The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety of 2024

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses in America, impacting about 19% of the population every year.1 Given the convenience and availability of virtual therapy, online treatment for anxiety has become widely available. You can meet with a qualified psychotherapist, licensed counselor, or psychiatrist from your home. If you have worries about traveling or meeting new people in person, online anxiety counseling is an ideal place to start.

There are a number of talk therapy approaches and drug treatments available that your provider might use to help treat your anxiety. A psychotherapist can offer you, among other treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), and exposure therapy.2 Both CBT and ACT teach new thinking patterns to ease anxiety and refocus worries and fears. Exposure therapy empowers patients to face their fears in a controlled environment. If you need medication, you will likely be prescribed either a fast-acting benzodiazepine (like Ativan or Klonopin) or a long-term anti-anxiety drug such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (like Zoloft or Lexipro).

Regardless of which treatment option you choose, accessing this kind of care online has never been easier. Here are some of the best options based on our research, which includes a comprehensive survey of 100 users of online therapy companies.

When choosing an online therapy provider, we recommend that you read the company’s privacy guidelines before you sign up to better understand whether it is HIPAA-compliant and whether it shares any private information with third parties. There have been some concerns raised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several government officials about what user health information online therapy providers collect and what they do with any information they collect.

Our Online Therapy Methodology

Curious about the extensive work we did to research and evaluate online therapy companies? Take a look at our online therapy methodology.

Best Online Therapy for Anxiety of 2024

  • Most Comprehensive: Brightside
  • Best for Medication Management/Psychiatry: Talkiatry
  • Best Subscription Service: Talkspace
  • Best Without Insurance: Open Path Collective
  • Best for Teens: Teen Counseling
  • Best for Parents: Online-Therapy.com
  • Best for Kids: Little Otter
  • Best for Group Support: Mindful Care
  • Best for the BIPOC Community: Kip Therapy
  • Best for Postpartum Anxiety: Thriveworks
  • Best Directory: Zencare

Key Specs

  • Price: $95-$349 per month
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Brightside Health provides the holistic, evidence-based care needed to tackle a variety of anxiety disorders from every angle. It uses CBT, the gold standard in anxiety treatment modalities, alongside skill-building self-care lessons and medication when necessary, making it the most comprehensive online therapy company for anxiety treatment.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Psychiatry and therapy available
  • Uses the gold standard in anxiety treatment
  • Skill-building lessons empower users
  • Care is highly specialized
  • Clinicians are warm and approachable
Cons

  • Takes a few days to get an appointment
  • No sliding scale available
  • Some issues with late clinicians

Our Experience

We had three people try Brightside Health from North Carolina, New York, and California for individual therapy and found the platform to offer effective, evidence-based treatment for people with mild to moderate anxiety. The platform specializes in anxiety treatment and its comprehensive approach helps users calm rumination, worry, tension, obsessive thinking, and more.

We love that the platform uses a gold standard in anxiety treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This approach helps people identify thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that might be driving their anxiety. But Brightside goes beyond CBT and offers tools like symptom trackers and quizzes. Not only did this help us manage our anxiety more effectively, but it also helped us draw the connection between our lifestyle habits and our mental/emotional state.

Therapy is only as good as the providers who offer it, so we’re happy to say the clinicians were highly experienced and knowledgeable. They also maintained a professional demeanor while remaining approachable. That said, one therapist was late to the session and came in with the wrong information about us. That didn’t give us the greatest first impression. Unfortunately, occasional issues like this are commonplace across all online therapy platforms. But despite this small setback, we were overall very impressed with Brightside and its anxiety treatment.

Plans & Pricing

Brightside Health accepts a few major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, and HSA/FSA payments. Without insurance, out-of-pocket costs depend on which plan you choose.

