Best Online Psychiatry

Teladoc is one of the oldest telehealth companies reviewed, with 20 years of experience, and offers access to other medical specialties as well as mental health therapy and psychiatry, such as primary care, pediatrics, and more. 

Access to both licensed psychotherapy and board-certified psychiatry is available seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visits are reportedly scheduled within one week after completion of a mental health screening questionnaire. A secure messaging center is available on the website and app for after-visit notes, follow-up care, and questions.

Psychiatry and medication management are available for individuals ages 13 and up. Controlled substances are not prescribed, so this site may not be ideal for people with ADHD or other conditions requiring those types of medications.

If you’re using insurance to access Teladoc’s services, you will only pay a copay for visits, which varies depending on your provider. If you’re paying out-of-pocket, the pricing is:

• $99 per session for all therapy visits
• $299 for the initial psychiatry consultation; $119 per session for follow-ups

 Appointments are pay-per-visit, which may be costly if frequent sessions are required and/or if your insurance does not cover service. Payment is required up front via credit card or Paypal.

Teladoc was rated the highest or near the highest in nearly all important categories on our user survey, with an incredible 97% of users reporting overall satisfaction with the service, and 92% rating its psychiatry and medication management services positively. Users also praised its accessibility, provider availability, and insurance coverage.

Users also found the platform easy to use (in part thanks to its convenient app); it received 82% positive ratings. Ninety-four percent of users reported the service had well-qualified providers, 90% reported they were satisfied with the diversity of providers, and 87% said the service was a good value for money. Perhaps most importantly, Teladoc received high ratings for responsive, caring, and respectful attitudes of providers: 92% of users rated their prescriber’s bedside manner positively. It was also one of the highest rated services users said they’d recommend to a friend, at 86%.

Monument is a specialized telepsychiatry platform for people with alcohol use disorder and as such, is better suited for its unique treatment needs. The platform encourages a multidisciplinary team approach by assigning each client both a therapist and a physician for medication management. Access to therapist-moderated support groups and a 24/7 community forum are available for free. 

The program emphasizes a limited set of non-controlled substances to help with alcohol cravings, such as disulfiram and naltrexone, an approach that may not be ideal for everyone, especially people with more severe alcohol dependence or withdrawal issues, or other accompanying psychiatric conditions.

Referral and access to more intensive levels of services (such as residential or inpatient treatment) is not mentioned on the site, even though some people with alcohol use disorder may sometimes need such referrals. This site also only focuses on alcohol and not any other comorbid substance use disorders which may be present.

Several different monthly plans are available, which include more visits and access to treatment providers (therapy and/or medication management) depending on budget and clinical needs. Monument has three plans: 

• Physician Care: $10 a month plus $45 per appointment; includes one appointment with a doctor per month (additional sessions available for $45 each), medication management, and unlimited messaging with the doctor
• Total Care (Biweekly): $149 a month; includes two 45-minute therapy sessions a month, unlimited appointments with a doctor, medication management, and unlimited messaging with both the doctor and therapist
• Total Care (Weekly): $249 a month; includes everything in the Total Care (Biweekly) plan, but with four 45-minute therapy sessions monthly instead of two
  

Perhaps partly due to the care plan you choose, or the more limited therapeutic focus, Monument’s ratings for therapists’ availability and supportive/listening attitude are somewhat lower than those of the other companies in our survey. In all, 78% of users reported overall satisfaction with their experience at Monument, and 75% rated its psychiatry and medication management services positively.

In addition, 69% rated prescriber qualifications positively and 74% rated prescriber bedside manner positively. When it came to cost, 57% of users surveyed said they found Monument’s services very affordable or affordable, while 5% said they found its services not at all affordable. Finally, 65% of users surveyed said they’d recommend Monument’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Brightside is an appealingly comprehensive mental health telepsychiatry site incorporating online access to psychotherapy and psychiatry services in all 50 states. It focuses mainly on the most common psychiatric diagnoses: anxiety and depression. 

After you complete free assessment questionnaire and select a monthly flat-fee plan, you'll be assigned a treatment provider. Therapy is accessible via weekly video sessions and additional a la carte sessions (for an additional fee) as needed, as well as unlimited messaging (with a 24 to 48 hour response time on weekends). 

Psychiatry is available via additional video sessions. Treatment is targeted toward modalities and medications that address anxiety and depression, including app-based exercises to use on your own and symptom progress trackers. However, controlled substances (such as Xanax or other benzodiazepines) are not prescribed, so for more severe or specific diagnoses that require them, Brightside may not be ideal.

Brightside offers three plans, which all include a 12-week self-care syllabus.

• Medication only: $95/month for one 15-minute psychiatric evaluation a month, monthly medication delivery, and ongoing provider support, including medication adjustments
• Therapy only: $299/month for unlimited messaging and four monthly sessions with your therapist; additional appointments available for $59 per session
• Therapy and medication: $349/month; includes everything in the two other plans

Brightside was rated highly by our surveyed users. Overall, 93% of users rated the medication management and psychiatry services as good, very good, or excellent. In addition, 60% said medication was available when they needed it, and 38% said psychiatrists were available to answer questions. However, only 19% thought the psychiatric sessions were long enough for their needs.

