Is It Possible to Find a Good Therapist Who Takes Insurance? I Tried Grow Therapy to Find Out

Because of this, I’ve become curious about the array of telehealth platforms I’ve seen that are specifically geared toward those who would like to use their insurance benefits. One of the companies I’ve noticed is Grow Therapy, a platform that offers both in-person and virtual therapy to adults, couples, families, and children ages 6 and up. Considering I’ve heard good things about the platform and even have trusted colleagues who provide services on it, I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Specifically, I wanted to know if it was possible to use my insurance for services (since it accepts most major plans), and, if not, how the overall affordability of the platform was. After testing Grow Therapy’s individual online therapy services for one month, I got a feel for all these aspects of the company, as well as how it compares to other major online therapy platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace. We also had another licensed therapist test out couples therapy at Grow Therapy. Read on to find out more.

It’s very easy to get started with Grow Therapy. As soon as I headed over to the website, I landed on a clean page that reads “Therapy, Covered by Insurance.” Underneath the heading was a “Find a Therapist” button. Upon clicking it, I was taken to another page that says “Find a Therapist [in your state] Who Accepts [your insurance] and Specializes in [your needs].” There were options to adjust the filters for the state, insurance, and need you’re seeking support for. When selecting your need, there is a drop-down list with an impressive array of options to choose from, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, trauma, and more. Once you fill in the blanks and click “Search,” you’re taken to a list of results.

From there, you can also further tailor your search by treatment options, therapist gender, age, racial and cultural identity, language, and appointment availability options. I loved that there weren’t so many filters that it felt overwhelming, but there were enough to make sure all the important details were covered.

I was pretty clear I wanted a therapist who had experience with stress, anxiety, and family of origin issues, and I was able to filter my search accordingly. Then I could scan through the search results, which consisted of the therapist’s photo, a snippet of their bio, fee, license information, years of experience, and whether they offer virtual and in-person sessions.

I loved how the search results were formatted — it felt like I had all the information I needed to seamlessly scan through my options.

When I was tailoring my search, I noticed my health insurance plan (HealthNet) wasn’t accepted. I was bummed about this — since they accept 51 major health insurance plans, I was hopeful mine would be accepted too. Although this felt discouraging, I reminded myself that 51 insurance plans is much more than what many other platforms accept, so while I struck out, many others are likely to have some luck. I opted to use the private pay option, so that I could still try out all the other functions of the platform.

A Note About Pricing

I liked that I didn’t have to input any of my financial information until it was time to book an appointment, which meant I could browse the platform for free while I got a feel for things. My search results featured plenty of folks who specialize in the issues I was hoping to work on. I noticed that there were individuals of various racial and gender identities, which appealed to me.

Choosing My Therapist

I chose my therapist based on her detailed bio, which addressed all the concerns I wanted to work on, and her many years of experience. Her rate also worked for me: She charged $150 per session, which in Los Angeles is on the lower end of the fee range of what I see providers charging.

While I felt confident about meeting with my therapist, I also felt comfortable that I’d be able to find a different therapist if things didn’t work out. This feeling was due in large part to the other therapist bios I saw while looking through the search results.

There were plenty of therapists with upward of 10 years of experience who had bios that spoke to the issues I was hoping to work on. Plus, I noticed therapists who practice specialized therapy types (or “modalities,” in therapy speak) — like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and internal family systems — which can be a bit of a challenge to find.

Scheduling My First Session

Once I chose my therapist, I was able to book an appointment right then and there, because her upcoming availability was clearly listed on her profile and there was a button to book directly. I loved how simple and easy it was.

I could opt to either book a full appointment or a free consultation (although this was not true of all the therapists I browsed through, as some only allow you to schedule a full session). While I appreciated that my provider offered a free consultation, I felt confident that she had the ability to support me after reading her bio, so I went ahead and scheduled a full session. That said, I would recommend booking a consultation to folks who are new to therapy or aren’t as sure of what kind of support they need. It can also be helpful if you’re torn between a few different therapist options.

While scheduling, I had to provide my name, date of birth, and payment information. If I were to have used insurance, I would have been prompted to enter my insurance plan information and would have received an estimate of the copay at this stage too.

Intake Paperwork

As soon as I scheduled my appointment, I received an email directing me to complete some intake paperwork, which included a depression and anxiety questionnaire and a general information sheet that asked for an emergency contact, information about my sexual identity and relationship status, my current employment situation, and what my therapy goals are. I also had to provide some general health history, such as whether I am taking any medication, have every been hospitalized, or am struggling with substance misuse. There was also a disclaimer about contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if I was having an emergency.

The whole onboarding process, including entering my payment information and completing the intake paperwork, took about 10 minutes. This felt comparable to other therapy platforms and even similar to how long it can take clients to fill out my practice’s paperwork when they start working with me.

I received a link to my first video therapy session 48 hours before it started. When it was time for my appointment, I simply clicked the link and was taken to Grow Therapy’s videoconferencing platform, which essentially looked like a branded version of Google Meet.

My therapist was already waiting for me when I logged in — and from there, we got started.