  • Medication only: $95 per month
  • Therapy only: $299 per month
  • Both medication and therapy: $349 per month

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Brightside:

  • 98% rated Brightside as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 99% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 93% said that most or all of their needs were met at Brightside
  • 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Brightside to a friend or someone like them
  • 78 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: Depends on your insurance
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes. BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Tricare, Medicare, and others
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It 

Talkiatry offers psychiatry for adults and kids featuring session lengths double those of other platforms. Its providers are thorough when developing a diagnosis and treatment plan and responsive to concerns and questions. With many psychiatrists specializing in anxiety, you are sure to find a provider who meets your needs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Offers psychiatry for anxiety
  • Long session times
  • Providers go in-depth with you
  • Pediatric care available
  • Talk therapy also available
Cons

  • Not available for those without insurance
  • Not available in every state
  • Some providers felt too clinical

Our Experience

We tested Talkiatry from New York twice, both times for individual adult psychiatry, and found it to offer effective treatment involving sessions much longer than the norm. The session length reflects a commitment to accurately and effectively diagnosing and treating our anxiety disorders. Such a commitment isn’t always found on other platforms.

The full hour that our providers offered during intake sessions set the tone for what was to come: An overall great experience with caring clinicians who listened to our questions, gave thoughtful responses, and addressed concerns proactively. We loved that one intake session felt a bit like therapy. We had a real conversation with our provider and were able to give them ample information to help them develop a treatment plan. Follow-up sessions were also thorough and gave us plenty of time to discuss any concerns.

Not every provider was the right fit for us though. One was overly clinical, asking us to describe our symptoms using a script that didn’t feel natural to us. This made us feel uncomfortable and did not start the session off on the right foot. We were able to switch to a new psychiatrist, but we would like to see Talkiatry make some changes to how they match us with providers. Giving us more background information about the clinicians and the ability to choose someone based on traits like gender identity and schedule would have been helpful.

Plans & Pricing

Talkiatry is only available to those with insurance—it does not offer out-of-pocket payment. Talkiatry accepts most major insurance plans, HSA/FSA payments, and Medicare/Medicaid.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Talkiatry:

  • 98% rated Talkiatry as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 97% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Talkiatry
  • 95% are likely or very likely to recommend Talkiatry to a friend or someone like them
  • 76 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $276-$436 per month; $65 for additional sessions
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling, Couples Therapy

Why We Chose It

Talkspace offers a range of care options through monthly subscriptions, enabling users to choose both the type and level of care they need and can afford. It provides a combination of video, audio, and messaging therapy at different price points and has clinicians across the country specializing in anxiety.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Multiple subscription plans offered
  • Wide pool of therapists who can treat anxiety
  • Adolescent care available
  • Available in every state
  • Easy to switch therapists
Cons

  • Clinician quality can vary
  • No family therapy available
  • Messaging isn’t always effective

Our Experience

We asked nine people to try Talkspace’s services from California, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana, and New York to test individual, couples, and family (parent-child) therapy. Overall, our experience was positive. We could choose from a huge pool of clinicians who specialize in anxiety, and the platform offers multiple subscription plans with video, audio, and messaging options.

We love all of the formats Talkspace provides. Whether it’s going with messaging only or a combination of messaging and live sessions, there’s a subscription plan for you. When reviewing providers, it was great to see that some of them used lesser-known modalities, such as somatic therapy, in addition to more mainstream treatments like CBT. The therapists we saw had different strengths — some were more practical and results-oriented, others more of a sounding board. Either way, we left sessions feeling lighter and more at ease. We loved that one of our providers consistently guided us through calming breathing exercises at the end of each session—an approach that was especially effective when we were dealing with anxiety.

As is all too common, a few of our therapists left us feeling frustrated by being either late, distracted, or disengaged. The flip side of having such a large pool of providers to choose from is the probability that it may take time to find the right one for you. Thankfully, switching therapists at Talkspace is fast and user-friendly.

