The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety of 2024, Tried and Tested

Most Comprehensive: Brightside

Key Specs

• Price: $95-$349 per month
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Brightside Health provides the holistic, evidence-based care needed to tackle a variety of anxiety disorders from every angle. It uses CBT, the gold standard in anxiety treatment modalities, alongside skill-building self-care lessons and medication when necessary, making it the most comprehensive online therapy company for anxiety treatment.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We had four people try Brightside Health from North Carolina, New York, and California for individual therapy, and we found the platform to offer effective, evidence-based treatment for people with mild to moderate anxiety. The company actually specializes in anxiety treatment, and its comprehensive approach helps users calm rumination, worry, tension, obsessive thinking, and more.

We love that Brightside uses a gold standard in anxiety treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This approach helped us identify thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that might be driving our anxiety. But Brightside goes beyond CBT and offers tools like symptom trackers and quizzes. Not only did this help us manage our anxiety more effectively, but it also helped us draw the connection between our lifestyle habits and our mental/emotional state.

Therapy is only as good as the providers who offer it, so we’re happy to say our clinicians were highly experienced and knowledgeable. They also maintained a professional demeanor while remaining approachable. That said, one therapist was late to the session and came in with the wrong information about us, which didn’t give us the greatest first impression. But despite this small setback, we were overall very impressed with Brightside and its anxiety treatment.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, but providers vary by state; includes some Medicaid and Medicare plans; accepts health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payments
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on insurance; Therapy is $299 per month for four video sessions and unlimited messaging, with additional video appointments for $59 per session; Psychiatry is $95 per month plus pharmacy copay; Therapy and psychiatry is $349 per month

What Users Say

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
• 78% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best for Medication Management/Psychiatry: Talkiatry

Key Specs

• Price: Depends on your insurance
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes. BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Aetna, Medicare, Medicaid, and others
• Type Of Therapy: Medication Management, Psychiatry, Individual Therapy

Why We Chose It 

Talkiatry offers psychiatry for adults and kids featuring session lengths double those of other platforms. Its providers are thorough when developing a diagnosis and treatment plan and responsive to concerns and questions. With many psychiatrists specializing in anxiety, you are sure to find a provider who meets your needs.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We tested Talkiatry from New York twice, both times for individual adult psychiatry, and found it to offer effective treatment involving sessions much longer than the norm. The session length reflects a commitment to accurately and effectively diagnosing and treating our anxiety disorders. Such a commitment isn’t always found on other platforms.

The full hour that our providers offered during intake sessions set the tone for what was to come: An overall great experience with caring clinicians who listened to our questions, gave thoughtful responses, and addressed concerns proactively. We loved that one intake session felt a bit like therapy. We had real conversations with our providers and were able to give them ample information to help them develop a treatment plan. Follow-up sessions were also thorough and gave us plenty of time to discuss any concerns.

Not every provider was the right fit for us though. One was overly clinical, asking us to describe our symptoms using a script that didn’t feel natural to us. This made us feel uncomfortable and did not start the session off on the right foot. We were able to switch to a new psychiatrist, but we would like to see Talkiatry make some changes to how they match us with providers. Giving us more background information about the clinicians and the ability to choose someone based on traits like gender identity and schedule would have been helpful.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, and only available to to those with insurance (no out-of-pocket rates offered); accepts most major insurance plans, HSA/FSA payments, and Medicare/Medicaid 
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on insurance

What Users Say

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% were seeking treatment for anxiety
  

Best Subscription Service: Talkspace

Key Specs

• Price: $276-$436 per month; $65 for additional sessions
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Counseling, Couples Therapy

Why We Chose It

Talkspace offers a range of care options through monthly subscriptions, enabling users to choose both the type and level of care they need and can afford. It provides a combination of video, audio, and messaging therapy at different price points and has clinicians across the country specializing in anxiety.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We asked eleven people to try Talkspace’s services from California, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York to test both individual and couples therapy. Overall, our experience was positive. We could choose from a huge pool of clinicians who specialize in anxiety, and the platform offers multiple subscription plans with video, audio, and messaging options.

