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Sesame Care Review

Medically Reviewed and Edited by 
Olga Kyrychenko, Psychologist

Sesame Care, also known as Sesame Health, is a telehealth platform providing various healthcare services to U.S residents. Despite the fact it has only been active for less than 4 years, Sesame has already gained itself a serious market share, while maintaining an excellent reputation.

This Sesame Care review will naturally focus on their online therapy services. It is important to note however, that much like other general telehealth platforms (such as Amwell for example) – Sesame allows users to combine virtual therapy sessions with other treatments, and even include medical prescriptions.

Sesame’s online therapy services are affordable, diverse and easy to use. The platform gives you access to a fairly wide selection of licensed therapists, all of which have impeccable credentials. What really sets them apart is the fact you can choose your own provider, and schedule a meeting for the same day.

Should I use Sesame Health?​

Is Sesame Therapy Legit? Sesame Care Company Information

Sesame Care is a New York based private company with offices in Manhattan. It was launched in July 2018 and received several rounds of investments from venture capital funds. Their most recent round of funding occurred in April 2021.

This, combined with the fact they have kept a stellar reputation so far, means Sesame Care is safe and legit. It’s a strong company with a solid base, and you can 100% trust it to keep you safe and provide you with the service you need.  

Sesame Care Therapy in Numbers For 2023

Year Founded2018
U.S Based CompanyYes
Number of Licensed TherapistsVaries Between States
Accepts Insurance?No
Hipaa compliantYes
Therapy ModesVideo or Face to Face
Available TreatmentsTherapy, Psychiatry, Couples
Average Price$45 – $120 Per Meeting
Sign Up Time Few Seconds
Response TimeImmediate
Mobile AppNo
Websitesesamecare.com
Customer Reviews88% Positive
Our Editorial Rating4 Stars
Current Promotion20% Off First Meeting 

Sesame Care Rating Breakdown

Overall Rating

Overall Rating - 4 Stars

Sesame’s focus is on the pay per meet module, and they do that very well. The prices are competitive, and they are currently the only platform where you are 100% guaranteed to meet with a therapist on the same day.

Price

Price - 4 Stars

Sesame online therapy isn’t covered by insurance, but even without it their prices are extremely fair. Combined with the fact you can choose your own therapist, it makes the site a great place for getting cheap, immediate help.

Treatment Options

Treatment Options - 3.5 Stars

The platform has plenty of psychologists and psychiatrists specializing in various fields, so finding someone who can help you isn’t a problem. The only downside is that nothing besides video or live sessions is supported - you can’t text or call your therapist between meetings.

App and Software

App and Software - 3 Stars

The Sesame site is modern and relatively easy to use. It will only take you a few minutes to sign up and book your first appointment. That said, the search feature is hard to use, and Sesame currently does not have a mobile app.

Customer Service

Customer Service - 4.5 Stars

Customer support is one of the areas where Sesame excels, as is evident by their excellent reviews on Trustpilot. The site enjoys an excellent reputation and you can expect a smooth and easy experience should you have to deal with their support team.

Safety and Privacy

Safety and Privacy - 5 Stars

As mentioned, this is a site with an excellent reputation and the quality of therapists is also very high. They adhere to the strictest regulation and data protection protocols and you are as safe as it gets while using the Sesame Care platform.

How Sesame Care Works

Sesame is a pay per meet telehealth platform, and does that in the most transparent and straightforward way possible. You don’t even have to sign up in order to book an appointment, as you can simply select your preferred provider and book a session immediately. However, since becoming a Sesame Care member literally takes seconds, and enables you to enjoy some benefits, we strongly suggest that you do that.

If you just want to book an appointment without signing up for the platform, you’ll still have to give your basic personal details (full name, contact info and payment details). Signing up only takes 5 seconds – you just have to put in your email address and pick a password. In return, you get to enjoy the following benefits:

  • 20% off your first meeting
  • $5 medical prescriptions (more on that below)
  • Ability to track your appointments and prescriptions in-system
  • Periodic promotions and other benefits

Regardless if you want to sign up or not, booking a therapy session is extremely easy and fast. First thing you want to do is look at the top right corner of your screen and make sure Sesame got your location right. This will determine which therapists you are presented with, and will affect the price you pay as well.

