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Talkspace Review

Medically Reviewed and Edited by 
Olga Kyrychenko, Psychologist

Endorsed by popular mainstream celebrities such as Michael Phelps and Demi Lovato, Talkspace is one of the largest, most popular online therapy sites in the U.S. This alone makes them a very viable choice for anyone who is new to virtual therapy.

In this Talkspace review we will dive into the finer details of this counseling platform and try to help you figure out if the hype is justified. We hope that by the time you finish reading this review, you’ll not only be able to determine whether Talkspace is the best online therapy site out there – but whether it’s the best one for you.

As always, we base our ratings upon our own personal experience with the software and therapists. We also spend many hours conducting research online and gathering feedback from both our own readers and public forums around the web.

Should I use Talkspace?​

Is Talkspace Legit? The Company Behind Talkspace.com

TalkSpace is a New-York City based company which was established in 2012 and has raised more than $100m in funding since its inception. The company’s co-founder and CEO is Oren Frank. The company plans on an IPO in 2021 using the ticker TALK and has received massive media coverage over the years including the New York Times, Fortune Magazine, NBC News, and Entreprenuer.com.

Talkspace in Numbers For 2023

Year Founded2012
U.S Based CompanyYes
Number of Licensed TherapistsMore Than 5,000
Accepts Insurance?Yes
Hipaa compliantYes
Therapy ModesText, Audio and Video
Available TreatmentsPrivate Therapy, Psychiatry, Couples, Teens (13-17)
Average Price$65 – $99 Per Week
Sign Up TimeOnly Few Minutes to Get Started, Incredibly Simple
Response TimeImmediate Interview, But Finding a Match Can Take a Few Days
Mobile AppYes
Websitewww.talkspace.com
Customer Reviews98% positive
Our Editorial Rating5 Stars
Current Promotion$80 Off For The First Month

Talkspace Rating Breakdown

Overall Rating

Overall Rating - 5 Stars

Talkspace is a serious contender for the title of best online therapy site. The numbers speak for themselves – more than 5,000 therapists on staff and 60,000 positive reviews make Talkspace a very safe, beginner-friendly, choice.

Price

Price - 4.5 Stars

Talkspace offers multiple subscription plans, all at very affordable prices. The cheapest therapy plan with Talkspace comes down to $65 per week. Live video sessions would cost a little extra as they are not included in the offering. In addition to that, a week-long free trial is offered, but keep in mind – after the free trial, you then have to pay for a whole month in advance with no refunds. We believe this is a fair arrangement to those opting for a 7-day trial.

Treatment Options

Treatment Options - 4 Stars

With more than 3,000 psychologists and psychiatrists offering treatment, Talkspace is one of the largest therapy apps around. You get to choose your therapist from a wide range of providers specializing in many fields and techniques. The only real downside is the fact live sessions are not included in the basic plan.

App and Software

App and Software - 5 Stars

Talkspace’s app and software are the best around – very modern and easy to use. The Talkspace app works well on all devices and even someone who isn’t tech savvy should have no problem using their very intuitive interface.

Customer Service

Customer Service - 4.5 Stars

Excellent customer service is one of the things which makes Talkspace stand out. Unlike many of their competitors, when you sign up you are immediately interviewed by a specialist who helps you find the best therapist to match your needs. If you have any technical issues or problems with your therapist, contact their support team and you’ll get a swift and satisfactory response.

Safety and Privacy

Safety and Privacy - 5 Stars

Being one of the largest and well known companies in the industry with more than a million subscribed users, operating since 2012, and hipaa compliant – Talkspace is as safe to use as they come. The company even plans on going on an IPO in 2021 under the ticker TALK, and has been recently included in Cigna’s (NYSE: CI) telehealth platform.

How Talkspace Works

Signing up to Talkspace is extremely easy and fast. First, you fill out a simple questionnaire, designed to give your therapist some general idea of who you are and what type of help you seek. When you first sign up to the site, you will also be asked to select your nickname and password – you don’t have to give out your real name and can remain completely anonymous if you choose to.

