Best Online Psychiatry Services for 2023

Talkspace offers psychiatry and medication management with licensed psychiatrists and nurse practitioners. Talkspace also offers subscription-based individual, teen, and couples therapy, which makes it a one-stop shop for many. Initial psychiatric evaluations cost $249, and each follow-up appointment costs $125 and most major insurance plans are accepted.

To get started with psychiatry services with Talkspace, you will fill out a short assessment of your symptoms and demographic information. This assessment helps Talkspace match you with a provider based on your preferences. If you are not satisfied with your provider, you can ask Talkspace to find a new provider that better meets your needs. The frequency of appointments depends on your treatment plan, something you develop with your provider during your initial evaluation.

Talkspace providers treat a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Online psychiatry is only available to adults ages 18 and older. Talkspace providers do not prescribe controlled medications like Xanax, Klonopin, Adderall, and Ritalin.

Talkiatry prides itself on offering longer appointments than what is traditionally offered by other platforms and in-person psychiatrists. An initial evaluation is 60 minutes long and follow-up appointments are 30 minutes. Evening and weekend appointments are also available. Once you sign up, you can expect to schedule an appointment in approximately five days or less.

Talkiatry is also one of the few online psychiatry platforms that treats children and teens. Many other well-known online psychiatry platforms, such as Brightline Mental Health, only provide medication management to existing therapy clients. With Talkiatry, children as young as six years old can meet with a psychiatrist via telehealth with their parent or guardian’s consent. Many parents with young children have a hard time finding providers that specialize in child psychiatry, but Talkiatry makes this possible.

To find out how your child could benefit from talk therapy, you can read our comprehensive review of Brightline Mental Health.

Brightside Health is a subscription-based mental health platform that offers online psychiatry and therapy to individuals 18+ throughout the US. Brightside costs $95 – $349 monthly depending on which subscription plan you choose. Currently, Brightside accepts select insurance plans which could lower your out-of-pocket costs.

With Brightside, there are three monthly subscription plans you can choose from: a medication-only plan, a therapy-only plan, or a combination medication and therapy plan. Brightside providers are able to treat generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and more. Brightside is one of the only online mental health treatment platforms to treat people with elevated suicidal risk through its Crisis Care program.

Brightside’s medication management plans connect you with a licensed prescriber in your state. They can prescribe medications for depression, like antidepressants, and medications for anxiety, however, they do not prescribe controlled medications. Medication visits are typically 15 minutes long and during this time, you and your provider will discuss how you are doing, talk about your care plan, and answer any questions. Brightside can ship your medication to you for an additional $15 fee per medication.

LiveHealth Online is a telemedicine platform that offers psychiatry, therapy, medical, and allergy services. Psychiatry with LiveHealth costs $175 for an initial evaluation and $75 for follow-up appointments. Currently, LiveHealth only offers psychiatry services to those 18 years and older. Select insurance plans are accepted, which could lower your out-of-pocket costs.

LiveHealth allows you to select your own provider, some of whom are available evenings and weekends. The frequency of visits depends on your individualized treatment plan. Talk therapy can also be provided by licensed masters-level therapists or psychologists. LiveHealth Online psychiatry can treat symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Bipolar Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and more.

LiveHealth Online providers do not prescribe controlled medications of any kind. The most commonly prescribed medications on online platforms are sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), paroxetine (Paxil), escitalopram (Lexapro), and fluoxetine (Prozac), to name a few.

Brightline Health is an online platform that offers kids and teens behavior therapy and medication management services. Brightline will see kids as young as 18 months up to age 17. Brightline costs $270 for an initial evaluation with per-session rates ranging from $190 – $225, depending on which service you choose. Insurance is accepted and superbills are available to those out-of-network.

Brightline is the only platform on our list that exclusively treats kids, teens, and offers parent support. With Brightline, they believe that medication management works best combined with behavior therapy, which is why your child must be enrolled in therapy to receive medication support. This practice ensures that families are getting more than just medication, they are also learning various tools and strategies to manage day-to-day stressors.

While costs may seem steep for Brightline, they do accept almost all nationwide insurance plans which could greatly decrease your out-of-pocket costs. All medication providers with Brightline are psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNP) and are really focused on family-centered care, which makes for more warm and engaging appointments. The types of medications prescribed will vary depending on your children’s symptoms, but controlled medications are not available with Brightline.

To learn everything about this pediatric mental health platform, please read our comprehensive review of Brightline Mental Health.