Assuming your location is correct, simply scroll down and you’ll see all available therapists in your region, along with their earliest available time slots, and the price they charge for a meeting. You’ll have a separate selection for in-person meetings, virtual therapy, psychiatric care and couples therapy. There’s also an option to book a consultation meeting, which is  cheaper. This obviously means you won’t get the full treatment right away, but it’s a good option to have for those who first want to meet their potential therapist and see if they match with them or not.

As of the time of writing this Sesame Care review, therapy services are not available in the following states: Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

You can scroll through the various providers, and even click on their name to view their full profile. These profiles will include more details about the therapist’s qualifications, personality and specializations. Once you are ready and have made your choice, simply click on one of the available time slot icons, and you’ll be prompted to the booking screen, where you pay and confirm your appointment. 

If you choose a video session, it will take place on the Sesame platform itself. You can’t ask to use external software such as Zoom or Skype for example. But from our experience over multiple sessions, the streaming quality is excellent and you should have no problem having a successful and productive meeting.

Sesame Care Therapy Price

Prices for all services vary, based on your location and chose specialist. The prices below are for New York residents, and are merely meant to give you a rough idea of what Sesame Therapy services might cost.

Video Mental Health Consultation

$ 45 Per Meeting
  • Symptom & Lifestyle Assesment
  • Any Licensed MD, Not Just Psychologists
  • Face to Face Also Possible

Virtual Therapy Session

$ 110 Per Meeting
  • Choose Your Own Therapist
  • Video or Face to Face Sessions
  • Same Day Bookings Possible
Best

Virtual Psychiatric Consultation

$ 200 Per Meeting
  • New Patients Only
  • Psychiatric Evaluation & Treatment Plan
  • No Live Sessions

Sesame Care Available Treatments

Sesame Care specializes in treating specific mental health conditions. These include anxiety, ADHD, depression, insomnia, relationship issues and PTSD. That said, other issues can still be treated – but it is best you first book a consultation meeting with your preferred therapist, and discuss it directly with them. 

As of now, Sesame Care does not offer any of the services listed below. If you are interested in those, click on the links to see our detailed guides and find out where you can find the best solution:

Psychiatric Treatments and Medical Prescriptions

Sesame also offers psychiatric treatments as part of their overall service package. However, these are usually limited to in-person meetings. Virtual sessions are only for consultations to a new patient, and once you receive those, you’ll have to proceed with meeting your psychiatrist face to face.      

Some of the doctors working with Sesame Care can also prescribe you with medication. For our purposes, these include antidepressants and anxiety treatment. If you are a Sesame Care member, you can get these for as low as $5 per prescription. Simply look out for the doctors who have the “$5 meds” icon next to their profile picture. 

None of the therapists working with Sesame Care is allowed to prescribe any controlled substance to a patient. Even though meds are not covered by insurance through Sesame, you can still use your HSA or FSA to pay for any service you get from Sesame. You can always use your insurance to pay for the medication you buy at your local pharmacy as well.

What Our Readers Have To Say About Sesame

Whenever i feel bad and want to see someone ASAP, this is where i go.
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Donny
I used it once and it was good, but i prefer something i can also use on my phone..
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Melissa
I managed to get my insurance to cover this - thanks a lot to the support team!
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Sabrina

Sesame Therapy Review - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sesame Care The Best Online Therapy Site?

Sesame is a great option, but currently not the best site in our opinion. Sites such as Betterhelp or Talkspace simply outvalue it. That said, it is the best pay per meet site, and the only one that reliably allows you to have same day appointments.

Is Sesame Care Safe?

Yes, Sesame is a reputable company with excellent user reviews. It is legit and safe to use.

Does Sesame Therapy Accept Insurance?

No they do not. You can pay with your HSA or FSA though. If your insurance includes out-of-network coverage, you can use the receipt you get from Sesame fo