We love all of the formats Talkspace provides. Whether it's going with messaging only or a combination of messaging and live sessions, there’s a subscription plan for you. When reviewing providers, it was great to see that some of them used lesser-known modalities, such as somatic therapy, in addition to more mainstream treatments like CBT. The therapists we saw had different strengths—some were more practical and results-oriented, others more of a sounding board who just let us talk and waited for pauses to offer insight. We loved that one of our providers consistently guided us through calming breathing exercises at the end of each session—an approach that was especially effective for dealing with anxiety.

As is all too common, though, a few of our therapists left us feeling frustrated by being either late, distracted, or disengaged. The flip side of having such a large pool of providers to choose from is the probability that it may take time to find the right one for you. Thankfully, switching therapists at Talkspace is fast and user-friendly, which is especially important for someone dealing with anxiety.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, including some Medicare and Medicaid plans; accepts HSA or FSA payments
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on insurance; Messaging only starts at $69 per week; Therapy + messaging starts at $99 per week; Therapy + messaging + workshops start at $109 per week; Couples therapy starts at $109 per week; Psychiatry starts at $299 for the initial evaluation and $175 for each follow-up appointment (not a part of the subscription plan)

What Users Say

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
• 69% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best Without Insurance: Open Path Collective

Key Specs

• Price: One-time $65 membership fee; sliding scale rates from $30-$70 per session
• Is Insurance Accepted? No
• Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy

Why We Chose It

Open Path Collective is an online therapy directory that exclusively offers sliding-scale prices for uninsured and underinsured patients. It’s easy to search for providers who specialize in anxiety, with out-of-pocket prices never exceeding $70 per session.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We tested the Open Path Collective online therapy directory by searching for therapists in New York, and we were thrilled with the results. We were easily able to find a therapist who met our needs—the search filters on the directory are extensive and easy to navigate, meaning we could search for providers who had the specializations we were looking for (including anxiety, grief and stress, or anger management) at a price we could afford. The sliding scale ranges from $30 to $70 and is a set cost for those uninsured or underinsured and have an annual household income below $100,000.

Another thing we appreciated about Open Path was the fact that each therapist’s bio clearly displayed whether or not they were taking on new patients—saving us the trouble (and anxiety) of contacting multiple therapists only to find out they have no room in their schedules. We also liked that we could email each therapist directly through their bio on the directory. Both of these features are important for people living with anxiety, who might find it unnerving or difficult to reach out to multiple people. And, most importantly, we could rest assured knowing that we would not be waiting for a big scary bill once our sessions were over.

In addition to trying out Open Path Collective ourselves, we also tested the directory across 37 different hypothetical scenarios that might cause someone to seek therapy. We evaluated how well Open Path could come up with appropriate therapists for each scenario across 18 different zip codes. Open Path performed especially well in scenarios that involved anxiety, such as panic attacks, financial insecurity, and postpartum anxiety. This, along with our own experiences, makes us confident in recommending Open Path Collective for people with anxiety.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: No
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: $30 per session with student intern; $40 to $70 per session with a licensed or pre-licensed therapist

What Users Say

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
• 58% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best for Teens: Teen Counseling

Key Specs

• Price: $260 to $360 per month
• Is Insurance Accepted? No
• Type Of Therapy: Teen Therapy, Individual Therapy

Why We Chose It 

Teen Counseling exclusively addresses the unique needs of teens with mental health concerns (such as anxiety) by providing care via video chat and messaging services. It’s a user-friendly platform that makes starting therapy easy, often matching users to an available therapist within 24 hours. With many providers who specialize in anxiety, your teen is sure to find the help they need here.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We asked five people and their children to try Teen Counseling services from Michigan, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York for individual teen therapy and found it to be a great option for teens experiencing a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety. Our therapists were kind and professional, and seemed genuinely engaged with our kids.

