Best Online Therapy for Anxiety

Talkspace offers talk therapy and psychiatry and medication management services via its 3,000 mental health professionals, including counselors, licensed therapists, and psychiatrists who specialize in anxiety. In fact, from the get-go, you can tell Talkspace that you are “feeling anxious or panicky” in the very first step of the sign-up process, guaranteeing that Talkspace will connect you with a provider with expertise in treating these symptoms. Its platform is user-friendly and professional help is accessible thanks to its variety of session options, such as therapy chat sessions—which might feel more comfortable to those experiencing extreme anxiety than a video or phone call.

Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose which pricing tier, therapy type, and qualified mental health expert suits you. Talkspace also offers couples therapy, allowing you to address your anxiety in the context of your relationship, as well as teen therapy, where your teen can address their anxiety symptoms with a provider who specializes in adolescent issues. Talkspace is also one of the few online therapy platforms that accept insurance, taking the worry of being able to afford therapy out of the equation for those with accepted insurance plans. These services make Talkspace the most comprehensive anxiety treatment available online.

Talkspace offers individual therapy for teens and adults, couples counseling, and psychiatry, including medication management. Its qualified mental health professionals hold at least a master’s degree and have had a minimum of 3,000 hours of clinical experience. Additionally, many are experienced in anxiety as well as phobias, mood disorders, and depression, which often crop up in conjunction with anxiety. 

Therapy types offered by Talkspace include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, person-centered therapy, mindfulness therapy, psychodynamic therapy, trauma-focused therapy, and more. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is considered a gold-standard treatment for anxiety, as it focuses on identifying negative and harmful thought patterns and reframing them in a healthier and more constructive way. This allows people with anxiety to confront their anxiety head-on and develop useful coping skills for when anxiety rears its ugly head.

Depending on the subscription plan you choose, through Talkspace’s platform, you can access your chosen mental health provider via text, live video, live audio, voice messaging, or live chat sessions, and also have access to live workshops. Within a few days of signing up, you’ll be scheduled for your first session with a therapist chosen for you by a qualified professional based on your intake (where you can specify that you are struggling with anxiety). 

You can also receive medication management through Talkspace’s psychiatry sessions. For some individuals with anxiety, Talkspace’s comprehensive approach that offers both medication and psychotherapy may be very beneficial.

Talkspace is one of the few online therapy providers that accept insurance. However, even without insurance, there are a range of subscription plans and options that can suit various budgets. 

You can choose from the following: 

• Therapy via messaging: Unlimited text, video, or audio messaging for $69 per week or $276 per month
• Live therapy: Weekly 45-minute sessions (four per month) plus messaging for $99 per week or $396 per month
• Live messaging and live therapy: Live text, video, or audio messaging and weekly 45-minute sessions (four per month) for $129 per week or $516 per month; this plan also includes live workshops
• Teen therapy (for ages 13 to 17): Text, audio, or messaging for $260 monthly; no live sessions available
• Couples therapy: Unlimited text, video, or audio messaging and four live therapy sessions per month for $109 per week or $436 per month
• Psychiatry: $249 for the initial visit and $125 for follow-up sessions

Talkspace does not offer free consultations, but it does provide free mental health screenings that can help you better understand your symptoms.

Of the 105 users of Talkspace who we surveyed, 91% rated the company as good, very good, or excellent overall, and 92% felt the same about the qualifications of the therapists found at this company. Fifty-five percent of Talkspace users reached out specifically for treatment for anxiety, speaking to how well Talkspace is able to address those symptoms. With this in mind, it makes sense that 82% of our surveyed users would recommend Talkspace to a friend or someone like them.

One of our reviewers of Talkspace was especially impressed with its accessibility, noting that “at Talkspace, you can get access to a provider within a day or two after signing up,” which “can be a huge benefit to users in therapy deserts, or areas where there are few to no accessible mental health professionals.”

