13 Best Video Therapy Services for 2023

If 2023 taught us anything, it is that therapy no longer requires a waiting room, a clipboard, and a chair that somehow feels both too soft and too judgmental. Video therapy became a practical way for people to get help without commuting across town, rearranging work schedules, or pretending they enjoy fluorescent lighting. Whether you wanted weekly counseling, medication support, couples sessions, or just a faster path to a licensed clinician, online therapy platforms made mental health care more flexible than ever.

But convenience is not the same thing as quality. Some video therapy services are built for ongoing messaging, some shine with live video appointments, some are deeply insurance-friendly, and others are better for structured support like cognitive behavioral therapy. In other words, choosing the best video therapy service is a bit like dating apps: the right match matters, and a polished profile does not always tell the whole story.

This guide breaks down the 13 best video therapy services for 2023 based on what most people actually care about: licensed clinicians, ease of booking, privacy, video session availability, therapy specialties, psychiatry options, insurance compatibility, and overall user experience. The goal is simple: help you find a platform that fits your life, your budget, and your emotional bandwidth.

How We Chose the Best Video Therapy Services

Not every platform deserves a gold star and a standing ovation. For this roundup, the best video therapy services were judged using practical criteria that real users care about:

• Video access: The platform had to offer real video-based care, not just text support.
• Licensed providers: Services needed licensed therapists, psychiatrists, or both.
• Range of care: We favored platforms that support common concerns like anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and relationship issues.
• Insurance and pricing flexibility: Services that work with insurance or offer transparent self-pay options scored extra points.
• Ease of use: Because nobody wants a mental health platform that creates a brand-new mental health problem.
• Fit for different needs: Some services are best for therapy, some for psychiatry, and some for people who want both under one virtual roof.

The 13 Best Video Therapy Services for 2023

1. BetterHelp Best for Variety and Flexible Communication

BetterHelp became one of the most recognizable names in online therapy for a reason. It offers a large network of licensed therapists and gives users multiple ways to connect, including video sessions, phone calls, and messaging. That flexibility makes it a strong choice for busy adults who want therapy to fit around work, parenting, school, or life’s general chaos.

It is especially appealing if you want broad therapist availability and a relatively simple matching process. BetterHelp also offers options for individual therapy, couples counseling, and teen-focused support. The downside is that subscription-style care is not everyone’s favorite format, and some people prefer platforms with stronger insurance integration. Still, for convenience and sheer therapist variety, it remains a standout.

2. Talkspace Best for Insurance-Friendly Therapy and Psychiatry

Talkspace is one of the strongest all-around picks for people who want video therapy services plus psychiatry access on the same platform. It is particularly attractive for users with insurance coverage, since the company has leaned heavily into health plan partnerships. Depending on your plan, you may be able to access therapy, psychiatry, or both with lower out-of-pocket costs than many cash-pay platforms.

Talkspace also offers several communication formats, including live video, audio, chat, and ongoing messaging. That makes it a good fit for people who like a little structure but do not want to rely on video alone. If you want a service that balances convenience, coverage, and multiple care paths, Talkspace deserves a spot near the top.

3. Teladoc Health Best for People Who Want Mental Health Inside a Bigger Telehealth System

Teladoc Health works well for users who prefer to keep multiple kinds of care under one digital umbrella. In addition to mental health services, the company is known for broader telehealth offerings, which can make it convenient for households already using virtual primary care or specialty care. Its mental health arm includes therapists and psychiatrists, with video appointments designed to expand access beyond local provider shortages.

This platform makes sense if you value convenience, recognizable brand infrastructure, and the ability to manage mental health care within a larger health ecosystem. It may be especially useful for people who already have access through an employer or insurance plan.

4. Amwell Best for Straightforward Video Psychiatry Access

Amwell has long focused on telemedicine, and its behavioral health services are especially useful for people who want a direct path to live video care. It offers therapy and psychiatry, making it a practical option for users who may need counseling now and medication support later. The platform feels more medical than trendy, which is not a criticism. Sometimes boring is good, especially when you are trying to book an appointment instead of joining a digital wellness circus.

Amwell is a strong fit for people who want face-to-face virtual sessions without a subscription-heavy vibe. It is not the flashiest platform on this list, but it is often a reliable one.

5. MDLIVE Best for Evening and Weekend Appointments

MDLIVE stands out for scheduling flexibility. If your calendar looks like a game of Tetris played by an exhausted raccoon, that matters. The platform offers licensed therapists and board-certified psychiatrists by phone or video, and it is designed for people who need care outside classic nine-to-five windows.