My First Session

I chose my therapist because her bio had given me a sense that she would be warm and compassionate but also direct. And as soon as she introduced herself, I felt my instincts were correct. She shared a bit about herself and mentioned that she is very solution-focused, and because of that she may not be a fit for everyone. I appreciated how direct she was about it.

Then she invited me to share more about what was bringing me into therapy. I shared that I’d done a lot of work in therapy and could use some support setting some boundaries in a few challenging relationships in my life. We talked a bit about what the ideal support looks like to me and what her approach was, which really helped me fine-tune my opinion about whether we were a good fit. By the end of the session, I was excited to meet with her again — but that didn’t mean the session didn’t have some bumps along the way.

About five minutes into the session, the video platform became rather glitchy, with her video pausing for a minute or so at a time. Since I’m a therapist myself and know that tech issues can happen, I wasn’t too put off. Rather, I just would pause and wait for the video to buffer. But these connection issues persisted throughout the session. This proved challenging for me. Sometimes I was in the middle of telling her about a complicated and frustrating situation in my life, only for the screen to pause — and sometimes she was just about to provide feedback when the video dropped. And about 30 minutes into our 45-minute session, I found my patience growing thin.

She admitted that there can be connectivity issues with Grow Therapy’s platform, noting that she has her own private practice and doesn’t experience these issues. She also stated she was going to contact support and ask permission to use her own video link. I appreciated that she was trying her best to overcome these issues and offering a helpful solution for our future sessions together — but it did make me worry that maybe these connectivity issues are pervasive across Grow Therapy and could affect the quality of care other users are receiving, if their therapists aren’t as quick to problem-solve as mine was.

My Second Session

My second session was canceled with just less than 24 hours notice. I received an email from my therapist stating that an unexpected emergency had come up and we’d need to cancel. She encouraged me to select a new appointment time, since all scheduling on Grow Therapy is self-scheduled by the client.

My therapist also noted that I could meet with her on the weekend or she could connect me to a provider with immediate availability, so it was clear she was making every effort to ensure I was cared for. She also included a clause directing me to contact emergency services if I was in crisis.

Her cancellation didn’t really bother me. Life happens, and sometimes people have to cancel sessions. Therapists can’t control emergencies, and I felt that the email I received was professional and ethical. I heeded her advice and selected a new session time. It did end up being a week later, a bit further out than I’d hoped (due to my own schedule), but it wasn’t a big issue.

My Third Session

When our third session rolled around, I had updates to share with her and was eager to hear her feedback. The fact that I’d only met her once but was eager to see her let me know that things were going well. I was already feeling comfortable with her.

The first thing I noticed in our session was that I was now on a private Zoom account. This let me know that she’d really taken note of what had happened last session and was committed to providing a better experience. There wasn’t a single glitch in this new session.

I told her all about my recent life events, and she listened intently. Then she gave me feedback that was unique and invited me to look at the situation differently. She did share some personal information about herself and how she’s navigated a situation similar to mine, in an effort to further connect with me. When she did so, she noted that she didn’t want to spend too much time talking about herself, but also that she felt it was important for me to know that I’m not alone in the challenges I am facing. I really appreciated this. The topic of therapists sharing personal things with their clients is tricky and can very easily veer into oversharing, thus harming the therapeutic relationship. But her sharing more about her life made me trust her even more. I looked forward to our next session.

My Final Session

Our final session was fantastic. It was fluid, easy, and I got a lot of insight in just 45 minutes. I noticed that she presented ideas I’d never thought about before when it came to an issue I was dealing with.

She also encouraged me to try a new approach to the issue at hand, yet she wasn’t pushy about it. I typically don’t opt for solution-focused therapy and tend to work with providers who have a psychodynamic approach. But this may change after my work with her. I got a lot out of our sessions together and am eager to start implementing her suggestions.

While Grow Therapy primarily markets its individual mental health care services, couples therapy is also available — although with some limitations, depending on your location and insurance coverage. Riley Blanton, LMFT, a licensed therapist and freelance writer, tested Grow Therapy’s couples counseling with her partner to get a feel for how the platform handles relationship-based care. From the intake process to session quality, she shares what worked well below — as well as where the experience left some room for improvement.

Signing Up

Grow Therapy’s modern interface and succinct sign-up process are standout features, even when signing up for couples therapy.

One snag was that there’s no place to specify which type of session you’re signing up for, so Blanton had to message the provider to clarify that the session was for couples. “It felt unclear during onboarding whether I missed something or whether couples therapy was allowed,” she says. Her therapist promptly messaged her back, however, confirming that it could be a couples session as long as she wrote her partner’s name on one of the intake forms. There were no standard domestic violence screening questions during sign-up, which is very concerning for a couples therapy provider.

Blanton was pleasantly surprised to find that Grow Therapy does accept her insurance plan (Ambetter Health), which is not always the case with virtual therapy providers. That being said, just because Grow Therapy accepts your insurance doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use it for couples therapy, which is confusing and frustrating. It’s common for couples therapy not to be covered by insurance. Occasionally, therapists will label one participant as the main patient, so that the sessions are more likely to be covered. In Blanton’s case, she found that all of the couples therapy options in her area were cash-pay only, priced at $150 per session.

