Best LGBTQ+ Online Therapy Options for 2023

NQTTCN is a nonprofit organization focused on easing access for queer and trans clients of color to find therapists who share their intersectional experiences related to sexuality, gender, and race. NQTTCN is a therapist directory, not an online therapy platform. The directory is user-friendly and one of the best places to find a therapist who has lived experience as a queer and/or trans person of color. Users can search for therapists by city or zip code, online therapy (“telemental health” in the search filter), and languages spoken. Therapists must apply to and be approved by NQTTCN before their profile is listed in the directory. Each therapist offers different services including individual, couples, and group therapy.

Because the directory does not have a matching algorithm or service beyond the search functionality, it does require you to review individual therapist profiles to identify who you feel might be a good fit for you, and to reach out to the therapist to set up a consult. You’ll need to look at individual profiles, make your own short list, and often reach out to individual therapists to compare cost per session, types of therapy offered (e.g., individual, group, etc.), expertise (issues, modalities), insurances accepted, session length, and session frequency (e.g., weekly, biweekly), and ask if the therapist offers text-messaging support.

Pride Counseling is a subscription-based online therapy platform on which all therapists have expertise in serving the LGBTQIA+ community. A subsidiary of BetterHelp, Pride Counseling matches you with a therapist using an algorithm connecting your responses on the intake questionnaire to therapists who align with at least some of what you’re looking for. (Note: do not expect exact matches). The monthly subscription includes four weekly live sessions of 30 to 45 minutes (length can vary between therapists) and unlimited messages to the therapist between live sessions via video or audio recordings and/or text messages. You and your therapist schedule the live sessions ahead of time so you can both be available and focused.

While the platform states that all of its therapists have expertise in working with LGBTQIA+ clients, it does not guarantee that the therapist themself will be an LGBTQIA+ person. If you match with someone who does not feel like a good fit, you can request a new therapist, and the algorithm will continue to match you with one therapist at a time rather than giving you a few options to choose from.

Pride Counseling does not allow you to browse therapist profiles before starting, nor do they offer customer service representatives to help you find a good match, so the match process itself can feel like a little bit of a black box. On the flip side, this relieves you of having to do any research, consideration, and outreach to prospective therapists. As soon as you complete your intake questions and add credit card information, your therapist will be assigned to you, and they will reach out to you to set up the first session. You can begin to send unlimited messages to the therapist.

For more information about how Pride Counseling’s founding site works, you can read our detailed review of BetterHelp.

Teladoc is one of the largest providers of online medical care (also known as telehealth). It conveniently offers access to providers who can prescribe psychiatric medication (psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners) and to therapists for online therapy. Teladoc accepts many insurance plans and offers services on a per-session basis. Therapy sessions range from $0-$99, psychiatry visits range from $0-$299 for the first visit, and $0-$119 for visits afterward.

Teladoc is a session- or visit-based platform (sessions for therapists, visits for prescribing doctors or nurse practitioners). You can set up an account in minutes, which will take you to a “Request a Visit” page on which you can select the “Mental Health” option. Teladoc gives you the option of using a matching questionnaire to connect you to a therapist or prescriber, but it also allows you to search their entire provider directory using multiple filters. All therapy sessions and prescriber visits are conducted via video/audio/messaging features within the Teladoc platform.

Teladoc’s search filters have options for providers specializing in issues including “Gay or Lesbian,” “Gender Identity,” and “Pharmacology-Medication Management.” However, neither Teladoc’s site content nor its provider profiles are specifically catered to LGBTQIA+ folks. It feels more like any mainstream health system. Unfortunately, provider profiles are very limited in details beyond licensure/specialty/availability, so you can’t really get a sense of provider styles. In addition, there are no free or lower-cost consult calls to see if you actually vibe with the provider you match with or choose. So you’ll have to try a first session or visit to see if it fits.

LGBTQ Therapy Space is a session-based online therapy platform that only includes therapists who are themselves LGBTQIA+. It offers individual and couples therapy via video chat. Fees are out-of-pocket, $155 per individual session and $185 per couples session, and it does not accept insurance. However, therapists can send you superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.