Brightside offers a simple approach to therapy to treat anxiety; online psychotherapy, medication therapy, or both via a monthly subscription that is covered by many insurance plans. Though it doesn’t offer teen or couples counseling, Brightside does have licensed therapists with expertise in many forms of anxiety, including generalized anxiety, postpartum anxiety, social anxiety, agoraphobia, and panic disorders. 

The fact that Brightside accepts insurance sets it apart from most other online therapy companies—and even without insurance, its straightforward pricing is on par with other online therapy options. Most users appreciate convenient features such as a symptom tracker, which can help you monitor your progress with your anxiety symptoms as you proceed with therapy, and data-driven prescription technology, which guarantees that you’ll receive the type of medication that works best for you. 

Brightside provides adult therapy and psychiatry, specializing in anxiety and depression but also offering therapy for PTSD, postpartum depression, insomnia, OCD, and more. That makes Brightside a great choice for people who are dealing with more than one mental health condition. All of Brightside’s therapists are licensed and hold at least a master’s degree. Professional credentials include board-certified physicians, licensed therapists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Its therapists use a version of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an evidence-based treatment that has been proven especially effective for anxiety. You can also choose psychiatry sessions that include medication management. 

A professional will conduct your intake and pair you with a therapist based on your responses and geographic location. Once you are paired with your therapist, which can be as soon as the next day, you can schedule a live session. Live sessions occur via video, with unlimited messaging also available for contacting your therapist between sessions. If you are prescribed medication by a Brightside psychiatrist, its proprietary software, PrecisionRx, will help your prescriber analyze your needs to make a research-backed choice on which medication may be safest and most effective for you. Through the patient dashboard, you can keep track of symptoms and medication adjustments.

Brightside accepts insurance in addition to its weekly and monthly out-of-pocket prices, which are still more affordable than other online platforms, especially in psychiatry. You can choose from three subscription options: 

• Therapy: Four 45-minute live video sessions per month and unlimited messaging for $299
• Medication: $95 monthly plus $15 per medication or your insurance’s pharmacy copay rate; includes free home delivery 
• Therapy + medication: $349 monthly plus $15 per medication or your insurance’s pharmacy copay rate

The fact that these subscription plans are covered by most major insurance companies makes Brightside our pick for best online anxiety treatment with insurance.

In addition, Brightside does offer a free online consultation.

A notable 60% of the 105 Brightside users we surveyed sought treatment with this company specifically for anxiety, speaking to its unique expertise in this condition. Eighty-nine percent of users rated Brightside as good, very good, or excellent overall, and 86% felt the same about their therapist’s qualifications. Thirty-five percent of users told us they’d still be using Brightside’s services in six months’ time, and 30% thought they’d still be seeing their Brightside therapist in one year.

One of our reviewers was especially impressed with the quality of care she received at Brightside, reporting that “both therapists I met with offered outstanding care, which likely has to do with their ten years of experience.” She felt that “they were kind and responsive, and my first therapist used the chat feature accessible in the portal to send me helpful worksheets on issues we had discussed after our session”—a between-session resource that someone battling with anxiety might find especially helpful.

Amwell is a reputable telemedicine platform that partners with many major insurance companies and offers reasonable out-of-pocket rates to make therapy and psychiatry services to treat anxiety accessible and affordable. Amwell has a wide array of therapists and psychiatrists who specialize in anxiety, ensuring that you will find a provider who can specifically help you with your anxiety symptoms.

Its flat-rate pricing plan, applicable per-session rather than as an ongoing subscription, can be convenient for those not looking for regular counseling, and it is comparatively affordable compared to other online platforms. Its intuitive platform makes signing up, scheduling, and conducting sessions simple and accessible—all the better for someone struggling with anxiety, for whom even basic tasks might be onerous and challenging.

