Talkspace Review: Should You Give It a Try?
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Talkspace is an online therapy service that helps people struggling with mental health issues connect with licensed therapists via text and live calls. But is it worth your money? Here’s what you need to know about this app, how it works, and whether it could be right for you.
In 2020, COVID-19 reduced the efficacy of many traditional therapy services, including the healthcare industry. However, the growing field of teletherapy meant that those seeking or considering therapy didn’t have to deal with their mental health issues alone.
People with and without insurance can now access therapy on their schedules without leaving the comfort of their homes, thanks to the ever-evolving teletherapy services available.
Online therapy is an excellent method to receive mental health services if distance, time, or life, in general, make it impossible for you to see an in-person therapist.
Talkspace, an online therapy platform, is one such app. It pairs you with a licensed therapist in your state. You can schedule online sessions and chat with your therapist in the comfort of your home.
This review will discuss several factors, including Talkspace’s benefits, pricing plans, and if it’s worth your subscription.
Summary
Talkspace can be a solution for people who have anxiety, depression, or other mental disorders. It’s a web-based service that connects its users with licensed therapists, who can chat you through your issues using messaging or optional live calls.
The app allows people to choose the therapist they want to speak with. Each chat session is recorded so you can review any conversations discussed or help create reminders for yourself should you need them in the future.
Talkspace – Feeling better starts with a single message
What Is Talkspace?
Talkspace is an online therapy service that connects you to a qualified mental health professional based on their area of specialization. It provides help for people, couples, and teenagers and addresses various mental health needs, including substance abuse, parenting, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, eating disorders, sadness, and stress.
Besides standard therapy, Talkspace also offers medication management and psychiatric help.
Talkspace was founded in 2012 by Oren and Roni Frank after they experienced success when they began seeing a therapist together.
To meet various demands in terms of finances and mental health, Talkspace provides various payment plans. You can plan for live video sessions with your therapist or have a live chat via messaging.
No matter what time of day or location, you can communicate with your therapist via text-based services, audio, and video messaging using unlimited messaging therapy.
However, therapists work 5 days a week and only respond once or twice daily.
Who Is Talkspace for?
Talkspace is for anyone seeking mental health therapy for depression, anxiety, relationships, substance abuse, trauma, parenting, chronic illness, eating disorders, and anyone facing LGBTQ+ challenges.
For those who feel comfortable chatting via text, Talkspace can be the ideal option. Additionally, it is more appropriate for those dealing with mild mental disorders.
Talkspace can be a great option for those who experience social anxiety or find it awkward to enter a therapy office. The option to meet a therapist over the phone benefits many people who might not otherwise seek help.
You could also find Talkspace helpful if keeping a journal is a valuable activity for you. Talkspace can be a beneficial tool for people because it resembles a notebook but offers useful feedback instead.
How Does Talkspace Work?
Talkspace works as a monthly subscription program where its users can access ongoing counseling from certified therapists. The platform uses a mobile app and an interactive online interface that can be accessed from a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
The Talkspace’s sign-up process is simple. You can sign up using its app or website. When you click the Get started button, you will be asked a few questions about the kind of therapy you are interested in, your lifestyle, demographics, preferences, and physical health.
You will then be prompted to buy a plan. You can choose the Messaging Plan, the Live Plus Messaging Plan, or the Live Plan.
After you’re done with selecting a plan, a matching agent will recommend 3 experienced therapists that meet your needs. This is done through a scripted questionnaire.
You can pick the therapist you want to work with here. The matching process can take up to 48 hours.
The therapist you choose will then get in touch with you. Depending on your chosen plan, you can schedule weekly or monthly live sessions with your counselor.
Once users have been matched, they can start talking to their therapist in a 24/7 private therapy room. In this area, users can send text, video, or audio communications to their therapist whenever it is most convenient.
However, users must wait for a response because the therapists are not required to answer immediately.
Is Talkspace Good?
The effectiveness of Talkspace depends on your presenting needs, the quality of the therapist you are matched with, the amount of time they spend with you, and whether the delivery format fits your requirements and lifestyle.
Talkspace may not be good for everybody. If you have severe and complex mental health disorders, it’s preferable to have an in-person consultation. Additionally, it might not be as helpful as seeing a therapist in person for those who don’t feel comfortable conversing in writing or online.
There is also not much research to determine how effective Talkspace is as a therapy provider. But according to a study, online therapy successfully treated depression when therapists used cognitive behavioral therapy.
Another study showed that for anxiety and depression, two-way messaging with a licensed therapist was just as beneficial as in-person therapy. This study also found that people who engaged their therapists in more written communication performed better than those who wrote less.
Key Features of Talkspace
Similar to in-person therapy, Talkspace’s benefits mostly depend on your matched therapist. The main benefits include the following:
#1 Flexible plans
Talkspace offers several different plan options, including video conference with your therapist or having a live chat via messaging. All plans are 100% confidential.
#2 Psychiatry service available
Talkspace provides psychiatry services for those seeking mental health treatment and medication management. The psychiatrists are, however, not allowed to prescribe restricted medications such as Librium or Ritalin.
#3 Accepts insurance
Talkspace has several partners, and if you have insurance coverage with one of them, you can get the care you need. Some of the insurance providers at Talkspace include Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Gatorcare, and Premera.
Cons of Talkspace
There are several cons to using Talkspace. Here are the main ones:
#1 Short live sessions
Talkspace offers only 30-minute live therapy sessions, which may seem brief and inadequate to thoroughly address your concerns compared to other in-person and online counseling options.
#2 Age restriction
Talkspace doesn’t provide its services to children. You must be at least 13 years of age. You can create an account without a parent or guardian’s consent, but you will need them to supply the billing and credit card details.