LGBTQ Therapy Space serves clients in the following states: CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, MD, MA, MN, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TX, VA, and the District of Columbia. If you have coverage in your state, the first step is to peruse their therapist directory and request your free 10-minute consultation with a therapist of your choice. This will then prompt you to begin the intake questionnaire.

You can also start by going directly to the intake questionnaire, which will show you all the available therapist profiles in your state and ask you to select your first and second choices. If you don’t select any options, you’ll be matched in 1-3 days by the LGBTQ Therapy Space Team.

No matter which way you go, your next step will be to schedule a 10-minute consult with your potential therapist to see if it feels like a good fit for you. If it does, you’ll schedule your first session with that therapist and then be prompted to add your credit card information so it can be billed at the time.

Inclusive Therapists is a therapist directory focused on easing the process of finding a therapist, particularly for traditionally oppressed communities, including LGBTQIA+ folks and people of color. Operated by its sibling non-profit, Mental Health Liberation, it is one of the most user-friendly and match-driven directories out there, including a vast array of options for filtering matches, and match navigation support from their team.

Inclusive Therapists is driven by its mission: “All people with all abilities in all bodies deserve equal access to identity-affirming, culturally responsive care. We aim to make this process simpler and safer.”³

Their directory is free to search and includes multiple different approaches, including:

• Filtering insurance coverage and actual sliding scale rates (e.g., $0-$25, $25-50)
• A matching questionnaire and match support from their team
• Using the hyperlinked icons midway down their homepage to immediately search their whole directory for things like “Reduced Fee Teletherapy” and therapy types (e.g., Couples, Family, Individual)

Inclusive Therapists is a therapist directory, not an online therapy platform, so you’ll need to look at individual profiles, make your own short list, and often reach out to individual therapists to compare cost per session, types of therapy offered, expertise, insurances accepted, session length, and session frequency, and ask if the therapist offers text-messaging support.

Gay Therapy Center is a private therapy practice with only LGBTQIA+ therapists and serves primarily LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples in California, New York, and Washington, DC. It offers online therapy via video chat starting at $185 per 50-minute session. It does not accept insurance, but it will provide superbills and also accepts FSA/HSA for payment.

Gay Therapy Center is unique in this list as it is a multi-state, private psychotherapy practice that offers online LGBTQIA+ therapy, rather than a tech platform or directory. Although it has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C., Gay Therapy Center also offers online therapy on a per-session basis.

Gay Therapy Center’s website offers profiles of its founder and 45 therapists in its practice, so you can shop around and get a sense of who you might want to work with. Their therapist directory does demonstrate some racial and ethnic diversity, but it appears to be mostly white. However, their match process is more personalized than an algorithm connecting keywords between your intake questionnaire and potential therapists. All new clients start with a 15-minute consult call to discuss your needs and goals, and from there, the practice recommends which therapist in the practice is the best match for you.

MyWellbeing is a therapist match platform that uses a uniquely thorough questionnaire and algorithm to generate a list of three therapist options and leaves the door open for you to request other matches if you don’t see a fit. The matching process is free for you to use, includes a free consult call and 45-minute individual sessions are typically $100 – $200.

MyWellbeing is a session-based platform designed to optimize the match process between clients and therapists using an extensive match questionnaire. The questionnaire includes five sections:

• Therapist identity (including LGBTQIA+, gender, and age)
• Logistics (e.g., your state of residence, online or in-person sessions, service types such as individual or couples, and cost)
• Style (three style options are offered, and you rate how much you like each)
• Specialties (a wide range of issues and conditions of which you can select eight)
• Priorities (how you’d rank these different issues in order of importance for a good match)

The match questionnaire takes about 10 to 12 minutes and is a thought-provoking exercise to help you think about what you want in a therapist. Because there are some ways of approaching this match questionnaire that is relatively unique to MyWellbeing, the platform includes lots of hyperlinks to explanations of the questions and why they consider them important to finding a good match for you. One of the best aspects of MyWellbeing is that your matches are shown to you immediately after submitting your responses – no need to submit a credit card or commit to anything.