Amwell offers individual therapy and psychiatry services as well as couples therapy, which might be useful if your or your partner’s anxiety symptoms are affecting your relationship. To sign up for therapy services with Amwell, you first must choose if you want to meet with a therapist with a master’s degree, a therapist with a doctoral degree, or a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication. Its website indicates that it specializes in anxiety, social anxiety, and panic attacks in particular, and provides treatment for these conditions to anyone age 10 and above (though psychiatry services are only available for adults). Amwell also provides information on each of these conditions on its website, which is helpful for people struggling to understand their diagnosis.

Amwell does not offer messaging, meaning you cannot text or audio chat with your therapist between sessions. Therapy sessions are via video only on its website or app. If your video drops or you have issues connecting, you can have a phone session, but you can’t sign up for phone sessions initially. However, Amwell does provide a 24-hour helpline.

Amwell accepts insurance and offers three per-session pricing options if you are paying out of pocket: 

• Master’s level therapist appointment: $109
• Doctoral level therapist appointment: $129
• Psychiatry appointment: $279 for initial consultation; $109 per 15-minute follow-up 

All of these are live video sessions. Therapy sessions are 45 minutes long, while initial psychiatry appointments are 30 minutes and follow-up psychiatry appointments are 15 minutes.

Forty-nine percent of the 105 Amwell users we surveyed sought services specifically to treat anxiety. Eighty-eight percent of users rated Amwell positively overall, and an impressive 91% rated the qualifications of the therapists as excellent, good, or very good. Seventy-eight percent said they were likely or very likely to recommend Amwell to someone like them.

One of our Amwell testers “had a generally positive experience navigating the Amwell platform and using its services,” and felt that, in particular, “Amwell’s couples therapy services were excellent.” This is good news for anyone nervous about the accessibility of Amwell’s services and for those who need guidance if their relationship has been affected by anxiety symptoms.

Talkiatry specializes in psychiatry and can prescribe and manage medications to treat anxiety, including controlled substances like benzodiazepines, which are fast-acting medicines used to treat acute anxiety. Because this type of medication can be habit-forming, most online psychiatry companies cannot prescribe them, as they require a higher level of oversight than other non-controlled substances do—oversight that is just not within the capabilities of most online services.

However, Talkiatry makes these medications accessible by providing comprehensive hour-long initial psychiatric consultations and follow-up appointments twice as long as most other companies. This is great news for anyone who has exhausted other medication options in their anxiety treatment and who needs the next step up in their medication regimen.

Talkiatry offers psychiatric services for anyone age 5 and older who is living with various mental health challenges, including generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, as well as PTSD, ADHD, and more. If your psychiatrist feels that you would benefit from talk therapy as well, they can refer you to a Talkiatry therapist.

The company uses a third-party app, Healow, from which you can see appointments, medical records, and other information. Psychiatry appointments are via video sessions. However, in-app messaging is also available to reach your psychiatrist between appointments.

Talkiatry only works with insurance and does not offer out-of-pocket prices, so you must have insurance to use its services. The fee per session depends on your insurance copay and deductible. Though the company cannot provide rates upfront, it can estimate your copay before you schedule an appointment if you provide your insurance information.

An impressive 96% of the 105 Talkiatry users we surveyed rated it as good, very good, or excellent overall, with 89% feeling similarly about its psychiatric and medication management services in particular. Fifty-six percent of users sought treatment for anxiety through Talkiatry, and 92% felt the qualifications of its providers were excellent, very good, or good.

Our Talkiatry reviewer was “overwhelmingly impressed” with Talkiatry’s services, and made a point to mention that “both the intake and the sessions at the company are long and thorough, allowing your psychiatrist the time to really get to know you and diagnose you accurately”—which is especially important if you are considering taking a controlled substance for anxiety.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the main focus of Online-Therapy.com, which makes Online-Therapy.com especially useful when treating anxiety, as CBT is the go-to therapeutic modality for this condition. All of Online-Therapy.com’s mental healthcare professionals have gone through CBT training, guaranteeing that you will find a provider who can treat anxiety effectively using this evidence-based industry standard. Once you sign up, Online-Therapy.com will pair you with a therapist who is not only an expert in CBT but who is very responsive. This is particularly useful when you are learning how to manage your anxiety symptoms and may require some support from your provider between symptoms. Additionally, your therapist can give you self-help tools specifically pertinent to managing anxiety that you can practice between sessions.