MDLIVE is a good option for adults juggling work, caregiving, or unpredictable schedules. It also appeals to people who want mental health care through an established telehealth brand rather than a therapy-only startup. For accessibility and practical scheduling, it earns its place.

6. Brightside Health Best for Anxiety and Depression Care

Brightside Health has built a clear niche around evidence-based care for anxiety and depression. It offers online therapy, psychiatry, and structured support for people who want focused treatment rather than a giant marketplace of every possible option. That specialization can be helpful if you do not want to spend half your day filtering providers and wondering whether “mindset coach” means “licensed clinician” or “person with a ring light.”

Brightside is especially appealing for users who want therapy and medication support in one place, along with insurance compatibility on many plans. It is not trying to be everything for everyone, and that is part of its appeal.

7. Cerebral Best for Therapy Plus Medication Management in One App

Cerebral is designed for people who want multiple kinds of mental health support inside a single platform. It offers therapy, psychiatry, and medication management, and it allows users to browse providers and book care with a fairly app-friendly experience. For people who like all-in-one digital platforms, that can feel refreshingly efficient.

Its best audience is someone who wants weekly therapy, possible prescription support, and a platform that feels modern and streamlined. As with any subscription-style service, it is smart to compare total costs and provider availability, but its bundled approach will appeal to many users shopping for convenience in 2023.

8. Online-Therapy.com Best for CBT-Focused Support

Online-Therapy.com is the overachiever of the group. It is built around cognitive behavioral therapy online and supplements live sessions with worksheets, journaling tools, activity plans, and other guided resources. If you love structure, homework, and the feeling that your therapy platform actually wants you to do more than show up and nod thoughtfully, this one may be your favorite.

It is especially useful for people who respond well to CBT techniques and want a platform that extends beyond video appointments. The approach is less “see you next Tuesday” and more “here is a toolkit for the rest of your week,” which can be valuable for motivated users.

9. Headway Best for Finding In-Network Video Therapists

Headway is a little different from the subscription-heavy names on this list. Rather than acting like one centralized therapy service, it helps users find therapists and psychiatrists who accept insurance, including options for telehealth. If your biggest priority is seeing a licensed provider through your insurance plan without wandering into billing fog, Headway is a very practical choice.

It is ideal for people who want to search by cost, coverage, and provider fit. For users who care less about fancy branding and more about “Will this therapist take my plan and meet me on video?” Headway feels refreshingly useful.

10. Grow Therapy Best for Insurance-First Therapist Matching

Grow Therapy is another strong option for finding online therapy that takes insurance. The platform emphasizes ease of scheduling, insurance compatibility, and provider matching across a wide network of therapists and psychiatric professionals. It is especially appealing for users who want online care without getting trapped in a subscription model that feels vague about what anything will actually cost.

Grow Therapy works well for people who want clear filters, straightforward booking, and the freedom to choose virtual care based on state licensure and insurance coverage. It is one of the more practical picks on this list for mainstream therapy shoppers.

11. Rula Best for Simple Insurance Estimates and Easy Switching

Rula focuses on making insurance-covered therapy feel less intimidating. The platform emphasizes affordability, scheduling convenience, and therapist matching, with online sessions available for many users. One of its more appealing features is the low-friction process for checking likely session costs before you get too emotionally attached to a provider profile.

It is a good choice for people who want in-network therapy and want the option to switch therapists if the first fit is not right. Because let’s be honest, sometimes the “perfect match” feels more like a first date that should have been an email.

12. Talkiatry Best for Psychiatry-First Virtual Mental Health Care

Talkiatry is a strong pick for people who are specifically looking for online psychiatry, especially when insurance coverage is a top priority. While many platforms bolt psychiatry onto therapy as a nice extra, Talkiatry puts psychiatric care front and center. That makes it especially useful for people seeking diagnosis, medication management, and regular follow-up from psychiatrists in a virtual format.

If your primary need is medication evaluation or ongoing psychiatric support rather than general talk therapy, Talkiatry may be more targeted than broader therapy marketplaces. It fills an important niche in the teletherapy services space.

13. Thriveworks Best for People Who Want Online or In-Person Flexibility

Thriveworks earns its spot because it combines online therapy and psychiatry with the option for in-person care in many markets. That hybrid model is useful for people who want the convenience of video sessions now but like knowing they may be able to switch to face-to-face care later. It also stands out for broad insurance acceptance and relatively fast access in many areas.

Thriveworks is a smart fit for users who do not want to commit to a digital-only mental health experience forever. If you like the idea of therapy that can move with your life rather than forcing your life to move around it, it is a strong candidate.