Your three matches include detailed therapist profiles, per-session costs, and an overview of areas that you matched on. All of that said, if you prefer reviewing a lot of different therapist profiles, or seeing the full directory of therapists on a particular platform so you can cross-check the match algorithm with your own sense of fit, MyWellbeing leaves these options to be desired. Moreover, it’s a relatively new platform, having started in 2017, so the matching algorithm is uniquely thorough, but it does not necessarily have the widest range of providers on the platform.

Expansive Therapy is a private, LGBTQIA+-owned and operated therapy practice in New York and California. It offers individual, couples, and group therapy via video and phone. Starting costs for sessions are generally $160 for individuals and $210 for couples, but some more affordable options are available. They do not accept insurance but do provide out-of-network benefits support.

Expansive Therapy is a multi-state, session-based private therapy practice founded and operated by LGBTQIA+ clinicians, focused on serving LGBTQIA+ clients. While they have offices in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, most of their sessions are still being done remotely due to the pandemic. With a traditional private practice business model, there is no matching algorithm – you speak for free with a live human to discuss what you’re looking for, and they make recommendations based on your needs and goals, and their therapists’ availability.

You can also start by perusing their website, where their diverse therapist profiles are listed. You’ll need to start by selecting the city-based team that applies to your state, so NYC for New York State and San Francisco and/or Los Angeles for clients in California. Their therapist profiles include clinical licensure and training, and a brief overview of the therapist’s style. To set up a consult call, you can click the “Book an Appointment” button and complete their intake form, as you’ll need to confirm payment method and availability before setting up a consult call with a therapist.

Therapy Tribe is a session-based, global therapist directory that is free for clients to search. Their search functionality makes it easy to filter for online LGBTQIA+ therapy with therapists licensed to practice in your state or country. Typical fees range from $100 – $200 for individual, 45-minute sessions, but they range considerably as every therapist sets their own rates and session lengths. To find online LGBTQIA+ therapy, just click on “Online Therapists” in the navigation menu, select your state or country, and then filter for “LGBTQ Issues” in the “I’m looking for help with” drop-down box.

Therapy Tribe was founded in 2006 to offer “safe, convenient, easy-to-navigate tribes focused on bringing together communities of individuals suffering from various mental health illnesses, addictions, and diseases.”5 Since then, the site has evolved into one of the largest and most user-friendly global directories for therapists, groups for folks with similar mental health challenges, and other wellness services and communities. One of their free, online peer-support communities, which they call tribes, is the LGBTribe, which may be a good resource in addition to therapy.

While the directory offers profiles for hundreds of therapists, there are a couple of tradeoffs with Therapy Tribe’s search functionality. Overall, the search filters do not allow you to specifically search for LGBTQIA+ therapists and there is no budget filter. This means you will need to read profiles carefully to ensure you are finding a therapist that aligns with your personal identity and your budget.

Zocdoc is a per-session/visit online marketplace for patients and independent medical providers to schedule visits with ease. The platform includes a robust offering of therapists and psychiatric prescribers, easily filtered by insurance coverage. The platform is free to use and per-session rates generally range from $100 – $200 per 45-minute therapy session.

Zocdoc was founded in 2007, and its business model primarily works by charging providers a fee when clients schedule a visit with them. So, it’s free for you if you’re using it to find a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner. The platform also includes a star rating system and written reviews of most providers to give you a sense of other clients’ experiences with them.

To search for a therapist or a psychiatric prescriber, you can start with the four fields visible right on the homepage. Enter “Therapist/Counselor” in the left box, your ZIP code, the date when you’d like your first appointment, and your insurance plan. This will prompt you to a second set of questions to narrow down your mental health needs – asking if you are looking for therapy, psychiatric medication management, a mental health referral, or something else, or if you’re not sure yet. Be sure to click “Therapy” if you’re looking for a therapist, then click continue.

