Two of our experienced reviewers tested Regain, an online couples therapy platform, and found it to be a good option for couples seeking accessible and relatively affordable counseling. Regain earned 3.5 out of 5 stars in our independent review. While we appreciated its ease of use and accessibility, the platform doesn’t accept insurance, and the large pool of therapists can make finding the right match challenging.
Regain At a Glance
Cost: $260 – $400 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
Pros & Cons of Regain
Pros - Affordable compared to in-person couples counseling
- Financial aid is available to those who qualify
- User-friendly and easy-to-navigate website and app
- You and your partner can text your therapist anytime
- Attend therapy sessions around your schedules
Cons - Doesn’t accept insurance
- Ultimate costs depend on your location
- You are initially automatically matched with a therapist
Preview Regain
Regain is an online couples therapy platform that connects you and your partner with a licensed therapist or counselor. With Regain, you and your partner can attend weekly, 30- to 45-minute video, phone, or live texting sessions with your therapist. Regain’s subscription also includes a chatroom you share with your partner and therapist, which allows you both to message your therapist between sessions. Regain has great extra features like a journal space and group webinars.
During my time working with Regain, my partner and I both found it to be a good-quality platform that was simple to navigate, quick and easy to get started with, and relatively affordable. Regain couples therapy is a great choice for couples looking to strengthen their relationship without the trouble of attending in-person sessions.
While Regain is an affordable cash-pay option for couples counseling, they do not accept insurance. If you’re looking for couples counseling that’s covered by insurance, Talkspace for Couples could be a good option. Relationship Hero is another great service for strengthening relationships, but it’s specifically for coaching rather than therapy. Meanwhile, those looking for individual therapy might be well served by BetterHelp (Regain’s parent company). Or, if you’re looking for psychiatry and therapy bundled together, Brightside Health is an excellent option.
If you and your partner can’t afford couples therapy, Regain offers help through BetterHelp’s financial assistance program.
Detailed Review
Regain couples therapy, owned by BetterHelp, connects couples with licensed therapists through an online platform. With Regain, you and your partner can attend weekly, 45-minute video, phone, or live texting sessions with a thoroughly vetted couples or family therapist. Regain also has great extra features like a journal space and group webinars.
Continue reading for a description of our reviewer’s experience.
Review our scoring criteria for online therapy platforms here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Regain Couples Therapy
A subscription to Regain couples therapy grants you access to weekly couples therapy sessions with a Regain therapist. Sessions are usually 30 to 45 minutes long and offered via video or phone. Couples also gain access to an ongoing chatroom with their therapist for between-session conversations. Regain couples therapy costs $70 to $100 per week (billed every 4 weeks), depending on your location.
To get started with Regain, I simply went to their website and signed up for an account. During the process, I filled out a brief questionnaire about my situation, what I hoped to get out of therapy, and therapist preferences. I also entered my partner’s details and Regain sent them a link to sign up for their account.
For my area (Tennessee) the standard fee is $360 monthly. At the checkout page, I was met with the opportunity to sign up for financial assistance offered by BetterHelp, but this wasn’t necessary for my purposes. After paying for my services, I simply waited for Regain to assign my partner and me a therapist. That process was completed within a few hours.
Three-Way Video Calling
Once we had our assigned therapist, I was able to schedule an appointment within a couple of days of signup—a pretty quick turnaround time, especially compared to in-person couples therapy. On the day of our appointment, my partner signed up for their Regain account (at the last possible minute, of course) and we both joined the therapy waiting room from each of our iPhones on our home WiFi network.
We joined the telehealth room using our mobile phones, and while getting connected was easy, I was frustrated by the lack of options to mute my microphone or turn off my video feed. Without the ability to mute, my partner and I experienced severe audio interference, and I had to move to a different room for the rest of the session. Despite its limited features, the telehealth platform worked well overall. I found the lack of a mute button odd, considering the platform is designed for 3-way video calling. I later discovered that the mute option is available when using the desktop version.
Our Regain therapist was kind and compassionate and made both my partner and I feel very welcome and heard. I was impressed with our therapist’s background and felt that she would be an excellent choice going forward. Our session was scheduled for 45 minutes, but only lasted 30 minutes as we felt that we’d covered everything in that time. In the session, our therapist asked about the background of our relationship and any issues we’d been dealing with.
She provided us with actionable steps to take and laid out a great framework to follow in future sessions. Even though we had a stroke of luck in getting matched with a great therapist right away, Regain does make it relatively easy to change your therapist if you feel there’s a poor fit. However, given the sheer number of therapists on the platform, it can be difficult to find an ideal fit.
After the session, our therapist sent a worksheet for both of us to fill out that detailed our own personal histories, communication styles, and other important factors. Our therapist said she is planning on using these responses to better inform our future sessions.
