Talkspace Expert Review, Pricing, Alternatives - 2023

Talkspace offers convenient, accessible, and responsive mental healthcare through messaging and live therapy sessions. They have published over 16 efficacy studies in peer-reviewed journals and have partnered with 25+ research partners, including NYU and Columbia University experts, to validate their results.

Talkspace is an online mental health platform that offers convenient, cost-effective messaging and live-therapy sessions from the comfort of your own home. Their network of licensed providers covers a range of specialties from depression to stress, trauma, anxiety, anger management, substance abuse,  LGBTQIA+, and more.

Talkspace also offers psychiatry evaluations, medication management, couples therapy, and specialized therapy for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. 

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What's nice about Talkspace is the flexibility that they offer through their multiple payment plans. Even if you're not part of an EAP, you can still choose a service based on your budget, availability, and mental health needs. And given that Talkspace accepts many forms of insurance, the service becomes fairly cost-effective. 

Overall, the platform is user-friendly. After you've signed up, filled out the questionnaire, and chosen your therapist, you will get access to a secure virtual therapy room with your therapist. Users can access this room from any device, web browser, or Talkspace's mobile app. In this room, you can interact with your therapist 24/7 via chat or audio messages. You can expect at least one response a day. However, bear in mind that your therapist might not reply immediately throughout the day. 

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If your subscription includes live sessions, you can schedule them on your client portal page. If you don't like your therapist, you can easily switch to a new one by asking the system to match you with other therapists based on your mental needs.

What we like about Talkspace is that their staff is made up of licensed and credentialed therapists and psychiatrists who are required to have over 3,000 hours of clinical experience in their field of expertise.

Even if your company can't afford to offer Talkspace, your employees can seek help on their own. Talkspace accepts many forms of insurance so employees don't have to pay the full cost.

Blackstone, Citi, Expedia Group, and Lionsgate

• Online messaging and live therapy sessions 
• Online couples therapy
• Online psychiatry sessions
• Medicine management from licensed prescribers
• Online counselling for teenagers
• Online counselling for members of the LGBTQIA+ community
• Online counselling and therapy for veterans
• Free mental health tests to evaluate if you need help from a licensed mental health practitioner

Talkspace does not integrate with any other application.

Talkspace offers different subscription models based on an individual's needs and budget. If you’re an employer looking to set up an EAP, contact your benefits administrator for more details. For employees that have access to the platform, it costs nothing. However, if your employer isn't paying for it, you can choose one of the following plans: 

• Messaging Therapy: This plan is priced at $69 per week, and you get unlimited text, video, and audio messaging with your therapist 5 days a week.
• Live Therapy: At $99 per week, you get 4 live 45-minute sessions per month.
• Live + Messaging Therapy: Priced at $129/week, this plan gives you 4 live 45-minute sessions per month and unlimited text, video, and audio messaging with your therapist 5 days a week.

Talkspace also offers psychiatry services at $249 for a 60-minute initial evaluation session, $365 for the initial evaluation and a follow-up session, and around $125 for every follow-up session.

Keep in mind that even if your employer cannot pay for it, Talkspace accepts many forms of insurance. To know if you're eligible, you can take their online assessment.

Talkspace is suitable for any organization that is looking for a mental health platform that delivers clinically-proven results.

To start using Talkspace's service, you can click on the "get started" prompt on their website or mobile app. You'll be redirected to an intake form which is a basic questionnaire about you, your habits, and your lifestyle. After completing the form, you will have to fill out your payment details, insurance details, or employer details if your organization is paying for it. Based on your answers and your mental health needs, you will be matched with a therapist.

While Talkspace does not offer a free trial, they provide a free consultation with one of their agents to discuss how the platform works and their matching process. They also have a self-serve help center where you can understand more about their subscription model, billing, insurance, and offerings. If you have any other queries, you can reach out to their customer support team by submitting a request on their website or mobile app. You can also contact their support team via email.

Founded in 2012, Talkspace was one of the first online therapy companies that made it a priority to ensure mental health services were accessible to everyone. Their goal is to break the taboo surrounding mental health and facilitate conversations about depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. 

Today, Talkspace is pretty well known, with celebrities like Micheal Phelps and Demi Lovato advertising their online mental health platform.