Advekit Online Therapy Review

When considering therapy, many people aren’t sure where to start their search for a suitable therapist and whether their insurance plan will cover the cost. With the cost of a single therapy session in the US ranging between $100 and $200 on average, lack of insurance coverage or out-of-network reimbursement is a huge barrier to care for many unable to sustainably pay out-of-pocket for mental health services. 

Advekit tries to address these issues by matching clients to therapists based on their requirements and preferences, while also helping therapy seekers use their out-of-network insurance benefits to cover costs. To learn more about Advekit and how well it stacks up against its competition, we surveyed 105 people who used the company, and I signed up for therapy sessions myself to test its services. 

What Is Advekit? 

Advekit is a mental health company that was founded in 2017 by Allison LaSov, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and Arielle Garellek, who has worked in education, business management, and finance. 

The founders had one goal in mind: To destigmatize mental health and help people feel comfortable seeking treatment. Advekit strives to match clients with therapists who align with their needs, preferences, and goals.

Advekit also helps clients use their out-of-network insurance benefits. The company works with your insurance company to establish a reimbursement rate and determine what portion of the session fee is ultimately your financial responsibility. Advekit then bills your insurance company on your behalf, cutting back on paperwork for you. 

What Services Does Advekit Offer?

Advekit offers in-person and phone or video therapy sessions to individuals, couples, families, adolescents, and children.

The service is currently available in 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, plus Washington, D.C. 

Who Is Advekit For?

Advekit is for anyone who wants to use their out-of-network insurance coverage for therapy to treat a range of mental health concerns, including depression and trauma.

Advekit is also suitable for people looking for trans-affirming mental health care. When signing up for Advekit, you can choose if you prefer a male, female, or non-binary therapist. If you want to see more options beyond your three initial therapist matches, you can contact customer service to request additional matches. 

The company understands trans- and gender-affirming care is important for people to feel safe and comfortable enough to open up to their therapist, so they can be confident that they will be supported, accepted, and understood by their therapist without spending time explaining themselves. 

Research from 2022 suggests that gender-affirming care for transgender people positively affects their experience, health outcomes, and quality of life. 

How Much Does Advekit Cost?

It’s free to sign up for Advekit. All therapists set their own rates, and you won’t see the cost for each session until you complete the signup process. Once you match with three therapists, you’ll see their typical rates listed. Most therapists charge between $80 and $250 per session, before insurance.

Does Advekit Take Insurance? 

Yes, Advekit works with most insurance plans that offer out-of-network coverage.

Does Advekit Offer Discounts?

Advekit offers users a 50% discount for their first session.

Navigating the Advekit Website

The Advekit homepage is simple, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. Of the users we surveyed, 54% found it very easy or easy to navigate the website. Only 6% reported that it was difficult or very difficult to use. 

The main landing page displays “Your Therapy Concierge” in large font, followed by “No superbills. No waiting for reimbursements. No awkward payment conversations.” Below this, you can click on “I’m a Therapist” or “I’m a Patient”. 

Across the top of the screen, you also have the option to click on “For Patients,” “For Therapists,” “About Us,” “Blog,” “Get Started,” and “Log In.” 

Scrolling down further, you’ll see an “As Featured In” section with eight links to publications. The links include a social media post that mentions Advekit and articles with quotations from one of Advekit co-founder Allison LaSov, LMFT. Article topics include gratitude, choosing a therapist, and breakup advice. 

Below these links, you’ll see information for therapists, with the option to “Explore Advekit for Therapists,” and for patients, with the option to “Discover Advekit for Patients.” 

Further down is a map of the United States highlighting the states where Advekit is available. If you click on “Learn More About Advekit,” you’ll be taken to the “About Us” page. 

The “About Us” page says: “Founded by a therapist, Advekit has transformed the way that people access mental health care. Our mission is to help as many people as possible get the access to care that they deserve.” 

Below that statement, the “Our Team” section displays pictures of 24 employees along with their name, job title, and location. These are not therapists; the website does not provide therapist bios until you’ve created an account

The FAQ page has five questions that relate to insurance and payment information. The questions are useful for helping to understand payment information, but they do not address the signup process, getting started with a therapist, or how online sessions work. 

The website includes a blog with posts geared toward clients and therapists. Each post is reviewed by LaSov, and each has a review date. However, there is no author listed. Still, 44% of users reported that the additional resources on the site, such as blog posts, podcasts, and mental health resources, were excellent or very good. 

The site includes a short anxiety quiz, though you’ll need to provide your email address in order to view your results, which may be a drawback for some. There’s also the option to sign up for the Advekit newsletter. 

To contact Advekit, you’ll fill out a form with your name, email address, zip code, the reason for the message, and the message. The options provided for “reason for messaging” include patient questions about therapy or billing, prospective therapist questions about membership, Advekit therapist insurance questions, and Advekit therapist non-insurance questions. There’s also the option to select “other” or send an email for general support or billing.

