Two of our experienced reviewers tried and tested Online-Therapy.com, participating in several therapy sessions on the platform over the last two years. Our reviewers have found Online-Therapy.com to be a solid option for those who are looking for a CBT-oriented therapist or who don’t have good therapy options through insurance. Here’s all you need to know about whether Online-Therapy.com is worth it.
Cost: $200 – $440 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
Medication Available? No
Pros - Comprehensive CBT-based therapy program with interactive resources
- Offers video, phone, and text sessions
- Simple pricing system
- Well-designed website is easy to use
Cons - Insurance is not accepted
- Limited choice over initial therapist
- CBT-based therapy only; no other types of therapy
- No mobile app
- Those seeking CBT-based therapy
- Those seeking the most affordable cash-pay option
- Those who benefit from treatment involving a lot of worksheets and homework
Overview
Online-Therapy.com is a subscription-based online therapy platform that costs between $200 – $440 monthly and is available for anyone ages 18+ across the US and internationally. During our independent review of their services, they earned an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
When I tried Online-Therapy.com, I found the platform to be very unique and a valuable option for learning about mental health. While it did take several days to find a viable therapist match, the content of the self-guided course helped to keep me occupied and taught me a lot about the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach.
Online-Therapy.com offers therapy programs for anyone ages 18+, so a better option for teens would be BetterHelp subsidiary Teen Counseling. Since Online-Therapy.com doesn’t offer any psychiatric services, we recommend Talkspace for therapy plus medication management needs.
Why You Can Trust My Review
Our review of Online-Therapy.com is based on first-hand experience using their therapy services by two of our experienced reviewers. These reviewers – Caitlin and Matt – used Online-Therapy.com by going through the sign-up process, getting matched with therapists, going to therapy sessions, participating in the CBT course, trying and testing all the features, and even putting Online-Therapy.com’s customer service team to the test by switching therapists, requesting refunds, and more. Over the last three years, we’ve learned a lot about Online-Therapy.com while also collectively testing and reviewing multiple other online therapy providers.
In our review, Online-Therapy.com’s score of 4.5 out of 5 stars is based on our quantitative multi-point scoring criteria. Our scoring criteria measure 30+ metrics across 12 categories, ranging from quality of user experience to therapist vetting and experience, and more.
Firsthand Experiences with Online-Therapy.com
Full reviews and breakdowns of services are valuable, but sometimes you just want to hear a clear recommendation from somebody who’s used the service firsthand. Here are some firsthand experiences from people who have used Online-Therapy.com.
Matt Church
Caitlin Bell
Detailed Review of Online-Therapy.com
Online-Therapy.com offers a variety of ways to participate in therapy, including video, phone, and live chat sessions, as well as the self-guided CBT course. Online-Therapy.com serves anyone ages 18+ in the US or internationally. Online-Therapy.com costs range from $200 – $440 monthly and the company does not accept insurance.
CBT-Based Therapy Course
At the center of Online-Therapy.com’s treatment model is its CBT course. This course serves as a framework for you and your therapist to follow, helps to educate you about the CBT approach, and provides actionable steps for you to take both in and out of therapy. Outside of live sessions with your therapist, you’ll be able to watch educational videos, review written content, and participate in interactive worksheets that you and your therapist can work on together. The CBT course is meant to be used alongside sessions with your therapist and consists of eight sections that can be completed at your own pace.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is well-known for its reliance on homework and worksheets to help clients engage with the material in a more meaningful way. In these worksheets and the course as a whole, you’ll learn about anxiety, harmful thought patterns, and ways to overcome them. Meanwhile, your assigned therapist will be able to help you work through the material at a pace that works for you and help you to set actionable and attainable goals.
When I was joining Online-Therapy.com, I was initially matched with a therapist who sent me a message stating he would be leaving Online-Therapy.com’s platform soon, so I decided to swap therapists, first thing. The process was easy, and the platform presented me with several options to choose from – including some international options with appointments in alternate time zones, which could be handy for folks who need sessions at odd hours. Ultimately, I settled on a new therapist, and while this set the whole process behind by a few days, I was able to keep busy with the content offered in the CBT course.
Live Therapy Sessions
If you choose a plan that includes live online therapy sessions, you’ll be able to meet with your therapist either once or twice weekly via phone, video, or live chat. Sessions are usually 45 minutes long. I joined my initial session from my iPhone via the Online-Therapy.com website on my home internet connection and faced no technical issues. The web app is easy to use and join sessions through.
