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I started Talkspace because of a really intense argument that I got in with my GF after she suggested from listening to a podcast but I really just wish I could afford normal therapy.
- Overview
- How I Signed Up at Talkspace
- How I Matched With a Therapist
- My Therapy Experience at Talkspace
- Our Other Testers' Experiences with Talkspace
- Pros & Cons
- Final Thoughts
I am involved in the mental health system both as a psychologist and as a client, and I have long been an advocate for online therapy because telehealth is an important component in ensuring that everyone has access to care. At the same time, I have concerns about privacy, ethics, and the business practices of many online therapy companies.
Many think of Talkspace as an affordable telehealth platform that offers different tiered subscriptions allowing users to choose the method of care that works for them and fits their budget. It offers individual counseling for anyone age 13 and older, couples counseling for adults, psychiatry and medication management services, and mental health webinars.
But Talkspace has also come under fire for concerning and possibly unethical business practices. The therapist consultation groups I participate in often discuss concerns we have with this platform, including a history of lax privacy policies, canned responses from therapists, and unethical business practices. I also recently learned that Talkspace is facing a class action lawsuit from its shareholders for fraud and misleading information about the company’s value. Also, when I went to find the citation for that lawsuit, another class action lawsuit against Talkspace came up, claiming that it accepts clients when there is no therapist available to help them.
So I decided to try out the platform for three weeks to learn about the quality of care users get when they sign up for Talkspace.
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The sign-up process was relatively quick and easy compared to other platforms I have tried out in the past. Since Talkspace contracts with insurance, I had the option to enter insurance information or to pay out of pocket.
Talkspace accepts most insurance plans, which you can use to offset the cost of your care. It uses a subscription model where you pay a monthly rate for your therapy. The three plans offered are:
•Messaging Therapy: This plan is $69 per week and allows unlimited messaging with your therapist, with guaranteed responses five days per week.
•Video + Messaging: Talkspace recommends that users select this plan, which costs $99 per week and includes unlimited messaging plus one 30-minute live session per week.
•Video + Messaging + Workshops: This is the plan I signed up for. It is $109 per week and has the same resources as the other plans, plus access to workshops intended to educate about mental health and teach various skills, including mindfulness, self-care, and communication.
We Tried 80 Online Therapy Services—These Are the 8 We Recommend That Accept Insurance
The therapist I matched with lived in and was licensed in my state, was the gender I requested, and had the expertise I indicated during intake (experience with anxiety and work-related stress).
After messaging her, I received an auto-reply prompting me to take a mental health assessment. It asked questions about anxiety and depression, including how often I felt irritable, felt “nervous or on edge,” had difficulty sleeping, or experienced changes in appetite. The assessment gave information on my current symptoms and is re-administered every 20 days to track progress.
My first response from my therapist read like it was copy-pasted, with basic information about her license and clinical training as well as what to expect from the Talkspace therapy platform, which may have been a standard introduction she uses with all clients.
After that, though, our message exchanges seemed personal and related to questions I asked, which I was impressed with.
I chose to use video sessions for my therapy through Talkspace. Sessions were scheduled for 30 minutes, but my therapist went over time, so our meetings were closer to 45 minutes. Providers are able to make their own schedules, and my therapist had availability at night and on Saturdays, which was perfect with my work schedule.
I experienced some technical difficulties with the platform. The web browser indicated that it could not access my camera or microphone even though I had granted permission. However, this issue resolved itself when I restarted my computer. The platform also asked me for my home address and emergency contact each time I logged in, even though this information had not changed, and there was no option to auto-fill with my previous answers.
My therapist started off by talking to me about my goals for therapy, which can be helpful in determining what interventions to use.
My therapist started off by talking to me about my goals for therapy, which can be helpful in determining what interventions to use. Possibly because the sessions were shorter, we did not do a full intake that included gathering extensive history, which is a limitation of the platform. Therapists can only work with the information they have, and there simply was not time for me to share all relevant information. However, she used some cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to help me manage anxiety and stress. She also ended the session with a breathing exercise, which was a nice transition back into my day.
In follow-up sessions, she checked in on the treatment plan we created. I got the impression that she remembered the information I told her before and did not feel like I had to repeat myself. Her approach seemed solution-focused, meaning that we discussed specific and concrete changes I could make in my life to reduce my symptoms. At the end of each session, she guided me through a breathing exercise similar to the first session. While the goal of each exercise was the same (to center me and transition out of the session), the specifics of each exercise was slightly different, which I found engaging.
After each session, I was prompted to give feedback about my experience with the platform and with my therapist. This felt tedious to do after every single appointment.