We like how user-friendly the platform is. It’s quick and easy to get started, pause therapy, or cancel. It was nice to get matched to someone within 24 hours, and we were able to message the therapist ahead of time with questions about their experience. The various formats are also great: We could choose from video, audio, or live text therapy, the third of which is especially appealing to teens. Sessions could take place between parent and teen separately or together, and parents had separate portals from their kids—this is especially useful when trying to help anxious teens open up in therapy and establish a rapport with their provider.

We didn’t care for the low video quality at Teen Counseling, though. We had many instances in which the video quality was so poor we couldn’t see the therapist. In another session, we were unable to connect over video altogether. This is very disappointing, considering it’s a platform catered to people who spend a lot of time on devices. Session times could also be longer to really get to the root of many teens’ anxiety issues. Another problem is that the company, like its parent company BetterHelp, engages in the unethical practice of surge pricing. The more in-demand therapy is in your area, the more you will pay for it.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: No, nor will it submit reimbursement claims
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: $65 to $90 per week, billed monthly

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Teen Counseling:

• 86% rated Teen Counseling 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 Teen Counseling
• 93% are likely or very likely to recommend Teen Counseling to a friend or someone like them
• 64% were seeking treatment for anxiety
  

Best for Parents: Online-Therapy.com

Key Specs

• Price: $200-$440 per month ($160-$352 for first month with 20% discount)
• Is Insurance Accepted? No
• Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Individual Therapy

Why We Chose It

Online-Therapy.com offers parents struggling with anxiety a mix of couples and individual counseling, CBT worksheets, and even yoga videos to help empower them to reduce the stress in their lives holistically.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We asked six people to try Online-Therapy.com services from Pennsylvania, California, Michigan, South Dakota, and New York for both individual and couples therapy. While we didn’t get therapy specifically for anxiety as parents, we feel confident recommending the platform for its evidence-based holistic approach and its highly experienced clinicians. We also found a lot of flexibility in scheduling appointments, which is helpful for parents with busy schedules in need of early morning or evening time slots.

We appreciate that you can opt for individual or couples therapy, which can be helpful to both single and co-parents. It’s great that plans through the platform include yoga, which has been shown to help with anxiety disorders, as well as an “activity plan.” Activity plans can help you schedule activities, such as going shopping without the kids, that will bolster your mental health while mitigating anxiety. The plans also help you hold yourself accountable in terms of prioritizing your mental health as you balance your career and home life. 

Our therapists were highly knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed hearing personal anecdotes about our therapist’s experiences, which made their advice relatable. It was also great to have exercises to do outside of sessions. However, one therapist seemed a bit distracted during sessions and forgot what homework they had given us, and another therapist didn’t show up for a session because of connectivity issues. We found each of these problems highly unprofessional and disappointing given our busy lives.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: No, but will allow you to submit reimbursement claims
• Subscription Required: Yes
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: $50 to $110 per week, billed monthly (plus, there's a 20% discount for first month); $50 per week for unlimited messages with a therapist, yoga, and CBT programs; $80 per week for everything above plus one live 45-minute session with a therapist; $110 per week for everything above plus an additional 45-minute session with your therapist weekly and faster replies to messages; $110 per week for couples therapy with one 45-minute live couples therapy session and access to messaging, yoga, and CBT.

What Users Say

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 good, very good, or excellent
• 100% said that most or all of their needs were met at Online-Therapy.com
• 99% are likely or very likely to recommend Online-Therapy.com to a friend or someone like them
• 58% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best for Kids: Little Otter

Key Specs

• Price: $525 for assessment bundle; $1,980 for 12-session bundle; $500 for psychiatric evaluation; $250 for each psychiatric follow-up
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Type Of Therapy: Children's Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Teen Therapy

Why We Chose It

Little Otter is the only company on this list to provide children’s therapy in addition to couples, family, and individual (parent) therapy. It treats children ages 0 to 14 (an age range unrivaled amongst online therapy companies), and its providers can help children with anxiety and related issues, such as bullying and trauma.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We had five people try Little Otter from New York, Pennsylvania, and California for children’s therapy. Overall, we found the quality of clinicians to be very high—even within the first session or two, our provider’s skills in working with children were obvious. While prices were steep, we were paying for a specialized experience that’s hard to find.