One thing that stood out to Blanton was the lack of a separate intake form for her partner. Unlike with other platforms that offer individual log-ins or private messaging access for each participant, her partner didn’t receive his own portal or access to their therapist’s contact information, which could be a concern in some scenarios.

Choosing a Couples Therapist

Blanton was only able to choose between two therapists in Kansas who offer couples therapy through Grow Therapy. Both were licensed marriage and family therapists. Each bio clearly defined the therapist’s license type, years of experience, price per session, upcoming availability, and focus areas. Scheduling was quick, and both options had availability within 36 to 48 hours.

Blanton found it interesting that one of the therapists utilizes EMDR with couples. “If I had more time, my partner and I would prepare to try out EMDR techniques as a couple,” she adds.

Couples Therapy Sessions

Sessions were held via Grow Therapy’s proprietary telehealth platform. While there were a few instances of audio and video buffering during sessions, it wasn’t disruptive to the overall experience.

The first session felt like a soft introduction, with the therapist focusing on building rapport and allowing both partners to share their goals and concerns. Blanton noted that although there wasn’t a formal intake process for each individual, the therapist was skilled at drawing out important background information in a conversational and nonintrusive way.

By the second session, the therapist had already begun identifying patterns and offering reflections. She introduced a few communication tools and helped the couple navigate a recent argument with compassion and structure.

Blanton described her therapist as warm, attentive, and committed to hearing both partners equally. “We were eager to go to the next session,” she says, even after a minor scheduling hiccup.

The therapist’s evening and weekend availability was a major bonus for the couple, who are parenting small children. “If I had the funds, I’d honestly continue seeing her,” Blanton says.

Canceling Grow Therapy, and Important Platform Policies

Unlike some platforms that require a lengthy cancellation process, you can choose to stop scheduling appointments at Grow Therapy whenever you feel ready to move on. It is considered best practice to process this decision with your therapist, so that you have the opportunity to properly close out the therapeutic relationship, but I do appreciate that Grow Therapy does not make the cancellation process difficult (which can’t be said of all online therapy companies).

Bear in mind, though, that if you want your account deleted entirely, you will need to reach out to customer service and place a request.

Grow Therapy does have a cancellation and no-show policy. If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours notice, you can be charged up to $200. If you don’t show up to your session by the 15-minute mark, you can also be charged up to $200. Be sure to check in with your provider about what their exact cancellation fee is though. Grow Therapy allows providers to set their own fee, as long as it doesn’t exceed $200, so it’s worth getting clarity about your therapist’s policy.

While I tried out individual therapy for stress, anxiety, and family of origin issues, Grow Therapy also offers several other services as well, including:

• Couples therapy
• Family therapy
• Child and adolescent individual therapy (ages 6 and up)
• In-person therapy (in select locations)

The platform also offers medication management services for a variety of conditions, with medications prescribed by a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner. Providers are able to prescribe certain medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but they cannot prescribe controlled substances, such as Adderall or Xanax.

An initial medication management session typically lasts about an hour, and follow-up appointment length varies by provider. Insurance is accepted for medication management services. However, not every provider is in-network with every plan. For self-pay patients, prices range from $100 to $500 per session.

Grow Therapy is quite different than other therapy services I’ve tried, such as Talkspace, BetterHelp, Brightside Health, and Calmerry.

Unlike BetterHelp and Calmerry, Grow Therapy accepts insurance, which can make the platform far more accessible. Grow Therapy is also great because it offers a ton of flexibility. I was able to schedule sessions on a cadence that worked for me, with no pressure to commit to weekly or biweekly appointments — unlike subscription-based services that rely on weekly therapy, such as Talkspace and BetterHelp.

It’s also easy to change providers — no need to make a request with customer service (which, by the way, you can contact quickly through your patient portal) or wait to be matched with someone new. This was very different than my experience with Brightside Health, where I had wait well over a week to switch therapists. Instead, at Grow Therapy, you can simply schedule with a different provider.

Both BetterHelp and Talkspace offer sessions that vary from 30 to 45 minutes, while Grow Therapy offers sessions that range from 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the provider you choose. All in all, I believe Grow Therapy beats out its competitors, based on accessibility, flexibility, and length of sessions.

Grow Therapy is one of my favorite platforms I’ve tried so far. Based on the qualifications, specialized training, and years of experience I saw across the provider bios while searching for a therapist, I believe there are truly many excellent therapists available on the platform. Plus, I enjoyed my time with my therapist — she was insightful, skilled, and professional at all times, even when navigating frustrating tech issues.

There is a wide range of fees and more than 50 insurance plans accepted at Grow Therapy, which suggests that the company is making a very real and earnest attempt to make care more accessible to therapy seekers in need. While my insurance plan wasn’t accepted, the fact that so many insurance plans are accepted gives me hope that many therapy seekers will be able to find an affordable therapist on Grow Therapy’s directory. So, if your insurance is accepted — and it should be for most — there is no reason you shouldn’t give this platform a try.