Journaling, Group Webinars, & More
The Regain app offers the same extra features that we saw during our BetterHelp review. Extra features include a journaling space that can be shared with your therapist, educational classes and group webinars, and great resources for skill building. Everything is included at no additional cost, and your subscription grants you access to one group webinar per week.
Overall, the extra features add quite a bit of value to a Regain subscription. Subscribers can access weekly group webinars on various topics, including coping skills, meditation, and more. Meanwhile, the journaling space can be useful for jotting down insights in-between sessions, and, while it is personal by default, you can choose to share journal entries with your therapist and partner.
Cost
Regain’s couples counseling services do not accept insurance, but flexible payment options are available. The standard cost ranges from $260 – $400 monthly, with financial aid available to reduce the price by 10% to 40% for those who qualify. Users can also pay using FSA or HSA funds. The first month’s payment is due upfront, though Choosing Therapy readers can receive 20% off their first month. When we used Regain, we were able to get 10% off our subscription cost.
Who Does ReGain Serve?
Regain couples therapy serves couples above the age of 18 in all 50 US states and internationally. Regain is an ideal solution for people who want to try out couples or marriage therapy, but don’t have any viable in-person options or are looking for the convenience of telehealth services. Regain can also be used by individuals who don’t have a partner who are looking to improve their communication, or by folks in alternate types of relationships such as friends, siblings, coworkers, and more.
User Reviews
User reviews for Regain tend to be quite positive. Most reviews focus on how easy the service is to access and offer praise for the providers on the platform. However, negative reviews mainly focus on isolated issues with therapists and billing problems. Some users had difficulty with getting an account canceled or being charged more than they felt was correct.
Reviews from the Apple App Store | 4.7 out of 5 stars | 381 reviews
Positive reviews from the Apple App Store indicate that users tend to enjoy the convenience and accessibility of attending couples therapy easily from anywhere. Other users stated they saw real progress in their relationships and believed the service was incredibly valuable.
Negative reviews from the Apple App Store tend to be centered around isolated billing and therapist issues. Some felt that therapist availability was far too limited, and others ran into problems with ongoing billing, and felt that having to pay before being matched with a therapist was frustrating. Others felt that the therapist they were matched with wasn’t properly qualified.
Reviews from the Google Play Store | 4.5 out of 5 stars | 3.29k reviews
Positive reviews from the Google Play Store indicated that users tended to feel as though Regain was very beneficial to their lives and relationships and the convenience of accessing care from anywhere in the world was greatly appreciated.
Negative reviews from the Google Play Store consist mostly of complaints and issues about difficulty getting BetterHelp to cancel accounts. Some reviewers mentioned that they were still charged full price despite their therapists being late or not showing up to sessions.
Reviews from Trustpilot | 3.1 out of 5 stars | 264 reviews
Positive reviews from Trustpilot indicate that many users felt Regain was helpful and convenient for finding online couples counseling. As with other review sites, Trustpilot reviewers tended to focus on the progress they’d made and how convenient it was to access.
Negative reviews from Trustpilot were very similar to negative reviews on the app stores. Most negative reviews centered around pricing and difficulty getting an account canceled, as well as other billing-related issues. There are also complaints about unresponsive therapists.
Reviews from Reddit | r/Marriage, r/couplestherapy
Positive reviews from Reddit about Regain therapy are somewhat mixed but mostly positive. For every negative review of the platform, you can usually find a few positive or neutral thoughts that counter it. People tend to believe Regain is a decent platform, as long as you find a good therapist fit.
Negative reviews from Reddit about Regain mostly consist of complaints about individual therapists rather than the Regain platform as a whole. Based on this, it seems like people tend to think Regain is a good platform for couples therapy, but the experience may vary drastically depending on which therapist you’re working with.
Alternatives & Competitors
Regain is an excellent choice for online couples therapy. However, Talkspace for Couples might be a better choice if you have insurance that covers it. Relationship Hero is another good option for non-clinical relationship coaching, and Online-Therapy.com offers a ton of additional relationship resources and worksheets for improving communication and more.
Best for Insurance - Talkspace for Couples
Price: $436 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Therapy & Psychiatry: Yes
Regain and Talkspace are both popular online platforms for couples counseling, but they differ in key areas. Regain focuses exclusively on couples therapy, providing a dedicated space for partners to work through relationship challenges with licensed therapists. It offers a more affordable pricing structure but does not accept insurance.
Talkspace, on the other hand, provides couples counseling as part of its broader mental health services, making it ideal for partners who may also want individual therapy. Talkspace accepts many insurance plans and offers added flexibility with options for video, audio, and text-based sessions. While Regain’s strength lies in its relationship-specific focus, Talkspace stands out for its versatility and access to multiple therapeutic services.
