Frequently Asked Questions

Talkspace makes therapy available and affordable for all. Our mission is to provide more people with convenient access to licensed therapists who can help those in need live a happier and healthier life.

We are not trying to replace in-office therapy. Many people prefer that, which is fine. We created Talkspace so more people could benefit from therapy and overcome their day-to-day challenges in a stigma-free environment.

With Talkspace, you can send a therapist text messages, audio messages, as well as picture and video messages in a private, text-based chat room. Talkspace stands out because of the affordability and convenience it provides.

We have thousands of licensed therapists, many of whom are trained in multiple areas of expertise. We have helped people with the following and more.

• Anxiety
• Addiction
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• LGBT Issues
• Relationships (Family or Friends)

Yes. With Couples Counseling you and your partner will share the same therapist. The flexibility of Talkspace on your phone or web browser means you won’t have to find time for both of you to visit the therapist’s office. You and your partner can sign in to a shared private room whenever and share your experiences with your therapist. Your therapist will come in on a schedule and respond. It’s easier than waiting a week to remember what to talk about, and you won’t have to rearrange your lives or hire a babysitter.

Couples therapy is available for $99/week (billed as $396 monthly) or $89/week (billed $1068 every 3 months).

Learn more about Couples Therapy ›

Because our therapists are real people who have multiple clients, families, lives, etc. (just like you and me), each therapist is a little different. Usually the therapist will respond once or twice a day. Other users like to set up a specific time once each week with their therapist so that they can message each other in real time (sort of like a face-to-face session would be). The best thing to do is talk to your therapist about your schedule and your needs, and see what will work best for both of you.

If you do not wish to type out messages, we’ve made it easy for you to create audio, video and picture messages.

Learn more about the different ways you can message your therapist at Talkspace.

Yes! The Talkspace skill is available on Amazon Alexa devices. 

If you are a Talkspace user, you can link your Talkspace account with your Amazon Alexa devices during the skill setup process. 

Once connected you can:

• Securely listen to your therapist latest messages
• Perform meaningful exercises
• Take assessments
• And much more

Check out some additional details on how to use the Talkspace skill on Amazon

You can cancel your account at any time through your Talkspace settings.

Through the web: 

• Log in through our website directly at www.talkspace.com using a web browser
• Find your username located on the top left corner of the screen
• Click on it and scroll down to “Manage subscription”
• From here you will be taken to a screen where you can do the following
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plans
• Click on “Change plan” 
• You will be taken to a screen where you can review and change your current subscription plan
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Cancel Subscription” 
• You will then be asked a series of questions about your experience 
  • Don’t hesitate to contact our support team if there’s anything we can do to help! 
• Make sure you press “submit” to complete your request 
  • Your account will then cancel at your next renewal date. 

Through the iOS app: 

• Log into your Talkspace iOS app and click on the gear icon located in the top right corner of the page
  • If you’re in your chatroom, click on the green arrow (top left) to return to the “rooms” page and then follow the instructions above
• From here you’ll be taken to the “Settings” page
• Tap on “Manage subscription” 
  • If you have multiple subscriptions you will be directed to choose one
• You’ll then be taken to a screen where you can manage your current subscription, from here you can:
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plan
  • End Therapy 
• Click on “End Therapy” 
• Click on "Cancel" 
• You will then be asked a series of questions about your experience 
  • Don’t hesitate to contact our support team if there’s anything we can do to help! 
• Make sure you press “submit” to complete your request 
  • Your account will then cancel at your next renewal date. 

Through the Android app:

• Log into the Talkspace app with your email address and password
• Once logged click into your private room with your therapist. 
• Once in your room, select the icon in the top right corner of the screen
• Once you're on this screen select "Stop renewal" which will guide you through a couple of quick steps to submit your request 

Change of heart? If you’d like to continue therapy you can follow the same steps as above until you get to the “manage subscription” page. At the bottom of the screen you should see “Undo cancellation”. Tap on this button and press “continue” on the next screen to reactivate your subscription. 

You can place your Talkspace subscription on a 30-day hold at any time by following the steps below. 

Through the web: 

• Log in through our website directly at www.talkspace.com using a web browser
• Find your username located on the top left corner of the screen
• Click on it and scroll down to “Manage subscription”
• From here you will be taken to a screen where you can do the following
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plans
• Click on “Pause therapy” 
• You will then be taken to a page where you can set yourself on hold for 30 days
  • If you need to restart your therapy before the 30-days are up you can do so by following the same steps! 

