We Tested Online OCD Services So You Don’t Have To—Here, 9 Expert-Approved Picks

We tested NOCD from Massachusetts and found it to be a fantastic fit for those with OCD due to its range of qualified providers with specialized experience in OCD treatment. Our user experience was fantastic, beginning with the easy-to-navigate site that even had a directory listing all of its clinicians. We appreciated this detail because it gave us the opportunity to get a feel for our therapist options before committing.

During the first few sessions, the focus was on history-taking, with special attention paid to family dynamics and our overall mental health. From there, goals were created, specifically honing in on our most bothersome symptoms of OCD. After our goals were established, we then began exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy exercises. We were thrilled to use this modality, considering it is the recommended treatment for OCD. “Exposure and response prevention therapy, a sub-type of cognitive behavioral therapy, is considered the gold standard when treating OCD,” says subject matter expert Hannah Owens, LMSW. We loved that the work began pretty quickly in the therapeutic relationship. Plus, we could message our therapist any time between sessions. 

NOCD is intense—you can expect to be in two sessions per week for at least the first four weeks. This might be tricky for those who work, have children, or are in school full-time. NOCD generally discourages switching therapists so clients can maintain consistency, which may be problematic for some. But just because it is discouraged doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. 

• Insurance Accepted: Yes, NOCD accepts UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Beacon, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. You are able to check your insurance coverage on its website.  
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; standard cash pay rate without insurance is $240 per session
  

We surveyed 100 users of NOCD:

• 88% rated NOCD as very good or excellent overall
• 94% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent 
• 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at NOCD
• 97% said they were likely or very likely to recommend NOCD to a friend or someone like them
• 51% said that NOCD was better or much better than other services they'd used in the past

We asked five people from New York, South Dakota, Michigan, California, and Pennsylvania to test Online-Therapy.com and we found it to be a well-rounded platform that lives up to its mission of offering effective cognitive-behavioral tools. We liked the various modes of communication, the ease of changing therapists, the flexible scheduling, and the affordable price tag. 

When navigating OCD, having the opportunity to use homework outside of the therapy room to reinforce tools learned during sessions can be critical. We especially liked that Online-Therapy.com offered worksheets, a virtual journal, and even a course on cognitive behavioral therapy. In most cases we were impressed by the care we received; when we weren't feeling connected to a provider, we liked that we were able to switch therapists with ease and noticed the platform was responsive when we reached out. We also found that sign-up was easy and we appreciated the various modes of communication.

We’ll be honest—our experience wasn’t without hiccups. We had a therapist who seemed distracted during sessions and then didn't seem to remember which homework they'd given to us. We also experienced some technical difficulties and had to switch therapists to find our perfect match. It's also worth noting that the qualifications among providers range from licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to clinical counselors. This means that each provider’s training will vary significantly and that not every provider is technically a licensed therapist. Additionally, the service is best for those who already have a diagnosis of OCD since Online-Therapy.com providers do not offer diagnoses. 

• Insurance Accepted: No, but therapists can provide superbills for you to seek at least partial out-of-network coverage; HSA/FSA accepted
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Basic plan is $200 per month for the self-guided CBT program, unlimited messaging with a therapist, and access to worksheets, yoga videos, an online journal, and an activity plan; Standard plan is $320 per month for one 45-minute session per week via live video, text, or voice, plus everything included in Basic; Premium is $440 per month for two sessions per week, plus the benefits of Standard plan; Couples is $440 per month for one 45-minute couples therapy session per week conducted via video, text, or voice, plus access to everything in the Basic plan for both of you; 20% discount for the first month

We surveyed 100 users of Online-Therapy.com:

• 89% rated Online-Therapy.com as very good or excellent overall
• 88% rated their therapist's qualifications as very good or excellent
• 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Online-Therapy.com
• 99% said they were likely or very likely to recommend Online-Therapy.com to a friend or someone like them
• 4% were seeking treatment for OCD

We tested Wellnite from Texas and Massachusetts and, although we had some technical issues and had to switch therapists a few times, we ultimately found Wellnite to be an excellent provider of high-quality therapy and appreciated the variety of therapy techniques used. For example, we tried working with an art therapist and then switched to a solution-focused therapist. We noticed that many providers fuse therapeutic styles, incorporating the tenets of cognitive behavioral therapy with other modalities. Wellnite also claims that it can treat both OCD and ADHD, an unusual combination in the world of online therapy.

