10 Best Talkspace Alternatives in 2024

Online counseling and therapy services can provide a much-needed support system, especially when you can’t find help in your local area.

Talkspace is one of the most popular online counseling and therapy services, but there are other, more affordable, alternatives available that may be a better fit for your needs. In this article, we’ll explore 10 the best Talkspace alternatives and cover their features, benefits, and more.

#1 BetterHelp – Best Online Therapy Option Overall

The BetterHelp app is a general therapy platform and subscription service that matches its users to licensed therapists. This online therapy service provides an alternative to in-person therapy sessions if you need mental health care online that supports anxiety.

Once matched with licensed therapists, users can attend video sessions, live sessions via the chat tool, and phone sessions.

The platform’s several useful tools include mindfulness and journaling options, which offer many mental health benefits. A study also praised the BetterHelp app, suggesting it effectively reduces major depression symptoms.

Learn more: BetterHelp review

#2 Headspace – Best for Mindfulness

Headspace is a specialized mindfulness application that emphasizes guided meditation sessions as the primary method for enhancing mental well-being. In addition to daily meditation, the app provides guided audio tours for sleep, brief exercise sessions, soothing music, and other soothing mental exercises, as well as informational content.

Several scientific studies have demonstrated that consistent engagement in mindfulness meditation can aid in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression levels. It has also been associated with enhanced physical well-being and decreased fatigue and persistent pain.

These are the key areas that Headspace aims to address through regular reminders. The application also incorporates exercise lessons, as physical activities are recognized for their ability to enhance mental health, while the Buddies feature enables users to invite their acquaintances for additional support and motivation.

#3 Sensa – Best for Mental Health Maintenance

Sensa is an online therapy app that offers mental health support to users. The app provides treatment based on cognitive behavioral therapy to help users create an 84-day plan tailored to their requirements.

When you download the Sensa app, it will prompt you to complete an initial evaluation to review your anxiety or depression levels. It’s possible to repeat these online assessments to track the changes in your mental health as you complete the app’s activities.

Users of the Sensa app can access 4 activity types: physical, mindfulness, health, and relaxation, which were all designed by behavioral psychologists to calm their users’ minds. Users can also customize the frequency of the activities by adding them to their schedules.

Learn more: Sensa review

#4 Brightside – Best for Medication Management

Brightside is an app and online therapy platform that provides mental health interventions for depression and anxiety. Access to treatment with Brightside involves being matched with your own therapist after completing an initial evaluation.

The app offers a medication management option as well as self-care online therapy, which is effective in helping users to practice healthy daily habits. The 5-minute self-care video options are delivered through lessons that teach users about mindful breathing, thinking flexibly, getting quality sleep, and more.

#5 Calm – Best for Sleep Management

The Calm app is a meditation, sleep management, and relaxation app with a community of users benefitting from mindfulness therapy. Its selection of audio content was designed to enhance the mental health of its online therapy users and help them manage several issues.

From depression and anxiety to insomnia and stress, the Calm app targets many mental health challenges; however, using the app alone cannot entirely replace treatment for severe depression, such as psychotherapy or medications.

The app provides users with many resources and tools, including nature sounds, sleep music, and sleep stories.

#6 Happify – Best for Mindfulness

Happify is a mood-enhancing app that uses evidence-based interventions to help users handle anxiety, stress, or sadness. Its premise is to help users overcome negative thoughts using cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation techniques, mindfulness, and positive psychology.

Users can access the services on the Happify app by downloading the app, creating an account for free, and completing an initial assessment to review their overall life satisfaction or happiness. Once you have signed up, you can access services such as learning Tracks and the Instant Play hub.

Happify’s learning Tracks include topics such as meditation, which research proves helps emotional regulation, family and kids, relationships, and personal growth. The Instant Play hub offers cognitive behavioral therapy journals and guided meditations.

#7 Cerebral – Best for Virtual Counseling

Anxiety, insomnia, and depression are 3 mental health issues that the Cerebral app claims to help users manage. Video sessions, phone sessions, online counseling, and access to licensed therapists through care counseling services are all available with Cerebral.

Using Cerebral requires users to fill out a free assessment and answer some questions before they meet the care team and work with them to create a care plan.

The app focuses on delivering a comprehensive and versatile service; its creators ensure users can access meditation and mindfulness guides, educational resources, and medication management services.

Learn more: Cerebral review

#8 Teladoc – Best Counseling Services for Children

Teladoc is a telehealth platform that offers users several health services, including dermatology, nutrition, pediatrics, and mental health. It is a general and mental health platform that can assist users suffering from anxiety, stress, PTSD, or mood swings.

After users set up their Teladoc account and complete a brief medical history on the app, the platform connects them to the right medical care. It is also possible to choose from many accredited psychologists via the Teladoc platform.

Users can access different types of therapy care from Teladoc, including cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, or dialectical behavioral therapy.

#9 Ginger – Best for Employers and Staff 

The Ginger online platform offers mental health benefits for employers and staff. Its resources range from self-care to therapy; the care users receive is delivered through video therapy and meetings with therapists instead of face-to-face sessions.

Ginger is ideal for treating work-related depression. It claims that 70% of users noticed an improvement in their depression symptoms after using this platform and that the symptoms improved within 10–14 weeks.

Employers and staff can set up a counseling session with a behavioral health coach to discuss mental health conditions. The app allows team members to access more than 200 resources and activities, on-demand coaching, and psychiatric services.

#10 E-Therapy Cafe – Best for Relationship and Marriage Counseling

The E-Therapy Cafe platform offers several online therapy services, such as relationship and marriage counseling, couples counseling, and LGBT therapy.

The platform offers various services to deliver this therapy, such as an online journal tool, video resources, chat options for virtual online therapy, and couples therapy. Users can also access military counseling options and counseling for college-related issues.

Accessing E-Therapy Cafe requires users to complete an e-form and answer questions related to their specific requirements. The platform will pair you with an experienced mental health professional who can offer online therapy.

Comparison Table

How to Choose the Talkspace Alternative

Selecting an online therapy app can be difficult, but at Health Reporter, we recommend reviewing Talkspace alternatives before committing to an app or arranging a subscription. By evaluating the apps, you can find the most suitable one. Here’s how to choose a Talkspace alternative.

Quality

The best online therapy apps should run without glitches and provide a smooth user experience. We found that the highest-quality Talkspace alternatives have fewer bugs and glitches. Consider whether the app loads quickly and does not pause when you use it.

Price

Costly apps are not for everyone. At Health Reporter, we recommend aligning your budget to the online therapy app that best suits your needs. Weighing up versatility and value can help you get the best app for the right cost.

Brand reputation

When reviewing online therapy apps and platforms, consider the brand’s reliability. Check whether the app shares its values and goals on the website and consider whether the brand’s ethos is apparent in its services.

Effectiveness

Finding out whether an online therapy app works for you is essential to choosing one. While reviews can give you an indication, check the quality of the free resources to check how effective the app is and use free trials to learn how effective the app is for you.

Conclusion

While BetterHelp is the most popular alternative to Talkspace, there are plenty of online therapy and mindfulness apps that can help improve your mental health.

Online therapy platforms are a good alternative to in-person appointments for some people. When you choose one, remember to consider whether they suit your long-term mental health and self-care needs.

So, take your time, do your research and try out different apps to find the ideal fit that may help you.