We were thrilled with the quality of care our kids received. This was especially true for our 10-year-old son who, before treatment with Little Otter, was regularly experiencing panic attacks and generalized anxiety.

It was surprising to see our kids opening up so easily and showing an interest in sessions, whether they were with us or alone with the therapist. We love that psychiatry services were available, and our therapists worked with psychiatrists as part of a “Care Team.” There was also a parenting coach available, so we could better support our children with anxiety.

However, we weren’t too happy with the process for switching therapists. Unlike with other platforms, we received pushback and were asked to complete more sessions before we could change providers. The scheduling options were also limited. We often had to schedule sessions in the middle of the school day or right before our child went to school. In the long term, these scheduling issues could interfere with continuing therapy, even though Little Otter's services are so valuable.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, but only accepts four insurance plans: AmeriHealth, Sana, Independence Blue Cross (in Delaware and Pennsylvania), and Florida Blue. However, the providers will fill out reimbursement forms and accept HSA/FSA.
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: $195 per standard therapy session; $390 for a 90-minute assessment; $500 for a 75-minute psychiatry evaluation; $250 per 30-minute psychiatry follow-up. You can also sign up for discounted bundles: $525 for an assessment bundle (90-min assessment and one standard therapy session); $700 for a 4-session bundle, $1,320 for an 8-session bundle, and $1,980 for a 12-session bundle

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Little Otter:

• 86% rated Little Otter as very good or excellent overall
• 86% rated their therapist’s qualifications as good, very good, or excellent
• 96% said that most or all of their needs were met at Little Otter
• 95% are likely or very likely to recommend Little Otter to a friend or someone like them
• 58% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best for Group Support: Mindful Care

Key Specs

• Price: $35 per group session; Individual therapy is $50 for 20-minute sessions and $100 for 40-minute sessions; $75-$175 for psychiatry sessions, $50-$175 for medication-assisted therapy for substance abuse
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Type Of Therapy: Group Therapy, Teen Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Mindful Care is one of the only companies that combines individual therapy and psychiatry with group therapy. Group sessions are free-form and open, creating a pressure-free environment in which to share concerns—and it offers a group specifically for those experiencing anxiety.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We had two people test Mindful Care in New York (it's licensed in 14 states and New York is one of the six states with brick-and-mortar offices) for individual and group therapy. While we didn’t test the CALM (anxiety-focused) group in particular, we tried other groups and found them to be non-judgmental spaces where we could freely share our concerns in a supportive environment.

We like that Mindful Care’s group sessions are rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sessions were an hour long over Zoom and started off with a check-in as to how we were feeling via the facilitator. This gave everyone the opportunity to be heard. We liked how sessions didn’t have a set agenda and were very free-form. There was no pressure to share if we didn’t want to, and it felt like a safe space to talk about anything. We could even respond with a thumbs up or a heart button to show support without having to speak up.

Mindful Care’s group sessions aren’t for everyone, though. The lack of structure in one group meant that we didn’t get as much out of it as we wanted to. Some speakers tended to dominate the discussion, and since there wasn’t an agenda, minutes would often go by without anyone talking. At the end of the day, group sessions at Mindful Care are what you make of them, since they are largely participant-driven. 

