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Counseling On Demand Review

Medically Reviewed and Edited by 
Olga Kyrychenko, Psychologist

Counseling on Demand is a U.S-based virtual therapy platform that prioritizes quality over quantity. The site has been founded by a team of licensed psychologists – so unlike most of the top online therapy sites, the emphasis here is almost entirely on the treatment itself.

Even though they don’t accept insurance, the site offers some of the most attractive and flexible plans you’ll find anywhere (see here for therapy with insurance). In this Counseling On Demand review, we’ll help you understand what they do better than other therapy sites we review, and what areas they still need to improve upon.

If you find the bigger platforms intimidating and overwhelming, Counseling on Demand can be a good way to get your feet wet. That said, the site also has some glaring issues and for that reason we feel other small platforms are a much better choice. Read this Counseling On Demand review to get the full picture and decide if this is the right place for you or not.

Counseling On Demand Rating Breakdown 2023

Overall Rating

Overall Rating - 3 Stars

There are a lot of things Counseling on Demand does that we really like. The fact they are a small company doesn’t bother us, but they do have a lot of areas where they lack at. While we have no doubt this place can be ideal for some people, overall we can’t give them anything better than an average score.

Price

Price - 4.5 Stars

Even though they don’t take insurance, the prices over at Counseling on Demand are extremely competitive. Even better, they are one of very few platforms who offer a free consultation meeting prior to any payment.

Treatment Options

Treatment Options - 4 Stars

The therapists are excellent and cover a fairly wide range of specialties. Problem is, there are very few of them for you to choose from, and not all are even certified psychologists.

App and Software

App and Software - 2 Stars

The site and desktop platform are very simple. This makes them incredibly easy to use, but also feel quite basic. They don’t even have a built-in streaming feature for live sessions, which are done over the phone or through skype. Counseling On Demand also does not have a mobile app.

Customer Service

Customer Service - 4.Stars

One of the best benefits of using a smaller site is how responsive they are. Customer support can be reached by email or live chat, and they are very helpful and responsive. Unfortunately, there’s no way to reach them by phone.

Safety and Privacy

Safety and Privacy - 2 Stars

The company is led by a reputable CEO with solid credentials. However, there’s no about us page, no terms of service and no privacy policy. We believe the reason is they are not tech savvy rather than malicious, but we still find it very strange.

Should I use Counseling On Demand?

Top 3 Counseling On Demand Alternatives

BetterHelp - Best Overall

$ 60-90 Per Week
  • More than 20,000 Therapists
  • Our Top Rated Therapy Site
  • Great Platform & Easy To Use
  • 50% Off First Month
Best

Calmerry - Most Affordable

$ 42-68 Per Week
  • Start in 24 Hours or Less
  • Choose Your Own Therapist
  • Excellent Value For Money
  • 30% Off First Month

Brightside - Best For Prescriptions

$ 22-87 Per Week
  • Works With Many Insurance Providers
  • Medicine delivered Within 5 Days
  • Modern Platform + Excellent Mobile App
  • $50 Off First Month

Is Counseling On Demand Legit? The Company Behind www.Counselingondemand.com

Counseling On Demand LLC is a privately held company based in Indianapolis, IN. It was founded in late 2012 by Matthew Hunt, who still acts as the CEO and lead counselor today. The company is fairly small and only has 10 employees. From what we can gather (which isn’t much) it is safe to use, but some caution is advised.

Counseling On Demand in Numbers For 2023

Year Founded2012
U.S Based CompanyYes
Number of Licensed Therapists21
Accepts Insurance?No
HIPAA CompliantUnknown
Therapy ModesPhone or Video
Available TreatmentsPrivate and Couples Therapy
Average Price$50 – $252 Per Month
Sign Up Time2 Minutes, Very Simple
Response Time1-2 Days
Mobile AppNo
Websitewww.counselingondemand.com
Customer Reviews78% positive
Our Editorial Rating3 Stars
Current PromotionNone

How Counseling On Demand Works

Signing up to the platform is very easy and simple and should not take you more than a couple of minutes. All you have to do is complete a short online form and you are ready to go. Counseling on Demand does ask you for some personal information (such as your full name for example) – but nothing out of the ordinary.