Plans & Pricing

While Talkspace accepts major insurance plans as well as HSA/FSA, it doesn’t accept Medicare or Medicaid. There are four subscription plans and an add-on psychiatry service:

  • Messaging only: $69 per week; includes unlimited messaging with your therapist during the workweek with daily responses guaranteed
  • Therapy + messaging: $99 per week; includes four live sessions per month and messaging
  • Therapy + messaging + workshops: $109 per week; includes four live sessions, messaging, and access to Talkspace workshops
  • Couples therapy: $109 per week; includes unlimited messaging for both partners and four live sessions per month
  • Psychiatry: $249 for the initial evaluation, $125 for each follow-up appointment

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Talkspace:

  • 97% rated Talkspace as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 99% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Talkspace
  • 97% are likely or very likely to recommend Talkspace to a friend or someone like them
  • 69 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: One-time $65 membership fee; sliding scale rates from $30-$80 per session
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: No
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management

Why We Chose It

Open Path Collective is an online therapy directory that exclusively offers sliding-scale prices for uninsured and underinsured patients. It’s easy to search for providers who specialize in anxiety, with out-of-pocket prices never exceeding $80 per session.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Directory designed specifically for the uninsured or underinsured
  • All sessions only cost between $30 and $80
  • Can easily search for providers who specialize in anxiety
  • Providers have a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds
  • Can search for both in-person and online sessions
Cons

  • $65 membership fee
  • Does not accept insurance
  • No psychiatrists listed on directory

Our Experience

We tested the Open Path Collective online therapy directory by searching for a therapist in New York, and we were thrilled with the results. We were easily able to find a therapist who met our needs—the search filters on the directory are extensive and easy to navigate, meaning we could search for providers who had the specializations we were looking for (including anxiety) at a price we could afford. In the end, we ended up paying $50 for a session with a highly qualified and engaging therapist. And while we did not search for a provider who could treat anxiety (we were more concerned with grief and stress, which can be related to anxiety), our experience makes us confident in recommending Open Path when looking for anxiety treatment.

Another thing we appreciated about Open Path was the fact that each therapist’s bio clearly displayed whether or not they were taking on new patients—saving us the trouble of contacting multiple therapists only to find out they have no room in their schedules. We also liked that we could email each therapist directly through their bio on the directory. Both of these features are important for people living with anxiety, who might find it unnerving or difficult to reach out to mulitple people. And, most importantly, we could rest assured knowing that we would not be waiting for a big scary bill once our sessions were over.

In addition to trying out Open Path Collective ourselves, we also tested the directory across 37 different hypothetical scenarios that might cause someone to seek therapy. We evaluated how well Open Path could come up with appropriate therapists for each scenario across 18 different zip codes. Open Path performed especially well in scenarios that involved anxiety, such as panic attacks, financial insecurity, and postpartum anxiety. This, along with our own experiences, makes us confident in recommending Open Path Collective for people with anxiety.

Plans & Pricing

The ranges of prices for an Open Path therapist are as follows:

  • Session with a student intern: $30
  • Session with a licensed therapist: $40-$70
  • Couples or family therapy sessions: $40-$80

There is a one-time $65 membership fee.

It’s important to note that Open Path explains that its services are exclusively meant for households making less than $100,000 a year. However, this is not enforced—Open Path operates on the honor system.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Open Path Collective:

  • 98% rated Open Path Collective as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 97% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 98% said that most or all of their needs were met at Open Path Collective
  • 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Open Path Collective to a friend or someone like them
  • 58 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $260 to $360 per month
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: No
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Teen Counseling

Why We Chose It 

Teen Counseling exclusively addresses the unique needs of teens with mental health concerns (such as anxiety) by providing care via video chat and messaging services. It’s a user-friendly platform that makes starting therapy easy, often matching users to an available therapist within 24 hours. With many providers who specialize in anxiety, your teen is sure to find the help they need here.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Offers a variety of formats, including messaging
  • Therapists specialize in anxiety
  • Unlimited messaging available
  • Targeted at teens
  • Addresses a breadth of concerns
Cons

  • Video quality may be low
  • Engages in price surging
  • Short session times

Our Experience

We asked five people to try Teen Counseling services from Michigan, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York for individual teen therapy and found it to be a great option for teens experiencing a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety. Our therapists were kind and professional, and seemed genuinely engaged with our kids.