How to Choose the Right Video Therapy Platform

The best platform is not necessarily the one with the loudest ads or the prettiest app. It is the one that matches your needs. Start by asking a few useful questions:

• Do you want therapy only, or do you also need psychiatry and medication management?
• Will you pay out of pocket, or do you need a service that works with your insurance?
• Do you prefer a subscription model, or would you rather book sessions one at a time?
• Do you want a specialist in anxiety, depression, trauma, couples counseling, or another area?
• Would you benefit from extras like journaling tools, worksheets, or asynchronous messaging?

It is also important to check state licensure, privacy protections, cancellation rules, and what the platform says about urgent or emergency situations. Video therapy can be incredibly effective and convenient, but it is still health care, not a food delivery app. Choose accordingly.

What Makes a Great Video Therapy Experience?

A great experience usually comes down to four things: fit, convenience, trust, and consistency. Fit means your therapist’s style works for you. Convenience means the platform does not make you fight technology before every session. Trust means you understand pricing, privacy, and credentials. Consistency means you can actually keep showing up.

Some people thrive with weekly live video sessions and structured homework. Others prefer a simpler model with occasional check-ins and messaging between appointments. The beauty of the 2023 market is that there is no single template for care. The challenge, of course, is sorting through all the options without opening seventeen tabs and emotionally dissociating by tab twelve.

Experiences With Video Therapy: What Real Life Often Feels Like

For many people, the first experience with video therapy is a strange blend of relief and awkwardness. Relief, because you do not have to drive across town, sit in traffic, or explain to your boss why you keep disappearing every Wednesday at 2 p.m. Awkwardness, because talking about your deepest worries while sitting three feet away from your laundry basket is objectively a little weird. Still, that awkwardness tends to fade quickly. What feels unfamiliar on day one often feels wonderfully normal by session three.

One common experience is that people open up faster than they expected. Being at home can make therapy feel safer and less clinical. Instead of entering someone else’s office, you are inviting support into your own space. That shift matters. Someone dealing with panic symptoms may feel calmer speaking from a familiar room. A parent with a packed schedule may finally stop postponing care because logging in from home is actually realistic. A college student may realize that video therapy is the first format that fits both their budget and their chaotic timetable. Convenience is not a shallow perk in mental health care. For many people, it is the reason treatment becomes possible at all.

Another common experience is that therapist fit matters even more than platform design. A sleek app can make booking easy, but the relationship with the clinician is still the heart of therapy. People often start by choosing a service for practical reasons such as insurance, same-week appointments, or psychiatry access. Then they discover that the real question is whether they feel heard. The best sessions usually come from providers who are warm, attentive, organized, and clear about goals. The worst sessions are not always disasters; sometimes they are just flat. If the conversation feels stiff, rushed, or disconnected, many users end up switching clinicians. Thankfully, most of the stronger platforms now make switching easier than they did in the early days of teletherapy.

There are also some totally normal growing pains. Internet lag can interrupt a meaningful moment. A roommate may suddenly decide this is the perfect time to blend a smoothie. A pet may climb into your lap precisely when you are discussing emotional boundaries. Video therapy is real therapy, but it is still therapy happening in real life, with all the messiness that implies. The people who do best are often the ones who make small adjustments: using headphones, finding a more private room, testing the platform before the session, or keeping a few notes nearby so they do not forget what they wanted to discuss.

Perhaps the most encouraging experience people report is simple: they actually stick with it. Because video therapy removes so many barriers, it often turns intention into routine. Sessions become easier to keep. Follow-ups happen faster. Medication check-ins feel less intimidating. And over time, that consistency can do something powerful. It makes mental health care feel less like a dramatic event and more like a manageable part of adult life. That may be the biggest advantage of all. The best video therapy service is not just the one that looks good on a comparison chart. It is the one that helps you show up, keep going, and feel a little more supported in your actual, gloriously imperfect life.

Final Thoughts

The best video therapy services for 2023 are not identical, and that is exactly why this category has become so useful. BetterHelp is strong for flexibility. Talkspace is excellent for insurance-friendly therapy and psychiatry. Teladoc, Amwell, and MDLIVE work well for users who prefer established telehealth systems. Brightside and Cerebral appeal to people who want integrated support. Online-Therapy.com stands out for CBT tools. Headway, Grow Therapy, and Rula are smart picks for insurance-conscious shoppers. Talkiatry is a top option for psychiatry-first care, and Thriveworks offers hybrid flexibility that many people appreciate.

The smartest move is to choose based on your goals, not just brand familiarity. Look for licensed providers, clear costs, easy scheduling, and a format that fits your real life. Because therapy should help reduce stress, not become a side quest worthy of its own stress management plan.