What really worked for us was the ability to receive medication management as well as therapy for an affordable price. Medication management is when a medical professional prescribes psychiatric medication. This is essentially the same as psychiatry. The only difference is that with medication management, your prescriber may be a general practitioner, nurse practitioner, or medical doctor who does not specialize in psychiatry, while only board-certified psychiatrists practice psychiatry. This is a huge advantage for those who may be seeking medication as extra support to help navigate OCD and ADHD. Wellnite also stands apart from its competitors by offering medication for ADHD, which is hardly ever an option in online therapy. 

Some things to be aware of: When browsing providers, you can’t filter based on condition. This can make the process of finding a therapist take longer, but you can always reach out to customer service for help. The initial session is only 30 minutes long, but afterward, you can choose if you’d like to continue with 30-minute, 45-minute, or 60-minute sessions. In our experience, we think the initial session should be 60 minutes long so there is adequate time to build rapport and discuss treatment goals. We were able to choose our own provider, which may be overwhelming for some but is fantastic for those who have a specific idea of what they’re looking for in a therapist. It is also easy to switch therapists, in case your first one isn’t a fit.

• Insurance Accepted: Yes, but out-of-network PPO coverage through reimbursement only; Wellnite can provide a superbill to submit to your insurer for reimbursement
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; therapy is $450 per month, with a choice of six 30-minute sessions, four 45-minute sessions, or three 60-minute sessions; medical care costs $95 per month, in two biweekly installments, and covers one doctor visit and wholesale pricing on medication. Medical care plus therapy costs $245 per month and includes one doctor visit, discounted meds, and either one 60-minute or two 30-minute therapy sessions; you can also subscribe semi-annually or annually to plans for some savings

We surveyed 100 users of Wellnite:

• 88% rated Wellnite as very good or excellent overall
• 94% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent 
• 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Wellnite
• 98% said they were likely or very likely to recommend Wellnite to a friend or someone like them
• 6% were seeking treatment for OCD

We tested Talkiatry twice from New York and were impressed with its lengthy appointments, acceptance of insurance, and the way it sends prescriptions directly to your pharmacy. Seeking out medication management and psychiatry can be difficult—it tends to be expensive, plus it can be nerve-wracking to trust a stranger to prescribe you pills. To add to that, it is common for initial intake sessions to be 30 minutes and follow-up sessions just 15 minutes. Instead, Talkiatry offers an hour-long initial session and 30-minute follow-ups. 

OCD is often treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are a type of anti-depressant, in conjunction with talk therapy. While Talkiatry primarily focuses on psychiatry, it also has a roster of therapists that the staff psychiatrists may refer clients to as part of their treatment plan. We love this holistic approach to mental health care. Talkiatry listed its specialties as ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, and PTSD. After we chose the specialty that pertained to us (which would include clicking OCD), we were asked if we were struggling with any other issues. There also were some questions to assess for our current functioning, if we’re using drugs, and if we’re having suicidal thoughts. From there, we were matched with a provider.

Some psychiatrists offered to order blood work through our primary care provider in the initial appointment, which only served as further evidence of Talkiatry’s commitment to medically sound and effective care. That being said, we did have a lackluster experience with one of our first providers. They were cold and clinical, leaving us eager to switch practitioners. To do so, we had to call customer service. While that turned into a bit of an ordeal, we ended up feeling much better about the new psychiatrist. Just a heads-up—Talkiatry is not accessible without insurance, so paying out of pocket is not possible.

• Insurance Accepted: Accepts plans from five of the biggest health insurance providers: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and more; accepts some Medicare plans. You can check if your insurance is accepted with this handy filtering tool.
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; you can input your insurance information before signing up to get an estimate of your copay 

We surveyed 100 users of Talkiatry:

• 86% rated Talkiatry as very good or excellent overall
• 87% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Talkiatry
• 95% are likely or very likely to recommend Talkiatry to a friend or someone like them
• 9% were seeking treatment for OCD

We know that making the decision to seek treatment for OCD can be hard enough—you don’t need to jump through extra hoops to find a provider that will accept your insurance. In fact, trying to find a provider you like that takes your insurance can be extremely complicated. Amwell accepts most major insurance plans and lets you switch providers easily, allowing you to find the perfect in-network therapist or psychiatrist. 