The website links to Advekit’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages. Advekit has 909 Facebook followers, 127 Twitter followers, 3,047 Instagram followers, and 2,231 LinkedIn followers. The last Twitter post was in 2019, but Advekit is somewhat active on the other three channels, having posted on each within the last few months. Posts are a mix of inspirational posts, funny memes, and informational posts relating to mental health. The Advekit LinkedIn page also includes links to mental health articles from various publications. 

How Do You Sign Up for Therapy at Advekit?

Signing up for therapy at Advekit is straightforward. According to our survey results, 77% of users found the signup process very easy or easy.

To begin, you’ll click on “Get Started” in the upper right corner, or select “I'm a Patient” from the center of the screen on the homepage next to “I’m a Therapist.” ​​From there, you can begin the signup process and select whether you're looking for a therapist or already have a therapist. 

To sign up, you’ll enter your email address and answer whether you’re looking for a therapist for yourself or someone else, such as a child. You’ll need to provide your name, date of birth, gender, phone number, address, and insurance information. From there, you choose if you’re looking for therapy for an individual adult, a couple, a family, an adolescent, or a child. You can choose in-person therapy, phone or video therapy, or both. 

Choosing a Therapist at Advekit

After signing up, you’ll use the search filters to find a therapist. Filters include cost, location, personal fit, and therapist specialization. You can also select your top three concerns and your ideal role for the therapist during sessions. For example, you could say that you’re looking for a therapist who teaches problem-solving skills, uses art and movement, or acts as a coach and motivator. You can also search according to your gender preference for a therapist and your scheduling needs. 

After you complete the search, you’ll be given up to three therapist matches and some information about their expertise, approach, and rates. 

If you want to learn more about the potential therapists, you can do a quick Google search to find their website, which may offer more information.

I was satisfied with the three matches I received since they offered the type of therapy that interests me, though my concerns were quite general. It’s unclear how appropriate matches would be if I had more specific concerns. You have the option to contact Advekit to receive additional matches, but it’s not clear how detailed you can be in your requests. 

Of the users we surveyed, 64% reported that there were a reasonable amount of therapist options in their location and they were able to find a therapist that matched their needs. Twenty-two percent of users reported that their options were somewhat limited, and 15% said they were not able to find what they were looking for due to lack of suitability or availability in their state. 

To schedule an appointment, you can select one or more therapists to get in touch with and send them a message using your Advekit dashboard. The primary purpose of the dashboard is to communicate with your therapist, but you can also use it to view account, insurance, and payment information. 

At this time, you are required to enter your payment details, though you will not be charged until after your session, either through insurance or out of pocket. 

How Do Therapy Sessions Work at Advekit?

Once you hear back from your selected therapist, you’ll usually have the option to set up a time to have a short phone consultation. During the consultation, you can ask questions and learn more about the therapist’s approach, experience, and expertise to see if they sound like a good fit for your goals and preferences. 

If you decide to proceed, you can schedule therapy sessions. These are usually weekly and last 45 minutes to an hour. 

If you signed up for video sessions, your therapist will let you know which platform they use. Each therapist chooses a platform to use, such as Zoom; Advekit doesn’t have its own video platform or require therapists to use a specific one. 

I chose a therapist from the list provided for me, but I didn’t hear back from that therapist even after messaging them twice via the dashboard. Customer service was helpful and friendly enough, though the process of matching with new therapists wasn’t incredibly fast. It took at least one day for customer service to respond to each of my emails. 

From the time I initially signed up and messaged my initial match, it took around two weeks to get connected to new therapists. Once a customer service rep made booking requests on my behalf to see two new therapists, both therapists emailed me within a day to set up a consultation. 

I’m not sure how common it is to not hear back from a therapist, but you may want to message more than one of your matches initially. That way, you’ll still have access to their profile information. Once I selected a therapist, I was unable to view the other options and it took a while to get connected to the new options, which slowed down the signup process. 

After the initial consultations, each therapist emailed me a link to some intake documents, which I completed via a secure portal. 

How Do Therapy Sessions Work at Advekit?

At the end of my consultations, I signed up for a weekly time slot with each therapist. I received an email notification ahead of the 50-minute video session I had with each one. The first session was on Zoom and the second was on the Telehealth app. Both sessions went smoothly and I didn’t experience any technical difficulties. 

I only had one session with each therapist, so most of the session involved a mix of my personal history, current concerns, and overall goals for therapy. The therapists competently guided the sessions, asked probing questions to delve deeper into certain topics, and provided valuable insights. 

Neither therapist gave me any specific homework. However, they both asked me to pay attention to and note feelings and thought patterns that arose during the week so we could discuss them during the next session. If I were to continue therapy, I would be happy to continue with either therapist. 

What Happens If I Miss a Session?

Each therapist has their own policy for missed sessions. Typically, you must cancel at least 24 hours in advance to avoid paying the full session amount. Therapists may also limit the number of consecutive sessions you miss and sessions you miss within a certain time frame. 

Switching Therapists

To switch therapists, email customer service to ask for additional matches.