We had eight other people test Talkspace’s individual, teen, and couples counseling in New York, Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Kansas, California, and Indiana, and overall, our experiences were just as positive. Most of the time, we were matched with a therapist who we felt was right for us right away. For our individual therapy video sessions, we wanted a therapist who made us feel understood but who also used evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help us challenge our thinking and behaviors—and we felt like, in this way, Talkspace delivered.
We felt like it was easy to talk to our therapists, and even after just one session they gave us actionable advice for a problem we didn’t think was solvable. Our therapists appeared to be professional and experienced as well as compassionate, and were able to quickly establish a safe space for us—we felt like our providers were engaged and able to answer our questions (especially when we found a therapist who had expertise in our specific diagnosis).
We did feel, however, that the 30-minute session times were too short.
We weren’t able to really delve into our issues in that amount of time, and the personal and intimate questions one of our therapists kept asking were uncomfortable because it felt like the short session time necessitated jumping in before we were quite ready. In addition, one of our therapists showed up late to our session and spent the appointment looking offscreen and typing (presumably notes about the session, but we couldn’t be sure), which was distracting and off-putting. In addition, when we tried therapy for our teenager, they weren’t able to really connect with either therapist they tried—their providers felt distant and disengaged, especially via text.
Our experiences with Talkspace’s asynchronous messaging and text-based therapy weren’t as good as our video sessions.
Although we felt the convenience of text therapy (for example, we didn’t have to pay for childcare during our session), it was harder to connect with our therapists and keep the conversation flowing in a natural way—although we blamed the structure of the live chat sessions for this rather than our therapists themselves.
While my experience with my therapist was good, and Talkspace offers a method of service that is more accessible to many than traditional therapy, I still am left with some concerns about the company’s business practices and platform. Here are my pros and cons.
Talkspace User Survey Results
Of 105 users of Talkspace we surveyed: 90% said they would rate Talkspace as good, very good, or excellent overall 78% said that their provider met most or all of their needs 83% indicated that they were satisfied with the therapist options on the site 92% felt that Talkspace’s therapists were qualified 85% indicated that there are a good amount of quality providers available. 82% would recommend Talkspace to a friend That's why, in the end, I think Talkspace fills an important gap in treatment access, especially for people who live in therapy deserts (i.e places where there are few therapists or not enough therapists to meet demand). If you sign up, you will be matched with a competent therapist quickly and you'll likely be able to pay less out of pocket than you would in traditional, in-person therapy with a monthly subscription. The company also accepts insurance, which is a notable perk (especially since many of its competitors, such as BetterHelp, do not accept insurance). However, I cannot overlook my concerns about its business model, especially allegations that it does not have enough providers to meet its users’ needs. I worry the model is not sustainable in light of this information. The Best Online Therapy Programs We've tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. By Amy Marschall, PsyD Dr. Amy Marschall is an autistic clinical psychologist with ADHD, working with children and adolescents who also identify with these neurotypes among others. She is certified in TF-CBT and telemental health. Edited by Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens is the Mental Health/General Health Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. Learn about our editorial process and Simone Scully Simone Scully Simone is the health editorial director for performance marketing at Verywell. She has over a decade of experience as a professional journalist covering mental health, chronic conditions, medicine, and science. Learn about our editorial process
May 19, 2022 · Talkspace is an online therapy service that offers text, voice, or video sessions with a therapist. Learn about its pros, cons, cost, and how it compares to other online therapy options.
- Talkspace's uses licensed therapists and prescribers (psychiatry) for their services, including Licensed Professional Counselors and Nurse Practiti...
- Talkspace therapists aren't authorized to diagnose conditions, but Talkspace does have psychiatrists who can aid in medication management. The site...
- Talkspace's online therapy options are available for couples. According to their website, Talkspace's options are ideal for couples who may have bu...
Aug 26, 2024 · Talkspace is a subscription-based online therapy platform that costs between $276 – $436 monthly for anyone ages 13+ across the US and internationally. During our independent review of their services, they earned an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Jul 4, 2024 · Forbes Health editor tries Talkspace, an online therapy platform, and shares her experience, pros and cons, and cost. Read about the usability, quality of care, and options of Talkspace for individuals, couples and teens.
Apr 21, 2017 · Talkspace is an online and mobile therapy app which matches you up with a licensed therapist for $128 a month. You’re able to communicate with them almost 24/7 through texting, voice or video calls. It’s a great app for someone who is on the go or if they prefer typing over being face to face.
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Apr 17, 2024 · October 2021 Update: My in-depth review of BetterHelp and Talkspace confirms that my impression of Talkspace’s troubles are widespread. In the article I explain why Talkspace has faced so much backlash from both end users and therapists.