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, including Medicare and Medicaid in some states
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies by insurance; Group therapy is $35 per 60-minute session; Individual therapy is $150 for an initial session and then $100 for 40-minute sessions or $50 for 20-minute sessions; Psychiatric care is $175 for an initial appointment and then $75 for follow-up sessions

What Users Say

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
• 77% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best for Postpartum Anxiety: Thriveworks

Key Specs

• Price: Varies based on location, provider, and services
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Type Of Therapy: Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry, Teen Therapy

Why We Chose It

Thriveworks offers therapy specifically for postpartum anxiety, plus family, couples, and individual therapy. These options mean you can get your partner or entire family involved if needed. Psychiatry and medication management are also on offer.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We asked 11 people to try out Thriveworks from Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio, Florida, and South Dakota for individual and family therapy and found it to be a great resource for people struggling with a variety of mental health issues. While we didn’t test for postpartum anxiety specifically, we’re confident in recommending Thriveworks because it offers specialized treatment for the condition.

We love that Thriveworks offers family, couples, and individual postpartum counseling, so you can work through your challenges alone or as a family. Our therapists were gentle, warm, caring, and professional, all qualities that someone struggling with postpartum anxiety would benefit from. We loved that the therapists we saw for family therapy had kids, which helped us feel like they were speaking from experience and made us feel more at ease with them. We also like that Thriveworks has brick-and-mortar office locations nationwide, so you can make the switch to in-person if needed.

As can be expected, not every therapist we worked with was a good match for us. One of our clinicians seemed to misunderstand us, jump to conclusions, offer cliche advice, and gloss over the complexities of our situation. Another therapist was late to an appointment and told us that she had very limited availability for additional appointments. As a result, we didn’t get what we were hoping for out of therapy, like the feeling of being seen and heard. It seemed the therapist wasn’t able to handle our situation, and that was disappointing. However, most of our experiences with Thriveworks were positive, and based on those—especially our individual therapy sessions—we feel confident recommending the company to those experiencing postpartum anxiety.

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, including Blue Cross, Anthem, Optum, United, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on your insurance, location, services, and provider; Self-pay options start at $200 per session

What Users Say

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
• 69% were seeking treatment for anxiety

Best Directory: Zencare

Key Specs

• Price: Varies based on provider
• Is Insurance Accepted? Yes, by some providers
• Type Of Therapy: Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Children's Therapy, Teen Therapy, Medication Management, Psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Zencare’s user interface is easy to navigate, there are a variety of filter options (including the ability to filter for a therapist who treats anxiety), and the thorough vetting process makes finding a provider who can address anxiety much easier. Since it's an online therapy directory rather than an online therapy company that matches you with a provider, you have full control over who you choose to work with.

Pros & Cons

Our Testing

We evaluated how well Zencare, an online therapy directory, was able to provide appropriate therapists across 37 different scenarios for which someone might need therapy, and it performed especially well in situations that involved anxiety—this included treating someone experiencing panic attacks, someone having anxiety about their finances, and someone struggling with postpartum anxiety. We tested how easily we could find a therapist who treated anxiety, and based on our results—which offered nearly 400 therapists who fit our exact needs—we’re confident in recommending it as a directory with a wide pool of therapists who treat anxiety, all of whom are rigorously vetted to ensure their qualifications and experience. 

We love that Zencare is available in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and includes therapists with in-person locations. It also offers extensive search filters, such as insurance accepted, whether their office is ADA accessible, and identities like gender, race, and religion. Therapists treat a variety of anxiety issues, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and even Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), using proven techniques and modalities.   

One great advantage of a directory is that you have full control over who you choose for a provider. Zencare’s search filters make the process of finding a therapist less overwhelming since you can easily filter for attributes you need in a provider. That said, any directory requires more work on your part since you don’t have anyone helping you match with someone. 

Plans & Pricing

• Accepts Insurance: Yes, some providers do
• Subscription Required: No
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Varies based on insurance and provider fees, but you can filter your search based on insurance and fees

What Users Say

We surveyed 100 users of Zencare:

• 94% rated Zencare as very good or excellent overall
• 91% rated their therapist’s qualifications as very good or excellent
• 95% said that most or all of their needs were met at Zencare
• 96% are likely or very likely to recommend Zencare to a friend or someone like them
• 71% were seeking treatment for anxiety