Foresight Mental Health offers online therapy and psychiatry for children, teens, and adults. During our independent review, Foresight Mental Health earned 3 out of 5 stars overall. Services available include individual, family, couples, nutrition, and group therapy. Foresight is available in 11 states, with the exception of group therapy, which is only available in California. Foresight costs $80 – $425 per session depending on which service you select and they accept several major insurance plans.
Rating of Foresight’s Online Therapy
Over the past year, I have dedicated a considerable amount of time to researching, personally using, and reviewing online therapy platforms. Not only do I sign up for online therapy services and use their websites and apps, but I also attend live therapy sessions with each platform. I reach out to each online therapy platform before I begin researching and reviewing them to ask numerous questions about their products that users are likely to want answers to. All of this is done to ensure that consumers get the information they need to make intelligent purchases. During our independent review, Foresight earned 3 out of 5 stars overall, performing best in the categories of clientele served, privacy and HIPAA, and therapist credentials & expertise. However, Foresight underperformed in the categories of online therapy cost, geographic location, and extra features and resources compared to its competitors.
Pros & Cons of Foresight Mental Health
Foresight offers a wide variety of online therapy services in addition to psychiatry. There are in-person locations in select cities, however, these are not listed on the website at this time. While Foresight has a variety of services available, signing up for services is difficult through their website and there are no out-of-pocket costs listed to help make a purchase choice.
How to Sign Up for Foresight Mental Health
To sign up visit the Foresight Mental Health website.
What Is Foresight Mental Health?
Foresight Mental Health is an online therapy and psychiatry platform that offers services for a wide range of conditions and age groups that earned 3 out of 5 stars overall during our review. Currently, Foresight offers individual, couples, family, and nutrition counseling in 11 states, with group therapy available in California. Costs with Foresight are $80 – $450 per session, depending on which service you select. Foresight does accept insurance from several major insurers, which could lower the cost.
Foresight costs are:
- Individual, couples, family, and nutrition cost $200 per 60-minute session.
- Initial psychiatry assessment costs $450 that lasts up to 60 minutes.
- Follow-up psychiatry appointments cost $250.00 for 30 – 45 minutes.
- Group therapy, only available in California, costs $80 per 60-minute session.
Costs with Foresight are higher than some of its competitors, especially its psychiatry services. Platforms like MDLive or Amwell offer online therapy and psychiatry with a cost savings of $80 – $90 for therapy and $200 for psychiatry. However, Foresight does accept insurance from several major providers which could lower your costs for care if your plan is accepted.
Foresight has a small therapist directory with the option to search by state and name. When I used this feature, it did not work very well and I ultimately was unable to find a therapist that I wanted to connect with. In order to obtain an appointment, you have to fill out an appointment request form or you must call (888) 588-8995. There is no option to sign up for care without the help of a customer service representative. Due to these reasons, Foresight earned 2 stars in the “Client Interface & User Experience” category of our scoring criteria.
According to the Foresight website, providers will be able to assess your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and prescribe medication if they deem it necessary. You can choose a local pharmacy to pick up your medication or you can choose to have them shipped to you. There are no costs listed if you choose to have your medications shipped to you, so it is unclear what these costs may be.
All live therapy and psychiatry appointments are held through a HIPAA-compliant Zoom meeting. It is unclear if you will need to have access to a second patient portal, like Advanced MD, to finish setting up your account. At this time, there do not appear to be any extra features or perks to the Foresight website, like a journal space or other types of interactive homework lessons. This earned Foresight 1 star in the “Extra Features & Resources” category of our scoring criteria.
Group Therapy
Foresight offers group therapy to individuals 18 years and older for eight, ten, or twelve-week treatment plans. Each session costs $80 out-of-pocket and last about 60 minutes in total. Groups meet on a weekly basis and are facilitated by a licensed therapist. Group therapy is only available in California and insurance is accepted.
Available Group Therapy Types
- Anxiety skills (8 weeks)
- Dialectical behavior therapy skills (10 weeks)
- Transgender & Nonbinary support (12 weeks)
- Women’s Support (8 weeks)
- Mindfulness-based Trauma Focused Skills Group (8 weeks)
You can learn more about to sign up for group therapy by visiting the Foresight Group Therapy page.
Who Is Foresight Mental Health Right For?