For my initial session, my therapist was 5 minutes late, and our session only lasted 15 minutes in total. During that time, my therapist got to know me and reviewed some answers I’d submitted through worksheets. After a short discussion of my needs, the program, and her background, she recommended that I complete the next session of the course and its worksheets for discussion at our next session. We also created three overarching goals for us to follow during my time in the program. I felt my therapist could offer warmth and displayed great empathy, even if the session was shorter than I expected. The session was ultimately only 15 minutes long, as my therapist felt we had no more to cover.
Online-Therapy.com provided plenty of reminders for my appointment, and my therapist had been sending me messages and commentary on my worksheets in the days leading up to my first session, so I felt “plugged in” to the program coming into my first session. I can definitely see how having a course to follow throughout therapy could help keep clients engaged in between sessions.
Homework & Worksheets
CBT is notoriously homework-heavy, and Online-Therapy.com implements its worksheets and homework quite well. Worksheets are built into the CBT course and are collaborative with your therapist. When you submit responses to your worksheets, your therapist will be able to review them and discuss the outcomes with you.
The content in worksheets on Online-Therapy.com varies from simple goal-setting exercises to more in-depth resources. Altogether, they create a great structure for you to follow as you attend therapy, which is flexible, depending on how much you’d like to work on your course in any given week. However, I can easily see how some might find the established workflow to be too rigid or not leave enough room for customization to their needs. It will depend on your therapist and you to find a balance between structure and customization that will work best for the issues you’re faced with. As with any therapeutic relationship, finding a therapist who will be a good fit for your situation will take trial and error.
Notably, the lowest-cost plan at Online-Therapy.com doesn’t offer live sessions; instead, you work through the CBT course at your own pace and a therapist will work with you fee asynchronous messaging. This could be a viable option for someone with mild symptoms who would prefer a more “self-serve” approach to mental health treatment.
Journal, Yoga, & More Valuable Resources
In addition to the CBT course, worksheets, and sessions with your therapist, Online-Therapy.com offers a host of other useful mental health tools including a guided journal, instructional yoga videos, and a customizable activity planner.
The journal is not formally introduced until the sixth section of the eight-section CBT course but can be accessed from the beginning if you’d prefer. I found the journal to not be nearly as customizable as BetterHelp’s – the Online-Therapy.com journal is highly structured and has set questions for you to answer in any entry.
I thought the yoga videos were very valuable. There’s a variety of content available from beginner yogis to those that are a bit more seasoned, plus all the videos lean into the mental health benefits of yoga, and how it can supplement your CBT work. Additionally, Online-Therapy.com has a customizable activity planner that essentially functions as an ongoing to-do list for therapy-related activities.
Online-Therapy.com Cost & Insurance
Online-Therapy.com costs range from $200 – $440 monthly (advertised as $50 – $110 weekly). This includes sessions and unlimited messaging with your therapist, access to the full Online-Therapy.com CBT course, as well as additional tools such as a journal and yoga videos. Online-Therapy.com does not accept insurance.
Online-Therapy.com offers three online therapy subscriptions:
- Basic ($200 monthly) – This plan gives you access to the full toolkit that Online-Therapy.com offers including the full CBT course and unlimited messaging with a therapist.
- Standard ($256 monthly) – This plan includes full access to Online-Therapy.com, plus a weekly live session with a therapist.
- Premium ($440 monthly) – This plan includes everything the standard plan offers, but with two live sessions per week instead of just one.
- Couples Therapy ($440 monthly) – This plan is for couples who would like to attend joint sessions. While it is the same price as the premium plan, you only get one live session weekly rather than two.
Online-Therapy.com offers financial aid for students, veterans, and those with low income. During sign-up, you can fill out a financial aid application which will update the cost automatically, if you’re approved. All new users are eligible for 20% off their first month. While Online-Therapy.com does not accept insurance, the company will generate a superbill for potential out-of-network reimbursement by your insurance.
Who Does Online-Therapy.com Serve?
Online-Therapy.com is available for anyone ages 18+ in the United States and internationally. Online-Therapy.com is intended as a solution for adults experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms and specifically uses the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach. Teens ages 13-17 can utilize BetterHelp’s Teen Counseling, instead.
