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Amwell Online Therapy Review

Medically Reviewed and Edited by 
Olga Kyrychenko, Psychologist

Amwell is one of the largest telehealth service providers in America. It has more than 3 million subscribed users, and offers a large variety of services. Unlike most online therapy sites, Amwell doesn’t focus solely on mental health – so you can use it for counseling and treating other health issues simultaneously. 

This Amwell review will focus on the counseling services the site offers. Due to its wider scope, Amwell’s approach to virtual therapy is quite different than most. It operates on a pay per meet basis, which means costs can run quite high compared to a subscription based module.

Unlike other popular online therapy sites such as BetterHelp or Talkspace for example, Amwell only offers live sessions and no 24/7 chats. Our review will hopefully help you understand all these differences and figure out if Amwell is the right choice for you.

Should I Use Amwell Therapy?

Is Amwell Legit? The Company Behind Amwell.com​

AmWell, formerly known as American Well, is an industry leaders when it comes to Telehealth. The company is publicly traded on NYSE, with a market cap of more than $780m (true for January 2023). Amwell boasts commercial partnerships with Apple, Cisco, Philipps, and Cleveland Clinic, and employs more than 700 people. 

As such we deem Amwell to be sufficiently safe and credible to consider using.

Amwell in Numbers For 2023

Year Founded2006
U.S Based CompanyYes
Number of Licensed Therapists350
Accepts Insurance?Yes
HIPAA CompliantYes
Therapy ModesVideo and Phone Live Sessions
Available TreatmentsPrivate, Couples, Teens
Average Price$99 – $119 Per Meeting
Sign Up TimeLess Than a Minute
Response TimeTherapists respond quickly, but usually need to book a few days in advance
Mobile AppYes
Websitewww.amwell.com
Customer Reviews85% Positive
Our Editorial Rating4 Stars
Current PromotionNone

Amwell Therapy Rating Breakdown​

Overall Rating

Overall Rating - 4 Stars

Amwell might have a more traditional, old school approach to online therapy, but they do it well. It’s a very trusted company, and the service they provide is on a very high level. In the end it boils down to your specific preferences for therapy – but if you like the offer, then you can definitely make good use of the platform.

Price

Price - 3.5 Stars

Unlike other therapy sites, Amwell doesn’t work with a subscription module. Instead, you book meetings and pay for each, very much like live therapy would be like. Pricing starts at $109 per meeting which is higher than other platforms we review. That said, the ability to book on demand and the fact Amwell works with many insurance providers, makes this quite appealing overall.

Treatment Options

Treatment Options - 3.5 Stars

This is where the fact they don’t focus on therapy really becomes an issue. The amount of therapists on the platform is quite limited. The good thing is all psychologists are employed directly by Amwell so quality control is better. All in all, I have found Amwell counselors to be very professional and responsive.

App and Software

App and Software - 4 Stars

The software is clean, modern and easy to use. It comes with a built-in app for conducting phone or video sessions, which has a few nice little features in it. Amwell also has a mobile app that got very good reviews. The only issue I had is the fact live sessions tend to be a bit laggy and video quality was poor at times.

Customer Service

Customer Service - 4.5 Stars

Amwell’s customer support is excellent – response times are very short and there are multiple ways to get in touch with them. The fact therapists are directly employed by the platform also means complaints are taken much more seriously.

Safety and Privacy

Safety and Privacy - 4.5 Stars

This is where Amwell really shines. Not only is it a huge, publicly traded company with a stellar reputation, but this is also the biggest upside to not having text or chat therapy at all. When counseling is done solely through live sessions, the amount of data you share with the platform is reduced significantly.

How Amwell Works

Amwell has one of the simplest and most straightforward sign up processes possible. Unlike other therapy platforms – here you won’t have to fill up a questionnaire or wait to be matched with a therapist. I was able to complete my registration and begin using the site in less than a minute.

When you click the sign up button the first thing you get a scroll down menu of insurance providers Amwell works with. If you are unable to find your insurance company there, you can skip this step. Still, we highly recommend you contact Amwell’s support via phone or email and try to find out if there’s any way you can be eligible for coverage. 

Then, you will only need to fill out your name, email address and choose a password. Once done, you are given access to the platform and can begin browsing it for potential therapists. You can check out each therapist’s individual profile page to see a short bio, what they specialize in and when they are usually available to meet. One of the things I liked the most is that you also get to see how other users rated each counselor.

When you find a counselor you like, all you have to do is book an appointment with them. Select whatever date and time you are most comfortable with, and you’ll soon get a reply from your therapists confirming the meeting or asking for it to be rescheduled if necessary. From my experience using Amwell, replies arrive very fast. It is much better to book a few days in advance, but I usually had no problem setting a meeting with just a day’s notice.

A Little Bit More About Amwell’s Therapists

As mentioned above, Amwell’s mental health specialists are employed directly by the company. This allows for a much better screening process as well as ongoing quality control, based directly on client feedback. 

There are currently 350 counselors on the platform offering various treatments – psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. They have all been handpicked by Amwell and trained to provide virtual therapy and counseling services.

