Best Online Psychiatry

When Georgia Gaveras, DO, and Robert Krayn founded Talkiatry in 2020, they did so with the vision of “improving psychiatric care for both patients and clinicians.” After all, they would know. Dr. Gaveras is a triple board-certified psychiatrist in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and addiction medicine. Krayn, after a traumatic home invasion, tried to see an available in-network psychiatrist but couldn’t find one. Not only did he have to pay out of pocket, but he also found visits with his psychiatrist confusing. 

At Talkiatry, patients have access to both psychiatric and therapy services, though the therapy services are only accessible if you get a referral from your Talkiatry psychiatrist; the company is primarily a psychiatric practice, with hundreds of providers.

The practice treats a range of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Patients start by filling out a free assessment so Talkiatry can determine if it can treat them. As long as you’re 5 years old or older, you may be eligible for Talkiatry’s services. 

Once accepted, patients may find it helpful to download Healow, an app that helps you book appointments, message your provider (patients can expect to hear back within 48 hours), view your health records, and attend virtual visits. Initial appointments are 60 minutes and follow-up visits are 30 minutes.

Of the 105 users we surveyed, 95% rated Talkiatry as excellent, very good, or good overall. Specifically, 89% of users rated Talkiatry’s psychiatry and medication management offerings good, very good or excellent. Most users, 76%, reported being prescribed medication after two to four visits with their provider. In addition, 86% of users rated their provider's qualifications positively, and 85% rated their provider's bedside manner positively. Finally, 78% said they would recommend Talkiatry’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Prices at Talkiatry depend on your insurance. You can use Talkiatry’s filtering tool to learn if the company accepts your insurance. Talkiatry doesn’t accept Medicaid, but does accept Medicare. 

There are no free consultations, but you can get a free assessment to determine if Talkiatry can treat you.

Brightside Health specializes in treating many types of depression in adults, including major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder, as well as conditions which are associated with depressive disorders, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, insomnia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. 

After filling out a free assessment that includes clinically reviewed questions, you receive a personalized treatment plan. Brightside patients have access to live video sessions, unlimited messaging, skill-building lessons, and weekly check-ins where your provider tracks your progress and can adjust medication if needed. The company has three approaches to its services: medication, therapy, or a combination of medication and therapy. According to its own stats, 86% of its patients feel better within 12 weeks.  

Brightside wants its services to be accessible and that’s why it accepts insurance, offers out-of-pocket prices at a more affordable rate (and you can use your credit card), and also accepts HSA and FSA funds.

Overall, 90% of our users rated Brightside Health as excellent, very good, or good, and 93% of users rated the company’s psychiatry and medication management services as excellent, very good, or good. Our users reported that most of the prescribers, 60%, were psychiatrists. When it came to psychiatric assessment, 69% of users said they completed a form documenting their medical history, 29% underwent medical testing, and 26% underwent a mental status examination. Overall, 81% of users said Brightside Health’s psychiatry and medication management services were an improvement compared to similar services they’d tried in the past, and 83% said they would recommend it to a friend.

Brightside offers three subscription plan options: 

• Medication: Insurance copays or $95/month 
• Therapy: Insurance copays or $299/month 
• Medication and therapy: Insurance copays or $349/month

Brightside accepts insurance, health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) payments, and out-of-pocket payments. A free assessment is available, but there are no free consultations.

Monument was co-founded by Mike Russell, who struggled for years with his drinking. It offers a comprehensive approach for people who want to quit alcohol or cut back, arming them with medication, therapy, therapist-moderated support groups, and other tools. Patients are matched with a licensed therapist and physician who are with them while they follow their alcohol treatment plan. Each patient meets with their therapist virtually every week or every other week for an hour, depending on their Monument plan. Sessions are potentially available at night and on the weekend.  

People who want to use Monument must be 18 years or older. But minors can access some of Monument’s resources for free: therapist-moderated support groups, an anonymous 24/7 online alcohol support forum, and expert resources to learn more about alcohol dependence. 

If you’re not sure if Monument accepts your insurance, you can send the company your insurance details and it will let you know within 24 hours if you are covered. There are three plans; with the most expensive one, patients have access to 45-minute weekly therapy sessions, unlimited physician appointments, medication management, and unlimited chat with their physician and therapist. 

