I'm a Mom Who Tried Brightside Online Therapy to Curb My Anxiety & Depression

Throughout the past three years, Verywell Mind has tested Brightside multiple times in order to learn more about its treatment of anxiety and depression. In this review, we first discuss our findings from our most recent test of the provider from 2024. Then, Lindsay Modglin explains her experience testing Talkspace's couples therapy services in 2023.

Our Most Recent Testing

In the summer of 2024, we had a tester from New York try out Brightside in order to treat her anxiety. This was her firsthand experience.

Why I Chose Brightside

I chose therapy specifically for anxiety issues. I live with anxiety and this year it was at its peak. After experiencing panic attacks for the first time, my doctor (as well as family and friends) really encouraged me to seek therapy.

This was my first time trying online therapy. I like how convenient it is in terms of scheduling, being able to do it remotely allowed me (a busy working mom) to easily make time for this. The sessions are 45 minutes, not too long or short and can be scheduled to your liking (I was doing sessions weekly and then switched to biweekly).

Signing Up for Brightside

The sign up process was really straightforward. There was a lengthy questionnaire asking about mental health history, why you're looking to explore therapy, how you're feeling at the moment, what medications are you currently taking, etc. This assessment is free.

After signing up, I met with the intake person. The intake session was focused on gathering information about my mental and physical background as well as why I'm seeking therapy. I was really put off by the intake person—they were cold and dismissive. I misunderstood (it was clear in the booking, I was just moving too fast and didn't read it properly) and thought this was going to be my first therapy session. Luckily, it was not.

This was a huge red flag and really made me reconsider. 

Thankfully, as the meeting wrapped up they explained that they are not the therapist and the next meeting would be the start of my sessions. What a relief! I am glad I still gave it a try after that.

I was able to pick my own therapist. This is so great because I really wanted a woman therapist as well as someone of color who can relate to cultural experiences. My therapist offers a variety of services (marriage counseling, ADHD, depression, etc.) but I focused on anxiety.

Scheduling options were pretty convenient. My therapist did not offer weekend sessions but that's okay for me, I would not be able to have alone time/privacy on weekends for my sessions.

My Therapy Sessions

Things really changed for the better once I started my actual therapy sessions—my therapist was warm and made me feel at ease. My first impression was that she seemed kind and relatable (we are both hispanic and have similar cultures). There was no pressure to unload everything immediately. She made sure I felt comfortable. 

Her approach was to ask me the main reasons I began therapy and then we took it from there. 

My therapist lead each session. In one of the sessions she came prepared with a little survey that helped us talk about different emotions and how I usually handle them versus other approaches. It felt a little cheesy but by the end I realized it was helpful. 

As far as her approach, I like that she doesn't push me if I don't feel ready to share certain things yet. She assigned "homework"—things that help me get out of my comfort zone. I liked these assignments, they definitely help. 

I've also learned new breathing techniques to help with anxiety rather than relying on medication. So far, therapy has been helpful and I'm glad I gave it a shot. I’m looking forward to continuing to meet with this therapist.

How I Felt About Brightside

I feel as though the value of the services post insurance is worth it, but can add up quickly ($25 per session with my insurance). I think it's worth it because it's an investment in my mental health.

I would “deduct points” for the intake session. Although it's just an intake, the person leading it should still "act like a therapist"—by that I mean be sensitive to the fact that someone is coming here for help rather than act like it's an inconvenience to you. This may have been a one-off though.

This would also be helpful for anyone who is looking for an alternative to in-person therapy, though it’s definitely for someone who is tech-savvy (yes, it is straightforward but there are online quizzes and surveys that need to be taken).

Ashley's 2023 Testing

In 2023, we asked Ashley to try out Brightside for a month in order to learn about the quality of care the company is able to provide. These are her personal insights.

Why I Chose Brightside

I've been looking for a therapist that I can connect with because I need a safe place to vent about the stressful and drawn-out process of getting my 3-year-old daughter evaluated for and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). And that's why I was eager to test out Brightside, an online therapy service that specializes in anxiety, as well as depression, and offers one-on-one video therapy sessions, unlimited messaging, and coursework as well as psychiatry services, depending on the plan you choose.

This company provides an important service because I am far from the only one in need of a therapist I can fit into my busy schedule to help me deal with mental health stressors and symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six adults will experience depression in their lifetime and more than 11% of adults in the United States report experiencing symptoms of anxiety on a regular basis. On top of that, in 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic, and depression is a known side effect of experiencing loneliness.

At Brightside, all of the company’s providers offer evidence-based treatment (often cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which focuses on identifying and changing negative or unhealthy thought patterns) for anxiety and depression, and some are also trained in treating other conditions. And what sets this platform apart from others is that it accepts insurance and offers a self-pay subscription. So, I signed up for one month of services at Brightside. Although I got off to a rocky start with a therapist I didn't jive with, I ended up enjoying my experience with my second therapist as well as all the additional features Brightside has to offer. Here’s how my time with Brightside went.