Through the iOS app:

• Log into your Talkspace iOS app and click on the gear icon located in the top right corner of the page
  • If you’re in your chatroom, click on the green arrow (top left) to return to the “rooms” page and then follow the instructions above
• From here you’ll be taken to the “Settings” page
• Tap on “Manage subscription” 
  • If you have multiple subscriptions you will be directed to choose one
• You’ll then be taken to a screen where you can manage your current subscription, from here you can:
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plan 
• Tap on “Pause therapy” 
• You will then be taken to a page where you can set yourself on hold for 30 days
  • If you need to restart your therapy before the 30-days are up you can do so by following the same steps! 

Note: We will update this page when this feature becomes available on Android devices. If you do not have an iOS device you will need to log into the web version of the Talkspace site to make changes to your account.

Scheduling live video sessions with your therapist is easy with the new scheduling tool! 

Available on:

1. iOS
2. Andriod: Coming Soon
3. Web Page: Coming Soon

How to Use

Here's how to use the feature:

• Log into your Talkspace account via the Talkspace iOS app.
  • If you haven't already, please also make sure your app is completely up to date. 
• Once you're logged in, scroll down past the "Helpful tips" section to "Therapy tools" section.
  • If you're in your chatroom, click on the green arrow in the top left corner to access this page. 
• Under "Therapy tools" section you should see a section entitled "Live video sessions" (see image below). Click on this section.

• From there you will be able to select the therapist you'd like to schedule a session with.
• Once a therapist is selected you'll be brought to a screen with a green button entitled "Book a session".
  • If you have any upcoming video sessions they will also be listed here for your convenience. 
• Click on "Book a session" and select the length of session you'd like to have.
  • If you do not have a session credit available it will give you the option to purchase one.
• From here you will be taken to a screen with time slots for your therapist's availability. Please select a time that works for you.
• From here you will be taken to a screen to confirm your booking. Please make sure to review the cancellation policy. 
• Click on "Book session". Your therapist will then receive a request to confirm the session.
  • Please note that your therapist has up to 24 hours before the scheduled session to confirm. 

Note:  We will update this page, when it becomes available on additional platforms. If you do not have an iOS device you will need to schedule your session by verbally agreeing to a time with your therapist directly in your chatroom. 

It's easy to refer your family and friends to Talkspace. When you refer a friend or family member to Talkspace: You Give and you Get!

So go ahead and share with a friend, using the steps below. When you send a link, make sure your friend follows the steps exactly to create an account. This is the only way the referral can be recorded. 

On your phone: 

• In your accounts page tap on the gear in the upper right corner of your screen, to go to your Settings screen. 

If you're in your chatroom click on the left arrow to access your account home page. 

• Once in the Setting section, you'll see nested under "Social" the option to Refer a Friend. 

• Select Refer a Friend to go to the Friend Referral screen.
• You'll then have the option to "Share with Friends."
  • Click on "share with friends"
  • Or below that click on the link icon to copy our special code in order to pass it along either by txt, email other methods.
  • You can also post on facebook, by using the facebook posting option. 
• From this screen, you can also check on the status of your friend referrals. 

See that was pretty easy! 

On your web browser: 

If you're using a web browser, once you're logged into your Talkspace account, in the upper left corner, you should see your username with a dropdown arrow next to it. If you click on this, you'll see nested under "Social" the option to Refer a Friend. 

Select Refer a Friend to go to the Friend Referral screen.

• You'll then have the option to "Invite friends".
  • Click on "Invite friends"
  • You can also post on facebook or twitter 
• From this screen, you can also check on the status of your friend referrals. 

When you send a link, make sure your friend follows the steps exactly to create an account. This is the only way the referral can be recorded. 

Note:  1) Promotion depicted in the images is subject to change. 2) Maximum of 20 fully redeemed friend referrals per account. Past 20 fully redeemed friends referrals, Clients may continue to refer friends, who will  receive a $200 discount on signup.    

Because we want you to experience the full therapeutic benefit, we ask you to give your current therapist a chance as it may take some time to get to know him or her. But occasionally, it can happen that someone feels their therapist is not a good fit and we want to make sure that you get the best possible care. We are happy to help you.

It’s easy to request another therapist through your account page, just follow the steps below. 