What’s more, 83% of users said they’d recommend Brightside’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend, and the same percentage rated prescriber qualifications as good, very good, or excellent.

Talkiatry is one of the few sites that specifically emphasizes psychiatric care from board-certified psychiatrists. These specialists are the most highly trained in mental health care from a comprehensive medical and biopsychosocial perspective. At many other companies, psychiatric nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants primarily provide medication management for psychiatric patients. This company notes that medication should be considered a viable treatment option, and if patients are not comfortable with that, this may not be the ideal platform for them. 

Psychiatrists are often more comfortable handling a wider array of mental health diagnoses, and this company provides care for people with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and more. Accordingly, Talkiatry is better suited than some others for patients with bipolar disorder, which can require more advanced and nuanced psychopharmacologic training for its management. 

Child psychiatry is also available, which is another crucial care shortage area for mental health treatment. However, the site does not recommend online treatment for some psychiatric diagnoses such as schizophrenia, substance use, and eating disorders and says that its services are more appropriate for “mild to moderate mental health issues.” 

You can select from an open list of providers or peruse suggested matches. Most initial visits occur within a week. Visits are at least 60 minutes for initial evaluation and 30 minutes for follow up, which is longer than is typical for in-person insurance-based psychiatry visits. In Talkiatry’s Healow app, you can send direct messages to your prescriber and get responses within 48 hours.

Talkiatry only accepts patients via health insurance. It takes most insurance plans and automatically screens for approval. Even with insurance, accessing in-person psychiatric care can be difficult due to limited and outdated network listings with long waiting lists. Talkiatry helps with that, although the service is not available in all states yet and in some areas have more limited prescriber listings. There are no subscription costs; the service uses a pay-per-visit model. To see an estimate of your copay before signing up, you can input your insurance information.

Talkiatry was one of the highest rated companies in terms of whether users would recommend the service to a friend, at 87%. Of users surveyed, 95% said their overall experience at Talkiatry was good, very good, or excellent, and 89% rated its psychiatry and medication management services as good, very good, or excellent. It also was one of the highest for finding connecting to a therapist helpful, with an over 90% positive rating. In addition, 86% rated prescriber qualifications positively, and 85% rated prescriber bedside manner positively.

Talkspace is one of the better-known online mental health services out there. That's due in part to its well-designed website and easy-to-use app, which works well especially with users who are text-savvy. 

Access to care is one of Talkspace’s major strengths, with well-qualified therapists and psychiatric providers available within 48 hours after completing a brief assessment questionnaire. After you are assigned a provider, you can message your therapist anytime via the app.  

Talkspace has a particularly broad network of therapists, which helps in terms of accessing more specialized care for certain diagnoses, including eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and more. Psychiatrists are accessible via video visits and can prescribe medication for you. However, while mainly text-based therapy is appealing for some, it can feel more impersonal and emotionally disconnected for many others and isn’t always the ideal standard for mental health care.

Talkspace’s fees are higher than many other platforms (and not inclusive of both therapy and psychiatry services), with a smaller number of insurance plans accepted. That means its services may be out of reach for many due to cost, and are not suited for those who want medication management without a designated therapist. 

Talkspace offers three therapy plans:

• Messaging Therapy: From $69/week, includes unlimited messaging with daily therapist responses five days a week
• Live Therapy: From $99/week, includes four live therapy sessions a month via live chat, phone, or video
• Live + Messaging Therapy: From $129/week, includes messaging and four live sessions

Talkspace’s psychiatry services are not included in any of its subscription plans, and are treated as an add-on service. An initial psychiatric evaluation costs $249 per session and lasts between 20 and 90 minutes. Follow-up appointments are $125 each. If medication is prescribed, that will be an additional cost.

Talkspace was rated one of the easiest to navigate in our user survey at 82% positive. It also rated highly for well-qualified providers, at over 90%. It was one of the highest rated platforms for patients feeling much better afterward and for flexible scheduling. Also, this site had one of the best ratings for prescriber availability, and 93% of users rated prescriber qualifications highly.

Of users surveyed, 90% rated both the overall experience at Talkspace and the platform’s psychiatry and medication management services as good, very good, or excellent. Overall, 95% of users said they’d recommend Talkspace’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend or family member.

Thriveworks highly touts its accessibility, which is a key advantage for online psychiatry platforms. The company notes that it can match you with a qualified therapist and psychiatrist via its centralized booking service and have you seen within 48 hours, with a wide national network available and most insurance plans accepted.

Therapists are available at most hours and for frequent sessions. Additional coaching services are also available 24/7. However, the network of psychiatrists and prescribers is not as comprehensive as the therapist network and is limited to 30 states.

Pricing is a bit confusing; there is a monthly membership fee of $39 (at “most offices,” depending on the state) in addition to fees for each treatment session: $10 to $40 per session with insurance, $65 to $140 without insurance for therapy; higher fees are likely for medication management. If needed, the monthly membership fee can be waived.

Despite the higher accessibility of the platform (rated the highest for prescriber accessibility at 68%), in our user survey, Thriveworks also had slightly higher rates of some negative characteristics, such as prescribers being more difficult to talk to and clients not having as much input into treatment decisions.

