Alma is an online directory operating nationwide, with the goal of connecting people to licensed therapists and medication prescribers in their states who take their insurance. It helps providers navigate and get credentialed with insurance providers, making it easy for them to focus on providing quality care to their clients, both online and in-person.
Alma at a Glance
- Cost: Determined by provider
- Insurance accepted: Yes
- Medication available: Yes
Pros & Cons
Pros - Offers individual, child, couples, and family therapy
- Offers medication management
- Free 15-minute consultations
- In network with lots of insurance plans
Cons - Some states may have fewer providers
- Some clients have had issues with billing and customer service
Preview Alma
Alma’s main purpose is to take care of credentialing and billing for therapists and medication prescribers so they can focus on serving their clients. Some users have had issues with billing and customer service, but I had a pretty seamless experience using Alma for therapy. While I paid with cash, I was generally impressed with how many insurance plans are in-network, and there were tons of therapists for me to choose from in my state of Oregon.
Don’t expect any other bells or whistles, as Alma’s focus is simply on taking care of the platform from which therapy sessions can take place. There isn’t really a client portal, instead you’ll receive emails with links to your sessions and billing info. While some people may be looking for more from a mental health platform, I didn’t find this to be a deterrent.
If Alma doesn’t suit your needs, Brightside Health could be a decent alternative, especially if you’re looking for both therapy and medication management. It matches you with providers and uses a monthly subscription fee instead of charging per-session. If you like the directory model but don’t see your insurance provider on Alma, try checking Grow Therapy, which takes the most insurance plans we’ve seen.
Detailed Review of Alma
Alma acts as a platform for therapists and medication prescribers to run their own practices. It handles the credentialing and billing so that providers can focus on caring for their clients. This means that prices and copays, insurance offerings, and the type of care you’ll receive will depend on the provider you see.
In general, I was impressed by my experience with Alma. The directory was clear and the therapist matching algorithm worked well for me, as I used one of the top choices it gave me to find a therapist, and she ended up suiting my needs really well. I didn’t use it to find a psychiatrist, but the process for that is exactly the same, so I feel safe recommending it for that as well.
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Using the Directory
Alma’s provider directory has you fill in what type of therapy you’re looking for (individual, couples, medication, child or adolescent therapy, or family therapy), your insurance plan, your location, and whether you want virtual or in-person sessions. Then, it populates a list of therapists who fit those basic criteria. When I filled out the basic questions, I had 389 providers pop up in Oregon.
From there, you have the option to look through the list and click on bios as you see providers who interest you, or you can add more filters, such as provider identity, specialty, session availability, language, therapeutic approach, and more.
If you don’t want to sort through a long list, you can have Alma match you with the top three providers based on your answers to the initial survey questions, then look through those profiles to see if one will work well for your needs. If not, you can have it re-generate with three new profiles.
Each profile contains more information about the provider, including their expertise, therapeutic approaches, service types and ages served, their out-of-network cost, and an estimate of what you’ll pay if you use your insurance plan.
Phone Consultations
You can choose to book or request a consultation from a provider’s profile page. Some pages allow you to book directly online, while others have a button reading, “Request Consultation” with text underneath saying, “[Provider name] will reach out within 2-3 business days to schedule a time with you.”
When I found a provider with whom I wanted to schedule a consultation, I was able to book a 15-minute call for the next day. In order to schedule, I had to sign up on the platform, filling out my full name, email, phone number, and a few sentences about why I was seeking therapy.
A few minutes after booking, my potential therapist reached out by email telling me she had some same-day availability if I wanted to chat sooner, but I already had afternoon plans so I stuck with my initial appointment time. However, I was really impressed by how quickly she reached out to me, which felt reassuring regarding the process as a whole.
Alma recommends booking more than one consultation, as client-therapist fit is so important in the therapy experience. After booking my initial consultation, I had the option to send that same info on to two other therapists with similar expertise and within the same insurance network. I declined to do so as I was simply testing the platform, but I do think this is a good idea for folks looking for long-term care and I’m glad it’s such a seamless experience.
Our call consisted of my potential therapist telling me a bit more about how she approaches therapy sessions, with plenty of time for me to ask questions and share a bit more about why I was seeking therapy. While I’m not sure that everyone will appreciate this step in the process, I find it incredibly helpful. I’d rather talk to someone for 15 minutes (for free!) to assess whether they’ll actually be helpful before paying for a session.
