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The HelpGuide team tested out Thriveworks and reviewed the platform’s therapy and psychiatry services. We also surveyed Thriveworks users to get their opinions on provider quality, usability, and more.
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Thriveworks is an online platform that offers individual, couples, and family therapy, as well as psychiatry services. It’s available in every state in the U.S. except Vermont.
This platform accepts insurance from more than 300 insurance plans, including those from Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, and Aetna, as well as Medicare. Insured users will typically have a copay of $0 to $50. Without insurance, Thriveworks’ services are more expensive. Expect to pay $200 to $240 for an initial therapy session, and $160 to $195 for follow-ups. An initial psychiatry appointment can cost $300 to $375, and then $210 to $300 for follow-ups.
To test the platform, an in-house staff member signed up for the therapy and psychiatry services and attended multiple sessions. He kept notes on things like scheduling, provider quality, customer service interactions, and the platform’s billing practices.
We also surveyed 200 Thriveworks users across the U.S. to understand their experiences with the platform. Our tester and the surveyed users agreed on several issues. For instance, they noted that a limited pool of providers led to slow therapist matching and scheduling. In terms of usability, logging into sessions seemed to be an issue for many users.
Of course, Thriveworks has its share of advantages as well. Around 80 percent of users reported that the therapy services helped them make good or very good progress towards their goals. The same was true for users who turned to Thriveworks for their psychiatric needs.
Before the testing phase, HelpGuide’s staff researched multiple online therapy services, evaluating them for factors such as provider choice, privacy policies, and pricing and insurance practices. Then, staff members conducted in-depth, hands-on testing of each platform.
A HelpGuide staff member tested Thriveworks’ therapy and psychiatry services for one month each. The tester spent time scheduling and attending therapy and psychiatric sessions. He also tested any additional features that the platform offered, such as articles, courses, and videos. His detailed notes gave us insight into Thriveworks’ benefits and areas where the platform could improve.
Additionally, we surveyed 200 real Thriveworks users to validate our findings. The questionnaires allow us to collect users’ opinions on their therapy and psychiatric experiences, as well as their thoughts on the platform’s usability and pricing.
Our staff tester attended two therapy sessions and one psychiatry appointment. Sign-up was conducted over the phone and involved around eight questions. Our tester said that the sign-up only took about 10 to 20 minutes to complete. He reported that questions were fairly standard, but he wasn’t asked about therapist preferences, such as gender, age, cultural background, or area of expertise. After signing up, he quickly ran into several issues. The first is that his insurance wasn’t accepted, meaning he’d have to pay out-of-pocket. Second, the platform had no available therapists in his area who were taking new clients. It would take four to six days before he was finally paired with a therapist.
Our tester felt confident in the security of the call, and the person on the other end communicated clearly. However, our tester wished that the sign-up took place on the website itself, rather than over a phone call.
95 percent of the survey respondents said the sign-up was easy or very easy. Most of them managed to complete the process in under 20 minutes. But, as was the case with our tester, users often waited days to be matched with a therapist. Only 24 percent were matched on the same day they signed up. 41 percent waited one to three days, and 35 percent waited four or more days.
According to our tester, navigating the site was easy, but he wanted the platform to add clearer instructions on how to book appointments. He also had difficulty getting into his first therapy session.
90 percent of respondents agreed that the platform was easy or very easy to navigate. However, 32 percent experienced technical issues, with 11 percent saying those issues popped up many times. Like our tester, some users had difficulty logging in and connecting to their scheduled therapy sessions. Others experienced audio or video issues, crashes, or slow loading times.
Our tester contacted customer support over the phone, and he received an immediate response that addressed the issue. However, not all users enjoyed such a speedy response. 30 percent of surveyed users contacted customer support. About 32 percent received a response within 24 hours. 52 percent waited between one and three days. 13 percent ended up waiting more than three days.
Our tester and the surveyed users agreed that Thriveworks’ psychiatry services were slightly better than the platform’s therapy sessions. Here’s what we found.
During the first session, our tester’s therapist was a few minutes late, which may have contributed to our tester being locked out of the session initially. He noted, “Being locked out was super confusing and a little stressful. They should set up a waiting room.” The 50-minute session was structured and felt secure and private. It mainly served as an intake session, with the therapist asking background questions and listening to the answers.
According to the tester, the second session felt like it had a more natural and conversational back and forth. The therapist gave him useful tips and offered additional resources, such as worksheets. Thriveworks does not have a direct messaging system for users to text therapists. However, our tester was able to contact his therapist between sessions via email. She was responsive, getting back to him within 24 hours.
Overall, the tester said he was somewhat satisfied with this therapist. “I would have selected a different therapist,” he said. But he also noted, “She took her time with me, and I felt like she was serious about me.”
Typically, our testers go through the process of switching therapists. Our tester didn’t try switching this time due to the limited amount of available providers.
Our survey respondents generally rated their therapists more favorably than our tester. 87 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their first therapist match. Only a quarter ever switched therapists. 80 percent of those who switched said it was easy or very easy.
