SonderMind is a platform offering online therapy and psychiatry nationwide. Its main focus is on providing mental healthcare to people who want to use their insurance plans, as it helps therapists get credentialed with more providers so they can offer care without worrying about billing.
SonderMind’s network includes more than 12,000 mental healthcare providers, and its app is convenient for users looking to find a therapist or psychiatrist who takes their insurance.
SonderMind at a Glance
Cost: Varies by provider & insurance plan
Insurance accepted: Yes
Medication available: Yes
Pros & Cons
Pros - In-network with most major insurance plans
- Offers both therapy and medication
- Convenient app with extra mindfulness features
- Message your providers through the app any time
Cons - Cash pay prices are not listed on therapist’s profiles
- Customer service is slow
Preview SonderMind
SonderMind makes it easy to find a therapist or medication prescriber who is in-network with your insurance plan. Sign up by responding to a few prompts about what type of provider you’re looking for, your name and contact information, and your insurance provider if you plan on using it. You can do this on your web browser on your computer or phone, or by using SonderMind’s app, which I found to be quite user-friendly.
When I found a therapist through SonderMind, I was able to sign up within about 10 minutes and I saw my therapist five days later. I like that everything was easy to navigate or change within the app, and that the app had a few extra features, like guided meditations and goal-setting with the help of an AI chatbot.
SonderMind could be a great choice for many people looking for online mental healthcare, especially for those looking to use their insurance for either therapy or medication (or both). If SonderMind isn’t in-network with your insurance plan, we recommend checking out Brightside Health or Grow Therapy for both therapy and psychiatry. Brightside uses a monthly subscription format, while Grow acts more as a directory where you can choose your own provider(s).
Detailed Review of SonderMind
SonderMind is a full-service mental health app, offering insurance-based therapy, psychiatry, and extra features like meditations and an AI chatbot to help with goal setting and tracking. I found that SonderMind made it incredibly easy to sign up and get started seeing a therapist right away.
Review our scoring criteria for online therapy platforms here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Therapist Matching
SonderMind’s directory is automatically personalized with results that fit your state and insurance plan after you fill out some basic information and create an account. I didn’t love that I couldn’t see my therapist options before giving SonderMind my phone number and email address and setting up an account—what if I didn’t find someone in my state who took my insurance who felt like a good fit? You must also add your insurance and payment information before you’re allowed to schedule an appointment, though this seems reasonable to me.
When I signed up, I included in the “additional preferences” text box that I would prefer a queer therapist, and I appreciated that the top populated options were self-identified queer therapists. However, I was a bit surprised to see that there were only eight therapists listed as potential options for me. This may be because I selected cash-pay and it focuses on insurance credentialing, but there was no way for me to go back and see what my options were if I selected an insurance plan.
I selected my top option (who truly did seem like the best choice out of the therapists listed, so points there!), then booked an appointment directly from her profile. Within an hour or so, she had messaged me saying she wasn’t available at the time I booked but gave me a few other options, and in the end I had a therapy appointment scheduled for five days after I reached out.
Online Therapy Sessions
My online session with SonderMind went smoothly, and joining was as simple as clicking a button on the client dashboard. My therapist was about three minutes late, but once on we had no issues with either sound or video quality through its platform. I felt the therapist was a great match for my needs, as she was able to talk to me about her professional experience helping clients with issues similar to mine. She asked several great questions about my preferences for therapy, like whether I wanted her to self-disclose, what types of therapy I’ve tried (and what I liked and didn’t like about each), and what I felt like wasn’t helpful from my previous therapy experiences so she could calibrate around what I was looking for.
She was responsive and also a good listener, and was totally open to my preferences as far as how often we meet, what we want to focus on together, and whether or not I wanted homework for the goals we talked about working toward together.
At the 50-minute mark, we were naturally at a good stopping point (she timed the session quite well), and we then each looked at our schedules to book a next session.
