The Most Inclusive Online Therapy Platforms We Tried and Tested in 2024

Talkspace’s flexibility is unmatched: It offers individual, couples, and teen counseling and psychiatry services in all 50 states, with three different tiers of therapy services available in a subscription format, including unlimited messaging with your therapist and weekly virtual live video sessions. We tested Talkspace 11 times in Indiana, South Dakota, California, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Minnesota, and New York, and were overall impressed with the quality of services we received. Although we were not specifically focused on diversity when we tried Talkspace’s services, we as testers did have a variety of different ethnic and racial identities, and in nearly every circumstance we were able to find a therapist with whom we connected. 

Overall, we felt as though we were able to quickly develop a rapport with our therapists, and this made it easier for us to feel comfortable opening up to our providers—something that is especially important when you are looking for culturally sensitive care. We appreciated that many of our providers were solution-focused and gave us helpful advice right off the bat. We also liked when our therapist ended sessions with reminders, and let us know that we could chat between sessions if things come up. We found this style helped to build trust and made us feel more connected despite having all therapy sessions online.

However, there were a few times when we had technical issues with our video sessions, and we felt that the text messaging offered by Talkspace (the cheapest subscription option) was not as successful as our live video appointments.

• Insurance Accepted: Accepts plans from most major insurers, including Aetna, Cigna, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Regence, Premera, Gatorcare; accepts some Medicare plans; doesn’t accept Medicaid
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; messaging-only plan starts at $69 per week; live therapy plan starts at $99 per week and includes messaging and four live sessions a month; video, live therapy, and group workshop plan is $109 per week; psychiatry/medication management costs $249 for an initial evaluation with follow-up sessions starting at $125 each (not part of a subscription)

We surveyed 100 users of Talkspace:

• 92% rated Talkspace as very good or excellent overall
• 89% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Talkspace
• 97% are likely or very likely to recommend Talkspace to a friend or someone like them
• 73% rated Talkspace as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

Talkiatry is an online psychiatry company that serves anyone age 5 and above who needs treatment for conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Talkiatry prides itself on the diversity and cultural humility of its psychiatrists, with providers who specialize in treating different races and ethnicities, various age groups, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

We tested Talkiatry twice, both times in New York, and felt that Talkiatry stands apart from the competition because of the personalized, high-quality care its clinicians provide. Whereas many psychiatrists—particularly online psychiatrists—can be impersonal, focusing primarily on prescribing medication, our Talkiatry clinicians spent 60 minutes with us during our first sessions and 30 minutes for all our follow-ups. These sessions were literally twice as long as the ones offered by every other online psychiatry service we tried, and made us feel truly heard and understood. This is especially important for people from marginalized communities who often feel like their problems are not taken seriously. 

Something that might impede accessibility, however, is the fact that Talkiatry only accepts insurance—there are no out-of-pocket prices, and you can only use Talkiatry if it is in-network with your insurance plan. This means that the uninsured or underinsured cannot benefit from Talkiatry’s services. In addition, while the company does offer therapy as well as psychiatry, you can only access its therapy services if referred by your Talkiatry psychiatrist.

• 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
• 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
• 76% rated Talkiatry as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists

We tried Amwell nine times in New York, Mississippi, California, Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida, with a diverse array of testers who identify as Black and Indian as well as white. We especially liked that Amwell accepts a wide range of insurance plans, making it an affordable and accessible option for insured therapy seekers looking for experienced, culturally informed clinicians. And not only are its providers diverse when it comes to racial and ethnic identities, but Amwell also explicitly states that it offers LGBTQ counseling.

Amwell let us choose our own provider rather than matching us with one, which could be especially helpful for those who are looking for a therapist who shares their cultural, sexual, or gender identity.

We felt like our therapists truly took the time to listen to our concerns and didn’t try to provide general “Band-aid” solutions to our problems. They often referred to issues we’d brought up in previous sessions, which made us feel like they were engaged and actively listening, and their advice always felt tailored to our situations (like being a busy mom of two or a young, disorganized teenager). 

We did have some technical issues at times, such as the screen suddenly going black and encountering the spinning wheel of death, but for the most part, our sessions went off without a hitch and we were able to get the care we needed from our attentive, warm, and informed therapists. It's worth also noting that in certain cases we only saw nighttime appointment times, which may not be a good fit for some schedules.