The second tier has the same features, except you only meet with your therapist twice a month. The least expensive plan doesn’t include therapy appointments and you can only see a physician once, but you can pay for more doctor appointments at $45 apiece. Patients do have medication options with this plan, plus unlimited chats with their doctor.

In our survey, 78% of users rated Monument as excellent, very good, or good, and 75% rated its psychiatry and medication management services as excellent, very good, or good. Further, 27% of users reported their provider prescribed them medication after only one visit, 37% after two visits, and 29% after three or four visits. When it came to rating their providers, 69% of users viewed their qualifications positively, and 74% rated their bedside manner positively. Overall, 65% of users said they would recommend Monument’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Monument offers three subscription plans: 

• Physician care: $10/month + $45 initial onboarding fee 
• Total care (biweekly): Includes biweekly sessions with a therapist, $149/month 
• Total care (weekly): Includes weekly therapy sessions, $249/month 

Monument accepts several insurance plans and is in-network with Medicaid and Medicare depending on the state. FSA/HSA payments are also accepted. There are no free consultations, but a free alcohol use assessment is available after registering.

The founders of Wellnite both suffered from anxiety and depression and struggled to afford mental health services. They founded Wellnite to help people like them access high-quality mental healthcare without breaking the bank. Wellnite treats multiple disorders, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, ADHD, substance use, bipolar disorder, and OCD. Its psychiatrists and therapists can also help patients navigate career, family/relationship, and anger issues, and grief, and provide support to LGBTQIA+ individuals. 

To access Wellnite’s services, start with the free initial consultation, where Wellnite will match you with a therapist. Minors can use Wellnite, but they need consent from their parents or guardians to initiate treatment. Wellnite offers a variety of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness therapy, feminist therapy, and EMDR. It isn’t just for individual therapy; Wellnite also provides family and couples therapy. 

You can choose between three plans at Wellnite: therapy only, medical care only, or a combination of both. The combination plan offers one doctor consultation per month, access to wholesale pricing on any mental health medication and free delivery, two 30-minute therapy sessions or one 60-minute session, and access to member support seven days a week. The medical care plan offers the same except it does not include the therapy sessions. 

While Wellnite accepts some insurance plans (PPO only), Wellnite also offers a sliding fee scale. During your initial consultation, tell the onboarding specialist that you’d like to know about the sliding scale options.

In our survey, 80% of users rated Wellnite good, very good, or excellent, and 75% rated its psychiatry and medication management services good, very good, or excellent. In all, 81% of users rated their prescriber’s qualifications positively and 78% rated their prescriber’s bedside manner positively. Compared to other services they’d used in the past, 61% of users rated Wellnite as an improvement. Overall, 78% of users said they would recommend Wellnite’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Wellnite offers three subscription plans: 

• Medical care: $95/month, charged biweekly; one doctor consultation per month and wholesale pricing on mental health medications
• Medical care + therapy: $245/month, charged monthly; one doctor consultation and either one 60-minute therapy session or two 30-minute therapy sessions per month, as well as wholesale pricing and free delivery on mental health medications
• Therapy: $450/month, charged monthly; choice of six 30-minute therapy sessions, four 45-minute therapy sessions, or three 60-minute therapy sessions per month

Wellnite accepts insurance, offering reimbursement with PPO plans starting at $38 biweekly. It also has sliding scale options for those paying out of pocket, and a free online consultation.

Founded in 2013, Doctor on Demand is a 24/7 virtual healthcare provider staffed with doctors and therapists. That means not only do you have the option to be prescribed mood stabilizers and antidepressants (though Doctor on Demand can’t provide controlled substances), a therapist can be available to support you as you go through the emotional rollercoaster that is postpartum depression, as well as other psychiatric disorders.

Patients should register on Doctor on Demand’s website. It’ll ask for your insurance information, a payment method, and why you want to be seen. Then you can schedule an appointment. Once registered, you can visit the home page and click “Mental Health” and take a free assessment. Patients can use Doctor on Demand’s app to schedule appointments with its psychiatrists and therapists. Appointments are available seven days a week and you pay for sessions on a per-visit basis. You can also access urgent care services every day of the week.