Immediately after our session, I got an email from SonderMind with a three-question quiz to fill out asking about the therapeutic alliance between my therapist and me. The three points were, “In the session, we discussed the things most important to me,” “I feel understood and respected by my provider,” and “I understand and agree with my treatment plan.” I felt a little overwhelmed getting an email asking me to fill out more forms right after having an intake session, but those three questions all felt like really good baselines for determining therapist fit, so I didn’t mind.
Medication Management
SonderMind’s medication services work largely similarly to its therapy platform, and it has providers available nationwide through insurance and cash-pay. When I selected that I was interested in psychiatry in the SonderMind app just to see how it worked and navigate around the platform, I was notified that two different prescribers would reach out to me within the next 2–3 business days, or I could choose from three more options if I preferred.
I had a call come in from a prescriber the next day (which I ignored, oops!), and when I didn’t return the call, I was automatically scheduled for an appointment with that provider for a week later. I cancelled that appointment as I don’t need medication management at this time, but I thought it was interesting that it was automatically scheduled. Since you may have to pay if you don’t cancel within 24 hours, you may want to make sure you pay attention to any notifications you get and be aware of any sessions that may get scheduled on your behalf.
It is unclear whether SonderMind providers can prescribe controlled substances (like Adderall for ADHD or benzodiazepines like Xanax and Klonopin for certain kinds of anxiety), so be sure to ask your provider directly if you suspect you may need these types of medication.
Additional Features
The SonderMind app also offers a few extra features, including a goal-setting tab with an AI chatbot to help you determine some goals, as well as use the tool as a journaling space to track your moods and see what progress you’ve made toward your goals. There are also a couple of mindfulness tools, including guided meditations and breathing exercises and calming sounds with titles like “Serene Dream,” “Carefree,” and “Let It Glide.”
SonderMind also just launched a few more AI features to help with therapy session notes and goals. These include a note-taking feature for therapists, plus session prep and session Takeaways for clients to be able to focus their goals for sessions beforehand and know what to work on between appointments.
SonderMind Cost & Insurance
It’s incredibly difficult to determine what cash-pay prices will be when you sign up for therapy on SonderMind, as I didn’t see these rates listed on the therapist profiles I looked through. If you’re planning on paying with cash, you should message your provider to determine this cost.
SonderMind is in-network with most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and United Healthcare. It also states that users can utilize FSA, HSA, EAP, and some Medicare plans.
Note that if you cancel a therapy session within 24 hours, you may be subject to a cancellation fee of up to the full cash-pay amount of your therapy session.
User Reviews for SonderMind
Most users of SonderMind seem to have great experiences with their therapists and medication prescribers, though there seems to be a common problem of having issues with billing and slow customer service.
Reviews from the Apple App Store - 4.7 out of 5 stars | 8.3K reviews
There are very few written positive reviews on the Apple App store, but it appears that most users are quite satisfied with the services they’ve received, considering the high rating overall. Negative comments mentioned issues with the app glitching during therapy sessions, problems with billing, and therapists not responding or missing sessions.
Reviews from the Google Play Store - 4.6 out of 5 stars | 1.4K reviews
Most reviews on the Google Play store are positive toward the therapists themselves, but comment on issues with the app. Apparently, a common problem on Android is that you have to log in over and over again. Other reviewers mention issues with billing—copays being changed, estimates being much lower than actual costs, and lack of responses with customer service.
Reviews from Trustpilot - 4.2 out of 5 stars | 1.2K reviews
Many reviewers on Trustpilot have had great luck finding therapists who are a good fit for their needs. Many positive reviews mention how much their therapist has helped them, and that scheduling through the app is easy. All the negative comments that I read through are regarding billing issues and customer service: A few reviewers mention being overcharged with no response when they email customer service. And since there’s no phone number to call, people are stuck sending several emails and hoping for a response.
Reviews from the Better Business Bureau - 3.02 out of 5 stars | >280 reviews
The reviews on BBB match those on Trustpilot: Many report having excellent experiences with therapists, while many others complain about being charged for appointments that didn’t happen, being quoted one copay and actually billed a higher one, etc. Several also report that customer service took several days to respond to their emails.