Through the web: 

•  Log in through our website directly at www.talkspace.com using a web browser
• Find your username located on the top left corner of the screen
• Click on it and scroll down to “Manage subscription”
• From here you will be taken to a screen where you can do the following
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plans
• Select “Change your therapist”
  • If you have multiple rooms make sure you select the correct room/therapist 
• You will be taken to a screen with a series of questions about your therapist and experience thus far. 
  • We use this information to help us to improve our network and find you a great match.
• You will then be presented with a few therapists to choose from
• Review your matches and press “Select” under the therapist you’d like to be matched with
  • If you’re not happy with the options presented you can click “get matched again” at the bottom of the page
• Once you’ve selected a therapist you will be taken to a confirmation screen. Click on the “Continue” button to confirm your match. 
• If the match is successful you will be reassigned to that therapist right away

Through the iOS app:

• Log into your Talkspace iOS app and click on the gear icon located in the top right corner of the page
  • If you’re in your chatroom, click on the green arrow (top left) to return to the “rooms” page and then follow the instructions above
• From here you’ll be taken to the “Settings” page
• Tap on “Manage subscription” 
  • If you have multiple subscriptions you will be directed to choose one
• You’ll then be taken to a screen where you can manage your current subscription, from here you can:
  • Change your therapist
  • Pause therapy
  • Change plans 
• Tap on “Change your Therapist” 
• You will then be prompted to enter your password 
• Once your password has been entered, you will be asked a series of questions about your therapist and experience thus far. 
  • We use this information to help us to improve our network and find you a great match
• You will then be presented with a few therapists to choose from
• Click on “view profile” for more information about the provider
  • Press the green arrow in the top left corner if you'd like to go back and review your other matches
• Once you’ve found someone you like you can click “Choose therapist” from their profile screen to select them
• You’ll then receive confirmation of the match. If the match is successful you will be reassigned to that therapist right away

Through the Android app:

•  Log into the Talkspace Android app with your email address and password
• Once logged into your private room, select the menu icon, three lines on the left side of the screen, or slide to the right to find the menu where you can select "My Account" or "Settings"
• On the My Account or Settings page select “ Change Therapist.”
• These steps will open a Wizard that will guide you through a couple of quick steps to submit your request. New matches should be posted in your room shortly. 

You can update your payment information by following the steps below:

Through the web: 

• Log in through our website directly at www.talkspace.com using a web browser
• Find your username located on the top left corner of the screen
• Click on it and scroll down to “Account details”
• On the bottom of the  “Account details” page you will see a “Payment” section. Click on the green “Update” button
• From here you will be taken to a screen where you can update your payment information 
• When you’re finished, press “Save” 

Through the iOS app: 

• Log into your Talkspace iOS app and click on the gear icon located in the top right corner of the page
  • If you’re in your chatroom, click on the green arrow (top left) to return to the “rooms” page and then follow the instructions above
• From here you’ll be taken to the “Settings” page
• Then tap on “Account details” 
• At the bottom of the “Account details” screen you should see your payment details. Then click the green “update” button to the right of your card information
• You will then be taken to a page where you can update your payment details
• Make sure to press “save” when you’re finished!  

Note:  We will update this page, when this feature becomes available on Android devices. If you do not have an iOS device you will need to log into the web version of the Talkspace site to make changes to your account.

Talkspace is committed to offering everyone the best possible experience with our platform and therapists. If you’re ever not satisfied, you can request a new therapist through your account settings.

Talkspace acts as a conduit to arrange professional services, and those services are paid to the therapists through their Therapist Agreement with Talkspace. Generally refunds for unused time are not granted because the therapists charge for time that is scheduled to be used, much like other medical professionals. However, customer service reviews refunds on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with the therapists. We make accommodations if unique or legal circumstances (medical, death, disability, court orders, etc.) dictate the reason for the refund request. If a refund is not granted, usually we are able to make accommodations some other way such as a credit for future service.

If there is something you believe we could do differently to improve your Talkspace experience, please let us know by contacting us at support@talkspace.com.

Unfortunately, Talkspace is currently not available through Medicare or Medicaid.

However, we do partner with a number of health plans to provide Talkspace to employees, either through employee assistance programs (EAPs) or behavioral health benefits. Contact your benefits department or call Member Services on the back of your insurance card to see if you qualify.

Talkspace now partners with a number of U.S. health plans to provide online therapy to employees through employee assistance programs (EAP) and behavioral health benefits. For more information regarding eligibility please contact your insurance provider, or check our list of partners here.