Foresight Mental Health would be good for those wanting group therapy in California, for those who want therapy and nutrition counseling, or for those who have it as a part of their EAP.
California Group Therapy
If you live in California and are seeking a group therapy option, Foresight Mental Health might be a great option for you. There are five group types to choose from and are either 8, 10, or 12-week treatment plans, with meetings once weekly. This is an out-of-pocket cost of $80 per session and you will be in groups of 10 or less with a licensed therapist in the state of California.
Therapy + Nutrition Counseling
With Foresight, you can sign up for therapy and nutrition counseling. This might be a great fit for those who need help with their eating habits and want to get at the root of where their disordered eating comes from.
Want to Use Your EAP Benefit
Foresight’s website says they are a part of many employers’ employee assistance programs for mental health care. I think this means you can access care by calling your EAP representative and having them get you started with Foresight for therapy. Plus, this would significantly lower the cost of care with Foresight.
Who Might Want an Alternative to Foresight Mental Health?
While Foresight might be a great choice for some people, there are several people who will need to seek care elsewhere. Those looking for a straightforward sign-up process, those in states not covered, people seeking affordable out-of-pocket medication management options, and those wanting in-person care near them will need an alternative.
You Want an Easy Sign-Up Process
When compared to other online therapy platforms, even similar ones like Thriveworks, Foresight is not the easiest to sign up for. This is especially true if you call them and have more questions than the customer service representative can answer. Foresight’s website does not provide much information and does not feature an FAQ section. For those wanting a very simple and straightforward sign-up process, I recommend something like Talkspace or BetterHelp for therapy. With either, you will complete an easy sign-up process and you’ll connect with a therapist in 2 or 3 days at the longest. Talkspace even offers psychiatry and accepts several major insurance plans.
To learn more about what each offers, you can read our in-depth review of Talkspace or our BetterHelp review.
Those Outside the Geographic Coverage
Foresight is only currently only available in 11 states and its group therapy option is only available in California. A great alternative that offers similar services and is much more widely available is Thriveworks. With Thriveworks, you can use your insurance, sign up for therapy or psychiatry, and even attend sessions in person if you live in a city where that is offered.
To see if Thriveworks would be a good match for you, please read our comprehensive Thriveworks review.
Seeking Affordable Out-of-pocket Medication Management
Foresight has some of the highest out-of-pocket costs for online psychiatry and medication management that I have seen. $450 for an initial assessment is not ideal for those people who are uninsured and are seeking something that can fit within their budget. A much more affordable out-of-pocket option will be with platforms like Cerebral or Brightside. With both platforms, you will be able to attend a live session with a provider and be prescribed medications for anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms.
To learn more about how these subscription-based platforms work, you can read our review of Cerebral or our Brightside Health review.
You Want In-Person Care Near You
Online therapy is not always going to be the best fit for all mental health symptoms and diagnoses. For those with more challenging issues they want to discuss, you want many to find an in-person therapist to connect with. A great way to start is to browse through an online therapist directory and filter for what you need. This will allow you to more easily identify who will fit you perfectly.
Foresight Mental Health User Reviews
Foresight does not have an Apple App or a Google App and there are not a lot of reviews available elsewhere. On the Trustpilot website there are only two reviews available and the platform has a 2.9-star rating, which is unusual because both users gave the platform a 1-star rating.
One user explains that the company is very unresponsive and whenever they would call, customer service would not give them a straight answer. In my experience, this same thing happened to me. I emailed them many times and call several times to find out prices and how the platform actually works. When I did get ahold of someone, they only knew a few answers to my questions. I was told someone else would call me back with more information and no one did.
The second user review on Trustpilot was very detailed and shared how they were matched with Foresight through their insurance. Ultimately, this user was paying out-of-pocket despite having a referral from her insurance to this platform and the entire experience weighed heavily on her existing physical health problems. While I cannot speak to what it is like using insurance with Foresight, the platform overall is not the most user-friendly compared to other online mental health platforms.
How Much Does Foresight Mental Health Cost?
Foresight Mental Health costs $80 – $450 per session, depending on which service you want to use.
Foresight costs are:
- Individual, couples, family, and nutrition therapy cost $200 per 60-minute session.
- An initial psychiatry assessment costs $450 and lasts up to 60 minutes.
- Follow-up psychiatry appointments cost $250.00 and are 30 – 45 minutes long.
