Two of our experienced reviewers tried and tested Brightside Health, participating in several psychiatric sessions with multiple providers on the platform over the last two years. We were excited to conduct another Brightside Health review since it’s one of the most affordable and accessible online psychiatry and therapy providers, plus it accepts many major insurance plans.
Brightside Health At a Glance
Cost: $95 – $349 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
Pros & Cons of Brightside Health
Pros - Accepts many insurance plans
- Same-day appointments are often available
- Offers affordable cash-pay options
- Medication can be shipped directly to you
Cons - Customer service takes several days to respond to requests
Preview Brightside Health
Brightside Health is a subscription-based online psychiatry and therapy platform that costs between $95 – $349 monthly and is available for anyone ages 18+ in all 50 US states and those aged 13 and up in select states. During our independent review of their services, they earned an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
When I tried Brightside Health, I found it very easy to sign up and get matched with a psychiatrist. I was excited to have my first video appointment just four days after completing the initial Brightside Health questionnaire. It was easy to attend my session, and I found the extra features in the Brightside Health mobile app very useful.
Brightside Health offers psychiatry and individual therapy, however it does not offer couples counseling. ReGain is a good alternative for those looking for couples therapy. While Brightside Health does accept insurance, the plans it accepts are somewhat limited, so Talkiatry could be a better alternative depending on your insurance coverage.
Why You Can Trust My Review
Review our scoring criteria for online psychiatry platforms here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Firsthand Brightside Reviews
Below, we’ve presented a deep dive into everything Brightside Health offers, but sometimes you just want to hear a clear recommendation from somebody who’s used the service firsthand. Here are our firsthand reviews of Brightside Health.
Matthew Church, MS
Emily Guarnotta, PsyD
Detailed Review of Brightside Health
Brightside Health offers telehealth psychiatry and therapy services to anyone 18+ in all 50 US states and those aged 13 and up in select states. Brightside Health accepts several insurance plans. Cash pay costs for Brightside psychiatry are $95 monthly. Brightside therapy costs $299+ monthly.
Brightside Psychiatry & Medication Management
Brightside psychiatry sessions can be joined via video or phone. I joined my initial psychiatry session with Brightside Health from my iPhone on my home internet connection and experienced no problems.
The Brightside Health mobile app provided plenty of reminders about my appointment, and joining the session was easy – the mobile app guides you directly where you need to be. The telehealth platform that Brightside uses is more advanced than most, offering in-session chat and file sharing as well as the ability to keep your session open in a picture-in-picture window while browsing other parts of the app.
My psychiatrist was on time, and was of exceptional quality – she actively listened to everything I had to say and expressed a great deal of empathy. On top of medication recommendations, my psychiatrist also recommended some reading and resources for me to look into after my session. She provided me with detailed information regarding the medications she was considering to be appropriate for my situation. Ultimately, after discussing my recent symptoms during our 45-minute session, we decided to increase the dosage of my current medication – sertraline.
Later on, I was able to easily review my prescription information from the Brightside Health mobile app, and would easily be able to write directly to my psychiatrist if I were to have questions. Prescriptions are sent to the pharmacy of your choice – you can use a local pharmacy like I did, or you could have your prescription sent to an online pharmacy that can ship your medication to you.
I later reached out to customer service to attempt to change my psychiatrist, in order to get an understanding of how that process would work. I was a bit disappointed that this couldn’t be done self-service and I had to send an email, however, a customer support representative responded to me within a day to get things sorted.
Brightside Therapy
Brightside therapy is a great addition to psychiatric services. You can sign up for a Brightside therapy subscription for $299 monthly, which includes weekly sessions, or combine therapy and psychiatry for $349 monthly. Insurance is also accepted for therapy.
Brightside’s therapy plans offer weekly 1-on-1 sessions with a licensed therapist through the same app or website that’s used for psychiatry. It’s very convenient to have your mental healthcare bundled into one platform. Alongside your weekly sessions, Brightside offers a large number of mental health-focused video lessons and educational resources to help keep you busy in between sessions.
While I did not personally attend a therapy session for the purposes of this review, I was able to review some of the resources and features held in common between the psychiatry and therapy plans. I was very impressed by how accessible the Brightside Health mobile app and website are, and believe it would be an excellent platform for accessing weekly therapy.
Where I did encounter a bit of trouble – and this is something that was expressed in multiple user reviews I came across – was the difficulty in requesting a new provider. There are no self-service options for this, so you have to reach out to customer service, and it took them a few days to get back to me. So, if you have trouble finding a therapist that’s a good fit for you right away, it might be a bit difficult to request a new one.
Exercises & Resources
Brightside Health offers a handful of mental health resources and coping skill exercises to use outside of sessions with your care team, but they are few in number and aren’t implemented all that well.