How I Signed Up for Therapy at Brightside

I signed up through the company’s website, which is very easy to navigate. All I had to do was click “check appointment availability” from the homepage, and from there I was asked to input my name and ZIP code. 

Next, I had to select what I needed help with (anxiety, depression, PTSD, panic, etc.). After that, I was prompted to take an assessment to determine my baseline score for depression and anxiety (you can also take this assessment for free before deciding to sign up). 

I was asked how often I experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as feeling down, worrying excessively, and sleeping too much or too little. Then, I checked the boxes for the types of treatments I have tried in the past, including medications and seeing a therapist. After that, I was prompted to create an account, and then I was presented with my assessment results. 

According to the charts, depression scores range from 0 to 27 and anxiety scores range from 0 to 21. For both anxiety and depression, the “target zone” is a score of 10 or below. 

I scored 17 for depression (which the company categorizes as “moderately severe”) and 12 for anxiety (categorized as “moderate”). I’m now nearly a year into the process of getting my daughter evaluated for and diagnosed with ASD, so I absolutely experience symptoms of burnout—including depression and anxiety. However, I’m also under the care of a psychiatrist and have been responding well to my medications, so I did feel like my scores were somewhat inflated.

What My Sessions Cost

After receiving my baseline scores, I was presented with my treatment and plan options, which included pricing. Brightside has three plans:

• Medication & Therapy includes an evaluation, a personalized treatment plan, anytime messaging with a psychiatrist, four video therapy sessions per month, unlimited messaging with your therapist, and interactive lessons. 
• FDA-Approved Medication includes an evaluation, a personalized treatment plan, one-on-one video sessions and anytime messaging with a psychiatrist.
• Evidence-Based Therapy includes four video therapy sessions per month, unlimited messaging with your therapist, and interactive lessons. 

After I selected the Evidence-Based Therapy plan, I was prompted to provide some basic information (ZIP code, birthday, etc.), then asked if I wanted to use insurance or self-pay. As a self-pay patient, I was not offered any promo codes or discounts. 

For someone hoping to use insurance to help cover the costs, it’s important to know that Brightside accepts Cigna, Aetna, Optum/United Healthcare, Anthem CA, and Allegiance “in select states only,” so be sure to look into your personal plan.

How I Matched With My Therapist

The intake form I filled out was quite lengthy and detailed, asking everything from the basics—like height, weight, and medical history—to more detailed information, including what medications I currently take as well as what I’ve taken in the past. I spent probably 10 to 15 minutes filling the form out. 

Matching with a therapist through Brightside is a little different than other platforms. When I tried other services, I was either presented with a list of options or automatically matched with a provider. With Brightside, I was given a list of appointment times and once I selected a day/time that worked for me, I was presented with the therapist and a brief bio. I could essentially browse my options by clicking through the different days and times. 

Given my limited options, I ended up just choosing the best appointment time rather than the best therapist for my needs. After booking the appointment, I received an email confirmation with all of the information I’d need for the session, including a prompt to download Zoom (a HIPAA-compliant platform) for the call.

How My Therapy Sessions Went at Brightside

I received a reminder and a request to confirm my upcoming appointments in the days leading up to my sessions with my Brightside provider. At one point, I was also alerted when an earlier appointment became available (but it didn’t align with my schedule so I wasn’t able to take advantage of it). 

Therapy sessions are done over video, and you do not have the option to choose another method (such as audio or live chat). To join my appointments, I went to my account landing page (online as well as in the app) and used the easy link to take me to my Zoom sessions. I didn’t experience any video or sound quality issues during my sessions, but I was logging in from home where I have a strong wi-fi signal.

While it's completely normal that the first provider you match with isn't always the best fit, but the first appointment was incredibly rocky. The therapist came into the appointment under the impression that I was taking several strong prescription medications. After some discussion, she realized that I had selected “yes” to medication categories on my intake paperwork, and she was referring to the list of example medications for each category, not my actual list of medications (I have ADHD, depression, and anxiety, so I had selected a few different categories). I certainly understand why she was confused (and probably concerned), but it was off-putting. 

If this had been the only issue, I’d have been able to overlook it, but this was just one of many things that rubbed me the wrong way during my treatment with her. When I confided in her some of what I was feeling and experiencing going through the ASD diagnosis process with my daughter, I didn’t feel like she was very engaged or that she validated my feelings. In fact, when I explained that my daughter’s ASD is listed as “mild,” I expressed feeling like “there isn’t a place for me” in either neurotypical or ASD parenting groups, and she suggested I look into area hospitals for support groups. 

I was also a bit frustrated because I had to pay up front for my monthly plan, which includes four sessions per month, and this provider informed me that it would likely be difficult for me to set up weekly appointments with her schedule. If I were paying per visit, this would not have been a big deal, but since I wasn’t using insurance, I didn’t have this option. 

