In 2021, 96 percent of psychologists said they provided at least some mental health services online. For some, the convenience and comfort of talking to a therapist from home is attractive. “Online therapy is an important option because it allows clients who might otherwise be unable to access providers the ability to receive mental health care,” says Zack Goldman, founder and therapist in private practice at Solid Ground Psychotherapy in Arlington, Virginia. “Additionally, online therapy allows clients to participate in their sessions in spaces where they feel comfortable or at peace. This can help lead clients to greater levels of disclosure than might be possible in a more foreign environment such as a therapist’s office.”
If you’re looking for a platform for your mental health needs, Teladoc could be a good choice. The platform offers talk therapy and medication management with licensed psychiatrists. Teladoc stands out among other teletherapy providers because it offers more than mental health care: you can make virtual appointments to see a primary care doctor, talk to a specialty wellness provider, find a doctor for various health-related issues, see a nutritionist, get help with weight management, schedule a dermatology appointment, and more.
While the one-stop shop feel makes Teladoc an appealing online health care option, the Handbook Team did find a few areas where the platform missed the mark. Read on to see how Teladoc measures up when taking care of your physical and mental health needs.
Best Alternative: BetterHelp
If you’re looking for a therapy subscription service as opposed to one-off sessions, we recommend BetterHelp. The platform offers services for individuals, teens, and couples. Your subscription gives you access to lots of bonus features that can aid you on your mental health journey. Learn more in our BetterHelp review.
Teladoc overview
Insights from our testers
Teladoc offers mental and physical health care. The platform is a one-stop shop for your various needs. You can book online visits with a primary care doctor or specialist in areas like dermatology, back care, or joint care. As for mental health care, Teladoc offers therapy, psychiatry, and medication management. Providers accept most major insurance options, including Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans, which can help make sessions more affordable. “If a client can find a provider who takes their insurance, or a provider who can help the client utilize their out-of-network health benefits, the client will be able to save a lot of money,” Goldman states.
While many online mental health platforms, like Talkspace, require a monthly subscription for therapy, Teladoc lets you pay per session. “The biggest feature of this service is that it is pay-as-you-go and offers multiple forms of care,” states one of our testers.
To start using Teladoc, you must create an account. You can then customize your profile details. “I love that, in the dashboard, users can select their preferred pharmacy, add dependents, and also have a variety of care options to choose from. It is truly a hub for all things health that was easy to navigate,” notes a member of the Handbook Team.
While the dashboard section was easy to navigate, our testers found that the rest of the website was not. “My biggest challenge using the platform was navigating the user interface. Things loaded pretty slowly, and I was expected to complete an intake form before my session but was never notified about it beforehand,” one of our testers states. At times during sign-up, it would advance to a new section and ask some of the same questions that our tester had to answer previously.
Another drawback is the lack of ability to narrow down your list of therapists in a helpful way. While some mental health platforms allow you to narrow your search by therapist expertise, age, and more, our testers found that there weren’t as many options with Teladoc. The filters were general, like the sex of your therapist and desired appointment time.
Once our testers settled on a few provider options, they noticed some listed plenty of available slots, while others required you to click on their profile to make an appointment. They found that during therapy sessions, the platform could still be glitchy.
When a tester called Teladoc to get additional information on the platform, the customer service agent didn’t sound sure of their responses, and our tester was unsure how much they could trust the information provided. However, another tester had a productive call with a customer service agent who double-checked the cost of sessions for them, as the pricing model had just changed. With no live chat option available, calling is the quickest way to get answers.
Once you start therapy, you can only conduct your appointments via video or phone. This may be a drawback for people who also like to talk to their therapist via live (synchronous) chat or send non-urgent messages asynchronously and simply wait for the therapist to respond when they have time. If you are looking for a platform with unlimited messaging with your provider, consider Talkiatry.
Because Teladoc is not a subscription service, it’s easy to cancel or reschedule your appointment. And, unlike many online platforms that assign a therapist to you, Teladoc lets you select your own. You also find out the cost of your session upfront. “I appreciate that the payment required for all of these is also very transparent,” a Handbook Team member notes.
In a mental health emergency:
Online therapists may not be the most appropriate resource to help in a mental health crisis. If you or someone you know is a danger to themselves or others around them, it is an emergency, and you cannot wait for an online therapist’s response.