It’s also possible to see multiple therapists at the same time, though this is not recommended. Seeing more than one therapist concurrently can often undermine the therapeutic relationship, as it might lead to conflicting information or advice and make it impossible to fully confide in or trust each therapist. 

Canceling Therapy at Advekit 

You can stop using Advekit at any time since you pay for individual sessions. Simply email customer service with a request to cancel your account. You’ll also need to contact your therapist and cancel any upcoming sessions. 

Quality of Care and User Satisfaction

Advekit provides a valuable service that helps clients find and pay for therapy. The therapists I saw were experienced in treating a range of conditions and seemed competent in helping clients meet their goals. I felt that they were understanding, supportive, and genuinely interested in taking me on as a patient to help me meet my goals. 

The signup process was lengthier than expected. If someone wanted to start therapy as soon as possible, this could be a hindrance. I expect that most therapists are responsive once you get in touch. That said, quicker response times from customer service would have been welcome. 

Survey results show that most people are generally happy with Advekit. Eighteen percent rated the service as excellent, 26% very good, and 27% good. Only 6% rated Advekit’s services as poor. 

When survey respondents were asked if Advekit met their needs, 42% said all of their needs were met, 38% said most of their needs were met, and 14% said some of their needs were met. 

“The main benefit of Advekit is the way it works with the user's insurance,” says Hannah Owens, LMSW, Mental Health Editor at Verywell Mind. “Rather than paying up front for services and later being reimbursed by your insurance company, Advekit only charges you what you owe according to your plan and takes care of the bureaucracy and administrative burden of insurance.”

This is an advantage for therapy seekers. “Rather than placing the onus of filing insurance claims on the user, Advekit does all the filing and is the one that has to wait for reimbursement from the insurance company, rather than the user having to wait for reimbursement,” says Owens. “Accepting insurance in this way makes Advekit stand out from most of the rest of the online therapy field.” 

Owens points out at least one potential disadvantage to using Advekit. “One downside I can see without having tested the service myself is that you must have insurance coverage. There are no sliding scale fees or discounts, and you cannot pay out-of-pocket. This is restrictive for the uninsured and the underinsured,” she says. “Additionally, Advekit is only currently available in 17 states, and does not cover the country's therapy deserts—areas where access to mental health care is limited or nonexistent.” 

Privacy Policy 

The Advekit privacy policy states that the company values the privacy of users and safeguards the information it receives. The policy outlines how it collects, uses, and shares information you provide through the Advekit website or through direct communication with Advekit employees and representatives. 

The privacy policy does not cover the personal health information that you provide to the mental health professional that you find via the Advekit website. 

You’ll need to read the practice documents that your therapist provides to learn how the personal information you share during the signup process and sessions is shared. 

Advekit states that it may disclose personal information in cases where it is required, or believed to be required, by federal, state, or local law. Advekit may also provide information in response to a court order, subpoena, discovery request, or other request in connection with a judicial or administrative proceeding or from a law enforcement official.

Advekit vs. Its Competitors

Compared to some of the top online therapy platforms, user satisfaction among Advekit survey participants was significantly lower than some of the most popular platforms. 

Regarding overall user satisfaction, only 70% of survey participants gave Advekit a favorable rating. In comparison, 90% of Talkspace users, 94% of E-Therapy Cafe users, and 90% of Thriveworks users rated the platforms as favorable.

In response to whether therapy met their needs, 80% of Advekit users said all or most of their needs were met, which is similar to other platforms. In comparison, 78% of Talkspace users, 82% of E-Therapy Cafe users, and 78% of Thriveworks users said all or most of their needs were met. 

Compared to the competition, survey respondents found it less easy to find a therapist using Advekit. Forty-seven percent of Advekit survey respondents said the process of looking for a therapist was very easy or easy, whereas 64% of Talkspace users, 73% of E-Therapy Cafe users, and 68% of Thriveworks users reported the same. 

Final Verdict

Advekit is extremely useful for clients who want to easily connect to a therapist that meets their needs. According to co-founder Allison LaSov, LMFT, Advekit is the only mental health platform that lets clients use out-of-network benefits, which helps to make therapy more affordable. 

It’s free to join and easy to sign up and get started, and once Advekit verifies your insurance coverage and you go through the process of connecting to a suitable therapist, you’re good to go. You pay for sessions as you go and can stop therapy at any time. 

I was happy with the services I received and would recommend Advekit to people with insurance who want to use out-of-network coverage for therapy. 

Methodology

To fairly and accurately review the best online therapy programs, we sent questionnaires to 55 companies and surveyed 105 current users of each. This allowed us to directly compare services offered by gathering qualitative and quantitative data about each company and its users’ experiences.

Specifically, we evaluated each company on the following factors: website usability, the sign-up and therapist matching processes, therapist qualifications, types of therapy offered, the service's quality of care, client-therapist communication options, session length, subscription offerings, client privacy protections, average cost and value for money, whether it accepts insurance, how easy it is to change therapists, overall user satisfaction, and the likelihood that clients would recommend them.

We also signed up for the companies in order to get a sense of how this process worked, how easy to use the platform is, and how therapy takes place at the company.