We like how user-friendly the platform is. It’s quick and easy to get started, pause therapy, or cancel. It was nice to get matched to someone within 24 hours, and we were able to message the therapist ahead of time with questions about their experience. The various formats are also great: We could choose from video, audio, or live text therapy, the third of which is especially appealing to teens. Sessions could take place between parent and teen separately or together, and parents had separate portals from their kids—this added privacy is especially useful when trying to help teens open up in therapy and establish a rapport with their provider.

We didn’t care for the low video quality at Teen Counseling, though. We had many instances in which the video quality was so poor we couldn’t see the therapist. In another session, we were unable to connect over video altogether. This is very disappointing considering it’s a platform catered to people who spend a lot of time on devices. Session times could also be longer to really get to the root of many teens’ anxiety issues.

Plans & Pricing

Teen Counseling costs between $65 to $90 per week, billed monthly. It does not accept any insurance nor will it submit reimbursement claims. The variation in pricing is due to the fact that the company, like its parent company BetterHelp, engages in the unethical practice of surge pricing. The more in-demand therapy is in your area, the more you will pay for it.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Teen Counseling:

  • 95% rated Teen Counseling as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 96% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 90% said that most or all of their needs were met at Teen Counseling
  • 93% are likely or very likely to recommend Teen Counseling to a friend or someone like them
  • 64 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $200-$440 per month ($160-$352 for first month with 20% discount)
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: No
  • Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy

Why We Chose It

Online-Therapy.com offers parents struggling with anxiety a mix of couples and individual counseling, CBT worksheets, and even yoga videos to help empower them to reduce the stress in their lives holistically.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • CBT-based therapy
  • Yoga included
  • Offers an activity plan
  • Offers couples therapy
  • Includes worksheets to improve self-awareness
Cons

  • Not all therapists will be a fit
  • Does not accept insurance
  • Therapists cannot provide mental health diagnoses

Our Experience

We asked five people to try Online-Therapy.com services from Pennsylvania, California, Michigan, South Dakota, and New York for both individual and couples therapy. While we didn’t get therapy specifically for anxiety as parents, we feel confident recommending the platform for its evidence-based holistic approach and its highly experienced clinicians.

We appreciate that you can opt for individual and couples therapy, which can be helpful to both single and co-parents. It’s great that plans through the platform include yoga, which has been shown to help with anxiety disorders, as well as an “activity plan.” Activity plans can help you schedule activities that will bolster your mental health, such as going shopping without the kids. The plans also help you hold yourself accountable in terms of prioritizing your mental health as you balance your career and home life.

Our therapists were highly knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed hearing personal anecdotes and our therapist’s experiences, which made their advice relatable. It was also great to have exercises to do outside of sessions. We didn’t appreciate how one therapist didn’t show up for a session because of connectivity issues, however. We found that highly unprofessional and disappointing given our busy lives, and we hope no other users ever experience that.

Plans & Pricing

Online-Therapy.com does not accept insurance but will allow you to submit reimbursement claims. There are multiple payment plans to choose from:

  • For $50 per week ($40 for the first month with a 20% discount), you can exchange unlimited messages with a therapist and get access to the yoga and CBT programs.
  • For $80 per week ($64 for the first month with a 20% discount), you get everything above plus one live 45-minute session with a therapist per week.
  • For $110 per week ($88 for the first month with a 20% discount), you get everything above plus an additional 45-minute session with your therapist weekly and faster replies to messages.
  • For couples therapy, you pay $110 per week ($88 for the first month) for access to messaging, yoga, and CBT, and one 45-minute live couples therapy session per week.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Online-Therapy.com:

  • 100% rated Online-Therapy.com as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 100% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 97% said that most or all of their needs were met at Online-Therapy.com
  • 100% are likely or very likely to recommend Online-Therapy.com to a friend or someone like them
  • 58 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $20 intake session fee; $527 for assessment bundle; $1,989 for 12-session bundle; $500 for psychiatric evaluation; $250 for each psychiatric follow-up
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Children’s Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Teen Counseling

Why We Chose It

Little Otter is the only company on this list to provide children’s therapy in addition to teen, couples, family, and individual therapy. It treats children ages 0 to 14 (an age range unrivaled amongst online therapy companies), and its providers can help with anxiety and related issues, such as bullying and trauma.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Offers therapy for young children
  • Therapy is family-centric
  • LGBTQIA+ friendly
  • Can collaborate with schools
  • Offers psychiatry and medication management
Cons

  • Only accepts three insurance plans
  • Not available in every state
  • It’s difficult to switch providers

Our Experience

We had four people try Little Otter from New York, Pennsylvania, and California for children’s therapy. Overall, we found the quality of clinicians to be very high—even within the first session or two, our provider’s skills in working with children were obvious. While prices were steep, we were paying for a specialized experience that’s hard to find.

We were thrilled with the quality of care many of our kids received. It was surprising to see our kids opening up so easily and showing an interest in sessions, whether they were with us or alone with the therapist. We love that psychiatry services were available, and our therapists worked with psychiatrists as part of a “Care Team.” There was also a parenting coach available, so we could better support our children with anxiety.

However, we weren’t too happy with the process for switching therapists. Unlike with other platforms, we received pushback and were asked to complete more sessions before we could change providers. The scheduling options were also limited. We often had to schedule sessions in the middle of or right before our child went to school. In the long term, these scheduling issues could interfere with continuing therapy.

Plans & Pricing

Little Otter is expensive and unfortunately only accepts three insurance plans: AmeriHealth, Sana, and Independence Blue Cross (in Delaware and Pennsylvania). However, the providers will fill out reimbursement forms and accept HSA/FSA. Without insurance, the price varies by service:

  • “Welcome session”: $20
  • Standard therapy session: $195
  • Assessment: $390
  • Psychiatry evaluation (75 mins): $500
  • Psychiatry follow-up (30 mins): $250

You can also sign up for discounted bundles:

  • Assessment bundle (90-min assessment and 1 standard therapy session): $527
  • 4-session bundle: $702
  • 8-session bundle: $1,326
  • 12-session bundle: $1,989

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Little Otter:

  • 100% rated Little Otter as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 97% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Little Otter
  • 95% are likely or very likely to recommend Little Otter to a friend or someone like them
  • 58 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $49 per month for substance abuse; Individual therapy: $50 for 20-minute sessions, $100 for 40-minute sessions; $35 per group session; $75-$175 for psychiatry sessions
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

Why We Chose It

Mindful Care is one of the only companies that combines individual therapy and psychiatry with group therapy. Group sessions are free-form and open, creating a pressure-free environment in which to share concerns—and it offers a group specifically for those experiencing anxiety.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Has an anxiety group called CALM
  • No agenda means sessions are flexible
  • Group therapy feels safe and supportive
  • Urgent talk therapy available
  • LGBTQIA+ friendly
Cons

  • Lack of structure won’t appeal to everyone
  • Not available in every state
  • No subscriptions available

Our Experience

We had two people test Mindful Care in New York (one of the six states in which Mindful Care is currently available) for individual and group therapy. While we didn’t test the CALM (anxiety-focused) group in particular, we tried other groups and found them to be non-judgmental spaces where we could freely share our concerns in a supportive container.

We like that Mindful Care’s group sessions are rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sessions were an hour long over Zoom and started off with check-in as to how we were feeling via the facilitator. This gave everyone the opportunity to be heard. We liked how sessions didn’t have a set agenda and were very free-form. There was no pressure to share if we didn’t want to, and it felt like a safe space to talk about anything. We could even respond with a thumbs up or a heart button to show support without having to speak up.