• Insurance Accepted: Amwell accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Emblem Health, Horizon, and UnitedHealthcare
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; up to $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% are likely or very likely to recommend Amwell to a friend or someone like them
• 79% rated Amwell as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

It’s clear that the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy aspires to eliminate all types of cultural barriers to mental health care. Its core values include being anti-oppressive, anti-racist, weight-inclusive, feminist-informed, and affirming of ethical non-monogamy and kink communities. 

But the Aguirre Center really shines when it comes to providing therapy for the Latinx community. It’s owned by Latinx licensed psychologist Sophia Aguirre, PhD, who runs a team of 11 culturally informed therapists, five of whom are Latinx or Afro-Latinx. Three practitioners are bilingual and can conduct sessions in Spanish. Its Latinx therapists also have roots in several countries, including Mexico, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. And although we did not test the Aguirre Center ourselves, our research makes us confident that this is a great option for the Latinx community.

The Aguirre Center’s website states that a few of its therapists offer services in 43 states (due to legislation that allows certain providers to operate across state lines), but most clinicians only offer therapy in one or two states, such as Georgia, Oregon, Florida, Massachusetts, and New York (but primarily in Georgia, as that’s the state where the office is based). There are also only 11 clinicians available. We look forward to seeing Aguirre grow to support the Latinx community even more. 

• Insurance Accepted: No
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Fees vary, but in general, individual therapy is $200 to $275 for assessment, then $150 to $225 per session; couples counseling is $185 to $230 per session; sliding-scale rates are also available

We surveyed 100 users of the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy:

• 83% rated the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy as very good or excellent overall
• 81% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 94% said that most or all of their needs were met at the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy
• 93% are likely or very likely to recommend the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy to a friend or someone like them
• 77% rated the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is an online therapy directory created specifically so that LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals can find a mental health provider with the same or similar ethnic, cultural, racial, gender, and sexual identities. Rather than directly providing online therapy, NQTTCN functions more like a phone book of providers, listing the names and bios of therapists and psychiatrists who identify as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC whom you can contact individually. This makes it an excellent option for queer and trans people of color. You’ll find practitioners with diverse specialties and backgrounds across the country on the network. This is essential for therapy seekers who face intersectional discrimination and its subsequent mental health effects. 

When we tested NQTTCN from Kentucky, we were overwhelmingly impressed with the service and the sheer number of options for us. As a member of both the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, we have had issues in the past finding a therapist who understood all our identities—but through NQTTCN, it was easy. Not only was the site simple and clear to use, but we immediately found a therapist who checked all our boxes. We had a 75-minute intake session—far longer than any other session we’d had with an online therapist—and our provider was compassionate and engaged throughout. We felt like she was genuinely interested in us and dedicated to getting us the help we needed. She approached our sessions with curiosity, rather than assuming she knew us based on our intersecting identities, and we have never received more affirming care.

In our most recent testing, we were especially impressed with how clear pricing was on NQTTCN. Because cost is a huge barrier to care, especially for people with marginalized identities, the fact that we knew what we would be paying for each possible provider was extremely helpful. What’s more, NQTTCN provides resources for those in crisis, as well as a Mental Health Fund for those in the QTPOC (queer and trans people of color) community who cannot afford therapy. The only downside of this directory? NQTTCN currently only serves 29 states and Washington, D.C., as well as British Columbia and Ontario in Canada.

• Insurance Accepted: Varies by provider in the directory
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: This is a directory of therapists and every therapist sets their own rate, so fees vary widely. You can find each provider’s rate in their bio on the directory, and many offer sliding-scale rates or take insurance.

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
• 90% rated National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

Gay Therapy Center offers individual and couples therapy for LGBTQIA+-identifying folks. All clinicians are from the LGBTQIA+ community and can treat a wide spectrum of issues along with culturally specific ones, such as experiencing internalized shame around sexual orientation. However, when we tested the Gay Therapy Center from California, we found that most of the therapists in this company identify as white, cisgender, gay men, and most of its additional resources are geared towards this community as well, so it may not be the best choice for every LGBTQIA+ person. Still, Gay Therapy Center is absolutely a solid resource for cis gay men seeking mental health support. 

The company’s individual services focus on “LGBTQ+ Anxiety and Depression,” “LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy for Low Self-Esteem,” and “LGBTQ+ Gay Sex Therapy;” its couples therapy services include “LGBTQ+ Couples Counseling,” “LGBTQ+ Therapy for Cheating, Infidelity, Affairs, and Betrayal,” and “LGBTQ+ Open Relationship Counseling.” It also offers in-person sessions in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. 