The second page of this form asks “What’s the main reason for your visit?” which includes a long list of different mental health conditions (e.g., depression) and psychotherapeutic modalities (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy); fortunately, this list does include an option for “LGBTQ Care.” The next page of the form asks if you want in-person only, video-only, or in-person or video sessions; for online therapy, click “video-only.” The final page of the form will ask for your insurance again (although it’s unclear why it does this twice since you enter it at the beginning). Many results populate, but you’ll need to click on each individual profile to learn more about the provider’s per-session rates and therapeutic style. Unfortunately, you cannot filter for therapists who are themselves LGBTQIA+.

Psychology Today is a session-based directory of independently practicing therapists. It offers a variety of search functionalities for all types of therapy (individual, couples, group, etc.) and for types of insurance accepted. Typical costs are $100 – $200 per 45-minute session.

Psychology Today was founded as a magazine in 1967, but its website has since grown into one of the world’s largest directories of independently practicing psychotherapists. Its directory business model relies on therapists paying to be listed on the platform and has grown since the pandemic to include video chat functionality for therapists to provide online sessions directly through Psychology Today. You can find virtually any kind of therapist on Psychology Today, ranging across types of training and licensure (e.g., psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, etc.) and focus areas (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.).

If you’re searching for online LGBTQIA+ therapy, you can start by clicking “Find a Therapist” in the top navigation menu, entering your ZIP code, and using two levels of filters. The top filter menu has a blue background and includes “Therapists, Teletherapy, Psychiatrists, Treatment Centers, and Support Groups” – you’ll want to filter for therapists or teletherapy. The bottom filter menu includes “Price, Issues, Insurance, Sexuality, Gender, Telepsychiatrists, Ethnicity, Language, Faith, and Age.” If you’re trans or gender expansive and that’s a topic you’d like to discuss in therapy, “Transgender” can be found under the issues filter. However, LGBTQIA+ issues are not listed under issues; rather, you’ll need to select “LGBTQ+,” “Lesbian,” or “Bisexual” under the Sexuality filter. This is a bit confusing because it appears to filter both the therapists’ sexual orientation and an issue area they work on simultaneously. You can also filter for any other relevant categories that you’re looking for.

One caveat with Psychology Today, which applies to all directories where the content is populated by the providers themselves, is that the information may be outdated, so you might find a great fit only to discover that they no longer take your insurance or have availability for new clients.

TherapyDen is a free-to-use, session-based national directory of independently practicing therapists offering free searches for individuals, couples, and group therapy. Founded and run by therapists, the platform is focused on easing the search process for a fitting therapist, including a range of filters, detailed therapist profiles, and helpful content. Typically, per-session rates for 45-minute individual therapy sessions range from $100 – $200.

TherapyDen is a user-friendly directory designed and operated by therapists for therapists and clients to ease the searching and matching process. Its approach is slightly different from many directories in that it specifically focuses on supporting therapists listed on the site in finding the clients they want to work with. TherapyDen does this by making the search process intuitive and accessible, using a mobile-friendly design and a wide range of filters.

To find online LGBTQIA+ therapy, you can click the orange “Online” toggle button in the top right, and then filter by:

• Service (e.g., individual, couples, group, etc.)
• Specialty (e.g., LGBTQ issues)
• Insurance (e.g., Out-of-Pocket, Aetna, etc.)
• Cost (from $0 – $500 per session)

TherapyDen stands out for its more unique filters, which include:

• Specialized Experience (e.g., Health at Every Size Framework, Racial Justice Framework)
• If the provider offers a Free Consultation
• If the office is ADA accessible and includes gender-neutral bathrooms
• If the therapist offers online scheduling
• If the therapist is LGBTQIA+ themselves
• Therapist language, gender, ethnicity, and familiarity with different faiths
• Therapy techniques used

As it is a directory, you’ll need to reach out directly to the therapists you’re interested in working with to see if they’re a good fit for your needs and goals. Note that on the desktop version, the different background colors for different parts of the therapist profile can make it look like some of the profile details are just the website footer – keep scrolling! – the profiles are extensive. You aren’t at the bottom until you see the contact form for the therapist profile you’re reading.