- Our team has invested over 10,000 hours researching and testing online therapy platforms. We’ve compared and analyzed over 70 different brands to give you the most comprehensive picture available.
- We gather in-depth user experiences through surveys sent to 2,000 people and focus groups with 30 participants. Additionally, we’ve consulted with over 60 mental health experts to understand the nuances of online therapy and its effectiveness for various conditions.
- We score each platform on a comprehensive rating system that considers affordability, data privacy, availability, and inclusivity. This ensures a well-rounded assessment that goes beyond just features.
- We don’t just read brochures! For this Brightside review, we signed up for a paid subscription and went through the entire user experience. This included attending online therapy sessions for two weeks, exploring therapist matching, messaging functionalities, and even testing the process of switching therapists.
Learn more about how we tested Brightside
Key takeaways
- We recommend Brightside for online psychiatry and medication management. It’s a great option for individuals seeking accessible and affordable mental healthcare, particularly those who need medication management as part of their treatment plan.
- Out-of-pocket costs start at $95 per month, making it a competitive option compared to traditional in-person psychiatry services. Brightside also accepts insurance from a growing list of providers, further reducing the financial burden for some users.
- Brightside integrates therapy and medication management into one platform. This streamlined approach can simplify your mental health care journey and make it easier to coordinate between different aspects of your treatment.
Deciding to get help from a professional can be a big step in your mental health journey—one that you should be proud of making. It can be difficult to find the right help for your needs, especially if you live in an area with few mental health care options nearby or need to see an in-network provider through insurance to afford care. The best online therapy sites, like Brightside, can make therapy and psychiatry services accessible to more people. Brightside is our number one best online psychiatrist pick from our review of the top options.
To see what Brightside offers, we analyzed data from testers who used it for four weeks. In our 2024 review of the best online therapy that takes insurance, we rated Brightside as the best option for psychiatry and medication management. Learn what stood out about this platform in our Brightside review.
Our final verdict on Brightside
One key benefit of the Brightside platform is its integration of talk therapy, psychiatry, and medication management. For many people, effective mental health care can include a combination of these approaches. But psychiatric services can be difficult to access due to cost, months-long wait times, or a combination of factors. Primary care physicians often prescribe antidepressants and anxiety medications, but some people may need or prefer to work with a mental health specialist to address their specific needs. This is where Brightside shines. The site offers both online therapy and psychiatric services through a single platform.
Brightside highlights
What we liked about Brightside
- Therapy and psychiatry in one platform: We liked that Brightside offers both virtual therapy and online psychiatry services through the same platform. This could make it easier for you to navigate and keep track of both elements of your mental health care.
- Accepts insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid: Brightside is one of the few online therapy providers that accepts insurance, including Medicare Part B, certain Medicare Advantage plans, and certain Medicaid plans. This can make it easier for people with these plans to access and afford mental health services.
- Interactive lessons: Brightside users can take interactive lessons in the Brightside mobile app on topics like self-care and emotion-driven behaviors.
- The Brightside app: Our tester noted the Brightside app was much easier to use than the desktop experience, making it simple to join sessions and take assessments.
What we didn’t like about Brightside
- Must create an account to see insurance acceptance: Before finding out if Brightside takes your insurance, you need to create an account. We prefer the more transparent approach taken by Talkspace, which vets your insurance right away.
- Brightside matches you with your provider: Brightside chooses your provider for you. People with a strong preference for certain characteristics in a provider, such as languages spoken or racial identity, may prefer a platform like Zocdoc, which allows you to choose your provider from a large directory.
- Must contact customer service to switch providers: If you wish to switch providers on Brightside, you have to contact customer service to do this. Other platforms, like BetterHelp, let you switch therapists yourself. Our tester found Brightside customer service helpful and prompt in their responses, but this still felt like an added step in the process.
From our focus group
“The first person they chose was a female who was a drug and alcohol counselor. (…) I didn’t feel that was going to be a good fit. I didn’t have a drug and alcohol problem, and I didn’t understand why they were going in that direction. (…) That person is probably excellent at what they do. I just didn’t feel that related to me at all.” -Male Brightside user
Crisis Care through Brightside
Brightside’s Crisis Care option offers a virtual therapy option for people with an elevated risk of suicide, including those who need follow-up care after a hospitalization. It utilizes the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework to identify patients experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors and connects them with a CAMS-trained clinician within 48 hours. While Brightside Crisis Care could be a potential solution for those who need more help than general therapy, it should not be seen as a replacement for emergency mental health care. If you feel suicidal, get help now by calling the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or by calling 911.
What is Brightside?