Online-Therapy.com does offer couples counseling, but other options like ReGain might be worth considering for non-CBT therapists. Online-Therapy.com 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, an online psychiatry platform such as Talkspace would be ideal if you’re seeking medication management, since Online-Therapy.com doesn’t offer medication. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a fast and convenient online therapy platform that offers more than CBT, BetterHelp is one of our favorite options.
User Reviews for Online-Therapy.com
User reviews for Online-Therapy.com are few and far between. Since the platform doesn’t have a mobile app, there are no app store reviews, and the company’s profile on TrustPilot is quite silent. Online-Therapy.com provides a list of over 3,000 reviews on their website, however, there’s no way to sort these reviews, and it can be assumed that Online-Therapy.com will focus on positive-leaning reviews, first, so these aren’t the most reliable.
Out of the user reviews available online, the majority paint a positive sentiment toward Online-Therapy.com, with minimal criticism.
Reviews from Reddit
Positive reviews from Reddit users focused on the positive impact the service has had on their lives, as well as the warmth and kindness of individual therapists.
Negative reviews from Reddit users discussed a perceived lack of experience of online therapists, but many users who chimed in admitted they had never used Online-Therapy, themselves.
Reviews from Online-Therapy.com
Positive reviews from Online-Therapy.com focus on positive experiences with therapists and the progress that users have made on their own journey. Keep in mind, these are reviews featured on Online-Therapy.com so are likely skewed toward the positive – there were no reviews below 4 stars out of the first 500 reviews listed.
Negative reviews from Online-Therapy.com are almost non-existent (or, not readily accessible, at least).
Who May Want an Alternative to Online-Therapy.com?
Online-Therapy.com is not a good solution for anyone struggling with severe mental health symptoms, those with insurance, people who prefer alternatives to CBT, or those seeking psychiatric care or medication management.
People Who Prefer Alternatives to CBT
Online-Therapy.com is exclusively focused on CBT. If you find this treatment method doesn’t work well for you, or you are simply looking for alternatives, another more broad online therapy platform such as BetterHelp would be better for you.
People With Insurance
Online-Therapy.com doesn’t accept any insurance, so if you have mental health coverage through your insurance provider, you should look into online therapy platforms that accept insurance such as Talkspace.
Those Who Need Medication in Addition to Therapy
Online-Therapy.com does not offer any sort of psychiatric care. If you’re looking for an online psychiatric platform, Talkiatry is one of our favorites.
People Struggling with Severe Mental Health Symptoms
Online therapy is not ideal for those suffering from severe mental health symptoms such as suicidal ideation, hallucinations, or psychosis. Those suffering from severe mental health symptoms should seek in-person care.
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.
Online-Therapy.com, or any online therapy provider, is not a safe choice for those in an active crisis, as therapists cannot respond immediately. Online-Therapy.com 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.
Online-Therapy.com Vs. Competitors
Online-Therapy.com is a great choice for those without insurance looking for an affordable cash-pay solution. Online-Therapy.com could be an ideal choice for someone who struggles with symptoms that are well-suited to CBT. Meanwhile, Talkspace or Thriveworks may be better if you are seeking psychiatric care in addition to therapy. BetterHelp is the best solution if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get started in therapy.
Price: $200 – $440 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
Medication Available? No
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Affordable plans for biweekly or monthly sessions -
Great self-guided resources and content
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Insurance is not accepted -
Exclusively CBT-focused therapy
Price: $260 – $360 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
Medication Available? No
-
30k+ therapists available -
Same-day appointments available
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Does not accept insurance -
Limited choice over initial therapist
Price: $276 – $436 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Medication Available? Yes
-
Many major health insurance plans are accepted -
Psychiatry and teen (13+) therapy available
-
Exact monthly costs vary -
Limited ability to choose your therapist
Price: $99 – $199 per session
Insurance Accepted? Yes
Medication Available? Yes
-
In-person services available in select cities -
Accepts many major insurance plans
-
Cost varies by provider -
Not available nationwide
Online-Therapy.com Vs. BetterHelp
Online-Therapy.com Vs. Talkspace
Online-Therapy.com Vs. Thriveworks
Online-Therapy.com Review – Our Final Verdict
Overall, I feel that Online-Therapy.com is an excellent resource for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and is one of the most affordable cash-pay options available. Online-Therapy.com offers a unique, structured approach that you just don’t see with other providers, so it could be a great option for those who work well with CBT. By that same token, if you prefer a different approach to therapy, you may want to look elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Online-Therapy.com Legit?
