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HealthSapiens Review

Medically Reviewed and Edited by 
Olga Kyrychenko, Psychologist

HealthSapiens is a telehealth and medicine service which offers online counseling as part of its package of services. Unlike other telehealth companies such as Amwell or MDLive, who only view and treat counseling as a small sub-section of their overall services, therapy at Health Sapiens is actually very well developed and you stand a better chance of finding proper help.

The thing which truly sets Healthsapiens apart from competitors is the price. It’s not only objectively the most affordable therapy site, but the value you get in return is extraordinary. Just to illustrate – the Healthsapiens monthly subscription is almost 25% cheaper than the basic package over at Talkspace, and while Talkspace’s basic package includes no live sessions (chat only), Health Sapien’s includes 6 per month!  

Despite all that, and as you’ll see throughout this Healthsapiens review, there are a few significant downsides to using this platform. All in all, we do think the positives outweigh the negatives, and that is why we have chosen to review and present it on our list of best online therapy sites. Still, we encourage you to read this review carefully, compare Health Sapiens with its competitors, and figure out whether it’s the right fit for you or not.

HealthSapiens Rating Breakdown 2023

Overall Rating

Overall Rating - 4 Stars

Healthsapiens have a long, excellent history in the telehealth field and our experiences with them matched the glaring user reviews they usually get online. The price is extremely competitive, and the quality and availability of therapists is also top notch. That said, the service has a few major issues with it, which prevents us from giving it a higher score at this time.

Price

Price - 5 Stars

Even though HealthSapiens don’t work with insurance, the prices for therapy are extremely competitive. For example, it’s only half the price of Betterhelp’s packages (which also doesn’t accept insurance) - but you get 2 more live sessions per month.

Treatment Options

Treatment Options - 4.5 Stars

We have been very impressed by the level of therapists over at the platform, and unlike other general telehealth sites, the selection here is also quite large. Therapists specialize in many different fields and you are very likely to find one who can help you out.

App and Software

App and Software - 2.5 Stars

The software itself is quite decent, even if a bit outdated and could benefit from an update. That said, the biggest issue is the fact they do not have a mobile app. On top of that, we have found video sessions to be quite laggy and prone to disconnections.

Customer Service

Customer Service - 2 Stars

Customer care at Healthsapiens is possibly the worst out of all major telehealth companies. Sure, you can call them, but we never managed to get anyone on the line. When we left an email inquiry, it took ages to get a response back.

Safety and Privacy

Safety and Privacy - 4 Stars

The Healthsapiens platform has a long, proven track record and is both HIPAA compliant and follows strict data protection regulations. That side, the company’s relatively smaller size, and the fact their customer support is inadequate makes us feel a little bit less at ease using it when compared to industry leaders.

Should I use Health Sapiens?

Top 3 HealthSapiens 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

Talkspace - Best With Insurance

$ 65-99 Per Week
  • 2nd Largest Therapy Provider
  • Combine Talk Therapy & Psychiatric Care
  • Best With Insurance
  • $80 Off First Month

Calmerry - Most Affordable

$ 42-68 Per Week
  • Start Therapy in 24 Hours or Less
  • Can Choose Your Therapist
  • Excellent Customer Service
  • 30% Off First Month

Is HealthSapiens legit? Health Sapiens Company Information

Health Sapiens INC is a private company based in New York City, with almost 50 employees at its main office. As is the case with all telehealth companies, it is highly regulated and follows strict laws which are aimed at protecting patient privacy and wellbeing.

With over 14 years of operation, and excellent user reviews everywhere online, Healthsapiens have already done more than enough to prove they can be trusted.

HealthSapiens in Numbers For 2023

Year Founded2006
U.S Based CompanyYes
Number of Licensed Therapists1000
Accepts Insurance?No
Hipaa compliantYes
Therapy ModesChat, Audio and Video
Available TreatmentsPrivate and Teen Therapy
Average Price$49.25 Per Week
Sign Up TimeLess Than a Minute
Response Time24/7
Mobile AppNo
Websitehealthsapiens.com
Customer Reviews91% positive
Our Editorial Rating4 Stars
Current PromotionNone

How HealthSapiens Works

Signing up to the platform is incredibly easy and takes less than a minute to complete. All you need to do is fill out your full name, email address and credit card information, and you are set to go. You’ll then be matched with a potential therapist in just a matter of minutes, and the pre-clinical meeting will be held on the same day or a day later at most.

The pre-clinical session is an informal meeting with your potential match, which allows both of you to introduce yourself and discuss your shared goals and expectations for the upcoming therapy. This is also where you’ll be able to decide how many weekly sessions are necessary, and set dates for them with your counselor. The meeting usually takes 15 minutes, and if you are unhappy with your match you can then ask to get a new one instead.

The Healthsapiens therapy package includes 6 live sessions each month, as well as the ability to communicate with your counselor 24/7 by chat. If you decide you want more live sessions each week, you can do so for an extra fee. Live sessions do not carry over between months, so if you haven’t used your quota for a certain month, those sessions are lost. 