Brightside is a telehealth platform offering online therapy and medication management services for adults struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. It is particularly well-known for its comprehensive approach, which combines talk therapy with medication management if needed. This can greatly benefit individuals who require medication and therapy to manage their condition effectively.
Brightside offers weekly live video sessions with your therapist, along with unlimited messaging throughout the month for ongoing support. However, they do not provide phone or audio call options.
Their therapy services focus on individual needs only. They do not currently offer couples or family therapy. However, their therapists are qualified to address a wide range of personal mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. They also offer resources for managing stress, improving relationships, and building self-esteem.
How does Brightside work?
Like many other online therapy platforms, Brightside asks you to complete an assessment during the sign up process. It asks what you are looking for help with from a range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and more. You can select as many of the conditions that apply to you.
It then asks about the symptoms you are experiencing and if you have undergone any past treatment for your mental health. To complete the assessment, you will have to submit your email address and create an account. Brightside then informs you of the first available appointment in your area. Our tester completed the assessment on a Friday morning and found a therapy appointment available that weekend on Sunday morning.
You can then select your plan—either therapy, psychiatry, or both—and will be matched with a provider. If you choose the therapy plan, you will have one 30-minute video session each week, but your first appointment will last 45 minutes. In between sessions, you can message your therapist at any time. You will also have access to audio lessons and practice exercises you can complete at your own pace, and you can track your progress to see how therapy is impacting your mental health.
If you select the psychiatry plan, you will be matched with a psychiatry provider, which could be either a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and you will schedule an initial 15-minute video consultation. If the provider determines that medication is appropriate, they will write you a prescription that you can have sent to your local pharmacy. You will then complete weekly check-in questionnaires to monitor your progress and any side effects. Your provider will review your responses and can schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss your medication and any needed adjustments as needed.
How to sign up for Brightside
The Brightside Health app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play. When you download the app and start the signup process, you will be asked to complete an initial assessment questionnaire. The assessment asks questions about how you’re feeling, specifically if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. It also asks about your insurance coverage and payment information.
Once you submit the assessment, you will be matched with a Brightside provider, and you can schedule your first appointment based on their availability. If you want to work with a different provider, you must contact customer service to request a change. They will send you a list of seven providers to choose from.
Our tester had very positive feedback about the Brightside app, saying that it made managing and attending appointments easy. They also liked the app’s symptom tracker. The tracker asks you to score your anxiety and depression symptoms every two weeks, which helps you and your provider track long-term progress.
What medications can Brightside prescribe?
Brightside providers can prescribe a number of antidepressant and anxiety medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). You can view a list of medications available through Brightside on their website.
Brightside providers do not prescribe controlled substances, including benzodiazepines like Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan for anxiety, or stimulants such as Adderall or Ritalin for ADHD. If you and a provider determine that these types of medications should be part of your treatment plan, it may be best to see a psychiatrist in person for a full evaluation as some of these require lab work and ongoing monitoring.
What other users are saying
In our 2023 survey of 600 online therapy users, 43 percent of Brightside users chose online therapy over in-person therapy because it was more affordable. A study in Minnesota showed that an initial diagnostic evaluation with a psychiatrist was $346 if paying out of pocket. This number is consistent with our research on the median average cost of an in-person psychiatry visit. With the Brightside psychiatry plan, you pay $95 for a comprehensive video evaluation, a personalized treatment plan, unlimited messaging with your provider throughout the month, and unlimited video follow-ups as needed (though the length of these visits will depend on provider availability). With insurance, this cost could be even lower.
If you do use Brightside for medication management, it’s important to know that Brightside does not prescribe controlled substances like Xanax (which is sometimes prescribed for anxiety) or Adderall (an ADHD medication).
Survey respondents who used Brightside reported the following wait times for connecting with a mental health care provider:
- Less than a day: 25.5 percent
- Less than a week: 29.4 percent
- One to two weeks: 31.4 percent
- Two to four weeks: 11.8 percent
- More than a month: 1.2 percent
While wait times were short for being matched with a provider, our testers found that they had to switch therapists at least once to find someone they felt comfortable with. While it was helpful to choose from a list of providers when making the switch, switching providers still required contacting customer service, which extended the time it took to start developing a relationship with a trusted provider.
Nirmala Bijraj, a licensed mental health counselor, emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship. “The biggest influence on how effective therapy is,” she says, “is the relationship you have with your therapist. If you have a good relationship and it’s supportive and effective, then online therapy can be just as effective as in person.”
How much does Brightside cost?
If you’re paying out of pocket, the cost of mental health care can add up quickly, especially when you’re scheduling weekly visits. Brightside has tiered payment options based on the type of care you need.