However, as a non-binary person with a trans partner, we did not feel as though the Gay Therapy Center was able to meet our needs. We requested a therapist who had experience with trans issues, but in the curated list of providers we received (including the person with whom we eventually had sessions), no one even mentioned the word “trans,” and our therapist actually repeatedly used incorrect pronouns to refer to our trans partner. In addition, the company never provided its therapists’ surnames, so we could not do any outside research on its clinicians. This made us uneasy.

• Insurance Accepted: Gay Therapy Center isn’t in-network with any insurance, but residents of California, New York, and Washington, D.C., may get out-of-network coverage if they provide a bill for reimbursement.
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: 50-minute sessions start at $185 and reach up to $250 depending on the provider

We surveyed 100 users of Gay Therapy Center:

• 87% rated Gay Therapy Center as very good or excellent overall
• 89% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 92% said that most or all of their needs were met at Gay Therapy Center
• 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Gay Therapy Center to a friend or someone like them
• 86% rated Gay Therapy Center as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

TherapyDen is an online therapy directory dedicated to inclusivity and diversity in the mental health care system, providing affirming care for therapy seekers of any gender, ethnicity, and financial situation. Most notably, TherapyDen’s homepage has a carousel of listings for trans therapists, which immediately indicates it’s a safe space for the community. Trans clinicians across the country are easy to find via search filters, though some areas have fewer trans clinicians than others (and some have none at all).

Although we ourselves were not trans, when we tried out TherapyDen in Kansas and South Dakota, we were hoping to test its ability to provide inclusive care no matter our identity—and it did not disappoint. From the get-go, TherapyDen made it clear through its search filters that it was dedicated to providing affirming services by letting us filter for therapist qualities like “trans-competent” and “queer-competent,” as well as for specialties like “cultural and systemic oppression.” This made it easy to find therapists who would be appropriate for just about any community, including the trans community.

One thing to note is that not all practitioner’s credentials appear to have been verified. Many therapists don’t have a green “verified” button near their profile picture that states the directory has ensured their licensing information is correct and up to date. Keep this in mind when searching for practitioners, and consider verifying independently. 

• Insurance Accepted: Varies by provider in the directory; you can search for therapists who accept insurance
• Subscription Required: No, the directory is free to browse.
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: TherapyDen is a directory, which means fees vary by provider.

We surveyed 100 users of TherapyDen:

• 87% rated TherapyDen as very good or excellent overall
• 87% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 93% said that most or all of their needs were met at TherapyDen
• 96% are likely or very likely to recommend TherapyDen to a friend or someone like them
• 72% rated TherapyDen as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

Open Path Collective is an online therapy directory that strives to make therapy more affordable and accessible across the U.S. and Canada by charging low out-of-pocket rates for individual, family, and couples counseling. Prices are comparable to an insurance copay rather than a traditional self-pay rate. Every provider listed in this directory must agree to charge these low prices, practically guaranteeing that you can find a therapist who fits your financial needs. We tested Open Path from New York and were thrilled that, even as someone who is underinsured, we were able to find a great therapist at a price we could afford.

At Open Path, therapy sessions for all clinicians fall within the same range: $40 to $70 for individual counseling, $40 to $80 for couples or families, and $30 for an individual session with a student intern. We were charged $50 for each of our sessions, which was by far the least we’d ever paid out of pocket for therapy. These prices sit below the average cost of therapy in the United States, with most sessions ranging from $60 to $200 each. 

In addition to the low cost of therapy, Open Path made it easy to find a provider—not always the case on a therapy directory, which functions more like a phone book of therapists than an online therapy company that matches you with someone. There were tons of filters to use when searching, from cost to specialties to identities like race or LGBTQIA+. We quickly found a therapist whom we could not only afford but with whom we immediately clicked—meaning we didn’t have to sacrifice quality for price.

• 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: Users must pay a one-time lifetime membership fee of $65 to access the affordable session 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.

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
• 77% rated Open Path Collective as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

Therapy for Black Girls is an online therapy directory that focuses specifically on connecting Black girls and women to Black woman-identifying therapists and psychiatrists (although anyone can use the directory to find a provider). This serves an important purpose as therapy stigma, accessibility, and a lack of cultural sensitivity among providers hold back many Black people from seeking out therapy or receiving affirming, effective therapy. Since Therapy for Black Girls exclusively offers therapists who are Black women, therapy seekers can count on the fact that they’ll have a practitioner who relates—at least in some way—to their experience as a Black person in America. 