Yes. Online-Therapy.com is a legitimate platform for mental health therapy. It is a relatively large and well-established company that vets and verifies its therapists well. We’ve personally used Online-Therapy.com and recommend it, if it seems like a good fit for you.
What Credentials Do Online-Therapy.com Therapists Hold?
All Online-Therapy.com hold, at least, the minimum education required by their state or government to practice mental health. All providers also have at least 2000 hours of providing counseling services and are licensed to practice therapy according to their local law. After being matched with a therapist, you’ll be able to view and verify their license information.
How Do I Get Matched With a Therapist on Online-Therapy.com?
Online-Therapy.com uses your responses to an intake questionnaire to match you with therapists who would be a good fit based on factors such as geographical location, live session preferences, and gender preferences. After you’ve been matched, you’ll be able to choose your initial therapist from a small list. You can change your therapist at any time if you find you need a better fit.
How Do I Change My Online-Therapy.com Therapist?
To change your therapist with Online-Therapy.com, simply navigate to your Live Sessions menu. Below the tab that lists your current therapist is a button labeled “Change my therapist.” Click that link, and you’ll be able to choose a different therapist.
How Much Does Online-Therapy.com Cost?
Online-Therapy.com costs range from $200 – $440 monthly (advertised as $50 – $110 weekly). This includes sessions and unlimited messaging with your therapist, access to the full Online-Therapy.com CBT course, as well as additional tools such as a journal and yoga videos. Online-Therapy.com does not accept insurance.
Online-Therapy.com offers three online therapy subscriptions:
- Basic ($200 monthly) – This plan gives you access to the full toolkit that Online-Therapy.com offers including the full CBT course and unlimited messaging with a therapist.
- Standard ($256 monthly) – This plan includes full access to Online-Therapy.com, plus a weekly live session with a therapist.
- Premium ($440 monthly) – This plan includes everything the standard plan offers, but with two live sessions per week instead of just one.
- Couples Therapy ($440 monthly) – This plan is for couples who would like to attend joint sessions. While it is the same price as the premium plan, you only get one live session weekly rather than two.
While Online-Therapy.com does not accept insurance, the company will generate a superbill for potential out-of-network reimbursement by your insurance.
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds for Online-Therapy.com?
Yes, Online-Therapy.com will accept FSA and HSA for therapy.
How Do I Cancel My Online-Therapy.com Subscription?
To cancel your Online-Therapy.com subscription, log in to your account and click “Account,” then “Subscription.” You will see the option to upgrade, downgrade, pause, or cancel your subscription.
Does Online-Therapy.com Offer Refunds?
Online-Therapy will offer refunds on a case-by-case basis, but generally speaking, they only offer refunds to those who remember to stop their subscriptions. To contact someone, you can email Online-Therapy at: [email protected].
Is Online-Therapy.com HIPAA Compliant?
Yes. Online-Therapy.com is HIPAA-compliant. For more information, you can read Online-Therapy.com’s Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
History & News of Online-Therapy.com
Year Founded: 2009
Parent Company: CRN Solutions AB
Publicly Traded? No
Headquartered in: Sweden
According to Online-Therapy.com, the company was founded by Carl Nordström who is the current CEO. Reportedly, Nordström founded the company after reading studies that found online CBT to be just as effective as traditional therapy and decided to create a company to help increase the accessibility of online counseling. The parent company is CRN Solutions AB which is headquartered in Sweden. Over its history, Online-Therapy.com has not been the subject of any major scandals or controversies of note.
Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Online Therapy
BetterHelp – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. Take a free online assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you. Free Assessment
Online Psychiatry
Hims / Hers If you’re living with anxiety or depression, finding the right medication match may make all the difference. Connect with a licensed healthcare provider in just 12 – 48 hours. Explore FDA-approved treatment options and get free shipping, if prescribed. No insurance required. Get Started
Medication + Therapy
Brightside Health – Together, medication and therapy can help you feel like yourself, faster. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. United Healthcare, Anthem, Cigna, and Aetna accepted. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door. Free Assessment
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