use, such as disulfiram and naltrexone.

Plans & Prices

Monument accepts most major insurers. It also offers a free community membership. There are also additional services that users can purchase out-of-pocket, including: 

• Physician care plan: Includes one meeting with a physician and medication management for $9.99/month after a one-time payment of $45
• Total Care Plan (bi-weekly): Includes two therapy sessions per month, unlimited doctor appointments, medication management, and unlimited chat for $149/month
• Total Care Plan (weekly): Includes everything in the biweekly plan plus four therapy sessions per month for $249/month 

User Satisfaction

Overall, 78% of users surveyed gave a positive rating for Monument, and 73% said their needs were met.  Additionally, 75% of users were pleased with the medication management they received.

Best for LGBTQIA+ Teens: Teen Counseling

Key Specs

• Price: Ranges from $60 to $90 per week
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Teen

Why We Chose It 

If you're looking for a therapist for your teen who recently came out, is considering transitioning, or just needs some support dealing with bullying or discrimination from classmates, Teen Counseling is the best online therapy service we evaluated that is solely focused on treating kids. And best of all, it will match you to affirming therapists.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Teen Counseling is an online therapy provider for teenagers aged 13-19. The platform, accessible via computer, tablet, or smartphone, offers confidential and professional counseling services at an affordable cost. Tech-savvy teens will appreciate the ability to have chat-based therapy sessions and chat with their therapist in between sessions. This form of therapy session may also encourage teens to open up to the therapist in between live video sessions.

The company offers a safe place for your child to address various mental health issues, including coping skills, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, depression, bullying, anger, eating disorders, and any other challenges they may face. You also have the ability to discuss any concerns about your teen with the therapist in a separate, confidential private portal. Though it's important to note, the therapist will only discuss information your teen has shared with them if they are in danger or threatening to harm themselves. 

We do want to also call out the fact that, while we think the services offered at Teen Counseling are terrific, the company is owned by BetterHelp, one of the companies that has been at the center of questions around privacy with telehealth and teletherapy. Please know, our testers, reviewers, and surveyed users all had excellent experiences with Teen Counseling overall, and we did not receive any direct reports of any privacy breaches from the users and testers we worked with.

Plans & Prices

Although Teen Counseling doesn’t accept insurance, prices are comparable to co-pays for most insurance plans. Prices range from $60 to $90 per week and are based on where you live, your preferences, and therapist availability.

User Satisfaction

Reviews were mostly positive for Teen Counseling: Seventy-eight percent of users were happy with the therapist they were matched with, with 85% saying the therapy they received was good, very good, or excellent. Our testers liked that their first session was available within a week of signing up. Overall, 78% of users were pleased with the services and therapy received through Teen Counseling.

Best for Medication Management: Talkiatry

Key Specs

• Price: Depends on your insurance
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Psychiatry and medication management

Why We Chose It 

Sometimes talk therapy isn't enough to treat your child's depression, anxiety, or other mental health condition—and that's OK. If you're looking for a psychiatry service that caters to kids and is inclusive and LGBTQIA+ affirming, Talkiatry's direct-to-your-pharmacy medication management is a great option.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Being a teen is hard enough, but when you add in the pressures of today, and your child's inner dialogue about their identity and sexual orientation, it can all become too much to handle for them, and talk therapy is no longer enough. Talkiatry offers psychiatric care and pain management with a straightforward approach. After you answer a few questions about your mental health needs and medical background, you’ll be matched with a psychiatrist who meets your needs and schedule. You can have your first virtual appointment within a few days of signing up to start working with your doctor on your care plan.

All of its psychiatrists are board-certified and highly qualified. The company boasts a roster of many psychiatrists who have expertise in treating people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Initial sessions last an hour, with follow-up sessions lasting 30 minutes. 

Although patients must have insurance, Talkiatry accepts most major insurers. The website is very user-friendly and easily accessible, enabling you to swiftly locate a provider. Talk therapy is not offered, so you will need to make alternative arrangements if you would also like to see a therapist.

Plans & Prices

Talkiatry requires you to have insurance in order to use its services. Thus, the price you pay will depend on the type of insurance you have. Luckily, they do accept insurance from most major providers.

User Satisfaction

Talkiatry had one of the highest ratings among our surveyed users, with 95% saying they were pleased” with their experience. One of our users said, “Overall, a very approachable, low-stress service.” Nearly 70% said their therapist qualifications were “very good” or “excellent.” Eighty-seven percent of users said they would recommend Talkliatry to a friend or family member.

Best For Fast Appointments: Teladoc

Key Specs

• Price: Starts at $99
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, psychiatry, medical management

Why We Chose It 

Sometimes, waiting three weeks to a month for your child's first therapy appointment is much too long. Teladoc helps cut the wait time down to a few days to a week. As one of the largest online providers of mental health therapy in the world, its vast network of therapists and psychiatrists makes getting a fast appointment, easy.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

One of the early adopters of telemedicine for general and mental health care, Teladoc is a trustworthy choice for seeking affirming care. It offers unmatched flexibility and options for users looking for fast appointments and has reasonable pricing for insured and uninsured users. Teladoc's goal is to simplify the process of receiving mental health care for all ages—children to adults.

Teladoc therapists specialize in multiple types of therapy, including trauma-focused and CBT. It offers individual therapy, couples therapy, psychiatry, and medication management to all ages. All therapy sessions with Teladoc are conducted through live video, and appointments are scheduled weekly as needed. 