The speed at which this all happens is truly impressive, so if you are the type of person who doesn’t like waiting and want to get things rolling as soon as possible, this will feel really great and smooth. That said, if you read the above carefully, you might have noticed there are a few issues with how the process is handled, which needs to be addressed and considered first.

The biggest issue we have is with having to pay first and not being able to choose your own therapist even once you do pay. Sure, it’s really nice that the matching process happens so quickly, but still we would always prefer to have more control over it. And yes, you can always ask to change your therapist for a new one, but given the fact customer support is so slow to respond, this is easier said than done. 

Healthsapiens live sessions are 50 minutes long. Sometimes the video quality is low and you may experience random disconnects, but we found the therapists to be extremely accommodating – we were always allowed to reschedule or make up for the lost time by extending the meeting or the one after it.

Of course, if the video chat is lagging you can also always ask to switch over to the phone instead. At $32.8 a month per session, prices are so attractive that it easily makes up for the inconvenience of the software.   

HealthSapiens Counselor Qualifications

At first glance, Healthsapiens do not have the strictest requirements from potential therapists on their site. All you have to do is present a license from your state’s board, a Masters degree in a relevant field and at least 1 year of hands-on experience. 

In reality though, the overall level of counselors on the site is excellent and actually exceeded our expectations. As discussed previously, we had a few issues with the site, but the quality of treatment was never one of them. And even though the base requirements are fairly lenient we did find that most therapists on the site have much better credentials than that – with many of them holding a PhD and 10 years or more of actual experience practicing therapy. 

HealthSapiens Monthly Subscription Price

Healthsapiens offer only one subscription plan and it is extremely simple and straightforward. You pay $197 each month and in return you get 6 live sessions and unlimited texting and chatting with your counselor. There’s absolutely no extra charge for the live sessions, unless you choose to book more than 6 – at which point you’ll be charged per session.

While this doesn’t offer a whole lot of flexibility, the package definitely makes up for it in both price and the value it gives you. Considering everything you get in return – we can without a question declare that Health Sapiens is currently the most affordable, best value for money therapy site in the U.S

HealthSapiens Available Treatments

Healthsapiens is different from most telehealth companies – it does not offer any psychiatric or prescription based therapy. Instead, the only available service is counseling and the focus is almost entirely on CBT and other behavioral approaches. Therapists on the site specialize in dealing with many common mental health issues such as:

If you are interested in a platform which combines therapy with medication and psychiatric care, we recommend you read our Talkspace or Amwell reviews and compare these with Healthsapiens before making your choice.

What Our Readers Have To Say About HealthSapiens

Thanks for your review, i was a bit confused and now i realize what that site is all about.
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Danny B.
Price is tempting, but i'm glad you highlighted the issues the site has. Still gonna give it a try.
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Pat
Thanks but i think i'll skip! Rather pay more and get a good service somehwere else.
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James

HealthSapiens Review - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Healthsapiens the best online therapy site?

Healthsapiens is clearly not the best therapy site, but it can very well be the best choice for you. It has by far the best prices, and the level of therapists is excellent. So, if not having a mobile app and the fact customer support is pretty bad aren’t a priority, you could definitely give this site a chance.

Is Health Sapiens Counseling legit and safe to use?

Yes, it is very safe to use. The company has been working in the U.S for over 14 years and following strict guidelines and regulation.

Does Healthsapiens work with insurance?

No, they do not but the price is so competitive that it more than evens itself out in the end. See our guide on online therapy with insurance for more information.

How can I pay Healthsapiens?

Only through credit cards.

How long does it take to see a therapist?

HealthSapiens has one of the fastest signup processes in the industry and you usually have your first meeting within a day or two at most after you subscribe.

HealthSapiens Review - Final Verdict

Healthsapiens is a well trusted telehealth company with more than 14 years of experience in the virtual healthcare industry. Even though their counseling section is relatively new, the quality of therapists is very high and their responsiveness is amazing. Most importantly, Healthsapiens is one of the most affordable and best value for money online therapy site.

If you have read other Healthsapiens reviews online you might have been puzzled as to why this company remained relatively small and unpopular (at least when compared to all therapy sites we review) despite having great therapists at the best prices available anywhere. We hope our honest Healthsapiens review provided you with an answer – while the platform’s strengths are significant, it also suffers from a few very major problems.

That said, if budget is your main priority, you should strongly consider giving Healthsapiens a try. You’ll be matched with a therapist very quickly and as mentioned, the overall level of counselors is very high – so most likely you’ll be able to enjoy the service even if it is not perfect.

Our overall experiences with Health Sapiens have been positive enough and so we feel confident enough recommending it to our readers as a great budget friendly option for online therapy.

Health Sapiens Logo

Overall rating 84.8%

Updated November 21st, 2022
Overall Rating
Price
Treatment Options
App and Software
Customer Service
Safety and Privacy