Therapy sessions typically last between 45 minutes and an hour. If the video quality is low (which happens sometimes unfortunately) – you will have the choice to switch over to phone or reschedule the meeting. After a session is done you will be offered a chance to provide feedback and write a review of your therapist. These reviews are shown on the counselor’s profile page, and you can read yours and others at any time.

From my personal experience with Amwell, as well as reading thousands of client reviews across the web, convinced  me that quality of treatment is one area where Amwell really shines. It might not have as many counselors to choose from, but the ones you get are truly excellent and very professional. 

Amwell Therapy Price

Basic Package

$ 99 Per Session
  • 45-60 Minutes Live Session
  • Therapist Holding a Masters Degree
  • Schedule Anytime You Like

Premium Package

$ 119 Per Session
  • 45-60 Minutes Live Session
  • Therapist Holding a PhD Degree
  • Schedule Anytime You Like
Best

Psychiatric Treatment

$ 99 Per Session
  • 45 Minutes Evaluation Meeting
  • 15 Minutes Follow Up Sessions
  • $269 For Evaluation, 99$ For Follow Ups

* Prices above reflect the cost assuming you are unable to get any insurance coverage. Amwell is currently one of our top picks for online therapy with insurance, and nearly 95% of their users are able to enjoy at least some benefits. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay about half the price if Amwell is in-network with your provider.

Amwell Therapy Treatments

Despite the fact there aren’t as many therapists on the platform, Amwell is still able to provide treatment for a wide variety of mental health issues. One thing I found lacking is not enough diversity when it comes to the techniques each therapist uses. If you are not a big fan of behavioral based approaches, and CBT in particular, you might only have a handful of counselors to choose from. Here are some of the common issues Amwell’s therapists are able to help with:

Amwell Psychiatry Review

Amwell does not only offer psychiatric treatments, but also the ability to combine them seamlessly with other types of therapy – both on the platform itself or outside of it. The streaming app they use allows you to add a 3rd participant to a meeting – so you can meet with a psychiatrist and have your psychologist or counselor join in as well.

As is always the case, virtual therapy is not a recommended solution for people dealing with severe mental health problems. If your condition is life threatening, Amwell can’t provide the proper urgent care you require. Amwell’s psychiatric services are much better suited for people who have already been diagnosed and simply require ongoing maintenance and prescriptions.

While the quality of service is high, pricing again is a big issue. I have found that specifically for managing prescriptions, Brightside is a much better choice. Brightside Therapy also works with insurance, has excellent psychiatrits and their prescriptions costs $15 on average which is about half of what you’ll pay with Amwell. For more details, please read my Brightside review here.

What Our Readers Have To Say About Amwell

Amwell is pretty expensive, lucky that they take my insurance or i wouldn't be able to afford it.
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Brice
I really like Amwell
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Nina S.
I tried therapy there because i already signed up to see a doc before and had an account. Wasn't bad, will probably do it again sometime soon.
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Drew

Amwell Review - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amwell the best place for online therapy?

If you prefer the more traditional module of live sessions on a pay per meet basis, Amwell might very well be the best place for you to get help. Many people appreciate having their therapist available on chat 24/7, which is something most other platforms provide. You also have less counselors to choose from, but when it comes to quality of service, Amwell might be the best.

Is Amwell legit and safe to use?

Yes, Amwell is very safe. The company is HIPAA compliant and fully licensed in the U.S.

Does Amwell work with insurance?

Yes. When you first sign up to the platform you will be presented with a long list of providers they work with. Getting coverage through Medicare or Medicaid is also an option.

How can I pay for Amwell's services?

Amwell only accepts payments through credit and debit cards.

How long does it take to see a therapist?

We were often able to book an appointment for the following day, but generally it’s better to schedule it a few days in advance.

Amwell Review - Final Thoughts

Amwell is one of the largest, longest standing telehealth companies in the U.S. Comparing them to other online therapy sites such as BetterHelp can feel like comparing apples to oranges as the structure and options they provide are so different. 

I feel a more direct comparison would be with MDLive and Doctor on Demand – and Amwell is a much better platform than those, particularly when it comes to mental health treatments.

Still, I hope this Amwell therapy review was able to give you a clear sense of both the pros and cons the service has when compared to both their direct competitors and therapy sites offering similar services.

When compared with BetterHelp or Brightside, Amwell is a bit more expensive, has fewer therapists on board, and uses slightly outdated software. On the plus side, Amwell works with many insurance companies, their therapists are all excellent and the way they operate ensures you enjoy the most privacy and safety.

In the end, it mostly boils down to what you feel will be the most effective treatment type. Some people really enjoy the 24/7 chatting option, while others benefit more from the traditional approach of just having scheduled live sessions.

From my experience, even just a weekly session is more than enough to help most people, provided the therapist they see is good – which certainly would be the case if you choose Amwell. 

Amwell Logo

Overall rating 86.7%

Updated August 3rd, 2023
Overall Rating
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