Online therapy for teens

Absolutely. Our national network features thousands of licensed therapists across all 50 U.S. states and Canada. On average, Talkspace therapists have 9 years of experience as professional mental health care providers, and have been carefully vetted and trained to use our platform.

Many Talkspace therapists are trained in multiple areas of expertise, and have  experience treating different mental health conditions including:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Addiction
• Depression
• Grief
• Trauma
• Mood disorders

The vast majority of U.S. states require parent/guardian consent for a teen under 18 to start therapy. Your parent will need to affirm their consent both via video message (with you present), and via text message, all on the Talkspace app. Our Consultation Therapists and Customer Support team can provide more detail about the step-by-step requirements for this process.

Only if you show it to them directly, as all of our therapists adhere to strict ethical codes regarding client confidentiality. However, if you want your parent/guardian to be able to ask your therapist directly about your progress, you will need to say so, and consent to your therapist sharing this information.

If you're struggling with your mental health, online counseling services can help you deal with whatever you're experiencing. If you're wondering how to tell your parents you need therapy, explore these tips to help you prepare:

• Plan out the conversation and practice what you want to say
• Find the right time to talk
• Do some research on the mental health concerns you're experiencing
• Be honest about your feelings
• Express your thoughts in a letter or an email beforehand

A lot of change happens during the teenage years. Prioritizing mental health is just as important as grades, accomplishments, or college admissions. With Talkspace, we help young adults find an online therapist they feel safe with to work through various challenges and mental health concerns.

Whether it's managing anxiety or depression, navigating stress, or overcoming trauma, many people use counseling services to help them work through something in their life. Know that asking for help is the first step to overcoming your obstacles, and working with a mental health professional is a sign of courage and strength.

Send your online therapist unlimited text, video, picture and audio messages via web browser or the Talkspace mobile app — from anywhere, at any time. Yup: no need to worry about scheduling appointments, commuting to an office, or taking time away from work or school. Learn more about how unlimited messaging therapy works:

• Text-based: A text-based counseling session is as effective as traditional in-person treatment. You can message your therapist 24/7 — no need to wait to get something off your mind.  
• Audio: Don’t feel like texting? Leave an audio message. Quickly record a message to your therapist and receive responses in the same way.‍
• Video: Show your therapist how you’re feeling with unlimited video messages. Record a video and share your message, or engage in a live face-to-face virtual therapy session.

There are several payment options to choose from. Many insurance plans cover the cost of online therapy for teens, making Talkspace an accessible and affordable form of mental health treatment. Talkspace currently accepts insurance from Premera, Cigna, Optum, Gatorcare, Aetna, and more. Learn more about insurance coverage for online therapy at Talkspace.

Even if you don't have a health insurance plan that covers mental health services, Talkspace is about 80% more affordable than most face-to-face therapy sessions. Your parent or guardian’s workplace may offer Talkspace for free as a benefit or as part of an employee assistance program (EAP) designed to help employees access therapy and counseling services at very low to no cost. Your parents’ workplace may offer these benefits to dependents (aka you) as well.

If you choose to pay out-of-pocket, all Talkspace plans are recurring subscriptions billed automatically with a frequency chosen by you when you sign up. See approximate out-of-pocket pricing for Talkspace plans below:

• Messaging therapy: starting at $69 USD per week
• Video + Messaging therapy: starting at $99 USD per week
• Video + Messaging and Workshops: starting at $109 USD per week

At Talkspace, privacy is a top priority. Like our adult members, teens can connect with a licensed mental health professional through online real-time therapy sessions and/or communicate in a secure, private room that is available 24/7. To ensure your data is only readable by you and your Talkspace therapist, we securely store and encrypt all client communication and undergo regular security audits. Talkspace technology is fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and our therapists adhere to strict professional and ethical client confidentiality codes.

To further protect confidentiality according to HIPAA, we require all users to create a unique nickname during the registration process, which is only shared with their therapists. When you login, Talkspace requires that members enter a two-factor authentication (2FA) code in addition to their password at login. Members using the Talkspace app have the additional option of adding a passcode, which is required each time the app is accessed.

We deploy a variety of techniques to help protect your privacy. Talkspace will not share or disclose your personal information to anyone, however, we do require every user to submit emergency contact information, which is only utilized according to safety and reporting mandates.

Yes! Talkspace online therapy is proven to be as effective, if not more effective than traditional face-to-face therapy. In a recent study of Talkspace users, 93% of participants reported improvement on their toughest problems in as little as 2 months. In fact, in the same study, 90% of respondents said they preferred Talkspace to traditional therapy.

While online therapy is not trying to replace in-person therapy, it can be a better fit for thousands of people. Benefits of online therapy for teens include:

• Having access to a wide range of mental health professionals
• Accessing your online therapy session from wherever you are
• Being able to communicate with your licensed therapist virtually via text, audio, or video

Learn more from studies on how Talkspace improves mental health concerns.