 If Talkspace is not covered by your insurance, it may be helpful to know that some Talkspace customers use a credit card for their subscription and then submit the bill to their Flexible Spending Account (FSA). We recommend you check in with your FSA provider to confirm what information they may need to accept the bill.

Please email our customer support team if you'd like an itemized receipt. 

Talkspace is a subscription therapy service. All of our subscriptions are automatically charged on a monthly basis. There are no contracts whatsoever and you can cancel your plan anytime.

Listed below are the monthly, quarterly, and biannual plans currently available for one-on-one private chat: 

• Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plus
  • Includes text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
    • Billed Monthly: $260 
    • Billed Quarterly: $708 every three months
    • Billed Biannually: $1248 every six months 

• Unlimited Messaging Therapy Premium
  • Includes text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
  • 1 Live session per month (30 minutes each)
    • Billed Monthly: $316 
    • Billed Quarterly: $852 every three months
    • Billed Biannually: $1512 every six months 

• Unlimited Messaging Therapy Ultimate
  • Includes text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
  • 4 Live sessions per month (30 minutes each)
    • Billed Monthly: $396 
    • Billed Quarterly: $1068 every three months
    • Billed Biannually: $1896 every six months 

We also offer Talkspace for couples and teens! 

• Talkspace Couples Therapy
  • Includes Text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
    • Billed Monthly: $396
    • Billed Quarterly: $1068 every three months

• Talkspace Teens Therapy (for ages 13 - 17) 
  • Includes text, video & audio messaging, therapist responds daily, 5 days per week
    • Billed monthly: $260 

Live Video Sessions can be added a la carte for $65 per 30-minute session. 

Through your employer or insurance plans:

Talkspace also partners with a number of health plans to provide online therapy to employees through employee assistance programs (EAP) and behavioral health benefits.

Contact your benefits department or call the member services on the back of your insurance card to see if you qualify for this benefit.

We accept all major debit/credit cards. We unfortunately cannot accept PayPal, checks or bank transfers at this time.

You are initially charged on the first day you join Talkspace. Your plan will renew exactly one month from your first day or your last renewal.

Absolutely! Your therapist will personally work with you throughout all the days and weeks you are at Talkspace.

Simply go to our homepage or download our mobile app (iOS or Android). You will then enter your email address, create a password and unique username to login. After that, you’ll be taken to your private room where you will begin.

You will first be greeted by one of our agents or therapists who will chat with you and give you a good idea of what Talkspace can do for you. They will discuss our various plans and help match you with a Talkspace therapist who can help you.

A key part to providing you with effective therapy is our matching process. We are careful to find the best match, since the experience is different than simply picking someone out of a directory. We know the client-therapist relationship is very important, so this matching process is a service we are proud to provide at Talkspace.

During your initial consultation, you will be asked a few simple questions so the agent can gather some information about you and — based on their training and experience — use that information to match you with a therapist who they think is best able to help you.

To keep prices affordable, we are not able to offer a free trial. We do, however, offer a free initial consultation where you can chat with a Matching Agent who will give you a good idea of how Talkspace works.

During your initial consultation, the Matching Agent will chat with you long enough to understand the reasons why you came here, give you a good idea of what Talkspace can do for you and help match you with a therapist.

If you no longer want to continue, you can easily cancel at any time through your account settings. Once you cancel, your account will be marked to not renew. If you cancel before your plan expires, you will still have the remaining time you’ve already paid for.

If you are facing issues with you live video sessions being choppy, blurry, dropping, audio/video out of synch or any other issue with audio/video quality please try the following steps to help resolve:

• Ensure that you have good network and internet connectivity
• Not connected through a VPN network.
• Check the iOS Store or Google Play Store to make sure your app is up to date
  • If your app is up to date, then remove and reinstall the app
• Restart your phone or tablet
• Restart your router 
• Reset your phone or tablet's network settings
  • Android devices:
    • From the Home screen, navigate: Settings > Backup and reset
    • Tap reset network settings
    • Tap RESET SETTINGS.
    • If applicable, enter the PIN, password, fingerprint or pattern then tap RESET SETTINGS again to confirm.
    • A "Network settings reset" pop-up should briefly appear.
  • iOS devices:
    • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
    • This also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you've used before.

If you continue to have issues please reach out to our customer support team. 