Here’s how each Brightside payment plan works:
- Therapy: $299 per month for four video sessions per month; unlimited messaging with your therapist, with responses each weekday; interactive therapy lessons; progress tracking in the Brightside app.
- Psychiatry: $95 per month for a comprehensive video evaluation with a psychiatrist; a personalized treatment plan, with medication if needed; unlimited messaging with your provider; and unlimited video follow-ups as needed (length of video follow-ups will vary by provider availability).
- Psychiatry + therapy: $349 per month for everything included in the therapy and psychiatry plans, as detailed above.
- Crisis care + psychiatry: The Brightside Crisis Care plan is for people with an elevated risk of suicide. The plan can only be paid for through insurance and includes specialized treatments that last between four to 12 weeks.
At $95 per month, Brightside’s psychiatry plan is its most affordable virtual counseling option. The name of the plan is slightly misleading, as the $95 fee includes only an initial consultation with a psychiatrist, plus follow-up via messaging. Still, this plan is a great option for anyone who needs a medication consultation with a psychiatrist but doesn’t want to wait months to see an in-network provider.
Is Brightside covered by insurance?
One of our Handbook team’s favorite things about Brightside is that they take insurance. To find out if they can find you an in-network provider, you’ll need to set up an account and then enter your insurance information.
Brightside accepts the following insurance providers:
- Aetna
- Allegiance
- Anthem CA
- BlueCross BlueShield of Montana and Texas
- Cigna/Evernorth
- Medicare and Medicaid in some locations, according to an October 2023 press release
- Optum/United Healthcare
- PEHP
How to save money on Brightside
Brightside has a tiered subscription model. The most affordable plan is $95 per month, which includes a consultation and medication management as needed. There’s also a $299 per month therapy plan focused on talk therapy sessions with a licensed therapist. For the most comprehensive plan, you can combine therapy and medication management for $349 per month.
One of Brightside’s biggest advantages is that they accept insurance from a growing number of providers. This can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs for therapy and medication management.
Currently, the company does not offer any financial aid directly.
Our experience with Brightside customer service
Our tester encountered technical difficulties with their account through the new Brightside app and desktop platform. Despite the automatic application of a discount, the payment wouldn’t process. After emailing support and not receiving a response within a few days, the tester called customer service. The phone representative was friendly and helpful, resolving the issue by reactivating the account directly. Since the previous therapist wasn’t accepting new clients, the rep offered to either email therapist bios for selection or reach out to the old therapist to check availability. The tester opted for therapist bios, chose a new provider, and successfully booked an appointment within a day.
Our Brightside testing experience
Collectively, the Handbook Team has put in more than 7,500 hours of research, testing, and evaluation to review different online therapy and psychiatry platforms, down to the fine print. We wrote this review to guide you in finding a provider who can best fit your mental health care needs.
Our Handbook Team has consulted with more than 60 mental health experts in total. For platforms that offer online psychiatry, we interview psychiatrists who offer virtual psychiatry to learn more about their experience. It should be noted that these may be providers who offer telehealth sessions through their private practice, not clinicians on online platforms.
We ask for details on when online psychiatry can be beneficial and when online mental health care is not appropriate. For example, we learned that in the case of someone suffering from agoraphobia, experts told us that in-person sessions are more meaningful to the individual’s progress compared to avoiding exposure therapy by exclusively attending online appointments. We also learned that, for certain conditions, a prescription for a controlled substance is considered a first-line treatment and can be an important part of care. For example, stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin are often prescribed to help manage ADHD and are often considered the most effective treatment. However, these are controlled substances, and not all online psychiatry platforms can prescribe them.
We look for online psychiatry platforms that accept insurance and offer transparent pricing and other valuable features on the platform, such as symptom trackers and worksheets.
For someone starting a new medication, medication management can be difficult to add to your daily routine without proper support. That’s why we look for platforms that offer patients continued access to prescribers who can answer questions about their care and medication. For example, platforms may have messaging portals where patients can message their clinician to ask follow-up questions.
How we tested Brightside
Fill out the intake assessment.
Subscribe as a new user and invite their teen to join the platform.
Get matched with a therapist.
Go through steps to change therapists.
Schedule and attend four weeks of appointments.
Contact customer support with questions.
Explore other platform features, including digital journals and worksheets.
Review billing policies and cancel subscription.
Our tester explored the Brightside platform and attended online therapy sessions for four weeks. They used both the desktop platform and the mobile app. Our tester was instructed to try the platform through the lens of a real user, paying attention to how easy or difficult it was to find a therapist they could talk to. They logged their experience in a diary and shared their findings when testing concluded. We used these findings and our research into online psychiatry to write this Brightside Health review.