Unfortunately, Thriveworks’ limited selection of providers seemed to be a significant downside. 10 percent of survey respondents had to go through three or more therapists before finding the right match, and 9 percent said they never found their match.
Most respondents said they received a mix of casual and structured support during sessions. Therapists took various approaches, but mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy were the most common. Overall, 89 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their Thriveworks therapy experience.
Our tester was very impressed with the psychiatrist Thriveworks paired him with. The session was only 20 minutes long, but the provider was thorough and considerate. “She was thoughtful, warm, friendly, and went over the side effects, tapering, and appointment schedule.” She also assured him that he could email her at any time if he had any questions or concerns.
Survey respondents also had positive experiences with their psychiatrists. Providers were generally seen as responsive, clear, and professional. 95 percent of users were satisfied or very satisfied with the online psychiatry services provided by Thriveworks. Nearly all were also likely to recommend the services to friends or colleagues.
The disadvantages of Thriveworks’ psychiatric services are similar to those of its therapy services. One survey respondent said, “The initial matching process could be more refined. For a premium service, I was expecting a more curated selection of specialists.” Another said they wanted “More diversity among the psychiatrist options.” 44 percent of users ended up waiting more than four days after sign-up for their first appointment.
Users also noted a few tech issues. Some feedback included, “I would suggest improving the video platform for smoother, more reliable sessions.” Another user said they encountered “Minor technical issues with the video platform, but nothing major.”
Our hands-on tester was charged per session. Because his insurance wasn’t accepted, he had to pay out of pocket. Without insurance, users can expect to pay $200 to $240 for an initial therapy session, and then $160 to $195 for follow-ups. Without insurance, psychiatry appointments on Thriveworks are $300 to $375 for the initial appointment and $210 to $300 for follow-ups. The price will vary based on your location.
“If I were on an accepted insurance plan and the price was lower, I’d feel better about the value,” our tester said.
Like our tester, 22 percent of survey respondents also self-paid for their therapy sessions. The rest used insurance. Thriveworks takes insurance from major plans such as Blue Cross, United, Cigna, and Humana. It also accepts Medicare, but not Medicaid.
65 percent of respondents who used insurance thought it was easy or very easy to submit their insurance details. Doing so results in much lower fees. An insurance copay might be as low as $0 to $55.
| Thriveworks cost | Average competitor cost | Average in-person cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy, out-of-pocket | $200-240 for initial session $160-195 per follow-up | $60-200+ | $100-200+ |
| Therapy, with Insurance | $0-55 average copay | $0-50 average copay | $0-50 average copay |
| Psychiatry, out-of-pocket | $300-375 for initial appointment $210-$300 per follow-up | $95-299 initial appointment, $95-200 per follow-up | $150-700+ for initial appointment, $150-400 per follow-up |
| Psychiatry, with Insurance | $0-55 average copay | $0-50 average copay | $0-50 average copay |
Every platform has its share of strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what stood out to us about Thriveworks.
Affordable with insurance. Thriveworks accepts a number of private insurance plans as well as Medicare. If yours is accepted, you might pay $0 to $55 per session in co-pays. This makes Thriveworks more affordable and accessible for a wider range of people.
Ability to browse providers before signing up. Many online therapy platforms require you to sign up and go through onboarding before you can see a list of therapists and check their availability. Thriveworks stands out in allowing potential users to preview their options before committing.
High-quality professionals. Despite having a limited pool of providers, Thriveworks connects users with helpful professionals. 90 percent of survey respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapists they worked with.
Extra resources. In addition to therapy and psychiatry sessions, the platform gives users access to Fireside. This is a video collection of courses led by mental health experts, covering topics like anxiety, trauma, and relationship problems.
Based on our tester’s notes and user surveys, Thriveworks could improve in the following areas.
Address technical issues. One in four users experienced technical issues on multiple occasions. For instance, a little more than 20 percent of survey respondents had issues with either audio or video during sessions. Additionally, our hands-on tester as well as some survey respondents reported difficulty logging in and connecting to scheduled sessions.
Expand therapist options. Due to a lack of therapists accepting new clients, our hands-on tester waited more than four days to be matched with someone. 35 percent of survey respondents also waited more than four days for an initial therapy session.ms.
Clarify pricing. Around a quarter of respondents said they received surprise charges. This could be particularly frustrating to users because of Thriveworks’ high out-of-pocket costs. Clearer communication on Thrivesworks pricing, billing, and co-pays might improve trust.
Thriveworks appears on our list of top online therapy platforms that take insurance. But if you’re uninsured or your insurance isn’t accepted, Thriveworks becomes more expensive than many other competing online therapy platforms. So, if you’re paying out-of-pocket, a different platform may be a better path forward.
Thriveworks also has a smaller pool of therapists than other therapy platforms. However, unlike most of its competitors, Thriveworks shows you a listing of providers and their availability before you create an account. With that in mind, it might be worth browsing the platform’s listing and then making a decision.
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