Between the scheduling conflicts and the lack of connection, I decided to end my relationship with this provider. I was admittedly disappointed because, even though I know therapy is only successful if you click with your therapist, it takes a lot of emotional energy to open up to a stranger in this way and I was skeptical about trying again. However, I am really glad I gave Brightside another shot because my experience with my second therapist was much more positive. 

How I Switched Providers

As for the process of switching providers, mine was a little unique. By the time I decided to try another therapist at Brightside, my subscription had run out so I had to sign up again. My account information was safely stored, but I had to go through the whole intake process again in order to schedule a new appointment.

Because of this, I was able to bypass the standard protocol for switching providers, since the system treated me like a new user. Typically, you have to request the change through the platform, which seems like a lot of unnecessary steps. Personally, I’d prefer to have a little more agency in choosing who I work with.

Still, I'm glad I tried another therapist.

This therapist did a really good job of weaving bits of personal information about herself into our discussions to help me feel more connected. She also showed a genuine interest in my journey with my daughter’s ASD diagnosis (by this point, I had just received my daughter’s formal diagnosis a few days before our first appointment) as well as in me, in general, outside of my role as a mom. She even ended up teaching me new information about my own ADHD diagnosis that I hadn’t known before. 

This provider did have more availability in her schedule than the therapist I had previously matched with, though it was still limited to a couple of days a week. In fact, I unexpectedly had to cancel an appointment a day before the session and when I went to reschedule, she had one opening the following day; otherwise, her next available appointment wasn’t until six days later. 

My Experience With Messaging and Lessons

Outside of therapy sessions, I had the option to message my providers at any time. I didn’t take advantage of this feature, partially because I didn’t find a need and partially because I didn’t feel connected enough to my first provider. However, while my second therapist didn’t send me any messages, my original provider did utilize the messaging feature to send me assignments, as she uses worksheets a lot in her practice.

Additionally, my first provider shared with me that part of the reason she chose to work with Brightside was because it offers lessons that users can work through as a way to complement their therapy sessions, and my second therapist also spoke positively about the coursework. The lessons assigned to me were meant to help me better understand my thoughts and feelings. For some, this feature may be a really helpful addition to regular therapy sessions. 

Brightside also sent me emails and notifications prompting me to complete a check-in to measure my symptoms and track my progress (based on my initial anxiety and depression scores). I think this is a really interesting tool that could potentially provide useful data and feedback, particularly for long-term users.

Our Other Testers' Experiences with Brightside

We tested out Brightside two other times, in California and New York, and our experiences were similarly positive. It was clear that all of our therapists were outstanding providers—they were kind and empathetic, and even in their chat responses (when we messaged them between sessions), they were warm and helpful, which stood out from other more formulaic and clinical chat-based services at other online therapy companies we’ve tested. Their answers were also prompt—another thing that even online therapy companies who advertise same-day messaging struggle with. This left us feeling as though our providers were invested in our care. We also appreciated the CBT materials and resources that we had access to through the platform and from our providers.

Although short compared to some other companies’ appointments, we felt good about Brightside’s 30-minute sessions entirely because of the professionalism and skill of our therapists. We were able to go through important intake information, our therapy goals, and even a conversation about a particular issue that was bothering us all in the very first session. We didn’t experience any technical issues, and we never felt pressed for time. Every provider we met with had at least a decade of experience, and it showed—we felt our therapists were innately talented clinicians who could provide solution-focused suggestions to our everyday problems without blurring boundaries or feeling pushy.

We had paid for sessions for the entire month, and although we had a great experience with our first therapist, we wanted to see who else was out there. We emailed Brightside’s customer service, who asked what we were looking for (we said that we wanted a BIPOC woman) and assigned us to a new therapist within a day. However, when we went to book with that therapist through our portal, we couldn’t—it took another day for customer service to address this technical issue. Finally, we rescheduled for a week out from our original appointment, but two days before that session, Brightside sent us what appeared to be a form email explaining that this particular therapist had left the platform, and that we’d be reassigned within one week. This was concerning to us, as that left us for two weeks without support; and while we were able to manage fine, someone dealing with more severe depression or anxiety might struggle with this lack of reliable care.

Pros & Cons

Although my experience with this platform got off to a rough start due to a poor therapist match, after settling in with a new provider, my overall impression ended up being positive. Still, it’s important to consider both the good and the bad of Brightside’s services.

Final Thoughts

After some trial and error, I was matched with a provider who I really clicked with, plus I think there are some really interesting and useful benefits that come with Brightside that you don’t get with similar services. Brightside has the potential to be a really fantastic therapy platform, but since most of a person’s therapy experience is dependent on the provider they work with, I think there should be more freedom in choosing and switching therapists.  

Overall, I was relatively happy with my experience with Brightside. The 45-minute sessions didn’t feel too short or too long, I wasn’t bombarded with constant emails or alerts, and I like the extra features that come with the plan, such as the lessons and check-ins for tracking symptoms. I also appreciated the platform and app’s ease of use, from navigation to appointment scheduling and rebooking to messaging. I was disappointed by the lack of appointments available that worked within my schedule. Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage a friend to try it out.