Having issues with the Talkspace skill on Amazon Alexa, we have got you covered. See below resolutions to the most common issues:

• How do I reset Voice Profile?
  • Click on the Settings page of the Talkspace Skill and click on Reset for the Voice Profile
  • Click on Edit on “Your Voice Profile” to change your Voice Profile
• How do I change by Personal Passcode?
  • Click on the Settings page of the Talkspace Skill and click on Reset for the Voice Profile
  • Click on Reset on “Your Personal Passcode” to change your Personal Passcode
• I am not able to get my therapist messages, make sure:
  • Your Skill is enabled
  • You have successfully account linked with Talkspace
  • You have set the Voice Profile and Personal Passcode
  • Re-enable the skill, make sure you close the Successful Account Linking page
• Why does Alexa sometimes ask me to repeat “What is the temperature”, etc.?
  • Alexa wants to confirm the Voice Profile of the person with high confidence and may not have received enough words to identify the Voice with high confidence. Hence Alexa asks your repeat a few sentences to get high confidence Voice Profile.
• What happens when someone else tries to use my skill?
  • Someone else will not be able to access your skill since Alexa will both confirm you are speaking as well as ask for a Personal Passcode before letting you use the skill
• What happens if I’m sick?
  • Alexa may not be able recognize you when you are sick and your voice would have changed. But you can always Reset your Voice Profile by going to the Skill Settings page.

You can view your billing date by doing the following:

1. Log into our website directly at www.talkspace.com using a web browser
2. Once logged in, click on your username in the upper right corner. That will bring up a menu. Select "My Account"
3. From there, you will find your next billing date listed underneath “Billing Cycle” in the “Rooms” section

Unused live video sessions do not roll over month to month, so if your plan includes live sessions you will have to use them within the subscription month. 

At this time we only support live video calls through the mobile/tablet app version of our site. 

Absolutely! You can use the Talkspace app with our iOS app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod.

Take your therapy to-go so you have access to your therapist whenever and wherever you need help.

Absolutely! At Talkspace we have an extensive, nationwide network of licensed therapists. All Talkspace therapists have been carefully vetted and trained to use Talkspace. We do not use interns or therapists who are not fully licensed and still under supervision. All of our therapists have over 3,000 hours of clinical experience.

Talkspace therapists have additional training in specific approaches to therapy which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Existential-Humanistic, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic, Mindfulness and more.

Please note that the therapist you work with will be licensed in your US state of residence.

We also have a Board of Advisors who include prominent professionals that are experts in the healthcare space and help ensure that our service is effective.

Absolutely. Over the last decade numerous research studies have shown the effective potential of online therapeutic conversation. You will find below a good start for showing the breadth of the telemedicine and online medicine field:

“Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial”
http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(13)00512-0/pdf

Linda Godleski, M.D.; Adam Darkins, M.D., M.P.H.; John Peters, M.S. (2014) “Outcomes of 98,609
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Patients Enrolled in Telemental Health Services,
2006–2010”
http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201100206

Andersson, G., & Cuijpers, P. (2009). “Internet-based and other computerized psychological treatments for adult depression: A meta-analysis.” Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 38(4), 196-205.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20183695

Barak, Azy, et al. (2008). “A comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions.” Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26.2-4: 109-160.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15228830802094429#.VI8vaCvF_hs

Wantland, D. J., Portillo, C. J., Holzemer, W. L., Slaughter, R., & McGhee, E. M. (2004). “The effectiveness of Web-based vs. non-Web-based interventions: a meta-analysis of behavioral change outcomes.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(4).
http://www.jmir.org/2004/4/e40/

“Internet-versus group-administered cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder in a psychiatric setting: a randomised trial”
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/10/54

“Home telemental health implementation and outcomes using electronic messaging.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22052966

“Mobile Assessment and Treatment for Schizophrenia (MATS): a pilot trial of an interactive text-messaging intervention for medication adherence, socialization, and auditory hallucinations.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22080492

Antiretroviral Medication Adherence for HIV/Aids:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718389/
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1745-6215-12-5.pdf

“Distance Therapy Comes of Age.” Scientific American.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/distance-therapy-comes-of-age/

These letters are a person’s credentials. Different letters mean different qualifications for what that therapist can treat.

Those are the specialties and licenses of each therapist.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselors are mental health service providers with a master’s degree who are trained to work with individuals, families and groups in treating mental, behavioral and emotional problems and disorders.

