Octave Review 2024: Pros & Cons, Cost, & Who It’s Right For

Octave is an online mental health practice offering individual, couples, and family therapy services. It earned 3 out of 5 stars overall during our independent review process. Octave provides live video, phone, and texting sessions. While Octave is only available in 17 states, they do accept many insurance plans making it a good option for many.

Detailed Review of Octave

Octave is a mental health practice that offers evidence-based therapy services to individuals, couples, and families. They provide various treatment plans tailored to the specific needs of their clients. Octave is in network with many insurance plans, with cash-pay rates costing $170 – $275 per session. Octave services are available to clients ages 18+.

Octave offers a wide range of treatment options for various mental health concerns. They can provide therapy for a diverse range of diagnoses, including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and more. Octave offers individual, family, and couples therapy as well as specialized workshops.

Octave also offers workshops specializing in different areas, such as motherhood, finding your value, trauma healing, and more. These are free to the public and are additional support separate from therapy.

Octave Individual Therapy

Live therapy sessions with Octave typically last around 45 minutes to an hour. The frequency of sessions varies based on individual needs and therapy goals, with many individuals attending sessions weekly or bi-weekly.

Regarding homework or in-app activities, Octave therapists may assign additional exercises or practices to support the therapy process. These could include journaling, reflection exercises, or guided activities through the Octave app.

Octave offers flexibility in scheduling therapy sessions, including evening and weekend appointments, to accommodate individuals’ busy schedules. This ensures that therapy can be attended at convenient times for most individuals.

Octave Couples Therapy

To sign up for couples therapy with Octave, couples typically undergo a similar intake process as individuals seeking therapy. It is common for couples to have a shared account where both individuals can access and communicate with the therapist. However, partners can also message the therapist independently, facilitating open and individualized communication between all parties involved.

In addition to therapy sessions, Octave provides additional resources for couples. These resources may include articles, activities, or exercises to support relationship growth and communication.

The cost for couples therapy with Octave may vary depending on the specifics of insurance, but the typical cash-pay cost is listed as $190-$275 per session.

Octave Family Therapy

Octave offers family therapy to help address and improve familial relationships and dynamics. Anyone within a family system can initiate the sign-up process for family therapy. This could be a parent, guardian, or any other family member who recognizes the need for support and seeks assistance in fostering healthier family dynamics. It’s important to remember that Octave does not see clients under the age of 18, so it can limit some families from accessing treatment.

Octave Workshops

Octave offers workshops as part of its mental health support services. These workshops provide group-based learning opportunities to enhance mental well-being and build skills for managing various aspects of life. The workshops cover various topics, addressing areas such as stress management, mindfulness, communication, self-care, and more.

To access Octave’s workshops, individuals typically need to sign up and register for the specific workshop(s) they are interested in. The workshops are conducted virtually through online platforms, allowing participants to join from the comfort of their own homes.

Currently, Octave’s workshops are free. Octave representatives encourage members to continually check the workshop schedule page to check for upcoming events.

Some examples of Octave workshops include:

• Stress Management
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Effective Communication Skills
• Emotional Resilience
• Self-Care and Wellness

How Much Does Octave Cost?

Octave costs $170-$275 per session, cash-pay. Octave notes on its website that most users sign-up using their insurance and that 95% of their clients end up paying copays of $45 or less, but the specifics will be determined by your insurance plan.

Octave cash-pay prices include:

• Individual therapy: $170-$250 per session
• Couples or family therapy: $190-$275 per session

Does Octave Accept Insurance?

Yes, Octave is currently affiliated with Aetna, Anthem, Health Net, MHN, and United HealthCare, among others. Each state has different eligibility. You can use Octave’s cost estimator to see what your state covers within those providers. Knowing your insurance coverage before enrolling is important so you have an accurate idea of your costs.

Out-of-Network Benefits

Although Octave does not submit for reimbursement to insurance companies, they will provide a superbill for members seeking out-of-network benefits.

Who Does Octave Serve?

Octave is available in all 17 US states, and not internationally. The company specifically serves adults 18+ who are struggling with mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms. Octave does not offer therapy for children or teens, psychiatry (medication management) isn’t available with Octave.

Octave serves 17 US states, including: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington state, and Washington D.C.

Octave Vs. Competitors

Octave operates on a pay-per-session basis and accepts many insurance plans. BetterHelp might be a better option if you don’t have insurance as its cash-pay prices are more affordable than Octave, but they don’t offer family therapy. Talkspace accepts many insurance plans, so if you’re not in-network with Octave, you should check Talkspace, as well. Talkspace is the best option of the three if you also need medication management.

User Reviews of Octave

User reviews for Octave seem to have the consensus that the platform offers good care, but unexpected charged and other billing issues made the experience difficult. We were only able to find a handful of reviews for Octave from any given source, so it’s important to remember that they may not be representative of every user experience.

Who May Want an Alternative to Octave?

While Octave is a great option for many individuals seeking mental health support, certain groups may require alternatives.Those seeking in-person treatment, specialized therapy, or medication management will want to look for other platforms.

Octave Review – Our Final Verdict

History & News About Octave