In our survey, 94% of users rated Doctor on Demand’s mental health services as good, very good, or excellent. When it came to the company’s psychiatry and medication management services, 84% of users rated them good, very good, or excellent. Users reported 48% of prescribers were psychiatrists, 28% were psychiatric nurse practitioners, and 21% were non-psychiatrist MDs. Most users, 75%, were prescribed medication after only one or two visits. An impressive 90% of users rated their prescriber’s qualifications positively. In all, 81% of users said their experience with Doctor on Demand’s psychiatry and medication management services was better than other services they’d tried in the past and that they would recommend the service to a friend.

Appointment costs based on type of service:

• Medical: $79 for a 15-minute consultation with a board-certified clinician
• Mental health: $129 for a 25-minute consultation, $179 for a 50-minute consultation
• Psychiatry: $299 for 45-minute initial consultation, $129 for 15-minute subsequent consultations

Doctor on Demand accepts most insurance plans and HSA/FSA payment. Medicare Part B is accepted, but Part A isn’t. Medicare Advantage may be accepted depending on your plan. There are no free consultations, but a free assessment is available once you register.

Thriveworks offers affordable psychiatrist and therapy services online. Thriveworks prides itself on only hiring the top 4% of providers so it can offer a quality experience for its patients.  However, not all its locations can provide psychiatric services and medication management. 

Patients can view psychiatrists’ profiles and schedule appointments with them online. Sessions range from 50 to 60 minutes and new clients usually meet with their provider within three to five days after signing up. Thriveworks offers sessions outside the traditional 9 to 5 schedule with nighttime and weekend appointments. It also has a support team available seven days a week. Self-pay sessions can be as low as $99 each, but Thriveworks may also waive payment if a patient is unable to pay.

Overall, 90% of our users rated Thriveworks as excellent, very good, or good. And virtually everyone reported having a positive experience using Thriveworks’ psychiatry and medication management services, with 98% of users rating it excellent, very good, or good and 93% saying they would recommend the service to a friend. Thriveworks’ psychiatry and medication management services also compared well to other services, with 76% of users reporting it was an improvement on similar services they’d tried in the past. In addition, 90% of users rated their provider's bedside manner positively and 88% rated their provider's qualifications positively.

Prices will vary, depending on insurance, but Thriveworks also has affordable self-pay rates starting at $99 per session. Thriveworks accepts insurance plans such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, and more. You can search for an office near you to find out if your insurance is accepted. It also accepts Medicaid, though no providers are in-network with Medicaid; some providers may accept Medicare. It doesn’t accept FSA/HSA funds, and there are no free consultations or assessments.

Ro Mind knows SAD (formerly known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern) isn’t a joke. After filling out a comprehensive mental health evaluation, patients have access to a video session with a provider within 48 hours. The provider will go over your medical and psychiatric history, discuss your symptoms, and come up with an appropriate treatment plan.

Patients have access to medication to treat SAD, but providers can’t prescribe controlled substances. Medication can be delivered to your door with free two-day shipping or you can pick it up at a designated pharmacy. 

You have access to three virtual sessions with your provider every month and you can message them anytime and receive a response within 48 hours during working hours. Patients can also access mental healthcare when their provider isn’t available with Ro Mind’s pre-recorded educational videos that teach coping skills. New content is regularly provided so you can learn new skills and improve your mental health. While Ro Mind doesn’t accept insurance, its rates are very affordable.

Overall, 90% of our users rated Ro Mind as excellent, very good, or good, but only 77% of users rated Ro Mind’s psychiatry and medication management services as excellent, very good, or good. Users reported prescribers as a mix of psychiatrists (22%), psychiatric nurse practitioners (28%), other MDs (30%), and physician’s assistants (17%). Overall, 72% of users rated their prescriber qualifications positively and 74% of users rated their prescriber's bedside manner positively. Finally, 69% of users said they would recommend Ro Mind’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

A Ro Mind membership costs $15 for the first month, then $85 a month for all subsequent months. RoMind doesn’t accept insurance or offer any free assessments or consultations.

Headway is a directory that lets patients easily find psychiatrists who accept their insurance. To begin your search for a provider, you first enter your state of residence. You can also enter your diagnosis or area of concern and your insurance provider, but these are not required to begin your search. Once the list of potential providers in your state pops up, you can then filter for those who offer medication management services. Other useful search filters include availability, reason for treatment, gender and ethnicity of psychiatrist, and languages spoken. You can also choose to only view providers who offer a free, short consultation to determine if they will be a good match. Providers list their next availability and personality characteristics like “affirming” or “open-minded.” However, psychiatric care is only currently available in 15 states and Washington DC.  