Then, you’ll immediately start speaking to a licensed therapist who acts as a consultant. They will greet you and help you find the best counselor for you to match with. You will be given a quick rundown of how things work, and then presented with a few different psychologists you can choose from. If you don’t like any of them, you can always ask to see more options. All Talkspace therapists are licensed and have at least 3000 hours of clinical experience.

Out of all the times we tried this process, it always went smoothly. But as mentioned above, some people complained the consultation was lacking and the therapist who welcomed them gave generic answers and showed little interest in them. If the therapist doesn’t inquire about you, and specifically asks about your preferred treatment and goals for therapy, it should raise a real red flag. If they immediately move on to suggesting a therapist to you, please ask to receive consultation by a different person.

Once you select the therapist you like best, you normally have to wait between a day or 2 until you officially get “matched” and therapy can begin. Talkspace says this happens within a day or less, but from our experience 2 days is a more accurate assessment. You will then begin therapy based on the plan you have selected. You are free to change the plan or your therapist at any time if you feel like you could be getting more out of your experience.

After all is set, a virtual room will be created for you and your therapist. You can access this room through your browser or by downloading the Talkspace mobile app. In that room, you can send and read messages from your counselor 24/7 five days a week. Of course, it might take time for them to respond, so don’t expect replies in the middle of the night. Overall, we have found the response rate to be very good.

What Makes Talkspace Stand Out?

Aside from being one of the largest online therapy sites in the U.S, Talkspace has a lot of other upsides that make us rate them so highly. First and foremost is their outstanding customer service and support team, which are truly on a different level compared to other popular platforms. 

Even people who were overall somewhat unhappy with Talkspace, always praise their responsiveness and attitude. Good customer service plays a big part in making you feel safe and looked after, and is why we recommend Talkspace as one of the best choices for beginners.

Another thing which impressed us is their live interview during signup. You get to talk to a real person instead of filling out an automated questionnaire, which makes the whole experience feel much more personal and humane. This therapist then goes over the information you gave them, and suggests a few suitable matches for you to choose from. 

Lastly, out of the platforms offering help by licensed professionals, Talkspace is the most affordable. If you are ok with no live sessions, then Talkspace will provide you with the best value for money. It has to be said though, that therapy without live sessions is usually much less effective, and you might also need to replace a few psychologists until you find someone who you’ll be able to connect deeply with through chat or text messaging only.

The most obvious comparison to Talkspace are their main competitors, Betterhelp. You can read our Betterhelp review or our in depth comparison between Talkspace and Betterhelp to help you figure out which of these two is the better choice.

Talkspace Therapy Price

Unlimited Messaging Therapy

$ 260 Per Month
  • Text, Video & Audio Messaging
  • Therapist Replies 5 Days a Week
  • No Live Sessions

Unlimited Therapy Premium

$ 316 Per Month
  • Text, Video & Audio Messaging
  • Therapist Replies 5 Days a Week
  • 1 Monthly Live Session

Unlimited Therapy Ultimate

$ 396 Per Month
  • Text, Video & Audio Messaging
  • Therapist Replies 5 Days a Week
  • 1 Weekly Live Session
Best

Note: Keep in mind all these subscriptions renew Automatically at the end of each billing cycle. If you no longer wish to use Talkspace, or simply need a short break, make sure you cancel your subscription manually.

Talkspace Treatments

Talkspace therapists are trained in treating a wide assortment of conditions such as:

While the main focus for all these is behavioral techniques such as CBT and dialectical behavioral therapy, other approaches such as mindfulness, psychodynamic therapy and psychoanalysis are also on offer by some therapists.

Psychiatric Treatment And Medication

Talkspace also offers a separate psychiatric service, which includes both mental healthcare and medical prescriptions. The initial evaluation fee is $199, and then you pay $125 for each meeting. Keep in mind online therapy is less suited for serious mental health issues, and Talkspace psychiatrists are also quite limited in what type of medications they can even offer you.