Online-Therapy.com offers CBT to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety, for which CBT is particularly effective. It pairs you with a certified counselor with at least a master’s degree. Once paired, you can access your therapist via phone, chat, or video. Sessions are 30 minutes in length, and you also get unlimited messaging with your provider throughout the week, which can feel bolstering when practicing CBT management exercises between sessions. 

You can also access a “toolkit” that consists of a journal, worksheets, and yoga videos, all designed to help you deal with your anxiety symptoms day-to-day. 

Online-Therapy.com does not offer psychiatry services or provide medication management.

Online-Therapy.com has subscription tiers offering weekly or monthly sessions. It does not offer per-session payment options or accept insurance. Subscription costs are as follows: 

• Basic: $50 per week or $200 per month, including unlimited messaging, an 8-stage CBT program, the self-help kit, and daily replies from your therapist to your worksheets (on weekdays)
• Standard: $80 per week or $320 per month; includes the basic plan plus one weekly 45-minute video, voice, or text session with your therapist
• Premium: $110 per week or $440 per month; includes the basic plan plus two weekly 45-minute video, voice, or text sessions with your therapist
• Couples: $110 per week or $440 per month; includes the basic plan (for each individual) plus one weekly 45-minute couples video, voice, or text session with your therapist.

Eighty-nine percent of the 105 Online-Therapy.com users we surveyed rated the qualifications of its therapists (in this case, specialists in CBT) as good, very good, or excellent, supporting its efficacy as a treatment for anxiety. Similarly, 85% of users rated Online-Therapy.com’s overall service positively, and 32% and 30% reported that they felt they’d still be with their therapist in six months’ or one year’s time, respectively. Fifty-three percent of users said they sought treatment with Online-Therapy.com specifically for anxiety.

Our reviewer of this company felt that “much is positive about Online-Therapy.com,” including its CBT-specific services, though she was concerned that some of its therapists seemed to be practicing outside the states in which they were licensed; be sure to specifically ask about who is licensed in your area when seeking services here. However, this reviewer did interview an Online-Therapy.com provider who spoke highly of her experience with the company, saying “Not only can I connect with a client from anywhere, anytime, I can also choose the means of connecting (through video, voice call, or live chatting)”—a wealth of choice for people looking for convenient anxiety treatment.

BetterHelp is one of the most popular and wide-reaching online therapy platforms. Its expansive offering of trained professionals offering individual and group therapy sessions can connect you with a therapist who specializes in anxiety, who can therefore effectively help you better understand and manage your anxiety. Community support also sets BetterHelp apart from other online therapy platforms. It can be a game-changer for someone with anxiety to know that you are not alone in your symptoms. Hearing other people’s advice regarding everyday skills and coping mechanisms for anxiety can be particularly useful. 

Each therapist at BetterHelp has at least a master’s degree. However, many have a doctoral degrees and psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists. Furthermore, all therapists have at least 1,000 clinical hours and three years of experience, so you can be sure that whichever therapist you work with is licensed and qualified to treat you and your anxiety. Along with individual video, audio, or chat sessions, unlimited messaging provides instant access to your therapist, which can be helpful to someone in the throes of an anxiety attack. Changing therapists is simple, and there is no limit on how many times you can switch. This ensures that you can easily find a therapist that’s right for you, even if you don’t land on them the first time around. 

BetterHelp therapists offer weekly video, phone, or text sessions. You can message your therapist anytime, and they will respond, usually within hours (but allow a day or two). Community support is available through weekly group therapy sessions, though attendance is optional, meaning you might not be speaking with the same group of peers every time you join. 