Each provider lists which insurance companies they accept, and you can click on “Get exact price” and enter your name and insurance details to see what your actual copay will be before booking. After selecting a therapist, you can schedule an appointment with them directly on the Headway website, and Headway will facilitate the processing of your insurance claims. Headway works with over 30 different insurance companies, including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Oxford, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

In our survey of directory users, 83% said their overall experience with Headway was good or very good, and 82% said the website was easy or very easy to navigate. Overall, 62% of users said they were able to find a provider who met all of their needs using Headway, and 64% said they were still using the provider they found through the service. Finally, 72% of users said they were satisfied with the provider options listed in the directory.

The cost of treatment will vary depending upon the psychiatrist and your insurance. Headway only lists providers who accept insurance, but providers don’t accept Medicaid or Medicare. Headway states the average cost of therapy when booking through its website is a $20 to $50 per-session insurance copay.

Mindful Care offers a slew of services, including psychiatric services, therapy services (both individual and group therapy), and substance abuse counseling. Mindful Care is one of the few online health companies that accepts psychiatric patients ages 12 and older. However, only adult patients are accepted for its therapy services and substance use counseling.

To get started, sign up for an appointment and Mindful Care will get back to you within 24 hours to schedule and confirm your visit. Appointments are available Sunday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mindful Care is flexible for those with varying insurance situations as it accepts most commercial health plans, along with Medicare, Medicaid, and managed plans. 

All new patients must enter into a 12-week urgent care plan, which consists of five appointments. You’ll work with a psychiatrist to stabilize your symptoms and come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Mindful Care can’t prescribe controlled substances except for buprenorphine for patients in its Mindful Recovery program. There are three treatment timelines: Mindful Care (specializes in medication management and therapeutic services), Urgent Care, and Continued Care.

Our user survey found that people were generally impressed with the care they received through Mindful Care: 92% of clients rated the company good, very good, or excellent overall and 91% rated its psychiatry and medication management services good, very good, or excellent. When rating their providers, 82% felt their qualifications were good, very good, or excellent, and 84% felt their bedside manner was good, very good, or excellent. Overall, 86% of users said they would recommend Mindful Care’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Online psychiatry at Mindful Care ranges from $49 to $300 per month. Mindful Care accepts insurance and is in-network with most major insurance carriers. It also accepts Medicaid and Medicare. Mindful Care offers three treatment timelines: Mindful Care, Urgent Care, and Continued Care. Free evaluations are available.

LiveHealth Online only staffs board-certified psychiatrists. Psychiatry can be hard to conduct online, but LiveHealth Online’s psychiatrists are trained in successfully meeting with patients online and addressing their needs. Its psychiatrists can help come up with a treatment plan for your anxiety, including medication management. However, its doctors can’t prescribe controlled substances. 

All you need to do is sign up, browse through LiveHealth Online’s doctor profiles, and choose a psychiatrist that’s best for you. In addition to treating anxiety, LiveHealth Online’s providers are  qualified to treat stress, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, medication concerns, panic attacks, and PTSD. Psychiatrists are available days, nights, or weekends, though it can take up to two weeks to get an appointment. Most appointments are 45 minutes long.

Overall, 90% of users we surveyed reported that their experience with LiveHealth Online was good, very good, or excellent, and 87% of users rated its psychiatry and medication management services positively. When asked if they would recommend the service to a friend, 77% said it was likely or very likely they would. Forty-five percent of users said they met with their provider twice before being prescribed medication, and 30% after three or four appointments, while only 14% said it was after one appointment. Overall, 89% of users rated their prescriber’s qualifications positively.

If you’re paying out-of-pocket, it costs $75 for your initial visit, and $175 for follow-up visits. LiveHealth Online accepts insurance, including Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Blue Medicare Advantage, CareMore, Unicare, Empire BlueCross, and BlueShieldHealth Plus; Simply HealthCare Plans insurance accepts Medicare and Medicaid. It doesn’t accept FSA/HSA funds or offer free consultations or assessments.