We asked nine people to test Amwell from North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, California, Mississippi, Florida, and New York. Overall, we were pleased with our experiences with adult therapy. Signing up is super quick and you can browse provider profiles to see which one feels like a fit. Amwell is super clear on its website that it treats a variety of conditions, including OCD, and in the event we didn’t feel connected with our therapist, we were able to switch quickly. To switch, we simply booked an appointment with a different provider—it is a pay-per-session model, which is perfect for those who aren’t sure they’re ready to commit to a full month, especially if you’re paying out of pocket and don’t want to pay a large sum upfront. 

Providers have a variety of qualifications. You can expect to choose from clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and professional counselors. There are also nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and general practitioners available for medication management and psychiatry. The most troublesome part of Amwell? The platform it uses for video sessions. We experienced various technical difficulties, some of which led to canceled or rescheduled sessions. If this happens to you, don’t be afraid to call customer service for some extra support. 

• Insurance Accepted: Amwell accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Emblem Health, Horizon, and UnitedHealthcare; accepts HSA or FSA payments
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; about $99 for therapy sessions; $199 for initial psychiatry appointment and $95 for follow-up sessions; in one instance, we paid $109 for a therapy session

We surveyed 100 users of Amwell:

• 88% rated Amwell as very good or excellent overall
• 93% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent 
• 98% said that most or all of their needs were met at Amwell
• 95% said they were likely or very likely to recommend Amwell to a friend or someone like them
• 5% were seeking treatment for OCD

We asked four people to test Brightside Health from North Carolina, California, and New York. Off the bat, we were impressed with the qualifications of providers and general ease of use when signing up. Pretty quickly, it was clear that Brightside maintains a level of professionalism and commitment to great care that its competitors, like Talkspace and BetterHelp, do not. This is evidenced by the thorough intake process that included an assessment for depression and anxiety, which can be helpful even in OCD treatment because it can rule out if you’re experiencing either of those conditions as well. Plus, these results will be referenced throughout your therapy journey as a way to track your progress.

We especially appreciated Brightside’s accessibility in terms of price. Its out-of-pocket fees are relatively low compared to the average price of therapy, and it also accepts some major insurance plans. This makes it even easier to get help for your OCD. Something that sets Brightside apart, other than its reasonably priced offerings, is its treatment structure. Sessions are just 30 minutes long and then outside of the session, there are supplemental self-care lessons that use the tenets of mindfulness and CBT. This is great for those who are strapped for time or love a good homework assignment. Psychiatry sessions are just 15 minutes long. That is quite brief, so that option is best for those who already have a diagnosis of OCD and are somewhat familiar with the medication that works well for them. 

We did experience needing to switch therapists due to it not being a good fit and, in another instance, simply to try something new. However, in one situation, we ran into a customer service issue where the newly assigned therapist left the platform before we were able to see them. That ultimately led to a two-week-long lapse in care, but Brightside’s customer service was wonderful. The company offered a full refund for that month, indicating that it is willing to make things right should issues and errors occur. 

• Insurance Accepted: Cigna (all states except Minnesota), Aetna, Allegiance, UnitedHealthcare, Ambetter (all states except Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin), Anthem CA, Blue Shield of CA, Blue Cross Blue Shield (of Montana, Illinois, Texas only), PEHP (Utah only), Florida Blue, Meritain; accepts Medicare and Medicaid in some states; accepts HSA/FSA payments
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by plan; medication-only plan is $95 per month; therapy-only plan is $299 per month, which includes one session per week; additional therapy sessions can be purchased for $59 each; medication and therapy plan is $349 per month

We surveyed 100 users of Brightside:

• 88% rated Brightside as very good or excellent overall
• 94% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 93% said that most or all of their needs were met at Brightside
• 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Brightside to a friend or someone like them
• 6% were seeking treatment for OCD

We had eight people test Thriveworks from Missouri, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida, New York, Ohio, and South Dakota. The first thing we noticed about this service is just the sheer volume of options. It is available in 49 states, has over 380 in-person treatment locations, treats a range of issues including OCD, and offers therapy for the whole family—individuals, couples, children, and families.

Once we got started with our sessions, we had a positive experience with most providers. Even in one case where things got off to a rocky start in the first session due to a clinician being late and disorganized, it was accounted for in the following session and things got right back on track. We found that the therapists were even skilled in connecting with children, which isn’t an easy feat virtually. Plus, we liked that therapy for children was available since about 80% of those with OCD begin experiencing symptoms by the age of 18.