To learn more, read our full Talkspace for Couples review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Makes couples therapy easy and convenient to access compared to in-person sessions
- Couples don’t have to be in the same place to attend sessions
- Live workshops and self-assessment tools are also available for free
- Couples can chat with their therapist in between sessions
- Those in non-romantic relationships are welcome to register, including co-workers, friends, and siblings
Cons - Can’t purchase individual sessions
- All session credits expire at the end of the month whether or not a session was completed
- User reports of therapists being often unreliable and frequently canceling appointments or leaving them unconfirmed
- App can be glitchy
Best for Relationship Coaching - Relationship Hero
Price: $80–$250 per session
Insurance Accepted: No
Therapy & Psychiatry: No
Relationship Hero provides relationship coaching, not therapy, focusing on practical strategies and advice for dating, breakups, and relationship improvement, with pay-per-minute or subscription-based coaching from trained relationship experts. Relationship Hero offers multiple packages, allowing users to choose a plan that aligns with their budget and coaching requirements.
To learn more, read our full Relationship Hero review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Over one hundred relationship coaches to choose from
- Zoom sessions can be accessed via app or through the online portal
- You can choose a coach with a price point that works for you
- Addresses potentially dangerous domestic violence situations in the onboarding process and provides emergency contact info
Cons - Does not accept insurance
- Exact cost of coaching isn’t available upon registration
- Not initially clear that you can choose a different coach than the one they recommend at registration
- Coaches are not licensed therapists
Best Relationship Resources - Online-therapy.com
Price: $48–$96 per week
Insurance Accepted: No
Therapy & Psychiatry: No
Online-Therapy.com is a self-guided online therapy platform that primarily uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help individuals and couples manage mental health and relationship challenges. It offers structured therapy programs, including worksheets, journal prompts, yoga/meditation videos, and unlimited messaging with therapists, with optional live video or chat sessions.
To learn more, read our full Online-Therapy.com review.
Pros & Cons
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
Why You Can Trust My Review
Overall, I felt that Regain offered my partner and me an accessible and relatively affordable platform for seeking couples therapy. I have confidence in the qualifications of Regain’s therapists, and the session was much more affordable than it would’ve been with traditional in-person couples counseling. Regain is owned by BetterHelp, of course, so if you have qualms with the parent company for some reason, Regain might not be for you.
History & News About Regain
- Year Founded: 2016
- Parent Company: BetterHelp
After three years of offering individual therapy on its main platform, BetterHelp founded its solution for couples therapy—Regain—in 2016. At that time, BetterHelp had multiple brands geared toward special populations such as teens and those seeking faith-based or LGBT-informed care. However, Regain is one of the only such brands to remain.
Regain and BetterHelp as a whole are no strangers to controversy. In 2023, BetterHelp faced a significant offense related to its privacy practices from 2017 to 2020, resulting in a $7.8 million fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).1 The offense centered around allegations that BetterHelp shared sensitive user data with third parties, including major companies like Meta (formerly Facebook) and Snapchat.
According to an official release by BetterHelp, the company shared encrypted email addresses with Facebook to optimize its marketing strategy between 2017 and 2020. BetterHelp claims that this is a standard marketing practice in the industry, however, the FTC alleges that BetterHelp should have been more clear in explaining this to its users.
When we reached out for information on this, BetterHelp reiterated that the company “does not and has never shared with advertisers, publishers, social media platforms, or any other similar third parties, private information such as members’ names or clinical data from therapy sessions.” Additionally, BetterHelp stated that they have never received compensation for sharing data.
BetterHelp released a statement to Choosing Therapy acknowledging they have worked with the FTC to reach these resolutions to the issue:
- Updated the BetterHelp privacy policy
- Told the advertising companies that received hashed, encrypted information was to be deleted
- Ceased sharing information with other companies for advertising
- Enhanced BetterHelp’s privacy program to better protect personal health information. An independent third party is auditing BetterHelp’s program to ensure information is being protected
Anyone can visit BetterHelp’s privacy policy for more details as to how BetterHelp handles user data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Regain Therapy Legit?
Yes, Regain is a legitimate online therapy platform that’s owned by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is one of the largest and most well-known services of its kind. Regain thoroughly vets and verifies all of its therapists and we personally recommend the platform.
How Does Regain Vet & Verify Its Therapists?
All therapists and counselors on Regain are licensed and accredited psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists. All professionals on Regain must have at least three years and 1,000 hours of hands-on experience.
According to BetterHelp – Regain’s parent company – counselors must provide proper licensure documentation and proof of identity when they apply. BetterHelp then cross-checks their licensure information with their respective state licensing boards. Additionally, BetterHelp requires each therapist or counselor to complete a case study exam to be graded by a licensed clinician and evaluated in a video interview.