Alternatives & Competitors
While SonderMind could be a great option for finding insurance-based care, it’s not your only option. If you prefer a subscription-based plan for therapy, psychiatry, or both, Brightside Health is a great choice. If your main concern is psychiatry, Talkiatry is our top pick, as it offers longer appointment times with highly focused experts. If SonderMind doesn’t take your insurance, try Grow Therapy.
Brightside Health
Price: $45–$349 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Medication Available: Yes
We like that Brightside Health offers several different subscription options depending on your mental health needs. Choose from just therapy, just medication, or both for a bundled rate. It also offers a specific care plan for teens in 39 states (and counting) and a Suicide Prevention plan for those needing really hands-on care.
Learn more in our thorough Brightside Health review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts most insurance, including some Medicare & Medicaid
- Free assessment before subscribing
- Specialty programs for teens, Suicide Prevention, & more
Cons - Customer service can be slow
- Shorter appointment times
Talkiatry
Price: ~$30 copay per session
Insurance Accepted: Yes (exclusively)
Medication Available: Yes
Talkiatry is our #1 choice for those needing medication management, as it offers longer appointment times with specialized psychiatrists. In many states, providers on Talkiatry can also prescribe controlled substances, like Adderall for ADHD and benzodiazepines like Xanax for anxiety. It is completely insurance-based, so those looking for cash-pay options will need to look elsewhere. Plus, while therapy is available on the platform, it’s only offered to those enrolled in psychiatry.
Learn more in our Talkiatry review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts most major insurance plans
- Longer appointment times
- Treats all ages 5+
Cons - No cash-pay option
- No weekend appointments
Grow Therapy
Price: $75–$250+ per session
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Medication Available: Yes
If you want to choose your own therapist from a large directory, Grow Therapy is one of our favorite options. It accepts the most insurance plans we’ve seen, and you can filter for providers in your state by your insurance, ages treated, specialty, identity, and availability. Signing up takes less than 10 minutes, then you can sort through providers until you find one who feels like a good fit.
Learn more in our full Grow Therapy review.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts the most insurance plans we’ve seen
- Find in-person or online providers
- Services available for all ages
Cons - Cash-pay costs vary by provider
Why You Can Trust My Review
“I’ve spent well over a year spending all my working hours testing and reviewing online therapy and psychiatry platforms, as well as mental health apps. Since SonderMind is all three of these things, I am in a unique position to be able to compare its offerings to what else is out there in the mental health world right now. I think SonderMind could be a great option for online therapy or psychiatry if you’re using your insurance, but I thought it was a bit of a red flag that cash-pay prices weren’t listed anywhere. If you plan on using SonderMind and paying out-of-pocket, be sure to message your provider(s) beforehand about what you’ll pay.”
History & News About Sondermind
Year Founded: 2014
Publicly Traded? No
Founders: Mark Frank (CEO) and Sean Boyd (former co-CEO)
Headquarters Location: Denver, CO
Mark Frank and Sean Boyd teamed up to found SonderMind in 2014, after Frank saw his mental health clinician sister have issues with insurance billing and patient acquisition. Boyd was a therapist himself, and also had entrepreneurial and leadership experience, while Frank had experience with the business side of healthcare. Boyd left his co-CEO position in 2016.1
As of April 2025, SonderMind expanded its reach from only 15 states to nationwide availability for therapy and psychiatry services available in 44 states.2 It launched its user-facing app in 2024 to increase patient ease, and it acquired several other mental health companies over the years, including Qntfy, Total Brain, and Mindstrong. It has raised $183 million in funding since its founding.
In September of 2025, SonderMind officially launched its AI notetaking feature for therapists, stating that 88% of its clinicians use it and find it to cut down on their note-taking time by a significant amount. This is part of its broader mission to find ways to integrate AI into its services, including its chatbot on the client-facing app.