#3 High price point
When paying out-of-pocket, Talkspace has a higher price point than other online therapy providers. The cost of Talkspace is $276 per month for monthly sessions, which is significantly more.
#4 No free trial
Talkspace doesn’t offer a free trial. If you’re unsure whether Talkspace is right for you or you want to try it out first, then this isn’t an option. This can be a huge drawback.
How Much Is Talkspace?
The cost of Talkspace therapy’s various subscription plans ranges from $276 to $516 per month. There is no subscription-based plan for the Talkspace psychiatry option. Users instead pay per session.
Talkspace only provides approximate pricing, as the price you pay will vary depending on where you live and the therapists who are available there.
Your cost will also vary depending on whether you want to use insurance. Talkspace collaborates with health plans all throughout the country. You will be prompted to provide information about your insurance to determine your eligibility.
Users may pay on a monthly, quarterly, or biannual basis. The monthly charge is reduced by the quarterly and biannual plans as the insurance.
Talkspace Plans
Talkspace offers 3 different service plans, which include:
Messaging Only, which costs $276 per month, $744 when billed quarterly, or $1,320 biannually. With this subscription, you get unlimited messaging and access to a special chat room where you can text, video, or audio message your therapist whenever you want.
Live Therapy costs $396 per month, $744 per quarter, and $1,320 biannually. With this package, you can text your provider as needed and receive four monthly, 30-minute text, video, and audio messaging sessions with your therapist.
Messaging and Live Therapy is $516 when billed monthly, $1,392 quarterly, and $2,472 biannually. The text, video, and audio messaging and live video session options are both included in this one.
Since there is a 1-month minimum commitment, you will still be billed for the entire month even if you cancel after a few days. Talkspace does not offer refunds.
FAQ
Talkspace therapists may offer beneficial therapy sessions, discussions, or advice, but they are not allowed to prescribe medications for drugs like Ativan, Adderall, Xanax, Librium, Concerta, Klonopin, Lithium, and Ritalin.
Whether Talkspace is worth it depends on your lifestyle choices and preferences. This is because text therapy may not be appropriate for everyone, even though Talkspace claims that 80% of its users considered the tool to be equally successful when compared to in-person therapy.
To change therapists on Talkspace, log in to the Talkspace website, then click on your username. Click on My Account on the new menu. Go to the row with the word Therapist in the My Private Rooms section and click Change on the right side row.
You must speak with a Talkspace psychiatrist who is an expert in that area to receive a proper diagnosis. While the platform offers mental health tests and assessments, its main goal is to help you understand your condition better.
You can get the Talkspace app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store or download it directly from the Talkspace website: talkspace.com
Talkspace vs. Competitors
To form a thorough view, we at Health Insider investigate all market aspects. The table below compares other apps that provide online therapy.
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Regular activities to support healthy routines and promote mental health
Daily lessons using CBT techniques that take only a few minutes to finish
Accepts insurance plans
Easy to switch therapists
Offers convenient online sessions
Offers psychiatry services
Offers couple’s therapy
Therapists specializing in specific conditions
User-friendly website and app
Licensed therapists
Frequent live sessions
Offers free self-care and mindfulness resources
Specializes in women’s mental health conditions
Easier change of providers
Delivery of medications
Regular activities to support healthy routines and promote mental health
Daily lessons using CBT techniques that take only a few minutes to finish
Accepts insurance plans
Easy to switch therapists
Offers convenient online sessions
Offers psychiatry services
Offers couple’s therapy
Therapists specializing in specific conditions
User-friendly website and app
Licensed therapists
Frequent live sessions
Offers free self-care and mindfulness resources
Specializes in women’s mental health conditions
Easier change of providers
Delivery of medications
How We Tested
Before installing a mental health app on your phone, there are several factors you need to consider. Here is what we check before recommending a product to you.
Quality 8/10
This includes taking into account the accessibility of high-quality services. When looking for help, nobody likes to deal with a confusing website or app; it’s, therefore, crucial for us that the options are simple. We also consider the real reviews made by users of the service.
Effectiveness 7/10
We check how effective the service is. We make sure to consider the therapists’ level of experience. This also includes how frequently you can chat with them and how simple it is to use the customer support channels. We also check if an app protects your personal data and gives you control over it.
Price 6/10
The price is crucial to us since good health shouldn’t be costly. Some of the things we check include subscription options, insurance, and if the app has in-app purchases.
Brand reputation 9/10
We consider the app’s origin and whether it was created by a reputable company or healthcare group. The brands we recommend offer reliable and beneficial psychoeducational advice that complies with industry standards determined by clinical professionals.
A Word From a Nutritionist
Don’t assume or avoid mental health problems. Seek medical help if you’re feeling anxious, sad, or stressed. Your health won’t get better by ignoring these feelings; on the contrary, it will deteriorate.
Mental health apps can help boost your moods, help you relax, and de-stress, but they aren’t the only way to promote your mental health. Lifestyle changes and other therapies can also be beneficial.
Endorphins, which have mood-boosting properties, are released during exercise. Your physical and emotional health can benefit from a daily 2-mile run.
Making time for activities, such as yoga, aromatherapy, meditation, journaling, or spending time with friends, can help promote positive feelings and reduce stress.
A balanced diet rich in omega-3-filled foods, like salmon and walnuts, may help lift your spirits and give you more energy. It may also be beneficial to limit caffeine-containing beverages.
Sleeping for 7–8 hours each night can also benefit your mental health in various ways, including minimizing stress levels.
Conclusion
While some people feel comfortable using text and video messaging, others find solace and support in face-to-face counseling sessions. Some features of Talkspace, such as the time difference and therapists’ delayed text responses, might not appeal to many people.
The Sensa app could be the best alternative since it enables users to track their moods, exercises regularly, and finish various tasks, which is beneficial to overall health.
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel's goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
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