Mindful Care’s group sessions aren’t for everyone, though. The lack of structure in one group meant that we didn’t get as much out of it as we wanted to. Some speakers tended to dominate the discussion, and since there wasn’t an agenda, minutes would often go by without anyone talking. At the end of the day, group sessions at Mindfit are what you make of them since they are largely participant-driven.

Plans & Pricing

Mindful Care accepts a range of insurance plans, including Medicare/Medicaid in some states. If you pay out of pocket, you pay per session, unless you’re seeking substance use disorder treatment:

  • Psychiatric care: Initial appointment costs $175 and each follow-up is $75
  • Group therapy: $35 per session
  • Individual therapy: Initial session is $150; 40-minute follow-ups are $100; 20-minute appointments are $50
  • Substance use treatment: $49 per month

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Mindful Care:

  • 97% rated Mindful Care as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 96% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 90% said that most or all of their needs were met at Mindful Care
  • 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Mindful Care to a friend or someone like them
  • 77 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: $65 to $225 per session
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Individual Therapy, Teen Counseling

Why We Chose It

Kip Therapy offers culturally-informed mental healthcare to the BIPOC community, advertising that it provides “therapy for every identity.” It has a pay structure that makes therapy affordable and accessible to more people, especially those in marginalized communities who are experiencing anxiety.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Has affordable options
  • Offers therapy in multiple languages
  • Therapists use varied modalities
  • Culturally informed care
  • Has group therapy
  • LGBTQIA+ friendly
Cons

  • Has less experienced/unlicensed therapists
  • Only available in New York state
  • No medication management available

Our Experience

We had two people test Kip Therapy for individual therapy in New York and found it to be an affordable, culturally affirming, and informed platform that can treat people with a range of issues, including anxiety.

We were grateful for a platform that values accessibility both in terms of pricing and culturally informed care. Kip is led by a team of diverse therapists with varying cultural backgrounds who speak multiple languages. It has a clear commitment to creating a safe space for people of marginalized identities. We liked that there are three tiers of services at different price points, and you can pick the one that’s right for you. We experienced our clinicians as helpful and professional no matter what tier they were in, even if the senior therapist was clearly more skilled.

However, it was a little harder to schedule sessions with the senior therapist due to more limited availability. Also, the process of switching therapists was easy, but a little slow. Another area for improvement is the therapist bios—they didn’t have as much information as they could, including licensing information and availability. We’d love to see Kip make some adjustments to make its site even better.

Plans & Pricing

Kip Therapy is in-network with many major insurance companies.

If paying out of pocket, it offers a financially accessible payment structure by ranking its therapists based on their experience level and charging based on that experience level. Tier one therapists are student interns; tier two therapists are residents; and tier three therapists are fully qualified practitioners.

If you want a free intake session, you must meet with a tier-one therapist; intakes with upper-level therapists cost $25.

An individual adult therapy session with a tier-one provider costs between $65 and $95 per session. The same service costs between $130 and $150 with a tier two therapist and between $170 and $225 with a tier three therapist.

All other types of therapy (including individual teen counseling) cost $200 with a tier one or two therapist and $250 with a tier three therapist.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Kip Therapy:

  • 99% rated Kip Therapy as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 100% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 97% said that most or all of their needs were met at Kip Therapy
  • 97% are likely or very likely to recommend Kip Therapy to a friend or someone like them
  • 67 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: Varies based on location, provider, and services
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes
  • Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling

Why We Chose It

Thriveworks offers therapy specifically for postpartum anxiety, plus family, couples, and individual therapy. These options mean you can get your partner or entire family involved if needed. Psychiatry and medication management are also on offer.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Offers therapy for postpartum anxiety
  • Offers family and couples therapy
  • In-person services available
  • Medication management available
  • Therapists available within 48 hours
Cons

  • Some therapists didn’t meet our needs
  • Not available in every state
  • Patients billed by Thriveworks and their therapist

Our Experience

We asked ten people to try out Thriveworks from Massachusetts, Missouri, Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio, Florida, and South Dakota for individual and family therapy and found it to be a great resource for people struggling with a variety of mental health issues. While we didn’t test for post-partum anxiety specifically, we’re confident in recommending Thriveworks because it offers specialized treatment for the condition.