How Do I Change Therapists on Regain?
To choose a new therapist on Regain, simply go to the Regain mobile app or website, log in, navigate to your account, and select “Change Therapist”. You will then see a selection of therapists from the directory and you can read profiles and choose someone that fits you better.
How Much Does Regain Therapy Cost?
Regain couples therapy costs between $70 to $100 per week (billed every four weeks), depending on your location. The monthly cost gives you and your partner a weekly session with a therapist, one webinar per week, and access to all the other features of the app. Regain does not accept insurance.
A few key facts about Regain couples therapy pricing:
- Regain does not accept insurance
- Regain’s standard price is $70 to $100 per week (billed every four weeks)
- Financial aid is available for people in times of financial hardship, potentially lowering the price by 10% – 40%
- You can use FSA or HSA to pay for Regain
- Your first month with BetterHelp is due upfront
- Choosing Therapy readers receive 20% off their first month at Regain
Does Regain Accept Insurance?
No. Regain does not accept insurance.
Can I Use My HSA/FSA for Regain?
Yes. You can use your FSA or HSA funds for mental health services offered by Regain. However, insurance plans differ, so you should check with your insurance provider to ensure couples therapy is an eligible expense.
How Do I Cancel My Regain Subscription?
To cancel your Regain account, log in to your Regain account, select “My Account” from the menu then “Payment Settings” and then you’ll see “Quit Therapy”. According to Regain, you must go back to the menu, click “My Account”, select “Personal Information” and then click on “Request Erasure”. Once this process is completed, you will receive a cancellation confirmation email from Regain.
Ensure you complete these steps for both yours and your partner’s Regain accounts.
If you have further questions about canceling your account, please contact BetterHelp at: [email protected].
Can I Pause My Regain Subscription?
Yes, you can pause your Regain subscription. You can choose to pause your account for two, four, or six weeks, which extends your payment date by that length of time. Unfortunately, you will not be able to message your therapist or book/attend sessions while your account is paused. If you want to, you can unpause your account early.
Does Regain Issue Refunds?
Regain offers refunds on a case-by-case basis and you must meet their criteria to receive a refund. You can email Regain at: [email protected] or call them directly: (844) 518-9559.
Is Regain HIPAA Compliant?
BetterHelp (Regain’s parent company) has policies that are consistent with HIPAA standards, however, the company does not state that it is compliant with HIPAA regulations. Prior to any sessions (messaging or live sessions), you will be required to sign a form agreeing to their privacy policies. To read more, please visit BetterHelp’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All of the therapists on the BetterHelp platform have HIPAA obligations under their licensure. The therapists on BetterHelp also have robust requirements mandated by BetterHelp’s Data Processing Agreement. However, BetterHelp is technically not regulated by HIPAA because they are not a “covered entity” under the statute.
When people ask about HIPAA, most often they are concerned about their privacy and security. To that end, BetterHelp has implemented a robust set of privacy and security policies and technology solutions, including:
- State-of-the-art technology, operations, and infrastructure with the goal of protecting your privacy and safeguarding the information you provide
- Messages between you and your therapist are secured and encrypted by banking-grade 256-bit encryption. Additionally, you can always select the “Remove Message” button to remove messages that you’ve sent to your therapist.
- Databases are encrypted and scrambled so they essentially become useless in the unlikely event that they are stolen or compromised.
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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Neporent, L. (2023, March 6). BetterHelp mental health app faces $7.8m FTC fine for sharing private user data. Psychiatrist.com. Retrieved from: https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/Regain-mental-health-app-faces-7-8m-ftc-fine-for-sharing-private-user-data/
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, M.S. (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated article to new style format. Fact-checked and edited entire article for improved readability and clarity, and reviewed recent Apple and Google reviews to update user ratings. Updated pricing for Regain (from $260 – $360 monthly to $70 to $100 per week (billed every 4 weeks).
Author: Matthew Church, M.S. (No change)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated user reviews for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Updated for clarity and fact-checked for accuracy.
Author: Matthew Church, M.S. (No change)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Revised answer about HIPAA-compliance in FAQ to better reflect BetterHelp policy.
Author: Matthew Church, M.S. (New author)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (New medical reviewer)
Primary Changes: Full rewrite of article with new rankings, new awards, and rework of companies represented. Updated for clarity and fact-checked for accuracy. New content was written by Matthew Church, MS, and medically reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Added review summary and features.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated costs throughout.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Full reassessment of ReGain; Updated all sections; Fact-checked costs; Updated screenshots/images; Removed discount chart; Added Summary table at the end
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA
Reviewer: Rajy Abulhosn, M.D.
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