Therapists cannot make a diagnosis, prescribe medication, or offer medication management.  BetterHelp offers CBT, mindfulness therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), all evidence-based treatments for anxiety, as well as emotion-focused therapy (EFT), trauma-focused therapy, and more. Each session lasts from 30 to 45 minutes. 

BetterHelp states that costs can range from $240 to $360 per month, with each weekly session costing $60 to $90. However, your actual cost will depend on your geographic location, preferences, and available therapists in your state. It’s important to note that BetterHelp practices surge pricing. This means that the higher the demand for BetterHelp’s services in your area, the more you will pay for those services.

BetterHelp does not take insurance, but its website notes that you can download your itemized invoice and submit the claim to your insurance company; BetterHelp cannot file a claim directly. Financial help is available in the form of financial aid; ask about this before signing up.

A notable 63% of the 105 BetterHelp users we surveyed sought therapy specifically for anxiety, and 86% rated its services as good, very good, or excellent overall. Eighty-six percent of users also rated the qualifications of BetterHelp’s therapists as excellent, very good, or good, and 79% said they would recommend BetterHelp to a friend or someone like them.

Our reviewer of BetterHelp noted that its widespread reach is one of BetterHelp’s biggest selling points, noting that “The company is available to users worldwide, and it quickly matches users with a therapist,” which is “important considering there can be long wait times with private practices.” She also mentioned that this “is helpful for those who live in therapy deserts, where there are few therapists in the area.”

LiveHealth Online works with licensed psychologists and psychiatrists to offer 45-minute therapy sessions for issues like panic attacks as well as general anxiety and related conditions such as stress and grief. Its panic-related therapy services are accessible to anyone age 10 and above, making this a particularly good resource for families who might have a child experiencing panic attacks or more than one member of the family dealing with a panic disorder. As a subset of Health Management Corporation, it also offers 24/7 medical services via telehealth. 

You can get prescriptions through its psychiatry services, making it a suitable option for those who desire talk therapy and medication. However, LiveHealth’s psychiatry services are only available for adults age 18 and over. Still, providing therapy for kids and teens ages 10 and up sets LiveHealth apart from most online therapy platforms.

The self-pay cost will be affordable for some, but LiveHealth accepts Anthem insurance as well. There are no subscription or upfront costs, making this a friendlier option for those who want to try out therapy before committing to a plan. It does not offer messaging, likely due to its single-session format.

LiveHealth Online offers licensed therapists and psychologists and board-certified psychiatrists for individual therapy or psychiatry and medication management sessions. LiveHealth notes that both individual therapy and psychiatry can be helpful for panic attacks, as well as anxiety, grief, stress, and coping. Treatment is via a live video session.

LiveHealth Online accepts Anthem insurance only, and you may have a copay or deductible to meet. Its 45-minute single-session flat rates are as follows: 

• Licensed therapist: $80
• Licensed psychologist: $95
• Psychiatrist: $175
• Psychiatrist follow-up: $75

According to our survey of 105 LiveHealth Online users, 56% sought treatment specifically for anxiety. Regarding the qualifications of the providers at the company, an impressive 92% of users rated them as good, very good, or excellent, and 87% felt the same about LiveHealth’s psychiatric services in particular. Overall, 90% of users rated LiveHealth Online as excellent, very good, or good.

Our reviewer was especially impressed with the ease with which you can switch providers (a situation you might face in your search for the right therapist), specifically noting that “Switching therapists can be difficult and even awkward on other mental health platforms, so I found this step refreshingly easy.” This speaks to why 80% of users said they found a provider who met most or all of their needs.