- Group therapy, only available in California, costs $80 per 60-minute session. You will select which group you want to join and treatment plans are 8, 10, or 12 weeks long.
It is important to note that you will be charged a $150 no-show fee if you no-show or cancel without 24 hours’ notice.
Does Foresight Mental Health Accept Insurance?
Yes, Foresight Mental Health accepts insurance for therapy from companies like Aetna, Anthem, Beacon, Cigna, Humana, Kaser Permanente, United Healthcare, and Optum. Foresight is expanding its in-network partners and has a goal to accept Medicare and Medicaid in the future.
Out-of-Network Benefits
Foresight will allow you to request a superbill through your patient portal. After you receive your superbill, you will be able to submit it to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
How Do You Get Started with Foresight Mental Health?
To get started with Foresight, you must fill out the Foresight appointment request form or you must call (888) 588-8995. There is no “self-service” available with Foresight and your account will be set up by a customer service representative.
- Go to the Foresight website and click on the button that says “request an appointment”.
- Fill out the form and wait for customer service to call you.
- OR call the 800 number and talk to customer service directly.
- Talk with the customer service representative about your wants/needs.
- Customer service will match you with a provider and schedule your first appointment.
- Receive access to the patient portal and then fill out all the paperwork Foresight might have requested.
- Login on the day and time of your appointment and attend your first appointment.
- Schedule with your provider for your next appointment.
Foresight Mental Health Services: Detailed Reviews
Foresight offers a variety of therapy types as well as psychiatry. Services are available in 11 states and costs depend on which one you want to choose.
Foresight Mental Health Therapy: Detailed Review
Foresight Mental Health offers online therapy for a wide range of conditions and age groups. Currently, Foresight offers individual, couples, family, and nutrition counseling in 11 states, with group therapy available in California. Therapy costs are $80 – $200 per session, depending on which service you select. Foresight does accept insurance from several major insurers, which could lower the cost.
How Does Online Therapy with Foresight Mental Health Work?
On the website, you will select the button that says “request appointment”. From there you will fill out a form with your demographic information, insurance information, days you are available, and which therapy type you are seeking. You cannot request group therapy through this online request form. Once you submit this form, someone from Foresight will call you to set up an appointment.
When I filled out the form someone called back the next day and I explained that I had a lot of questions. The customer service representative seemed fine with this, but after a few basic questions about cost and how to pay, the rep said she was going to have her manager call me back. The manager never called me back. Overall this left me wondering if this is something that happens to other potential clients of this platform as well.
Based on the website and a conversation with a different customer service representative, you can only attend therapy via video sessions. There was mention of a patient portal, which led me to believe you would be able to either message customer service or send an email to your therapist. However, it does not seem like there are extra features in the client portal, like homework sheets or a journaling space.
Foresight Mental Health Psychiatry: Detailed Review
Foresight offers online psychiatry and you can request this appointment through the online form or by calling (888) 588-8995. Psychiatry with Foresight costs $450 out-of-pocket for an initial assessment and $250 for a follow-up appointment. Much like with therapy services, if you have an in-network insurance plan these costs could be much lower.
The online psychiatry department is the only one who responded to my email inquiries, which I was very appreciative of. The representative I spoke with was able to help answer one or two lingering questions I had about how therapy worked with the platform, too. Foresight can treat kids and teens of all ages, it will just depend on the provider for what age groups are specifically seen. Providers are PMHNPs, MDs, and PAs, which will allow them to prescribe medication as they see fit.
Initial assessments with Foresight take around 60 minutes and follow-up appointments last 30-45 minutes. Since I did not feel comfortable signing up for therapy with Foresight, I did not personally try their psychiatry services. I will say, Foresight is at the top range of cost for online psychiatry services and I highly encourage only those who are in-network to utilize this offering.
Foresight Mental Health Vs Competitors
Foresight is the same type of online mental health service as its competitors like Thriveworks and Lifestance. All three companies accept insurance, offer a range of services, and are available in states throughout the US.
Foresight Mental Health Vs Thriveworks
Foresight and Thriveworks are both therapy and psychiatry platforms that offer online services as well as in-person care in select cities. Both platforms accept insurance, can treat kids and teens, and have customer service lines you can call for help with anything. However, Foresight is only available in 11 states and Thriveworks is available in 30+ states.