Additional resources for use in between sessions can be found in the “Resources” tab of the mobile app and consist of ten video lessons on topics ranging from goal setting to healthy sleep patterns. The resources offer great information, but overall, I felt they were too few and too short. I’d love to see Brightside Health add to this section and steadily release new content for users to refer to outside of sessions, like you see in the Talkspace app. Interactive elements would also be great to see – currently, resources are just short educational videos.
Moreover, all Brightside Health members can access their Self-Care program, a self-guided set of lessons to build skills and resilience. Topics include practicing gratitude, mindful breathing, and more. You can learn more here: https://www.brightside.com/self-care/
Brightside Health Crisis Care
In addition to virtual psychiatry and therapy services, Brightside also has an online program designed specifically for people struggling with advanced suicide risk including those with active suicidal thoughts, recent suicide attempts, or those following up after a hospitalization related to suicidal thoughts.
Care through the Brightside Health Crisis Care program is handled by specially-trained providers who have been certified under the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) therapeutic framework. This allows providers in the crisis program to bridge the gap between ongoing therapy and the emergency room by helping clients identify and address suicidal ideation and behavior.
Those eligible for the Brightside Health Crisis Care program include:
- People with active suicidal ideation
- People with a recent suicide attempt
- Those seeking follow-up care after a hospitalization for suicidal thoughts or behaviors
According to Brightside, the Crisis Care program is not designed for people who require immediate emergency care or inpatient psychiatric care and is not suitable for people whose primary concern is substance use disorder, psychotic disorders, or severe personality disorders. These sorts of crisis care programs are rare among online therapy and psychiatry providers, so if you qualify, it could be a great program to be a part of.
Brightside Health Cost & Insurance
Brightside Health costs range from $95 – $349 monthly, depending on the services you need. Brightside Health also accepts many insurance plans and your copay or coinsurance fees may vary depending on your insurance plan.
Brightside Health offers three subscriptions for cash-pay members:
- Psychiatry ($95 monthly) – This plan gives you an initial consultation with a psychiatrist and ongoing care.
- Therapy ($299 monthly) – This plan gives you four live video sessions with a therapist monthly.
- Psychiatry + Therapy ($349 monthly) – This plan combines everything offered by the psychiatry and therapy plans.
Brightside Health accepts insurance, but if your plan isn’t in-network you can still pay for services with an FSA or HSA card, or you could request a superbill to submit for out-of-network reimbursement.
Who Does Brightside Health Serve?
Brightside psychiatry and Brightside therapy are available for anyone ages 13+ in all 50 US states. Disorders that Brightside Health treats include ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, stress and burnout, and more.
Brightside Health is not a couples therapy platform, so those seeking joint or couples therapy should consider other options like ReGain. Brightside Health treats general mental health issues, and OCD is covered under this to a degree, but if you’re seeking a specialist to help with OCD-related symptoms, then NOCD is your best bet. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for psychiatric care for kids or teens, Brightline is the best choice.
User Reviews
Overall, Brightside Health reviews tend to have a positive sentiment toward the platform, consistent across several user review websites. Positive reviews noted that Brightside Health can be a very convenient and effective way of finding virtual psychiatric care. Negative reviews or complaints highlighted some shortcomings of its customer service team and issues with cancellation or changing providers.
Reviews from Apple App Store - 4.3 out of 5 stars | 4.2K reviews
Positive reviews on the Apple App Store emphasized the convenience of telehealthcare and the progress they’ve been able to make that otherwise wouldn’t be possible without Brightside. Users praise the affordability of the platform with or without insurance.
Negative reviews on the Apple App Store tended to focus on individual negative experiences with providers, or, in some cases, logistical or technical problems. Some users felt that customer service was too slow and ineffective.
Reviews from Android App Store - 3.8 out of 5 stars | 822 reviews
Positive reviews on the Android App Store focused on progress made in therapy and the overall value many believe Brightside Health has added to their lives.
Negative reviews on the Android App Store tended to focus on bugs in the mobile app, as well as issues encountered with customer service. Notably, Brightside responded to many negative reviews with help or explanation.
Reviews from BBB - Rating: B+
Complaints against Brightside Health on the BBB tended to center around individual issues encountered with prescribers, as well as some issues around canceling subscriptions and other customer service-related issues. Brightside Health responded directly to all complaints on the BBB website.
Reviews from Trustpilot | 1.9 out of 5 stars | 138 reviews
Positive reviews on Trustpilot include users noting they had great experiences with Brightside Health providers. A user said his therapist was very supportive and listened to his concerns.
Negative reviews on Trustpilot include reports of problems with their app having technical issues. Some users were disappointed about Brightside Health’s app for not working properly causing problems with their appointments and billing procedures.