Once you complete the registration, you’ll be presented with profile pages of all available counselors on the site. As mentioned, there are that many of them – but you can still take a look at each profile before choosing the one you like best. While looking, keep in mind that most counselors are not certified psychologists – so if that’s what you prefer make sure to pick the ones who are licensed.

We certainly like the ability to view the profiles and choose on your own, which is something bigger platforms like Betterhelp or Talkspace don’t allow. That said, it would have been much better if the profiles actually told us more about the counselor’s background, education and qualifications.

After you select your preferred counselor, you’ll be eligible for one free consultation meeting with them. They will go over the answers and background information you provided in your signup form, then talk to you so you can decide together whether this is a right fit or not. This is a feature no other therapy site currently offers, and it’s obviously amazing and very professional.

If you complete the consultation meeting and decide this therapist isn’t the right match for you, you can still choose to try out another one instead. This time around though, the first meeting will have to be paid for.

Counseling On Demand Price

Another thing we really like about Counseling On Demand is how flexible their plans are. If you are not sure you want to dive right in with a monthly subscription plan, you can instead pay per session, with each one costing $85 for 60 minutes of therapy. Otherwise, you can subscribe to one of the following treatment packages instead:

Starter Package

$ 50 Per Month
  • 1 Session of 30 Minutes
  • Weekly Email or Text Feedback
  • Session Over Skype or Phone

Plus Package

$ 160 Per Month
  • 2 Sessions, 60 Minutes Each
  • Weekly Email or Text Feedback
  • Session Over Skype or Phone

Premier Package

$ 272 Per Month
  • 4 Sessions, 60 Minutes Each
  • Weekly Email or Text Feedback
  • Session Over Skype or Phone

Counseling On Demand Available Treatments

Funnily enough, the fact that not all counselors on the site are licensed therapists can actually be an advantage to some. The employment of coaches allows the platform to cover a much wider range of mental health issues, as well as attack them from a few different angles. 

If you feel like a life coach doesn’t do the trick, you can always ask to see a trained psychologist instead. Or maybe, you can try a business mentor or a pastoral counselor instead. The options are much more diverse and you can play around with it until you find the right person and the right approach.

All in all, Counseling on Demand’s team are able to assist patients with the following common mental health issues:

What Our Readers Have To Say About Counseling On Demand

Sorry but I don't feel safe there
quotes
JD
I guess it's ok, i'll give it a try
quotes
Bart
I prefer somewhere i can use on my mobile instead
quotes
Ellie

Counseling on Demand Review - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Counseling On Demand the best online therapy site?

Counseling On Demand has a lot of unique features we really like, but it is very far from being one of the best around.

Is Counseling On Demand legit and safe to use?

They have been operating since 2012 without complaints or legal complications, and their CEO and owner is solid. That said, they are a private company with no real transparency on their regulation, licensing or the protocols they follow.

Does Counseling On Demand work with insurance?

No, they do not. That said, their rates are already very competitive as it is.

How can I pay for subscriptions?

Payments are made through credit or debit card.

How long does it take before my first session?

It will usually take a day or less before you have your free consultation meeting. Then, if everything went well, you’ll need to book an appointment for your first session.

Counseling On Demand Review - Final Thoughts

Counseling On Demand has been around for 10 years now and managed to maintain a spotless reputation. That alone is a good reason to consider using it. On top of that, the platform has several unique features which you simply can not find anywhere else. The free consultation meeting in particular, is a great practice.

That said, as has been illustrated many times in this Counseling On Demand review, the site suffers from a few very major flaws. The lack of a mobile app, extremely limited number of counselors (licensed therapists in particular) and insufficient transparency are all troubling.

All in all, while we do think Counseling on Demand is a decent platform, we can’t wholly recommend using it at this time. We’ll keep updating this review if they improve the service, but until then we feel there are simply better choices for you out there. 

If you don’t mind using a larger platform, then both Talkspace and Betterhelp are simply much better. You can read a review of each by clicking the links, or see how they compare one against the other in our Betterhelp vs Talkspace comparison page.

If you like the idea of a smaller site where you’ll get more personal attention – then we believe online-therapy.com is a much superior choice compared to Counseling On Demand. They also let you choose your own counselor, but do so in a much more transparent way, and the platform is miles ahead when it comes to both the technology and their professionalism. 

Overall rating 71.2%

Updated October 28th, 2022
Overall Rating
Price
Treatment Options
App and Software
Customer Service
Safety and Privacy