I’m a Therapist Who Has Tested Over a Dozen Online Therapy Platforms — Here Are the Best Ones Offering CBT

A subscription service can be an excellent option for therapy newbies. Here’s why: It lays out your monthly treatment in a digestible format, outlining how many sessions you’ll have a week, the ways you can contact your therapist, and usually even provides extra tools you can opt to use between sessions. BetterHelp is no exception to these benefits. You can expect to be matched with a therapist, have weekly sessions lasting 30 to 45 minutes, and have unlimited messaging with your therapist. We also appreciate that many practitioners on the website specialize in CBT. It won our pick as the best online CBT subscription service.

In our experience with BetterHelp, we really loved that we could message our therapist at any time. We also really appreciate the flexibility to opt for video, text messaging, or audio sessions. While we opted for video sessions because we found them to be more productive, we can see how some folks may especially like this feature for its convenience. While BetterHelp has a straightforward pricing structure, we do wish they accepted insurance. We also believe various subscription plans could make the platform more financially accessible. However, discount codes are often available for the first month of care, offering some financial assistance.

When we tested Online-Therapy.com’s couples therapy services, we tried out a messaging option. While it wasn’t our preference — three’s a crowd for text messaging therapy — we appreciated having the option nonetheless. What worked the best for us was the video session. We found our sessions to be productive and noticed that the platform allowed us to access the session from separate locations. This unique feature makes it a great option for long-distance couples.

Don’t be afraid to switch providers if you’re not clicking with yours. Thankfully, Online-Therapy.com makes it super easy to do so. While we wish it accepted insurance, we appreciate that it offers financial assistance to those who need it.

However, teens can be a tricky demographic to support. They tend to feel more comfortable using technology to communicate and some might even be put off by the idea of live video sessions. Luckily, Teen Counseling offers care from therapists who specialize in working with teens and offer care through audio, video, and text messaging sessions. Plus, plenty of providers specialize in CBT. This is why it won our vote as the best online CBT therapy for teens.

When we tested Teen Counseling, we liked that we were matched with a highly experienced therapist who specializes in CBT. However, our teen didn’t love their video appointment. Granted, they let us know from the beginning that video wasn’t their preference. But, after their video appointment, we switched to a text messaging appointment. This went much better and our teen said they felt their therapist was excellent at leading the sessions and provided practical feedback. We also liked that there were separate messaging portals because it offered privacy and necessary boundaries. The fact that you’re unable to choose your own therapist may pose an issue for some, but you are able to change providers rather quickly.

Using the directory is super easy. You simply set the filters to include all the key qualities you need from your therapist, including insurance, modality, and therapist identity. Not all therapists on the directory accept insurance and some don’t always have their current availability displayed.

Grow Therapy is working to solve this issue by offering care only from providers who accept insurance. Plus, you can refine your search to include providers who practice multiple types of CBT, including CBT for insomnia and suicide prevention.

In our experience, getting started with Grow Therapy is super easy, thanks to its various filters. Plus, you will get confirmation on whether or not your insurance is accepted by a particular provider while scheduling. In the event you find someone you want to work with who isn’t in-network with your insurance, you can still work with them by opting to pay their out-of-pocket fees. It’s worth noting that the out-of-pocket rates are quite expensive, with rates ranging from $150 to over $270. We also experienced some tech issues with Grow Therapy’s video platform, but we were pleased that our provider swiftly rectified the situation.

While some may love the simplicity of a subscription service, others crave the flexibility to select their own provider, pay-per-session, and the freedom to switch or end services at any time. If that sounds like you, then a therapy directory may be your best bet. Not all directories are alike, though. When seeking one out, it is ideal to find one that features at least some therapists who accept insurance, have quick availability, and practice a variety of modalities, including CBT. ZocDoc hit all of these points and then some, making them our pick as the best online CBT directory.

Something that can be time-consuming when it comes to directories is finding out therapist availability. You can easily find yourself messaging tons of therapists simply to ask when their next available appointment is. Not with ZocDoc. You can view the therapist’s availability in the search results, making it easy to narrow down who might be a fit for your schedule. While not all therapists have their availability up-to-date, we noticed our provider was quick to rectify that situation when a scheduling issue came up. Not all providers accept insurance and each one may vary with the types of insurance they accept.

We specifically tested out Brightside’s therapy services and were impressed with the individualized care we received. Our therapist was extremely well-versed in CBT and the self-guided program we completed between sessions was quite helpful in developing tools and skills. We love that folks can still access the CBT program even if they’re opting only for psychiatry support.

When we tried out Talkspace, we focused on using unlimited messaging as an adjunctive option to our video sessions. In doing so, we found our sessions were far more productive because we were able to share our thoughts and feelings between sessions, which meant we could do deeper work while in session. The shorter sessions were a bit of an issue for us, so we relied on messaging to help get our needs met. We also wish it was possible to choose your own therapist — we ended up switching therapists, which was an easy process, but potentially could have been avoided if we were able to choose who we wanted to work with from the jump.

During our time on the platform, we worked with two different therapists. One was a solution-focused therapist who incorporated lots of CBT into her work. The other was a more relational therapist who incorporated CBT into her talk therapy approach but was also certified in EMDR therapy. We had fantastic experiences with each provider, noticing how thoughtful and attuned they were throughout the session.

This platform could be especially helpful for the therapy seeker who is ready to do deep work but isn’t sure which modality is best for them. Heads up — they don’t list their private pay rates on the website, but customer service offers quick responses, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them with questions.

Something we appreciated about Grouport was its flexibility. For example, participants aren’t required to keep their cameras on, which can be relieving for those who struggle with anxiety and don’t feel comfortable immediately opening up to a group of strangers online. Additionally, when a group had a low sign-up rate, the facilitator still offered to meet with us, essentially offering individual therapy for the price of a group session. Grouport doesn’t accept insurance, but group therapy is typically much less expensive than individual therapy. Access to groups is contingent on your location and the level of interest in the group.