Keep in mind that the availability of therapists can vary based on specialties and location. For example, in one case we had an experience with a therapist who seemed pushy and dismissive. When we tried to switch providers, we couldn't find any other options in our area with the specialties we were seeking (in this case, EMDR therapy to help process trauma). Those who live in a more rural state may have fewer therapists to choose from. Additionally, Thriveworks’ psychiatrists and medication management providers typically do not have same-day availability due to the demand for their services. 

• Insurance Accepted: Different providers accept different insurance plans, but you can filter therapists by the insurance plans they accept; Thriveworks accepts major insurance plans such as Blue Cross, Anthem, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, and many others; Medicare is also accepted
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance and provider (rates can be found on provider bio pages); self-pay options start at $300 for a first psychiatry/mediation management session and $210 for subsequent sessions; therapy starts at $200 for a first session and $170 for subsequent sessions

We surveyed 100 users of Thriveworks:

• 88% rated Thriveworks as very good or excellent overall
• 90% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Thriveworks
• 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Thriveworks to a friend or someone like them
• 4% were seeking treatment for OCD

We tested Open Path Collective in New York and found a therapist that we enjoyed working with, leading us to feel confident about this directory. Finding someone to work with was quite easy. We simply headed to the Open Path Collective website, typed in our ZIP code, and were presented with a list of therapists. From there, we were able to narrow our search further, identifying any specialties we’d like our therapist to focus on (including OCD), preferred types of treatment (including exposure and response prevention for OCD), therapist race or ethnicity, age specialty, and language. The only thing missing was an option to check off our therapist gender identity preference.

Our therapist was professional, prompt, and thorough. We were asked to share our annual income and used that as a guide to settle at a final session fee of $50. The process felt rather democratic and reasonable. The only financial issue we had was the $65 membership fee, which we initially overlooked on the site. That being said, it is a one-time fee that helps power Open Path Collective’s incredible mission. We were disappointed that a couple of providers didn’t respond, but ultimately, we landed with a pretty great clinician after using this directory.

Our most recent testing experience was just as positive. This time, we were able to see who was accepting new patients, taking out our previous guesswork. And even with very specific search parameters (including in-person sessions, an unusual offering for an online therapy directory), we were able to find nearly 20 providers who fit all of our needs.

• Insurance Accepted: No. Open Path Collective seeks to provide affordable therapy for the underinsured, uninsured, or others with a low socioeconomic status (the site indicates that its services are meant for households that earn less than $100,000 a year); therefore, its providers do not accept insurance plans.
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Therapists listed in the directory agree to offer a sliding-scale rate ranging from $40 to $70 for each individual therapy session and $40 to $80 for couples or family therapy sessions. Open Path also offers $30 sessions led by student interns. It is important to note users must pay a lifetime membership fee of $65 to access the affordable session costs.

We surveyed 100 users of Open Path Collective:

• 97% rated Open Path Collective as very good or excellent overall
• 92% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 98% said that most or all of their needs were met at Open Path Collective
• 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Open Path Collective to a friend or someone like them
• 8% were seeking treatment for OCD

We tested the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) from Kentucky and were pleased to find a like-minded therapist who provided excellent quality of care. In the past, we’ve experienced dismal care from providers who wouldn’t even discuss racial identity in sessions because it made them feel uncomfortable. Needless to say, we went into using this directory with extraordinarily high standards. 

We were able to find a warm, empathetic, and genuine therapist. Our first session was 75 minutes long, which only lent to the quality of the experience. We were especially pleased with the fact that each therapist's bio clearly stated whether they were accepting new patients; this saved us time and energy when looking through our results (after our filters, there were nine). We also liked that each bio listed the therapist's phone number and email address. This set NQTTCN apart from other directories we tested, which often redirect you to a contact form through the site or don't provide direct contact information at all.

Our biggest drawback in using this directory was that we were unable to filter our search based on therapist specialties. To see what any therapist specializes in treating, you’ll have to head to their profile directly—and there definitely are providers who specialize in OCD, you just have to find them. While this is a bummer, we do feel that the breadth of providers focused on providing inclusive care makes up for this. 

• Insurance Accepted: Varies by provider
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Every therapist sets their own rate, so fees vary widely. However, some do accept sliding-scale fees; NQTTCN offers a Mental Health Fund for therapy seekers in need of financial aid. It is offered by application only and users can receive $125 per session for up to eight sessions. 

We surveyed 100 users of National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network:

• 93% rated National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network as very good or excellent overall
• 94% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 99% said that most or all of their needs were met at National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
• 96% are likely or very likely to recommend National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network to a friend or someone like them
• 9% were seeking treatment for OCD