Reviews from Reddit | r/TalkTherapy, r/depression
Positive reviews from users on Reddit about Brightside Health revolve around how convenient and consistent their Medication Management is due to its easy access through the app and accurate delivery time of their medications.
Negative reviews on Reddit about Brightside Health focus on some users giving negative feedback to their providers. Several users stated their providers were inconsiderate and took a long time to respond to their inquiries.
Who May Want an Alternative to Brightside Health
Brightside Health is not a good solution for anyone struggling with severe mental health symptoms, or those with mental health concerns that require more specialized care. While Brightside does offer a crisis program for those with suicidal ideation and other severe issues, the program is somewhat difficult to get into and requires you to have an in-network insurance plan.
Those With Mental Health Concerns That Require Specialty Care
Brightside Health is a great solution for general mental health symptoms, but those with more specialized concerns are still better served by other providers. For instance, our favorite therapy provider for OCD symptoms is NOCD. Folks suffering from eating disorders are best served by Equip Health. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for treatment for alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder, you might look to Workit Health or Bicycle Health, respectively.
People Struggling with Severe Mental Health Symptoms
While Brightside does have a unique crisis care progam, not everyone is eligible for it. Online therapy providers are usually not a safe choice for those in an active crisis, as therapists cannot usually respond immediately. Brightside is also not ideal for those with a serious mental illness (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, personality disorders, or treatment-resistant depression.
If you currently have severe mental health symptoms and need immediate help, you should dial 911, visit the nearest emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or by dialing 988.
Brightside Health Vs. Competitors
Brightside Health is one of our favorite online psychiatry providers since it accepts many insurance plans, has affordable cash-pay, offers therapy, and has a great user experience overall. If your insurance plan is not accepted by Brightside, another online psychiatry platform might be a good choice.
Talkiatry accepts many other insurance plans and also offers care for kids, so it could also be a good option depending on your needs. Talkspace is another solid alternative online platform offering a combination of therapy and psychiatry, but their cash-pay rates are more expensive than Brightside.
Price: $95 – $349 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
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Accepts many insurance plans -
Offers affordable cash-pay options -
Medication can be shipped directly to you -
Available for teens 13+
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Customer service takes several days to respond to requests
Price: Varies depending on insurance
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
-
Psychiatry appointments are 30-60 minutes long, longer than most online psychiatry platforms -
Provides detailed, individualized care plans
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Appointment fees depend on your location and insurance coverage -
Customer service is difficult to get in contact with
Price: $276 – $436 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Therapy & Psychiatry? Yes
-
Quick and easy sign-up -
Excellent mobile and web apps
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Not much control over initial therapist choice -
Therapist-matching process can take a few days
Price: $29 – $49 monthly, billed quarterly, or annually
Insurance Accepted? No
Therapy & Psychiatry? Psychiatry Only
-
Fast and convenient medication management service -
More affordable than competitors
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Profiles offer limited information about the medication providers -
Some features are only available on the website or app
Cost: $59 initially, then $69 monthly, plus ~$25 monthly for medicine
Insurance Accepted? No, for sessions; Yes, for medicine
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Convenient and accessible -
Very affordable medication options
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Care is not comprehensive and lacks detail -
Insurance is not accepted for psychiatry
Brightside Health Vs. Talkiatry
Brightside Health Vs. Talkspace
Brightside Health Vs. Hims & Hers
Brightside Health Vs. Nurx
Brightside Health Review – Our Final Verdict
Overall, Brightside Health is an excellent resource for online psychiatry. It offers an easy-to-use set of tools for finding and accessing care. Brightside Health offers some of the most affordable cash pay rates available for online psychiatry and also accepts many insurance plans. Brightside Health remains one of the best online psychiatry services around for adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brightside Health Legit?
Yes, Brightside Health is a legitimate well-known, and relatively large provider of therapy and psychiatry services. Brightside Health vets and verifies its therapists well, and we recommend them.
How Does Brightside Health Work?
Brightside Health is an online psychiatry and therapy platform that allows people across the country to easily access mental health services online. The Brightside Health app allows you to meet with a therapist or psychiatrist via phone or video. Any medications prescribed can be sent to the in-person or online pharmacy of your choice. You can also message your provider in between sessions, and access useful self-service resources and exercises.
How are Brightside Health Therapists Vetted and Verified?
All therapists on Brightside Health are licensed and accredited psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists. Medication providers are either medical doctors or psychiatric nurse practitioners.
How are You Matched with Brightside Health Providers?
Matching on Brightside Health happens automatically based on your answers from the assessment and preferences you selected during the sign-up process. It is possible to change providers later.
How Do I Change Providers on Brightside Health?