Workit Health is an online medication-assisted treatment (MAT) platform for substance use disorders. The MAT program is available in select states and recovery coaching is available nationwide. Clinicians monitor patients’ progress through routine drug tests, which can be completed through the app. The cost of care will depend on your location, treatment plan, and insurance provider.

Workit Health’s MAT program is available in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. They make treatment and therapy available through their website’s patient portal or the Workit Health app. A great perk to WorkIt Health is they also treat any co-occurring conditions and disorders in addition to substance use disorders.

During Workit Health’s onboarding process, you’ll answer a few questions about the addictions, behaviors, or mental health conditions you’d like to address. You’ll also state your personal goals, like if you’d prefer to just cut back or quit your addiction entirely. If you’re interested in medication-assisted treatment, you’ll be matched with a clinician who will conduct a medical evaluation to see if it’s right for you. If so, a prescription will be sent to your local pharmacy for pick-up. Patients receiving medication-assisted treatment will be required to take drug tests so clinicians can monitor their progress and modify medications as needed. Workit Health makes it easy to complete drug tests via the app.

Hims and Hers is a subscription-based telemedicine platform offering text-based psychiatry services in addition to men’s and women’s health. Psychiatry with Hims & Hers costs $85 monthly, including medication costs. While Hims and Hers does not accept insurance, the platforms have the most affordable subscription option for text-based psychiatry services.

Hims & Hers provides treatment for certain medical conditions and mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, stress, and burnout. After you complete the online questionnaire, Hims and Hers will match you with a provider. Medication management appointments with a psychiatric provider are offered through secure text messaging only.

Generally speaking, Hims & Hers is ideal for those already on medications and seeking quick and easy refills on their existing medications. If you are brand new to psychiatry, we highly recommend you have an initial appointment with someone face-to-face. Hims & Hers do not prescribe controlled medications. All medications are delivered right to your door, and the cost is included in your monthly subscription.

A great perk to Hims & Hers is the option to attend free support groups, which are on a variety of topics. These groups allow you to anonymously communicate with a mental health professional through messaging.

MDLive is a leading telemedicine platform available in all US states and Puerto Rico. They offer psychiatry, therapy, primary care, urgent care, and dermatology. MDLive costs range from $108 – $248, depending on which service you choose, and they accept many major health insurance plans.

MDLive providers treat a range of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and OCD. The benefits of this platform include fast scheduling, the ability to view a large directory of providers and select your own, and affordable fees. The frequency of meetings depends on your treatment plan and costs are generally less than traditional face-to-face treatment, allowing you to see a provider much more quickly at your convenience.

MDLive providers do not prescribe any controlled medications, medicinal marijuana, detox medications, sleeping medicines, and anything with a potential for abuse or which would require routine lab monitoring.

MDLive accepts a number of insurance plans and you really can choose from a wide range of days and times when it comes to scheduling. This is great for people with busy, hectic, or changing schedules. You can sometimes see a provider in as little as 15 minutes.

Amwell is a telemedicine platform that offers a wide range of mental health and primary care services. Amwell’s psychiatric services include an initial assessment, follow-up appointments, and medication management. The cost of seeing a psychiatrist with Amwell is $279 for an initial 45-minute evaluation and $109 for follow-up appointments.

With Amwell, you can choose a provider that fits your preferences. Once a provider is selected, you can work with them on developing a treatment plan and determining how often you should meet for follow-up appointments. Amwell’s team of psychiatrists treats conditions like depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and more.

Amwell emphasizes the importance of coordinating patient care with other providers, like your physician. You can choose to send your session notes or summaries to your other providers or save them for yourself. Coordinating care in this way is better for the patient and increases safety when controlled medications are prescribed.

While Amwell psychiatrists don’t prescribe controlled medications, they will contact your physician to discuss whether this medication can be prescribed if they feel you could benefit from it. No other platforms seem to prioritize coordination of care quite like Amwell does, not even on platforms that provide therapy, psychiatry and/or PCP services in one.

Thriveworks is great if you are interested in attending therapy sessions online as well as in person. Some providers will even see kids 13 years and older with parent/guardian consent. It is very easy to see what age group and specialties the psychiatric providers offer through their directory profiles. You can then simply choose the provider that best matches your current situation.

Psychiatric providers with Thriveworks are psychiatrists and PMHNPs and you will be able to choose who you want to see. During your initial appointment, you and your provider will go over your medical and mental health history together. This will help your provider decide if you need to be prescribed medication, how often you will need follow-up appointments, and if they feel talk therapy would be beneficial to your treatment goals. All online sessions are conducted through the secondary website, Advanced MD/AdvancedTelemedicine, and Zoom.