At the end of our 15-minute call, I felt good about trying a first session with this therapist, so we scheduled it together while we were on the phone. Immediately afterward, I received an email from Alma with paperwork to fill out, including a GAD-7 (anxiety screening), PHQ-9 (depression screening), payment info, plus consent forms, including consent to treatment, consent to telehealth, a privacy policy, and a consent form for my therapist to use “Note Assist,” an automatic AI transcription tool. I thought it was interesting that there was no way for me to opt out of the AI note tool—I had to sign the consent form to continue—though in the FAQ section on the right-hand side of the screen, the answer to the question, “Can I request to have my progress notes deleted?” was “Your provider can reach out to Alma to fulfill requests to delete notes.”
My therapist also requested I fill out a clinical intake questionnaire that was 12 questions long, though on the phone, my therapist said I could be as detailed or brief when filling this out depending on whether I’d rather write it out or just talk through it together in the first session.
Online Therapy Sessions
I got a reminder email with a link to my online therapy session 24 hours before my first appointment. Signing on was easy, all I had to do was allow the platform to use my mic and webcam and I was all set. I joined the waiting room a couple minutes early, then as soon as my therapist joined we were in a zoom-like environment. I felt like our video quality was a little bit spotty at first but it quickly evened out and there were no other issues.
My therapist was excellent, as I had the feeling she would be after our consultation call (Guys. Do the consult calls). She did a good job of balancing listening to my concerns and why I was in therapy with the “boring stuff” of a first call, like when she would have to report a safety concern. She was really encouraging and also made sure to cover my goals so we had a plan for future sessions.
As soon as our call ended, I had the chance to answer a few questions about the quality of our call back to Alma (just covering the functionality of the video call platform). Then I got an email right away with a notification about our next appointment. My credit card was charged the next business day (I had my appointment on a Friday and it was charged on a Monday).
Medication Management
Medication management sessions work the same way as therapy sessions. When I searched for medication prescribers in Oregon who take Aetna insurance, I was met with 163 options, and when I changed the insurance to Cigna, it was still 162. Just to see the range of providers available, I typed in a few different states to see how this compared, and Indiana left me with 15 providers, Kansas had 58, Alaska had 17, North Dakota had 15, California had 325, and New York had 446.
I could click through profiles and either request or book a consultation depending on their profile settings. It is unclear whether or not providers on Alma are allowed to prescribe controlled medications, like Adderall for ADHD or benzodiazepines like Xanax for anxiety. If you suspect you may need controlled substances, be sure to ask about your provider’s availability to prescribe these medications during your consultation call.
Alma Cost & Insurance
Every provider on Alma’s directory sets their own rates and decides which insurance payors to get credentialed with, so both out-of-pocket fees and copays will vary based on a variety of factors. When I looked into cash-pay costs, many therapists had ranges from $80–$140 or $140–$200 listed on their profiles, and many said they offered sliding scale rates. For medication management, I typically saw more in the $140–$200 and $200–$260 range for out-of-network costs.
Alma is in-network with a ton of insurance providers, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Optum, Oscar, Oxford, Providence Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, and dozens more.
Alma’s site also has a tool for viewing your potential costs if you plan on using insurance. If you enter your insurance provider, your name, date of birth, and member ID, you can see a cost estimate before signing up to see an Alma provider.
User Reviews for Alma
Since Alma doesn’t have an app, there are very few reviews available online. It has poor ratings on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau, but it should be noted that people come to these rating platforms when they have a complaint, so these should be taken with a grain of salt.
Reviews from Better Business Bureau - 1 out of 5 stars | 24 reviews
Almost all of Alma’s reviews on the BBB focus on bad billing practices, changing copay costs with no notice or explanation, and poor customer service. Since Alma has no phone number to contact, clients facing billing issues have to reach out by email, and many state that they didn’t hear back for weeks.
Reviews from Trustpilot - 2.5 out of 5 stars | 5 reviews
Reviews on Trustpilot echo those on the BBB. There are only five, but two are in regards to issues with the billing department, and a few others mention having therapists not show up for sessions or treating them unprofessionally.
Reviews from Capterra - 3.6 out of 5 stars | 26 reviews
Positive reviews on Capterra mention how easy it was for single private practice clinicians to run their practice on Alma, and how helpful it was to use them for credentialing in multiple states and with multiple insurance providers.
Negative reviews again focus on billing issues, both for therapists and for clients, and that customer service is slow and difficult to talk to.
Alternatives & Competitors
Alma could be a fantastic choice if you’re looking for insurance-based therapy or medication management. However, it’s not your only option. Brightside Health could be a good option for those looking for bundled therapy and medication, Talkiatry is our top choice if you want to see a psychiatrist, and Grow Therapy takes the most insurance plans we’ve seen.
Brightside Health
Price: $45–$349 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Medication Available: Yes
Brightside Health offers therapy, medication management, and a bundled plan with both at a discounted rate. It’s in-network with tons of insurance plans, and if you see multiple providers, they will collaborate on your care. It also has a proprietary PrecisionRx AI tool that aids providers in prescribing the proper medication and dosage based on the patient’s symptoms, genetics, and more.