Compare Brightside to other online psychiatry platforms
Brightside stands out from other online therapy platforms in its focus on medication management (which most other online therapy platforms do not provide). Talkspace offers therapy sessions only, which you can read about in our Talkspace review. BetterHelp also offers online therapy but without any medication management, as discussed in our BetterHelp review.
Additionally, Brightside accepts a growing number of insurance plans, making it a potentially more affordable option for some users compared to platforms that solely rely on out-of-pocket payments. However, it’s important to consider that Brightside doesn’t offer features like audio calls or family therapy, which might be a dealbreaker for some users. For instance, Talkiatry also offers phone call options, as discussed in the Talkiatry review.
| Platform | Out-of-pocket costs | Insurance options | Can prescribe controlled substances? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightside | Therapy plans: $299/mo Psychiatry plans: $95/mo Therapy + psychiatry: $349/mo All plans include messaging. | Aetna, Allegiance, Anthem CA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Cigna/Evernorth, Optum/United Healthcare, PEHP, Medicare, and more. | No |
| BetterHelp | Therapy plans: $260–$360/mo | BetterHelp does not take insurance. | No |
| Talkspace | Messaging therapy: $276/mo Video + messaging therapy: $396/mo Video + messaging + workshops: $436/mo Psychiatry: $299 initial evaluation + $175 for follow-up sessions | Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Gatorcare, Optum, Premera, and more. | No |
| Talkiatry | Most Talkiatry patients have a per-session co-pay of $30 or less. You must have in-network insurance to see a Talkiatry provider. | Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Medicare, Oscar, United Healthcare, Optum, Compsych, and more. | Yes |
| Zocdoc | Cost and copays vary by provider. | Aetna, Ambetter, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Humana, Medicare, and more. | Varies by provider |
Our final verdict
Brightside integrates talk therapy, psychiatry, and medication management all wrapped in one platform. We found the Brightside app easier to use than the desktop experience, making it extremely easy to join therapy sessions or take assessments. We appreciate Brightside’s accessibility—it provides care in all 50 states, accepts insurance, and offers psychiatry services that can be affordable even without insurance. However, we didn’t love creating an account first to see if our insurance was accepted at Brightside.
Due to its accessibility, offerings, and qualified providers, Brightside is our top choice for online psychiatry and medication management. Online psychiatry is still not right for everyone, and if you are seeking psychiatric care for the first time or are dealing with more severe mental health symptoms, it might be best to see a psychiatrist in person first for a full evaluation.
Brightside, also called Brightside Health, is an online therapy and psychiatry site that provides talk therapy, psychiatry, and medication management services to adults 18 and over.
Based on your responses to a short questionnaire, Brightside will match you with a mental health care provider.
For users paying without insurance, Brightside offers monthly plans with upfront pricing. They also take insurance from some major carriers, including Aetna and Cigna.
If you are seeking talk therapy or psychiatry care and are frustrated with the cost and wait times for mental health care in your area, it might be worth giving Brightside a try.
Yes. Through Brightside, you can make an appointment with a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are trained to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe medications for mental health conditions.
Our testers had a good experience using the Brightside app for scheduling sessions with their therapist and taking interactive therapy lessons. The Brightside app is only compatible with iOS phones.
Brightside offers medication consultations with psychiatrists who can prescribe medications to fit your needs, but there’s an important limitation: they cannot prescribe controlled substances commonly used to treat anxiety or ADHD, such as Xanax or Adderall. This means Brightside might be a good option for individuals seeking medication management for conditions where non-controlled substances are effective.
- Sun, C. Correll, C.U., Trestman, R.L., Lin, Y., Xie, H., Hankey, M.S., Uymatiao, R.P., Patel, R.T., Metsutnan, V.L., McDaid, E.C., Saha, A., Kuo, C., Lewis, P., Bhatt, S.H., Lipphard, L.E., & Kablinger, A.S. (2023). Low availability, long wait times, and high geographic disparity of psychiatric outpatient care in the US. General Hospital Psychiatry, 84, 12-17. Link
- Jetty, A., Petterson, S., Westfall, J. M., & Jabbarpour, Y. (June 2021.) Assessing primary care contributions to behavioral health: A cross-sectional study using medical expenditure panel survey. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. Link
- Rapfogel, N. (May 2022.) The behavioral health care affordability problem. Center for American Progress. Link
- Brightside Health. (October 2023.) Brightside Health to expand telemental health access with Medicaid & Medicare partnerships. Link