Calmerry predominantly relies on text therapy through unlimited messaging. Not having to leave your home or having to voice or video chat with your therapist can be less stressful for those with agoraphobia, which is a specific overwhelming fear of something bad happening when you are in a public place. Its online platform is not the most streamlined, but you can sign up and choose your therapist from a preselected list. Calmerry's licensed professionals are versed in various conditions, including all forms of anxiety, and you can indicate that you are looking for a therapist with a particular expertise, making it easy to connect with a provider who can help you with agoraphobic symptoms. 

Calmerry does not accept insurance, but you can choose different price point options via its subscription plans. As a bonus, it provides self-help tools like mood tracking and journals, which can be especially useful to those who need to practice their anxiety-coping skills in between sessions.

Calmerry's licensed professionals have experience in anxiety as well as stress, depression, relationships, self-esteem, and more—all of which can be caused by or affected by agoraphobia. Calmerry primarily focuses on text therapy, but you can also get live video sessions if you feel they would be helpful. You get access to self-help tools as well that can support the work you are doing in your therapy sessions. 

However, Calmerry does not explicitly state what therapy it provides, such as CBT or DBT, and it does not offer psychiatry or medication management.

Calmerry’s subscription plans are divided into three categories so that you can choose one based on your needs and preferences. 

• Messaging only: Unlimited text, video, or audio messages for $167 per month
• Messaging plus one live video chat: $207 per month 
• Messaging plus four live video chats: $269 per month 

Every membership level can access Calmerry’s self-help tool that lets you journal and track your moods. You can view progress and patterns and share your journal with your therapist.

Eighty-six percent of 105 surveyed users of Calmerry rated its services as good, very good, or excellent overall, with 35% seeking therapy for anxiety through this company. Eighty-three percent were able to find a provider who met all or most of their needs, and 86% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good to excellent.

Our Calmerry reviewer was happy with the services she received, saying that “Overall, I felt my therapist was able to meet and address my specific needs.” Specifically, she was pleased that “my therapist and I were able to make a connection and find some common ground,” and felt that her therapist “was good at relating and identifying with the things I was experiencing.” This is all extremely helpful when developing a rapport with your therapist, especially if you are dealing with anxiety.

Hers Therapy offers individual psychotherapy and psychiatry, including care specific to postpartum anxiety, as well as treatment for physical conditions like acne, hair loss, and sexual health. Designed to make mental health care accessible and convenient, it prides itself on providing talk therapy through video sessions hosted on its platform. Many therapists have experience and expertise with postpartum conditions like anxiety and depression.  

Therapists may also provide homework and self-help tools to work on outside of sessions, which can be helpful to someone seeking to practice their anxiety management skills between sessions, as Hers does not offer messaging. Its per-session model allows you to seek therapy as you wish and switch therapists if necessary, since establishing a therapeutic rapport with your provider is an integral part of therapy for anxiety.

Hers does not explicitly state what types of therapy it has other than individual talk therapy and psychiatry sessions. However, the website does indicate therapists are trained in anxiety (including postpartum anxiety), depression, postpartum issues, burnout, stress, worry, and trouble focusing. All therapy is conducted through live video sessions, though some therapists may provide self-help tools and homework activities to support clients between sessions.

Hers does not accept insurance or offer subscriptions, opting instead for a pay-per-session model. The cost depends on the type of service:

• Talk therapy: $99 per 50-minute session 
• Psychiatry: $89 per session

Discounts are available when you sign up for more than one month.

Sixty-one percent of the 105 Hers users we surveyed reported that they turned to Hers for help with anxiety, with another 3% specifically mentioning a need for postpartum services, including postpartum anxiety and depression (though many might not have differentiated between the two categories). Still, 72% of our surveyed users were able to find a provider who met most or all of their needs, and 91% rated Hers’ services as good, very good, or excellent overall.

Our tester of Hers was happy with the services she received from the company, reporting that “during my therapy sessions, I found my provider attentive and knowledgeable.” She also spoke to the additional support and resources she was provided, explaining that her therapist “not only affirmed what I was experiencing but also shared homework I could realistically incorporate into my busy lifestyle.”