Sesame Care Mental Health Review: Our Experience

What is Sesame Care?

Sesame Care is a BBB-accredited telehealth service that’s available in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. The platform acts as a marketplace for primary care services and urgent care for certain medical conditions. For instance, users can find medical professionals to refill prescriptions, address mental health concerns, and treat conditions like asthma or UTIs. For our testing purposes, we focused only on its therapy services. 

Sesame Care:

• Directly links users with a range of health care providers 
• Often allows for same-day appointments
• Allows users to pay per session or opt for a subscription plan
• Doesn’t accept insurance

Our overall experience with Sesame Care

The HelpGuide staff and the surveyed users generally agreed that the platform helped them find quality providers. The speed at which appointments could be booked and the variety of services available really set the platform apart from competitors. One potential downside is that Sesame Care doesn’t have a therapist-matching tool. Users must browse through the listings and identify the right provider for themselves. 

Overall, 88 percent of survey respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their Sesame Care experience. 77 percent were likely or very likely to recommend it to others.

How we tested Sesame Care

To test the platform, our staff did the following:

Researched Sesame Care. We assessed factors like platform security, cost, and provider availability.

Surveyed real users. We reached out to 100 Sesame Care users and collected feedback on their experiences with the service. 

Conducted hands-on testing. HelpGuide staff used Sesame Care’s therapy sessions for one month. We tried out two different therapists, spending two sessions with each one. We also took notes on the platform’s scheduling, billing, customer service, and direct messaging features. 

Sign-up and using the platform

We found the sign-up process to be extremely easy.  

• Search the directory for the service and provider you want.
• Select an appointment date.
• Select the membership tier: Sesame Plus (the subscription plan) or Sesame Basic.
• Enter patient information.  
• Give a reason for the appointment (you have up to 500 characters).  
• Enter your payment information. 

Unlike other platforms, Sesame Care doesn’t have a therapist-matching system. You simply browse the directory to find a provider and an appointment time that works for you. There were some pros and cons to this setup. One benefit is that the sign-up process was extremely easy. We were able to create an account, choose a provider, and schedule an appointment on the same day. 86 percent of survey respondents agreed that the sign-up process was easy or very easy. 

On the other hand, we found it daunting to click through each therapist’s bio to see if they were a good match. Instead, a questionnaire might help narrow down the options. 

81 percent of survey respondents said that they felt confident or very confident that Sesame Care protected their personal information during sign-up. 

Usability and support

• 87 percent of respondents said the platform was easy or very easy to navigate.
• 72 percent of users did not encounter technical issues.
• When tech problems did arise, the most common ones were poor video and audio problems (21 percent of users).

During our hands-on testing, we found the platform was very easy to navigate, both on desktop and mobile. We didn’t experience any technical issues or struggle with using any of the features. Additionally, when we tested the service’s customer support, we received a personalized response within minutes.  

Overall, the surveyed users experienced slower customer support than we did. Of the users who reached out for support:

• 76 percent said their issue was eventually resolved to their satisfaction.
• About 24 percent received a response within 24 hours. 
• 18 percent said they ended up waiting more than three days. 

Our session experience

• Responsive and helpful providers
• Unlimited direct messaging with providers
• Private and secure sessions

We were impressed with both therapists we engaged with. The first provider was punctual, focused, and engaged. The 45-minute sessions were structured and free of any technical issues. After the sessions, the therapist sent a list of resources and even checked in on how we were doing via direct messaging.

The second therapist was equally engaged and shared coping tools, such as breathing techniques. Like the first therapist, the second one also sent resources for us to consider between sessions. Again, there were no tech issues, and all the sessions felt secure and private. 

The platform allows for unlimited direct messaging between users and their therapists. The therapists we engaged with were both very responsive between sessions. 

Survey respondents also had favorable opinions of their therapists and thought their therapy experiences were helpful:

• 84 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the very first therapist they chose. 
• 71 percent said they felt Sesame Care helped them make progress toward their personal goals for therapy. 

“I learned various techniques to cope with changes in my life and my growing children,” one user reported. “It gave me the resources I needed to handle what I was going through,” another said.    

22 percent of respondents switched therapists, and 67 percent of those users found the process to be easy or very easy. Unfortunately, 9 percent said they never found a suitable therapist after trying several options.

About half of the surveyed users said their therapists offered a mix of structured and casual sessions. Common approaches included CBT, mindfulness, solution-focused brief therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. 

Pricing options and value

Sesame Care pricing option	One-on-one therapy	Mental Health Rx	Sesame Care Plus
	Often starting at $79 per session	$79 a month	$10.99 a month

Sesame Care doesn’t accept insurance. Instead, you pay an out-of-pocket price per session, with costs often starting at $79 but varying by provider and location. We paid just over $100 per session and thought it was a great value. However, you can also subscribe to Mental Health Rx for $79 a month. It’s a program designed for users with medication management needs, such as those who need to quickly submit refill requests. 

Sesame Care Plus is another option. Under this subscription, you pay $10.99 a month, but receive a discount on various medical services, including $10 off virtual therapy. 

Competing platforms, such as BetterHelp, offer additional in-app tools and resources like journals, worksheets, or group therapy classes. This can increase the value of a service because the user is paying for more than just one-on-one therapy sessions. Sesame itself doesn’t offer additional resources. However, each therapist can offer their own resources that they send via messaging for no additional cost

When asked how they would rate the cost of Sesame Care in relation to the value they received, 29 percent of surveyed users rated it a 5, and 48 percent rated it a 4. These ratings line up well with our view that the platform is a solid value. 

The service’s cancellation policy is easily found on the website. You will receive a full refund if you cancel at least three hours before the appointment. 

	Sesame Care cost	Average competitor cost	Average in-person cost
Therapy, out-of-pocket	$79+	$60-200+	$100-200+

Sesame Care highlights

Sesame Care stood out in the following areas:

Speed. Sesame offers same-day appointments for low prices, making it valuable for people prioritizing speed over insurance coverage.

Easy-to-navigate platform. With so many medical services on offer, it’s important that Sesame Care maintain a straightforward and easy-to-understand platform. It manages to do just that. Most surveyed users believe that Sesame Care is easy or very easy to navigate. Our hands-on tester held the same opinion. 

Quality providers. We, as well as most of the surveyed users, had positive experiences with providers on Sesame Care. Both of the providers were equally engaging and responsive to messages. 

Where Sesame Care could improve

Based on our survey and hands-on testing, Sesame Care could make a few changes to improve its users’ experiences.

Therapist-matching tool. This is the main drawback that we saw with the platform. Other online therapy platforms use an intake questionnaire to automatically pair you with a therapist or give you a list of options. On Sesame, you have to browse through listings and decide for yourself which provider meets your needs. This can be time-consuming and feel tedious.  

Improve customer support. We had a fast and positive experience with Sesame’s customer support. However, surveyed users reported slower response times, and roughly a quarter said their particular issue wasn’t resolved after talking to the support team. 

Clarify pricing. 33 percent of survey respondents said they dealt with surprise charges. This could be a sign that the platform could better communicate its pricing and subscription plans. 

Is Sesame Care right for me?

Sesame Care might be right for you if you want to skip the typical therapist-matching process and select a provider for yourself. Sesame is also a great platform if you’re looking for more than just a therapist. It can connect you with other medical professionals, such as physicians, psychiatrists, and dentists. Although it doesn’t accept insurance, it allows you to make same-day appointments at affordable prices. It’s also worth noting that Sesame Care is a highly rated app, earning a 4.9/5 in the Apple App Store and 4.9/5 on Google Play.