Overall, 90% of users reported satisfaction with their Thriveworks experience, and an incredible 98% of users rated its psychiatry and medication management services positively. What’s more, 88% of users rated prescriber qualifications positively and 93% said they’d recommend Thriveworks’ psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

Doctor on Demand is a telehealth site that also offers mental health care services, including therapy and medication management. Overall, the selection of providers is broad with high satisfaction ratings and rapid access; the company offers treatment for a wide array of psychiatric diagnoses, although is not ideal for those (like people with ADHD) that may need controlled substances. 

After you complete a screening questionnaire, you'll receive recommendations for treatment as well as a list of providers to choose from. Doctor on Demand offers one of the fastest initial access times for a mental health provider: You can get an appointment within as little as five minutes, 24/7.

However, the tradeoff for that quick access is that the same provider may not be available for future visits as quickly or when you want. Also, appointments for psychiatrists or prescribing providers may be more difficult to obtain as quickly, with variable wait times (although most are within a week).

At Doctor on Demand, there are no subscription fees: you pay per appointment. The service accepts insurance, but if you’re paying out of pocket, you can use a credit card, PayPal, health savings account (HSA), or flexible spending account (FSA). The out-of-pocket cost for psychiatry sessions is $299 for a 45-minute initial appointment; 15-minute follow-up sessions are $129 each. A 25-minute therapy session is $129; a 50-minute session is $179.

Overall, Doctor on Demand had high satisfaction ratings across several categories including ease of use of platform, responsive providers, and generally feeling all needs were met. Of users surveyed, 94% were satisfied with their overall experience at Doctor on Demand, and 84% rated its psychiatry and medication management services positively.

In addition, 90% of users rated prescriber qualifications highly, 85% rated their prescriber’s bedside manner as good, very good, or excellent. Users especially found their prescribers caring and conscientious: 76% said their provider took plenty of time in evaluating them, and 69% said their provider really listened to them. Finally, 81% said it was likely they would recommend Doctor on Demand’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend or family member.

LiveHealth Online is another well-organized, easy-to-use telehealth website offering mental health services in all 50 states in addition to other medical specialties via video. Psychiatric services are available to adults only.

Evening and weekend hours are available for appointments, as well as some 24/7 communication access to a provider on call, and a designated app. You can select your own provider from a vetted list. Like several other telehealth platforms, LiveHealth cannot prescribe controlled substances, so it is not ideal for people whose conditions may benefit from them.

LiveHealth Online follows a pay-per-visit model with no monthly fees. It also has some of the lowest pricing, even without insurance, per visit. Several major insurance companies are also accepted, although not as many as some other sites.

Out-of-pocket, you’ll pay:

• $80-$95 for talk therapy sessions, depending on your therapist’s level of experience
• $175 for initial consultation with a psychiatrist; $75 for each subsequent visit

LiveHealth Online rated highly in terms of whether users would recommend the service to a friend, at 87%. It had one of the higher ratings for respectful providers and ease of connecting to a therapist. Overall, 90% of users rated their experience with LiveHealth Online as good, very good, or excellent. It was one of the sites with the highest number of patients with insurance coverage at 69%.

LiveHealth Online users were also impressed with its medication management services: 87% rated it excellent, very good, or good, and 89% rated prescriber qualifications excellent, very good, or good. Users especially appreciated LiveHealth Online’s affordability, convenience, and psychiatrist availability. Finally, 77% said they would recommend LiveHealth Online’s psychiatry and medication management services to a friend.

MDLIVE follows a similar general telehealth model to a few other sites like Teladoc and LiveHealth, but still offers comprehensive therapy and psychiatric services online in an easy-to-use platform. 

Thanks to its large network of vetted, licensed, and board-certified providers, MDLIVE offers access to treatment for a wide array of diagnoses within a week. You can choose your provider directly from an easy-to-navigate index when you register. Evening and weekend hours are available, as well as 24/7 access to customer service. Services are also available for children and teens ages 10 and up. 

However controlled substances are not prescribed, and no outside paperwork services (such as for disability or animal therapy claims) are available. The company does not treat certain conditions such as ADHD, acute psychosis, active substance use requiring detox, and moderate to severe autism.

MDLIVE offers therapy and medication management services via a pay-per-session model. Several major insurance plans are accepted (even Medicare and Medicaid in some areas). Out of pocket, therapy appointments cost $108; psychiatry appointments cost $284 for the initial evaluation, then $108 for subsequent sessions.

Our users rated MDLIVE as one of the top three highest in terms of ease of navigation, at 81% positive. It also rated the highest for responsivity of its providers at 63% (with the rest being less than 60%). When it came to prices, 62% said MDLIVE was very affordable or affordable, while another 32% found it to be somewhat affordable; only 6% found the prices to be not very affordable or not affordable at all.

While 91% of users rated their overall experience at MDLIVE positively, only 73% of users rated the platform’s psychiatry and medication management services positively. Still, 90% of users rated prescriber qualifications as good, very good, or excellent, and 88% rated prescriber bedside manner as good, very good, or excellent.