We love that Thriveworks offers family, couples, and individual postpartum counseling, so you can work through your challenges alone or as a family. Our therapists were gentle, warm, caring, and professional, all qualities that someone struggling with postpartum anxiety would benefit from. We loved that the therapists we saw for family therapy had kids, which helped us feel like they were speaking from experience and made us feel more at ease with them. We also like that Thriveworks has brick-and-mortar office locations nationwide, so you can make the switch to in-person if needed.

As always, not everyone therapist will appeal to everyone. One of our clinicians seemed to misunderstand us, jump to conclusions, offer cliche advice, and gloss over the complexities of our situation. As a result, we didn’t get what we were hoping for out of therapy, like the feeling of being seen and heard. It seemed the therapist wasn’t able to handle our situation, and that was disappointing. However, most of our experiences with Thriveworks were positive, and based on those—especially our individual therapy sessions—we feel confident recommending the company to those experiencing postpartum anxiety.

Plans & Pricing

Thriveworks accepts the following insurance plans:

  • Aetna
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Cigna | Evernorth
  • Compsych
  • Humana
  • Medicare
  • UnitedHealthcare | Optum

However, not all of its therapists accept all of these.

Out-of-pocket prices are based on your location, what kind of services you are looking for, and which provider you see. Intake sessions can cost as much as $200, and follow-up sessions can cost around $170—sometimes more and sometimes less. Contact Thriveworks directly to find out how much you would be paying.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Thriveworks:

  • 98% rated Thriveworks as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 98% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Thriveworks
  • 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Thriveworks to a friend or someone like them
  • 69 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Key Specs

  • Price: Varies based on provider
  • Is Insurance Accepted?: Yes, by some providers
  • Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Children’s Therapy, Teen Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Zencare’s user interface is easy to navigate, there are a variety of filter options (including the ability to filter for a therapist who treats anxiety), and the thorough vetting process makes finding a provider who can address anxiety much easier. Since it’s an online therapy directory rather than an online therapy company that matches you with a provider, you have full control over who you choose.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Available in all 50 states and Washington D.C.
  • Has in-person locations
  • You have full control over who you choose
  • Wide breadth of filter options
  • Profiles show availability
  • Can schedule directly through the site
Cons

  • You don’t get help finding a therapist
  • Not all providers accept insurance

Our Experience

We evaluated how well Zencare was able to provide appropriate therapists across 37 different scenarios for which someone might need therapy, and it performed especially well in situations that involved anxiety—this included treating someone experiencing panic attacks, someone having anxiety about their finances, and someone struggling with postpartum anxiety. We tested how easily we could find a therapist who treated anxiety, and based on our results—which offered nearly 400 therapists who fit our exact needs—we’re confident in recommending it as a directory with a wide pool of therapists who treat anxiety, all of whom are rigorously vetted to ensure their qualifications and experience.

We love that Zencare is available in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and includes therapists with in-person locations. It also offers extensive search filters, such as insurance accepted, whether their office is ADA accessible, and identities like gender, race, and religion. Therapists treat a variety of anxiety issues including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), using proven techniques and modalities.

One great advantage of a directory is that you have full control over the process and who you choose for a provider. Zencare’s search filters make the process less overwhelming since you can easily filter for attributes you need in a therapist. That said, any directory requires more work on your part since you don’t have anyone helping you match with someone.

Plans & Pricing

While the providers on Zencare vary in their insurance acceptance and fees, Zencare can help you find a therapist you can afford by filtering them by what insurance they accept and/or by their fees.