To change your medication provider or therapist through Brightside Health, you must reach out to customer service. If you’re already a member, you can send a request through Brightside Health’s help center, or email customer service at [email protected]
Does Brightside Treat ADHD?
If you’ve already been diagnosed with ADHD, Brightside Health can treat it with non-controlled substances (such as Straterra or Intuiniv). However, Brightside cannot prescribe controlled substances like Ritalin or Adderall.
Therapists on Brightside Health can treat ADHD with CBT or other therapeutic techniques.
How Much Does Brightside Cost?
Brightside Health costs range from $95 – $349, depending on the services you need. Brightside Health also accepts many insurance plans and your copay or coinsurance fees may vary depending on your insurance plan.
Brightside Health offers three subscriptions for cash-pay members:
- Psychiatry ($95 monthly) – This plan gives you an initial consultation with a psychiatrist and ongoing care.
- Therapy ($299 monthly) – This plan gives you four live video sessions with a therapist monthly.
- Psychiatry + Therapy ($299 monthly) – This plan combines everything offered by the psychiatry and therapy plans.
Does Brightside Take Insurance?
Yes, Brightside takes insurance and is in-network with a number of popular health plans. However, if your insurance is not accepted, you may still be able to use an HSA or FSA card or request a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Can I Use My HSA/FSA for Brightside Health?
Yes, you can use your FSA or HSA for therapy expenses with Brightside Health. You will simply enter your HSA/FSA card information as your payment type.
How Do I Cancel My Brightside Health Subscription?
To cancel your Brightside Health subscription, simply navigate to the “Account” tab in the mobile app, select “Account settings,” and scroll down to the button labeled “Manage Plan.” You’ll be able to modify or cancel your Brightside Health plan from this page.
If you have further questions about canceling your account, please contact Brightside Health support by email at [email protected] or by phone at (415) 360-3348.
Does Brightside Health Issue Refunds?
Brightside Health may offer refunds on a case-by-case basis. You can contact Brightside Health support by email at [email protected] or by phone at (415) 360-3348.
Is Brightside Health HIPAA-Compliant?
Yes, Brightside Health has policies consistent with HIPAA standards. At sign-up, you must sign a form agreeing to Brightside Health’s privacy policies.
Please visit Brightside Health’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for more information.
History & News of Brightside Health
Year Founded: 2017
Founders: Brad Kittredge, Jeremy Barth, Mimi Winsberg
Publicly Traded? No
Headquartered in: San Francisco, California
Brightside Health was founded in 2017 by Brad Kittredge, Jeremy Barth, and Mimi Winsberg. According to the company’s website, Brightside Health was founded on the idea that remote technology can greatly enhance the way doctors can provide psychiatric care.1
In 2021, Brightside Health added a telehealth therapy program to its roster, raised over $60m in funding, and began partnering with major insurance companies to provide in-network care. In 2022, Brightside Health achieved HITRUST certification to bolster its safety and security standards2 and also launched its crisis care program. Then, in 2023, the company began to partner with Medicare and Medicaid plans1 – a rarity in telehealth mental healthcare.
As Brightside Health moves forward, they appear to be looking into ways to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with its care model. In late 2023, the company appointed a new executive to head up its AI and research division.3 In the coming years, Brightside Health will be worth watching to see what sort of innovations it brings to the world of virtual healthcare.
Choosing Therapy 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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Brightside Health. (n.d.). About us. Brightside Health. Retrieved from: https://www.brightside.com/about/
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Brightside Health. (January 24, 2022). Brightside Health achieves HITRUST risk-based, 2-year certification to further mitigate risk in third-party privacy, security, and compliance. Brightside Health Resource Center. Retrieved from: https://www.brightside.com/press-releases/hitrust-certification/
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Brightside Health. (October 26, 2023). Brightside Health appoints Matt Mohebbi as Head of AI and Research. Brightside Health Resource Center. Retrieved from: https://www.brightside.com/press-releases/brightside-health-appoints-matt-mohebbi-as-head-of-ai-and-research/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated age range from 18+ to 13+ in all US States.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Fact-checked and edited for improved readability and clarity. Updated users reviews with up to date information.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Added Nurx as a recommended alternative to Brightside Health.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (New author)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (New medical reviewer)
Primary Changes: Fully reviewed and rewrote article and experience with Brightside Health; added firsthand experiences, added review summary, and features, added new user reviews, updated star rating score based on new review, updated entire article for clarity and accuracy. Fact-checked and improved for better readability. New content was written by Matthew Church, MS, and medically reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.
Author: Emily Guarnotta, PsyD (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Reassessment of Brightside Health & 1st person impressions added; Moved miscellaneous information to FAQ sections; Fact-checked cost and offerings; Added new Crisis Management information; Updated style throughout.
Author: Emily Guarnotta, PsyD
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD
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