Plans & Prices

Teladoc accepts insurance from most major insurance providers. Talk therapy sessions cost $99 without insurance and $299 for the initial psychiatry consultation and $199 per follow-up session. 

User Satisfaction

Overall, 97% were satisfied with their experience with Teladoc. Our testers loved that options to book same-day or next-day appointments were provided. Many found the site and app easy to use and said therapists were culturally supportive when working with clients who are LGBTQIA+ people. Eighty-two percent of users said they were able to use their insurance to cover services at Teladoc, with 83% finding the signup process to be easy.

Best for Families: Thriveworks

Key Specs

• Price: Start at $99 per session
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, kids and teens, groups, family, psychiatry, and medication management

Why We Chose It 

Thriveworks offers both LGBTQIA+ affirming teletherapy and in-person therapy options for children to adults. The company has high-quality therapists in nearly every state with various specialties and services, including individual, family, children, teen, couples, and marriage counseling. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Thriveworks' is a great option for those wanting in-person therapy or psychiatry for their child, but online therapy for themself or other family members would be a better fit. Its therapists help clients manage different mental health concerns, such as anxiety, LGBTQIA+ family and relationship dynamics, or significant life changes. For families looking for group therapy, it offers video and phone therapy, with counselors available evenings and weekends to better fit the schedules of busy folks and families.

The services available through Thriveworks depend on where you live and the therapists near you. Each therapist will list the types of therapy they offer, such as individual, couples, or family therapy, and whether they offer in-person or online sessions. Therapist bios also list their specialties, like helping with addiction, grief, or ADHD. Thriveworks also provides psychiatric care with medication if it's available in your area.

Plans & Prices

Thriveworks accepts insurance from major insurance providers. A membership fee is charged to all who sign up which costs $39. If you’re paying out of pocket, sessions start at $99 each. This can vary depending on which therapist you use and the type of treatment you receive. 

User Satisfaction

Thriveworks received very high satisfaction ratings from our surveyed users, with 90% of them rating it “good,” “very good,” or “excellent.” Our testers were pleased with the wide range of therapy options available for all ages, with 80% of respondents stating they would likely recommend Thriveworks to a friend. Ninety percent of users were pleased with the therapist selection. 

Best for Couples Counseling: Couples Therapy, Inc.

Key Specs

• Price: Therapy sessions start at $125/session and retreats cost $3,500
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Couples, individual

Why We Chose It 

If you and your partner are experiencing issues in your relationship and you're worried about how this may impact your child, Couples Therapy, Inc. may be a great option for you both. Not only does it provide relationship-focused therapy for couples and individuals, but it ensures that its care is LGBTQIA+ affirming and inclusive.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Co-parenting can be a challenge for even the strongest of couples. Couples Therapy, Inc. provides evidence-based affirming couples therapy based on two incredibly effective types of therapy, The Gottman Method and emotionally-focused therapy (EFT), which is a type of couples-specific therapy that promotes bonding. Founded by Kathy McMahon, Psy.D., in 1988, the company offers two approaches to therapy: in-person retreats and three-month sessions over video chat or in person.

Couples Therapy, Inc. is designed for couples willing to work on their relationship and invest time, money, and emotional energy into therapy. The services offered can help with premarital issues, relationship enrichment, communication skills, affair recovery, and discernment counseling. 

It is important to note that the service may not be the best fit for all individuals. For example, it may not be a good approach for those with severe mental illness, substance use disorder, or violent tendencies. 

Plans & Prices

Unfortunately, Couples Therapy, Inc. does not accept insurance. It offers weekend retreats that start at $3,500, which doesn’t include lodging, travel, or food expenses. Therapy sessions cost between $125 and $200 for a 45-minute session.

User Satisfaction

Users' ratings of Couples Therapy, Inc. are generally very positive, and over 80% of people surveyed said their needs were met. One of our testers said, “I thought the therapists were highly experienced and seemed very well-versed in couples therapy specifically.” Eighty-seven percent of users were pleased with the process of connecting them with a suitable therapist, while 82% felt the therapist met all their needs.

Best for Anger Management: Queer Couples Center

Key Specs

• Price: Price not listed on website 
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples

Why We Chose It 

Between the challenges of today, and the emotional rollercoaster our children take us on, losing your temper can certainly happen. But if you are finding yourself going overboard during bouts of anger, you will serve yourself and your family well to seek anger management counseling. The Queer Couples Center provides anger management counseling to individuals and couples who identify as LGBTQIA+. All of its therapists also identify as LGBTQIA+ persons, and the center caters specifically to this group.

Pros & Cons 

Overview

Queer Couples Therapy is a unique online platform that offers couples counseling, relationship coaching, and individual counseling for members of LGBTQIA+ community. The company’s therapists undergo extensive training in EFT, attend Peer Consultation Groups, and continue their education regularly.

The company's mission centers around providing accessible care, empowering clients, and combating oppression. All therapists are members of the LGBTQIA+ community and have an in-depth understanding of its unique and relevant challenges.

Plans & Prices

The Queer Couples Center doesn’t accept insurance, and unfortunately, the prices are not listed on the website. 

User Satisfaction

Overall, 74% of users were satisfied with the service. Twenty-seven percent would recommend its service to friends and family.