A lot of life happens online. We rely on online resources for everything from business meetings to yoga classes—and healthcare is no exception. For many people, this is an issue of accessibility. And fortunately, there are more and more online options for treating mental health.
Use this guide to find websites, apps, and even trained experts to support your mental health, no matter where you are. All you need is an internet connection.
Remote Therapy
BetterHelp is the world’s largest therapy platform. You’ll connect with a licensed therapist whose expertise meets your needs for treatment. You can text, live chat, talk on the phone, or video chat with them in a private online “room.” The site saves your chat history, so you can go back and read previous messages at any time. You can also sign up anonymously.
Price: Insurance not accepted. Self-pay plans are $60-$90/week, and you can apply for financial aid.
Talkspace offers 24/7 online talk therapy. You’ll answer questions about your needs and match with a licensed therapist. Depending on your plan, you may be able to text, audio message, video message, or have live sessions with your provider.
Price: Accepts most insurance. Self-pay plans range from $69-$129/week
Cerebral offers online counseling and psychiatry. You can choose to work with a therapist, psychiatrist, life coach, dietician, or some combination thereof. If you get a prescription through Cerebral, it will be mailed to you each month. This platform treats many mental health concerns, including opiate addiction.
Price: Accepts some types of insurance. Self-pay plans range from $69-$325/month.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) lists contact information for mental health providers around the country. You can see a list of therapists and psychiatrists in your state, review their areas of expertise, and contact them directly to set up remote therapy sessions.
Price: Varies by provider.
Support Groups
Alcoholics Anonymous offers online 12-Step meetings for people in any phase of recovery from alcohol addiction. These peer-led groups encourage mutual support between members, rather than offering professional help. You can browse a list of meetings at various times of day, which take place in many different languages. Some also have ASL interpreters for d/Deaf members.
Price: Free
NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups are hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). These 90-minute meetings may occur weekly, monthly, or every other week, depending on which group you join. Membership is open to any adult with current or past mental health symptoms. Each session is led by a trained peer facilitator, not a professional counselor.
Various state chapters of NAMI offer these meetings either online or in person. You can check the website to find out which options are available in your area.
Price: Free
Addiction Recovery Tracking Apps
Nomo lets you track the time you’ve spent in recovery. To keep it simple, you can just use the app’s clock feature to record your progress. It also offers many other features, such as a journal, a way to connect with other app users, and exercises to help you get through cravings.
Price: Free
I Am Sober tracks how long it’s been since you started recovery, and how much money you’ve saved. The app also records milestones, like your first month of sobriety, and lets you connect with other people healing from addiction.
Price: Free
Sober Time gives you an inspirational message every morning. It also tracks your time in recovery, and lets you see statistics that help you visualize your progress. You can celebrate the app’s built-in milestones, and add some of your own. People can also post about their experiences in recovery, and read each other’s stories.
Price: Free
Connect With Online Communities
Pace groups meet for 90 minutes every week. After signing up, members join a hand-picked online group of 7 people, led by a skilled facilitator. These guided conversations are not therapy sessions. Instead, they invite participants to socialize and support each other through the challenges of daily life.
Price: $89/month
Meetup groups and events are organized by people with shared interests. Through the site’s search function, it’s easy to find one-off events on topics that interest you, or special interest groups with regular meetings. You can connect online or in person, depending on which meetups you sign up for.
Price: Free for individual members. Paid $30/month per group for organizers.
Mindfulness and Meditation Apps
Headspace lets you access recorded meditations, as well as some articles and short videos. You can easily set up reminders to meditate on a regular schedule. If you’d like to learn even more about mindfulness, you can work through a course of meditations that progress over time. This lets you practice your skills, and learn how to implement them in the rest of your life.
Price: $12.99/month (billed monthly) or $69.99/year (billed annually).
Calm invites users to listen to mindful meditations, sleep stories, and relaxing music. They also offer pre-recorded classes about self-care, and guided stretch and exercise routines.
Price: $69.99/year
Insight Timer has a wealth of resources for everyone interested in meditation, from beginners to experts. The app includes talks and guided meditations from highly respected spiritual leaders. It also offers workshops, yoga classes, and live talks.
Price: Most resources are free. Premium memberships are $60/year.
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation apps are geared toward people in recovery from addiction. Various apps provide daily inspirational quotes, prayers, and meditations.
Price: Ranging from free to $5.99.
Online resources are a great way to start your path to healing. For even more support, learn more about treatment options, stay updated with our latest company news, and connect with facilities in our searchable directory of addiction and mental health providers.
Reviewed by Rajnandini Rathod
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