MS: Masters of Science in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, clinical counseling, or educational psychology. A master’s degree in the specified area may require completion of a master’s thesis, dissertation and/or project.

LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor is board certified to treat children, adolescents, and adults suffering from adjustment issues, relationship conflicts, or mental illness.

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is board-certified to treat a variety of mental health concerns with the emphasis on family therapy, couples therapy and sex therapy.

LICSW: Licensed and Independent Clinical Social Worker is a social worker with a MSW (Master of Social Work) and an additional three years of training. LICSWs tend to specialize in family and marital counseling.

Psy.D: A Doctor of Psychology is a professional doctorate degree. Earning the degree was originally completed through established training models for clinical psychology.

Ph.D.: A Psychologist who has a doctorate in philosophy. Some Psychologists choose to get a Psy.D, which stands for “doctorate in psychology.”

Please click on the link below and fill out the initial application to the best of your ability. You will have the opportunity to ask a member of our clinical team any questions you have when they respond to your application:

http://talkspace.com/online-therapy/join-talkspace-as-a-therapist/

At Talkspace your privacy and safety are always the first consideration. We go to great lengths to ensure that you and your data are always kept safe and confidential. Our technology is fully HIPAA compliant and your safety is our #1 priority.

All of your chat data is encrypted on the servers, and all communication between our software and the servers is encrypted. The Talkspace app requires you to enter your password and allows you to create a unique passcode for extra security. Also, our iOS app uses Touch ID and Face ID on enabled devices.

Our payment system is up to date with leading industry standards. All personal information is maintained and secured by a national payment processor. We never store any personal financial information ourselves.

We understand and appreciate your desire for removal of your personal information. We can always close your account so that it can no longer be logged into by anyone.

But please be aware that the chat dialogues themselves cannot be deleted because the therapists are required by Federal Law to keep records on file for a specific period of time.

For more information about this and other policies regarding your privacy at Talkspace, please check out our Privacy Policy.

Talkspace’s “Guaranteed Response Time” helps you know when you can expect a reply from your therapist.

When you’re ready to hear from your therapist, just let them know by using the “Reply-By” button in your therapy room. You will see the time period in which your therapist is expected to respond (based on their time zone and working hours). Your therapist is also notified that you’re expecting a response, and will respond to you via text, video, and/or audio message during this set period.

Provider Response Times

All Talkspace therapists have a set schedule of at least 5 days a week to check in with clients during morning or evening response times. Expected reply-by times are based on this schedule and therapist’s timezone. Here’s how it works:

Morning Response Times on Designated Work Days

You make a Reply By request between 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - expect a Response from your Provider by 3:00 p.m.

You make a Reply By request between 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - expect a Response from your Provider by 7:00 p.m.

You make a Reply By request after 4:00 p.m. (and until 7:00 a.m.)  - expect a Response from your Provider by 10:00 a.m. the next working day.

Evening Response Times on Designated Work Days

You make a Reply By request between 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - expect a Response from your Provider by 6:00 p.m.

You make a Reply By request between 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - expect a Response from your Provider by 10:00 p.m.

You make a Reply By request after 7:00 p.m. (and until 9:00 a.m.)  - expect a Response from your Provider by 2:00 p.m. the next working day

Your therapist is working hard to help you on your therapeutic journey, but occasionally they may not reply by the expected time. If your provider has exceeded the expected response time, you’ll be able to grant an extension, or continue waiting for their reply. With each additional request, your therapist will be re-notified and the expected reply-by time will be updated. Should your therapist exceed the expected response time again that week, the reply-by button will update to provide you with additional options to best suit your needs.

If a provider has responded thoroughly via text or media message by the expected response time, your Guaranteed Response Time is considered satisfied. You are guaranteed to receive at least one meaningful therapist response for each request period.

Therapy is an umbrella-term that refers to “talk therapy” (also known as psychotherapy).

You may choose to do just therapy, just psychiatry, or both with Talkspace.

If you’re unsure about where to start, sign up for therapy and your therapist can offer guidance to inform your decision.

Therapists: 

Therapists are supportive listeners who will work with you to understand personal challenges, and help devise a plan for you to feel better.

• Therapists are not able to prescribe medication.
• They include psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and counselors. 

Psychiatrist: 

Psychiatry is a medical specialty that uses medication to treat mental health conditions.

Psychiatrists and nurse practitioners are licensed medical providers who specialize in mental health and medication management.