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Zencare:

  • 99% rated Zencare as good, very good, or excellent overall
  • 98% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
  • 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Zencare
  • 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Zencare to a friend or someone like them
  • 71 people were seeking treatment for anxiety

Guide to Choosing the Best Online Therapy for Anxiety

There are a variety of types of therapy for anxiety:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you how to analyze your thoughts and deconstruct the ones that lead to anxiety. For example, many people with anxiety disorders catastrophize and imagine the worst possible outcome of an event. CBT teaches you to think of other, more probable outcomes.
  • Exposure therapy is designed for people with specific fears and phobias, although it can treat more general forms of anxiety as well. In exposure therapy, you will face your fears in a slow, controlled manner with your therapist talking you through the process.
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps you to accept your anxious feelings and separate yourself from them so that you can make decisions based on your values rather than on your fears.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) also emphasizes acceptance but focuses more on accepting your life circumstances than your emotions. It also teaches you how to cope with uncontrolled emotions and improve your relationships. As well as treating generalized anxiety disorder, it also addresses co-occurring problems such as ADHD, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder.
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) conventionally treats PTSD and other forms of trauma, but can also address panic attacks and phobias. In EMDR, your therapist will combine cognitive strategies with rapid body movements (such as eye movement) to desensitize you to triggering events.
  • Interpersonal therapy (IPT) helps you navigate and understand your interpersonal relationships, move through grief, and expand your social support network. While it’s often used to treat depression, if your anxiety interferes with your relationships, IPT could be helpful.

It may be difficult to determine which type of therapy is right for you and may involve some trial and error. If you’re hoping to try a particular type of therapy, ask any potential therapist if they offer it, and feel free to switch therapists if a particular technique is unsuccessful.

How Do I Know if Online Therapy for Anxiety Is Right for Me?

Most forms of anxiety therapy can be delivered online, which could be especially helpful if you live in a remote area, have difficulties leaving the house, or want a therapist with a specific identity that’s not common where you live. Choosing an online therapy provider might also be helpful if you’re concerned you’ll need to switch therapists.

Online therapy may not be right for you if you have concurrent psychotic disorders, are in danger of harming yourself or others, or if you don’t have a strong WiFi connection.

Comparing Online Therapy for Anxiety

There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing which online therapy service is best. These include:

  • Price: Online therapy costs vary wildly. Some services accept insurance, some will let you reimburse, and some do neither. Check the cost of any service before joining, see if it offers a free trial, and ask your insurance company what services it reimburses.
  • Types of therapy: There are different types of therapy that address anxiety (see above). Find out what types of therapy a company offers and do a little research to see what might work best for you.
  • Scheduling: If you have limited availability or work a nine-to-five job, see if a company offers therapy during hours when you are free before signing up.
  • Location: Therapists must be licensed in the state where you are located, regardless of whether you’re using telehealth. Check what states a company services before joining.
  • Method of counseling: Different companies offer different ways of communicating with your therapist. These can include live chat, text messaging, and phone and video calls. If you need a particular feature for accessibility reasons, check to see if a company offers it before joining.
  • Ease of switching between therapists: Sometimes, a therapist and client aren’t a good fit for each other. Most companies will allow you to switch therapists easily if that’s the case. Just make sure you know what that involves, and whether or not you’ll be comfortable taking those steps, if need be.

What If I’m Having Thoughts of Harming Myself? 

Online therapy services aren’t emergency resources. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself please contact one of the crisis lines below:

  • Text HOME at 741-741 for the crisis text line.
  • Call 988 for a mental health emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What Type of Therapy Is Best for Anxiety?
  • What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety?
  • Is Anxiety Considered a Mental Illness?
  • Is Anxiety Caused by a Chemical Imbalance?

Methodology

We examined and compared 55 different online therapy companies and 25 online therapy directories to see which could provide holistic, evidence-based care for anxiety. We aimed for services that addressed multiple factors that contribute to anxiety and which provided a range of services, including talk therapy and medication, and considered factors such as price, availability, and the demographics of potential therapy seekers. We also chose services that either provided a unique service and/or were accessible to a broad range of people. All of the companies hired licensed clinicians to conduct care.

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