Don’t wait. You can find help immediately by:
- Visiting urgent care
- Calling or texting 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Chatting online at 988lifeline.org
- Calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or text your zip code to 435748
All the above options will connect you with trained professionals who can provide crisis support. You can find even more resources, including international options, on our helpline directory page.
Our testing experience
Collectively, the Handbook Team has put in more than 10,000 hours of research, testing, and evaluation to review different online therapy and psychiatry platforms. Our goal is to equip you with the details and insight you need to help you find 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. We ask for details on when online therapy can be beneficial and when online mental health care is not appropriate. “While in-person therapy might be better for clients with more severe mental health struggles, like severe trauma, online therapy can offer a lifeline when in-person therapy may not be an option. I would much rather someone be able to access therapy online, even when it’s not ideal, than not have access to it at all,” says Audrey Schoen, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Roseville, California.
We take insights like these, coupled with research and our own personal review of online platforms, to help guide you in finding the best fit for you.
Our challenge is to test and evaluate the features and experience of the platforms rather than the care from individual providers.
How we test Teladoc
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.
The Handbook Team explored the Teladoc platform and attended online therapy sessions. We instruct testers 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 log their experience in a diary and share their findings when testing is concluded. We used these findings and our research into online therapy to write this Teladoc review.
Compare Teladoc with other online therapy and psychiatry platforms
| Cost | Varies with insurance copay; Therapy self-pay starts at $119; Psychiatry self-pay is $229 for the consultation and $119 for follow-ups. | Varies with insurance copay; Self-pay costs vary by provider | Varies by provider | $70–$100 per week | Varies with insurance; $95–$349 per month for self-pay |
| Insurance | Yes | Yes | Only for prescriptions, not for mental health appointments | No | Yes |
| Types of services offered | Online therapy, psychiatry, and other health-related services | Online therapy, psychiatry, dental care, and other health-related services | Online therapy, psychiatry, and other health-related services | Online therapy | Online therapy and psychiatry |
| Can prescribe controlled substances | No | Varies among providers | No | No | No |
Teladoc cost and payment options
You can use insurance with Teladoc, although whether your benefits are in-network or out-of-network depends on the details of your specific plan. The platform lets users pay for each individual session instead of paying for a subscription service.
Self-pay therapy sessions start at $119, while self-pay psychiatry sessions start at $229 for the consultation and $119 for follow-ups.
Teladoc’s prices are in line with many other therapy services, including BetterHelp, when it comes to paying for therapy alone. However, other platforms may offer additional mental health benefits, including digital worksheets, more ways to conduct therapy sessions, and the ability to contact your provider between sessions.
See our affordable online therapy review if you’re looking for more low-cost teletherapy options.
Insurance options
Teladoc’s website notes that it accepts major insurance providers and that many clients have a minimal copay, if any copay at all, when using insurance.
To find out if your specific coverage is accepted, contact Teladoc or call your health insurance company to confirm. To explore other platforms where your plan may be covered, read our review of the best online therapy that takes insurance.
Our final verdict
Despite some technical difficulties with the website, the Handbook Team recommends Teladoc for people who want the freedom to pay for sessions as needed and who like not being tied to a subscription service. If you’re looking for a platform that offers online therapy subscriptions with bonus features, read our review of the best online therapy platforms.
If you want to see a teletherapist, online psychiatrist, and other medical providers all in one place, Teladoc can be a great option. You can use insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, to make appointments more affordable.
Frequently asked questions
Teladoc is a legitimate online therapy service. The platform has providers for therapy, psychiatry, and a host of health care issues, including dermatology, weight loss, joint pain, and nutrition.
Yes, Teladoc’s website notes that the platform accepts most major insurance providers. To verify whether your insurer covers you, visit Teladoc’s website or reach out to your insurance company.
If you are using insurance, Teladoc’s costs vary according to your insurance copay. Some patients pay a very small copay, if anything at all. If paying out-of-pocket to see a therapist, costs begin at $119 per session. For psychiatry sessions, consultations cost $229 per session, with $119 per follow-up. You receive specific visit costs before you agree to the session.
- American Psychological Association. (2021, October 19). Worsening Mental Health Crisis Pressures Psychologist Workforce. Link