Brightside Health also offers specific Teen Care in 39 states and counting, plus a Suicide Prevention program for those needing high-touch support.
Learn more in our comprehensive Brightside Health review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Bundled therapy and medication plans
- In-network with many insurance providers
- PrecisionRx tool to aid medication prescribers
Cons - Customer service can be slow & difficult
- Shorter appointment times than many competitors (30 minutes)
Talkiatry
Price: ~$30 copay
Insurance Accepted: Yes (exclusively)
Medication Available: Yes
If you’re looking for medication, Talkiatry is our top choice. Its network lists psychiatrists with specific mental health expertise and qualifications, not just MDs or NPs who can offer mental health medication. Plus, appointments with Talkiatry are set for a full hour, meaning you get the attention your mental health deserves.
Note that you can’t see a therapist on Talkiatry without first receiving care from a psychiatrist, but it does have therapists in its network, or you can receive a referral for therapy from your psychiatrist.
Learn more details about Talkiatry in our review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Over 300 psychiatrists on the platform
- Longer appointment times than most of its competitors
- In-network with many insurance plans
Cons - No cash-pay option (must use health insurance)
Grow Therapy
Price: $75–$250+ per session
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Medication Available: Yes
Grow Therapy operates quite similarly to Alma. It’s a large directory full of therapists and medication prescribers with a variety of backgrounds and specialties. It also helps providers get credentialed so they can accept more insurance plans, and it’s got the largest insurance network we’ve seen.
Similarly to Alma, if you don’t want to sort through providers on your own, you can fill out a brief survey to get matched with your top choices.
Learn more in our full Grow Therapy review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Takes the most insurance plans we’ve seen
- Huge network of therapists and medication prescribers
Cons - Lower-populated states have fewer providers to choose from
Why You Can Trust My Review
“I’ve spent hundreds of hours using and reviewing online therapy platforms, and Alma struck me as a great option for someone wanting to use their insurance to find a therapist or medication prescriber. While there aren’t a lot of “extras” on Alma’s platform, everything Alma does it does well. I especially like that it requires a consultation call with a therapist before scheduling, as it’s a chance to ensure you’ll actually get something out of the therapy experience. Obviously, your care will greatly depend on your provider—but if you’re not satisfied, you can use Alma to find someone else just as easily.”
History & News About Alma
Year Founded: 2018
Publicly Traded? No
Founder: Harry Ritter
Headquarters Location: Brooklyn, NY
Alma was launched in 2018 by Dr. Harry Ritter, who formerly worked as the medical director at Oscar insurance. He raised the first round of funding, $4.5 million, in 2017. By 2019, Alma secured its first insurance partnership, but in 2020 it lost 70% of its revenue, as it was focused on in-person therapy visits. It shifted to virtual care in spring/summer of 2020, and continued to raise more funding and partner with more insurance providers.1
In 2022, Alma raised $130 million in funding after it built its provider network up to over 8,000 therapists in all 50 states. This was its fourth round, bringing its total funding to over $220 million.1
In January 2026, Alma announced that it was acquired by Spring Health, a global mental health benefits platform, to expand its network of care.2
“At Alma, our job is to support providers and champion their expertise so they can focus on meeting clients where they are and partnering with them to achieve lasting results.” – Dr. Harry Ritter, Founder & CEO3
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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First Round. (N.D.). Alma’s Path to Product-Market Fit — How to Pivot and Succeed as a Solo Non-Technical Founder. Retrieved from: https://review.firstround.com/almas-path-to-product-market-fit—8212–how-to-pivot-and-succeed-as-a-solo-non-technical-founder/
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Hollowell, Ashleigh. (January 29, 2026). Spring Health Set to Acquire Alma to Enhance Existing Care Infrastructure. Behavioral Health Business. Retrieved from: https://bhbusiness.com/2026/01/29/spring-health-set-to-acquire-alma-to-enhance-existing-care-infrastructure/
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Alma. (2025). Our Mission. Retrieved from: https://helloalma.com/our-mission/
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CrunchBase. (2025). Alma. Retrieved from: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/alma-health
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Alma. (2025). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from: https://helloalma.com/faq/
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Church, M. (March 2025). Brightside Health Review: Pros & Cons, Cost, & My Experience. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/brightside-health-review/
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Church, M. (January 2025). Talkiatry Review: Pros & Cons, Cost, & My Experience. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/talkiatry-review/
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Rueger, A. (June 2025). Grow Therapy Review: Pros & Cons, Cost, & Who It’s Right For. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/grow-therapy-review/
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