While Foresight and Thriveworks do not specifically list any costs on their websites, it is much easier to find costs with Thriveworks. All costs can be viewed once you choose a provider, log in to your account, and select an appointment date and time. This is not an option with Foresight, where everything from provider choice to insurance input, and more is controlled by the customer service team. While this more “white glove” approach can be good for some, it is definitely not great for everyone.
To read even more about what Thriveworks offers and the extra features they have, you can read our comprehensive Thriveworks review.
Foresight Mental Health Vs Lifestance
Much like Thriveworks, Foresight shares some similarities with Lifestance Health. Both offer in-person and online therapy and psychiatry services. Additionally, both platforms also accept kids & teens, individuals, couples, and families, and select states offer group therapy. Much like Foresight, Lifestance does not list any costs on their website and it can be somewhat difficult to get a hold of anybody to ask questions.
Both Lifestance and Foresight accept many major insurance plans and can create superbills as needed to out-of-network benefits reimbursement. However, Foresight is only available in 11 states, while Lifestance is available in the following 32 states: AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, ME, MD, MASS, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, & WI.
How Foresight Mental Health Has Evolved
Foresight was founded by Doug Hapeman and Matt Milford in 2017 and the headquarters is located in California.1 Hapeman and Milford met while they were both attending the University of California, Berkeley. They were enrolled in the same computer science classes and discovered they both had a passion for improving mental health care.2
In March of 2022, Foresight acquired The Chicago Personal Growth Institute.3 This move was made to further the number of mental health care providers available to those in need in the greater Chicago area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Foresight Mental Health
What Credentials Do Foresight Providers Hold?
All Foresight Mental Health providers are fully licensed in the state they can practice. Therapists hold credentials such as LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, and LPC while psychiatric providers are MDs, PMHNPs, and PAs.
How Am I Matched With a Provider on Foresight?
You will be matched with a provider depending on your location, preferences, and service needed. If you are seeking therapy, some of these preferences can be listed on the appointment request form, otherwise, you will be able to tell the customer service representative when you call them.
Can I Choose a New Provider?
It is unclear how this works, but it stands to reason that you will probably have to call or send a message through the patient portal to customer service to ask for a new provider.
Who is Eligible for Medication?
According to our contact with Foresight’s psychiatry department, they accept all age ranges. However, it was unclear exactly how old you must be to receive a prescription with Foresight.
What Medications are Available?
Medications are generally sent to a local pharmacy and are most likely to be non-controlled substances.
Where is Medication Management Available?
Psychiatry is available in the same states as therapy.
How Do I Get My Medications?
Prescriptions can be mailed to the patient if their insurance participates in at home deliveries. Otherwise, patients can pick up their medications at a pharmacy local to them.
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds?
Yes, you can use your FSA or HSA for mental health on Foresight.
How Can I Cancel My Account with Foresight?
It is unclear how to exactly cancel your account with Foresight, but the safest choice would be to call them at (888) 588-8995.
Does Foresight Offer Refunds?
It is unclear under what circumstances Foresight would offer refunds to clients. You can call (888) 588-8995 for more information.
Is Foresight Mental Health HIPAA Compliant?
Yes, Foresight is HIPAA compliant and all live therapy and psychiatry sessions happen via Telehealth Zoom. You can read more about Foresight’s Privacy Policy to learn more.
Final Verdict on Foresight Mental Health
Foresight Mental Health offers a great number of services and while the group therapy option makes it stand out from other platforms, it is only available in California at this time. Furthermore, the lack of any FAQ section, lack of costs listed, and no true therapist directory to search made Foresight not as user-friendly as other platforms. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Foresight as a top choice for online mental health services especially if you are looking to pay out-of-pocket for psychiatry services.
Summary of What Foresight Mental Health Offers
| Cost of Online Therapy | $200 $80 for Group Therapy (CA Only) |
| Age Limitations for Therapy | All Ages |
| Is Insurance Accepted? | Yes |
| Frequency of Appointments | Depends on provider |
| Messaging Therapist Between Appointments | Unsure |
| Provider Choices | Matched by Customer Service |
| Can You Change Therapists? | Yes |
| Speed to First Appointment | Unsure |
| Geographic Coverage | AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MI, NJ, NC, OH, TX Group Therapy in California Only |
| Online Psychiatry Offered | Yes |
| Online Psychiatry Cost | $450 initial assessment $250 follow-up appointments |
| Age Limitations for Psychiatry | All Ages |
