Talkspace Review

Our Summary Takeaway

Talkspace has been a pioneer in online and mobile therapy since 2012. The company was founded with the mission to provide more people with convenient and affordable access to therapy and has since served over a million users on the platform. Every Talkspace therapist is licensed, verified and background-checked and must have over 3,000 hours of clinical experience prior to joining the platform. Talkspace makes it easy for users to get the help they need with their accessible system, unlimited chat feature, multiple options for communication, and a network of over 5,000 therapists. As part of the Talkspace community, you can search for or be matched with a counselor to communicate with via text, audio messages, phone calls, and video chat on any device. Talkspace places a significant emphasis on privacy so all conversations are stored in secure private chat rooms with banking-grade encryption to keep your information safe and confidential. As an added bonus, the company also has special services for Couples Therapy and Teen Counseling.

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Speciality Areas

Talkspace therapists are equipped to deal with all major mental health problems that people may experience. These range from specific questions to major mood disorders and debilitating life problems. Some of the focus areas that Talkspace therapists cover include:

Addiction
Anger management
Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
Career counseling
Chronic impulsivity
Conflict resolution
Depression

Eating disorders
Educational assessments
Family counseling
Grief counseling
Intimacy issues
LGBTQ+ Support
Life transitions
Parenting

Relationships
Self-esteem issues
Sleep disorders
Social behavior
Stress counseling
Teen counseling
Trauma & abuse counseling

Therapist / Counselor Qualifications
and Screening Process

Talkspace employs more than 5,000 licensed therapists throughout its nationwide network. Their therapists have different qualifications, including Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). All Talkspace therapists have been carefully screened, had thorough background checks, and must adhere to professional standards. All therapists have clinical hands-on training and additional training in online therapy. They also:

Have a minimum of 3,000 hours of hands-on clinical training
Are licensed in their respective states (your state of residence)
Take specific and additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Psychodynamics
Are professionally insured for malpractice liability

Pricing

Pricing typically ranges from $65 - $100 per week, but it’s important to note that Talkspace offers a variety of programs and pricing options to fit your needs. This can include general online therapy, marriage counseling, teen therapy, Talkspace Psychiatry and an insomnia program. For most of the services provided, Talkspace offers a monthly, three-month and yearly plans depending on your needs and commitment. In addition, Talkspace is one of the few platforms to partner with many health plans to provide online therapy to employees through the employee assistance program (EAP). Call your insurance provider to see if you qualify.

Therapy Plan	Pricing	Features
Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plus	$260 monthly, $708 quarterly	Includes text, video & audio messaging. Therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
Unlimited Messaging Therapy Premium	$316 monthly, $852 quarterly	Includes text, video & audio messaging. Therapist responds daily, 5 days per week 1 live 30-minute session per month
Unlimited Messaging Therapy Ultimate	$396 monthly, $1,068 quarterly	Includes text, video & audio messaging. Therapist responds daily, 5 days per week 4 live 30-minute sessions per month
Couples Therapy	$396 monthly, $1,068 quarterly	Includes text, video & audio messaging. Therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
Teen Therapy	$260 Monthly	Includes text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
Insomnia Therapy	2 payments of $260	8-week program
Talkspace Psychiatry	$199 initial, subsequently $125 per session	Consult with a licensed psychiatrist about non-controlled medication

How to Sign Up

Talkspace makes the sign-up process fairly simple. If you’re interested in their service, you begin by clicking through a few screens that inquire whether you want more information on therapy or are ready to be paired up with a therapist. Talkspace will also want to know your age, your location, and the purpose of your online therapy. The introductory session is free, but they do want to set up a payment plan.

After you’ve set up an account, you’ll be directed to another chat room, where you can discuss your issues more in-depth with an introductory therapist, who will help pair with you with the proper therapist and treatment plan. It’s important to note that this is an introductory session, and while you can ask as many questions as you need to, this won’t be your regular counselor. Generally, users are pleased with who they are paired up with. If you're not, you have the option to switch therapists.

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User Experience

In addition to a comprehensive therapy program, Talkspace’s standout feature is its usability. All desktop messaging occurs in a designated chat room. While the chat room is user-friendly and intuitive, the Talkspace mobile app is even better. When users enter the mobile chat room via the app, it resembles the familiar SMS layout of their smartphone. It’s easy to review prior messages between the user and the therapist and keep track of chats. The Talkspace app is available on both iOS and Android.

Other user-friendly features:

IBM Watson - IBM Watson is a machine learning algorithm that pairs users with their ideal therapist based on their personality and issues.
Unlimited chatting - Users can send their therapist a message at any time without extra costs.
Teen-friendly therapists -Talkspace has therapists that specializing in communicating with teens to make them feel more at ease.
Having a private chat room makes it easier to share your feelings with your therapist whenever and wherever you want.
Scheduled responses - Therapists typically respond 1-2 times daily. They have designated response times, generally around 6 hours after you type a message. If you need more, you can schedule a video chat.

Privacy

Like any major company dealing with health records, Talkspace protects the security of their clients and their health information with utmost seriousness; both the website and mobile apps are HIPAA compliant, and Talkspace uses SSL encryption to keep your data secure. In addition, Talkspace requires you to create a unique password for extra protection, and their iOS app requires Touch ID and Face ID to open up enabled devices.

Company Overview

Talkspace’s mission is to provide easier access to licensed therapists who can assist you in living a healthier and happier life. The creators of Talkspace recognize the importance of in-person treatment but find that online therapy offers a stigma-free environment that can be immensely valuable for coping with day-to-day issues. With Talkspace, you can access a licensed therapist via unlimited messaging, video chatting, or audio messaging in a private room. Talkspace offers accessibility and affordability in one package.

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