Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Which Online Therapy is Better?

In case you’re struggling with mental health issues, you have probably heard of and done some research about telehealth providers, namely, Talkspace and BetterHelp.

They are two of the most popular options for virtual mental health counseling and psychiatric assistance available. Both platforms follow a subscription-based model and provide nearly identical services to the states in the US.

Now finding out which online therapy is better will require a detailed comparison of these platforms. In this article, I will compare and contrast Talkspace and BetterHelp by discussing their core features, pricing structures, accessibility, and more in detail.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: In-Depth Comparison

In this section of the article, I have compared two of the best mental therapy available online. I’m sure this will help you decide which is better for you.

1. How Does it Work?

Before we get down to comparing the two virtual mental health counseling and psychiatric assistance available, let’s understand how they work. It will help you understand the entire process starting with signing up to the final treatment.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Talkspace

The signup process is the same as BetterHelp. However, I was requested to add my insurance provider’s details and pay before I was matched to my therapist within 48 hours.

The initial step remained the same. I was asked to complete a questionnaire having about 8 to 9 questions. This assessment helps the Talkspace team understand your state of mind and your counseling/psychiatry requirements.

Talkspace will charge you before assigning the right therapist or psychiatric practitioner. Depending on your subscription plan, you can take counseling or psychiatric treatments via live chat, video calls, phone sessions, messaging, and workshops.

You can also take many other available mental health assessments free of charge. There are tests for OCD, panic disorder, postpartum depression, and more.

What kind of medication will be prescribed by Talkspace psychiatrists?

Except for illegal or restricted narcotics, any other medications can be prescribed. You can refer to the list of controlled substances here.

Therapy for teenagers aged 13 to 17 years

Getting counseling and connecting with providers is the same, but parental consent before the consultation is mandatory. There are different state-to-state legal guidelines concerning therapy for minors.

A practitioner in a particular state may or may not be authorized to divulge treatment-related information about minors to their parents or legal guardians without the child’s permission.

However, most US states demand parents’ approval before the minor’s participation in therapy. So, looking up the laws in your home state is always advisable. You can also contact the Talkspace support team for more information.

Talkspace also has exclusive features, such as self-help exercises and progress trackers, to aid in self-improvement. You can also track progress, foster motivation, and cope with daily challenges.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp has an impressive network of over 30,000 licensed, board-certified mental health professional counselors with expertise in online talk therapy or virtual psychotherapy.

The platform provides the option to get counseled by these therapists via phone calls, live chat, video calls, and unlimited messaging. BetterHelp also offers various digital resources to supplement your mental therapy.

Unlike Talkspace, it has no services for children aged under 13 years old. But the platform has separate websites and apps for teens, the LGBTQ community, and couples.

The therapist-matching process is the same in both Talkspace and BetterHelp. However, this process is only partially automated. I needed to fill out an initial assessment form, after which the therapist was assigned to me in about 24 hours.

Once I was matched with the counselor, I was supposed to contact her to check her availability and discuss how to go about the treatment. The therapist has every right to reject your request, in which case, you have the option to switch to another therapist.

Just as in the case of Talkspace, journal and group therapy are some unique aspects of BetterHelp.

The journal acts like a private diary and a progress tracker. Weekly group sessions or “groupinars” guide you on various mental health concerns.

2. Pricing/Affordability

Talkspace

Since Talkspace accepts insurance, it is more affordable than BetterHelp. The pricing plans are also extremely flexible. You can pick and choose the best membership plan according to your needs.

However, if you pay for your treatment out of pocket, Talkspace might not be the most pocket-friendly. It does not offer any financial aid, unlike BetterHelp. But the platform discounts new clients signing up for its psychiatry services.

Also, when I opted for its messaging-only subscription plan worth $69, it was not enough for effective therapy. And the Psychiatric treatments are expensive unless your insurance covers them. The cost is $249 for the first session and $125 USD each for every follow-up consultation. These are strictly provided through live video calls.

The platform is one of the oldest and most reputed psychotherapy and psychiatry available online. So, Talkspace is your safest bet if you are considering psychiatric treatments.

Here are more details about its membership plans.

There are three therapy plans available on the platform:

Messaging therapy:

• Starts at $69 per week
• You have the liberty to message your therapist anytime.
• The therapist will respond to you daily during regular working hours, five days a week.

Video and Messaging therapy:

• Starts at $99 per week
• The plan includes live video calls and mental health support via text messages.
• You can send messages to your therapist at any time.
• The real-time video consultations must be scheduled beforehand.

Video and messaging sessions plus workshops:

• Starts at $109 per week
• This plan helps you access everything offered by Talkspace.
• You can schedule and conduct live video calls with your therapist.
• You send messages to your therapist anytime, anywhere.
• You can also attend insightful workshops weekly.

You can save around 10% to 20% more for biannual or quarterly billing.

Psychiatry services at Talkspace

Talkspace have a network of certified psychiatrists and nurse practitioners to help you with mental health treatment and medication management. They are authorized to prescribe medication to you based on the severity of your mental health condition.

Talkspace psychiatry charges you based on the session. The platform charges $249 for the first consultation. It involves a thorough evaluation of your mental health issue. Each subsequent or follow-up appointments cost $125 per session.

You can set up additional follow-up appointments with your practitioner independently.

Here are the plans offered by Talkspace Psychiatry, and they are strictly available for adults aged 18 years and above.