Typically, psychiatrists don’t offer talk therapy but work with therapists to provide comprehensive care. 

While psychiatry sessions involve discussion, the focus really is medication management.

If you’re looking for mental health counseling, we encourage you to learn more about Talkspace therapy.

The Talkspace network includes psychiatrists and nurse practitioners who specialize in psychiatry. 

Yes!

You will work with the same prescriber throughout your treatment as long as they are an active member of the Talkspace Network.

However, you can easily switch at any time without any disruptions in treatment.

You will be matched with a prescriber immediately, and can book an appointment right away.

• With the ability to see available times up to 3 weeks in advance.

You can book a session prior to ever communicating with your provider; our goal is to eliminate the back and forth hassle of scheduling appointments!

In order to allow for proper notifications, you cannot book an appointment that is less than 48 hours away.

Yes!

You can work directly with your Talkspace prescriber to share notes with any off-platform provider.

Currently, we are only working with Premera to offer behavioral health benefits for psychiatry.

However, clients with out-of-network benefits can submit claims and receive 50-90% of the cost of Talkspace back.

Payment for Talkspace psychiatry is session-based.

Initial evaluations cost $199.00 and follow-up sessions are $125.00. Clients can schedule follow-up sessions directly with their providers.

For new clients we are offering bundle discounts if purchased during the signup:

• Initial evaluation + 1 follow-up session: $312 (10% saving)
  Initial evaluation + 3 follow-up sessions: $518 (15% saving)
  Initial evaluation + 6 follow-up sessions: $799 (20% saving)

If your insurance covers the cost of prescription meds, absolutely.

Keep in mind that this process is not managed by Talkspace — we won’t be able to answer specific questions about your eligibility, benefits, or prescription costs.

Yes!

While Talkspace allows for a seamless collaboration between therapy and psychiatry, the two services are separate.

You will need to purchase psychiatry credits a la carte if you wish to work with a prescriber in addition to your Talkspace therapist.

Talkspace prescribers are able to prescribe all medications other than controlled substances.

Controlled substances include, but are not limited to:

• Adderall
• Ativan
• Concerta
• Klonopin
• Librium
• Tranxene
• Ritalin
• Vyvanse
• Valium
• Xanax
• Lithium

No.

You and your prescriber will discuss the best treatment plan for your needs, which may or may not involve medication.

All providers interested in joining the Talkspace clinical community must complete the application process, which takes an average of 4-6 weeks. The process involves completing a series of required forms, including a prerequisite form and the submission of a fully completed, signed CAQH application with individual NPI number. Our team verifies the submission of key data through primary and secondary sources. If all information is verified, our credentialing team then reviews the full application and verification information to make a decision.

Talkspace Therapist Orientation is comprised of two phases. Phase 1 is a series of self-directed online lessons and evaluations that can take as little as 10 days and up to four weeks, depending on the speed of the therapist. In Phase 2, a large online group of all new Talkspace therapists have the opportunity for collaborative learning over the course of 60 days. During this period, new therapists build their caseloads and are offered additional support from experienced Talkspace Clinical Leaders.

No! Myriad of studies are demonstrating messaging therapy can be as effective as traditional therapy for the treatment of the most common emotional and behavioral health issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, stress, PTSD and more.

Check out some of the research published on the field:

“Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial”

Linda Godleski, M.D.; Adam Darkins, M.D., M.P.H.; John Peters, M.S. (2014) “Outcomes of 98,609 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Patients Enrolled in Telemental Health Services, 2006–2010”

Andersson, G., & Cuijpers, P. (2009). “Internet-based and other computerized psychological treatments for adult depression: A meta-analysis.” Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 38(4), 196-205.

Barak, Azy, et al. (2008). “A comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions.” Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26.2-4: 109-160.

Wantland, D. J., Portillo, C. J., Holzemer, W. L., Slaughter, R., & McGhee, E. M. (2004). “The effectiveness of Web-based vs. non-Web-based interventions: a meta-analysis of behavioral change outcomes.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(4).

“Internet-versus group-administered cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder in a psychiatric setting: a randomised trial”

“Home telemental health implementation and outcomes using electronic messaging.”

“Mobile Assessment and Treatment for Schizophrenia (MATS): a pilot trial of an interactive text-messaging intervention for medication adherence, socialization, and auditory hallucinations.”

“Distance Therapy Comes of Age.”