When we tried Therapy for Black Girls, we had a tall order—we were looking for a female Black therapist who had children, was a Christian, and was a caretaker to her parents. Incredibly, not only did we connect with a provider who ticked almost all of our boxes, but the process of actually finding her was surprisingly simple. The specialty search filters were extensive, meaning we could narrow down our choices quickly (although there were no filters for spirituality, which would have helped us) and contact them through the directory. The therapist we ended up choosing got back to us in a matter of hours and gave us a free consultation, which left us assured that she would be a good match for us.

Our sessions were productive and tailored to our needs—we especially appreciated the way she incorporated our faith into each appointment. We felt supported and understood in a way that directly related to the fact that our therapist was also a Black woman; we were able to reference experiences, both in and out of therapy, that she understood implicitly as someone with the same racial, cultural, and spiritual identities. This sets Therapy for Black Girls and its providers apart from most other online therapy companies and directories.

• Insurance Accepted: Because Therapy for Black Girls is a directory rather than an online therapy company, insurance coverage will vary by provider.
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Free to use the directory; prices vary by provider and insurance

We surveyed 100 users of Therapy for Black Girls:

• 94% rated Therapy for Black Girls as very good or excellent overall
• 91% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 94% said that most or all of their needs were met at Therapy for Black Girls
• 98% are likely or very likely to recommend Therapy for Black Girls to a friend or someone like them
• 85% rated Therapy for Black Girls as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists
  

Mindful Care is an online therapy company that provides individual and group therapy, plus addiction recovery through its medication-assisted program Mindful Recovery. As a harm reduction program, Mindful Recovery doesn’t require abstinence. It focuses on supporting those considering or in the process of reducing or quitting substances including alcohol, cannabis, and opioids. Substance-use coaches at Mindful Care have advanced alcoholism and substance-use coaching certifications, plus master’s degrees in mental health disciplines. In addition, there seems to be diversity amongst Mindful Care’s providers, with featured clinicians representing many facets of the BIPOC community. 

We tried Mindful Care twice, both times from New York, and although we did not feel it would be ethical to ask someone dealing with a substance use issue to try Mindful Care’s addiction services short-term, we were especially impressed with the company’s group therapy services—services that are available through its addiction recovery program. Our group facilitators (who were licensed therapists) helped establish a warm and non-judgmental atmosphere, and we felt supported by the other members of the group, each of whom had plenty of time to talk and share. We truly felt like the group was a safe place to talk about anything, which is a quality that could be especially important for those dealing with addiction, a condition often accompanied by shame and guilt.

Unfortunately, Mindful Care doesn’t treat all addictions, and its services are limited to a handful of states: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Michigan.

• Insurance Accepted: Yes, in-network with many insurance providers, including Aetna, Humana, Oxford Health Plans, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare, though group therapy might not be covered by insurance; accepts some Medicare plans
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; self-pay for psychiatry or addiction recovery with medication-assisted treatment is $175 for an initial evaluation (40 minutes) and $75 for follow-up appointments (20 minutes); recovery microtherapy appointments are $50 for 20 minutes; therapy (individual or group) is $150 for an initial evaluation and then $50 to $100 for an individual session (20 or 40 minutes) or $35 for group sessions

We surveyed 100 users of Mindful Care:

• 83% rated Mindful Care as very good or excellent overall
• 86% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 90% said that most or all of their needs were met at Mindful Care
• 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Mindful Care to a friend or someone like them
• 72% rated Mindful Care as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists

We tested Octave five times—three times in New York, and once each in California and Florida—and were impressed that Octave’s therapist team includes solid representation from the Asian community. We found providers who speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Punjabi, Japanese, and Korean, among other languages. Additionally, we could search for therapists specializing in racial stress and cultural issues by using a filter for these topics when we looked for a therapist on the site. 

One of the things that most impressed us was Octave’s sign-up process. Not only was it thorough, but if the company determined that it didn’t receive enough information from us initially, it would have offered us a free consultation phone call to make sure we were assigned the best therapist for our needs (and to determine that we were not in crisis, which would have disqualified us from using Octave—a distinction most online therapy companies do not bother to make). We could request a therapist who shared our ethnic or racial identity, and we could choose “racial stress” as something we’d like to focus on in our therapy. 

Unfortunately, Octave only serves Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

• Insurance Accepted: Yes, including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and UMR; coverage varies by state
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on insurance and location; self-pay rates for individual therapy are $170 to $250 per session; couples or family therapy is $190 to $275 per session

We surveyed 100 users of Octave:

• 92% rated Octave as very good or excellent overall
• 92% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 100% said that most or all of their needs were met at Octave
• 100% are likely or very likely to recommend Octave to a friend or someone like them
• 70% rated Octave as very good or excellent for diversity of therapists