Discounted plans for new clients:

• Plan 1 – Initial evaluation, including One follow-up session, costs $365. It’s a single, non-recurring payment.
• Plan 2 – Initial evaluation, including Three follow-up sessions, costs $565. It’s a single, non-recurring payment
• Plan 3 – Initial evaluation, including Six follow-up sessions, costs $849. It’s a single, non-recurring payment

For existing clients who have already completed their initial session

• Plan 1 – 3 follow-up sessions cost $338. It’s a single, non-recurring payment.
• Plan 2 – 6 follow-up sessions cost $638. It’s a single, non-recurring payment.
• Plan 3 – 9 follow-up sessions cost $900. It’s a single, non-recurring payment

After signing up and paying for the first consultation, you will be assigned a suitable psychiatrist. After which, you can schedule an appointment straight away. Sessions can be set up as soon as 2 days post-signup and as far in advance as 3 months.

Talkspace couples therapy

You and your partner can opt for private counseling on the platform for effective guidance to improve your relationship with your partner. The plan includes unlimited monthly text messaging and live consultations for $396.

If you exhaust all your live sessions before your next renewal date, you can buy extra consultations for $65 each.

One of the partners can purchase the couples therapy subscription. And the couple can attend live sessions in a shared private therapy room from different individual devices and locations.

The best part is the therapist assigned would only need to be a licensed professional in the state of residence of the primary account holder (or the partner who signed up for the service). However, the therapist decides whether or not to provide counseling support to couples living in different states.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is more affordable than Talkspace. But the platform has restricted itself to only psychotherapy or talk therapy services as it does not offer medication management.

However, unlike Talkspace, even the most basic membership plan of BetterHelp offers a wide range of communication modes, including video calls. Unfortunately, BetterHelp does not provide insurance coverage, but it does offer financial aid if you qualify for it.

You can apply for financial aid to lower the regular rates by up to 40%.

Both BetterHelp and Talkspace need to be more transparent about their therapy rates. Other factors control the rates, such as your state of residence, your therapist’s availability, and your specific requirements mentioned during the signup process.

3. Insurance Coverage

Talkspace

Talkspace accepts several insurance plans to cover treatment costs. But the platform neither offers any financial aid nor accepts Medicare and Medicaid.

Since Talkspace provides insurance coverage, you can easily keep your therapy and psychiatric treatment costs lower than BetterHelp.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp does not provide insurance coverage but does offer financial aid if you are eligible to receive it. You can get therapy at a sliding scale fee, thanks to financial aid.

Both platforms have tried their best to make therapy as affordable as possible without bankrupting you.

4. Accessibility

Talkspace

Talkspace services are easily accessible in all 50 states of the US, similar to BetterHelp. There are no geographical barriers or special eligibility requirements for enrolling in therapy or psychiatric treatment offered by Talkspace.

The platform supports 32 global languages, with English as its primary language for communication.

There are special provisions on the platform for differently-abled patients. Talkspace provides an assistive CX technology application for end-users with disabilities such as typing difficulties, reading disabilities, and limited mobility or gesturing.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp provides convenient and affordable online mental therapy in all 50 states across the US and 200 countries worldwide via its app and its online portal. Therefore, it scores 10 on 10 on the accessibility front.

5. Privacy

Talkspace

Talkspace provides password-protected app usage, ensuring HIPAA compliance and following strict banking-grade encryption technology to maintain patient confidentiality.

But despite this, the platform has been called out for illegally accessing therapy conversation transcripts and publishing fake/paid reviews to boost sales.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp claims that it keeps all patient information private. But it has been in the limelight in the past for selling sensitive customer data to social media companies such as Snapchat and Facebook to profit from client information.

Talkspace and BetterHelp were accused of violating patient privacy despite clearly stated privacy policies.

6. Available Treatments

Talkspace

Talkspace has certified counselors and a team of trained psychiatric nurse practitioners to address a wider range of mental health concerns than BetterHelp. The platform is also authorized to provide prescription-based medication management services.

The network of licensed professionals at Talkspace has the expertise to counsel and treat the following mental health issues for individuals as well as couples:

• ADHD
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression
• PTSD
• Stress and anxiety
• OCD
• Anger management
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and grief
• Mental illness support for the LGBTQI+ community
• Mood disorder
• Substance abuse and more

Please note that the psychiatrists at Talkspace are not allowed to prescribe stimulants such as Xanax and Adderall.

Talkspace provides therapy and medication management on a single platform/app. In contrast, BetterHelp has dedicated apps or platforms for teen counseling, couples counseling, and therapy for the LGBTQ community.

BetterHelp

BetterHelp only specializes in online mental therapy for teens, adults, and couples. The platform does not offer medication management and psychiatric treatments.

The credentialled professionals at BetterHelp only have the expertise to provide mental or talk therapy online for adults, teenagers, couples, and the LGBTQ community. They are qualified to treat the following mental disorders:

• Depression
• Family problems
• Anxiety and stress
• Insomnia
• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating disorder
• OCD and more

7. Pros and Cons of Talkspace

8. Pros and Cons of BetterHelp

Conclusion

Based on the profiles available on the Better Business Bureau website, BetterHelp is a better platform for seeking mental therapy. Talkspace has a poor rating of 1.08 out of 5, whereas BetterHelp scores higher with 4.05 out of 5, from a customer satisfaction perspective.

Another concern about Talkspace is its glitchy app and unauthorized charges on credit cards.

However, Talkspace is a good option if you are looking for medication management and long-term psychiatric treatments. Additionally, you can bring down treatment costs with the help of insurance coverage which is a great plus.

So, out-of-pocket expenses on just counseling may be slightly expensive at BetterHelp. But the quality of talk therapy is top-notch.

You can opt for BetterHelp services if you only intend to subscribe to online psychotherapy. On the other hand, I would consider using Talkspace for medication management. Talkspace would work great if you are on a budget or need extensive psychiatric assistance.