We strongly suggest at the very least first seeing someone in person and asking if online therapy can be the right approach to address your condition. The medication available through Talkspace include everything other than controlled substances.

What Our Readers Have To Say About Talkspace

Talkspace is good for me because i just want someone to chat with. No time for video calls anyway.
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Dean Hinton
I really like Talkspace! I tried a few different sites and this one is the best.
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Anita
I was worried because of the price, but luckily i get copay from my insurance. Really liked the guaranteed response feature!
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Cynthia Miller

Talkspace Review - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Talkspace the best online therapy site?

Both Talkspace and their main competitor, Betterhelp, clearly stand out from the rest. When it comes to choosing between the two, the decision really depends on your specific needs and expectations. Read our Betterhelp vs Talkspace comparison for a more detailed overview on this.

Is Talkspace trustworthy?

While no business is perfect and there are always disgruntled customers, Talkspace boasts an extremely impressive record - both in terms of positive reviews and their success rate of helping patients. The company is publicly traded and highly regulated, and takes every possible measure to ensure your privacy and safety.

How does Talkspace hire therapists?

To become an accredited counselor at Talkspace, you have to go through a rigorous vetting process. All therapists are required to pass an interview and their credentials are examined closely by experts with experience in mental health treatments. Therapists are only accepted to the platform if they can prove to have 3000 or more hours of clinical experience, and are then also required to undergo further training to improve the range of services they provide.

Does Talkspace accept Paypal payments?

Unfortunately no. As of now, only payments through credit or debit cards are accepted.

Does my insurance cover Talkspace therapy?

Talkspace presents a full list of insurance providers they are partnered with. You may also be eligible for coverage through EAP (Employee assistance program) or behavioral health benefits. Online telehealth services are now covered by Medicare, whereas when it comes to Medicaid it depends on your state laws. Talkspace has a quick form on their site that will help you determine what’s the best coverage you are eligible for, and you can also speak to customer service specialists who will guide you through it.

Talkspace Review - Final Thoughts

This Talkspace review is not meant to persuade you to use the service, but rather objectively present all the information as we see it. Talkspace is one of the biggest online therapy companies in the world – and that comes with inherent pros and cons to it. 

The work they are doing to legitimize online therapy and bring it into the mainstream is amazing, but you always have to remember you are dealing with a large business corporation here, and not just a small team of mental health team specialists. Even though we do feel like with Talkspace the client does always come first, they obviously care deeply about their bottom line and maximizing profits as well.

Talkspace appeals to a wider, more casual audience who isn’t necessarily as well informed about therapy as they should be. Most of them still manage to receive the help they deserve, and our own personal experience with the platform has been fantastic as well, but we do recognize a few pitfalls you will need to be aware of. 

First of all, always use your nickname only and avoid giving out personal details in chat. That is the best and only way to protect your privacy. Secondly, please remember that the fact you choose to remain anonymous does not mean your therapist should enjoy the same privilege. Just as with live therapy – the first few meetings should be used by both sides to size each other up. 

Talkspace are making great headway in their vetting process for specialists on the platform, but still, you should put some work into figuring out who is the person texting you – ask to see their credentials, a link to their Linkedin profile, the clinic where they practice privately, or a college where they teach in.

Overall, despite not being perfect, Talkspace is a great choice for those who need constant support, primarily by text messaging. The app and the methods they use have been proven to be very effective in helping users deal with mental health issues, particularly those related to anxiety and depression. We do recommend signing up with Talkspace and giving it a try, but encourage you to manage your expectations first, and understand that just like any form of therapy – you will need to put in serious work and effort to make it work.

Talkspace Logo

Overall rating 97.2%

Updated November 11th, 2022
Overall Rating
Price
Treatment Options
App and Software
Customer Service
Safety and Privacy