- We spent more than 10,000 hours researching over 70 online therapy platforms, and our testers signed up for the 20 most popular platforms to bring you our top picks.
- Our testers tested each platform for at least two weeks, focusing on the sign-up process, therapist selection, therapy session quality, and customer service interactions.
- We surveyed over 2,000 online therapy users, held focus group interviews with both users and therapists, and consulted over 60 mental health experts.
- We score each platform according to affordability, data privacy, availability, and inclusivity.
- Our pages are updated regularly to update pricing and service information and reflect our ongoing testing of new online therapy platforms.
Learn more about how we tested Sondermind.
Key takeaways
- We recommend SonderMind to people seeking quick appointment times, but it is only available in 21 states.
- SonderMind costs $45–$200 per therapy session out of pocket, but it does accept certain insurance plans.
- Therapists have good appointment availability, including evenings and weekends.
Accessing care sooner rather than later can make a big difference in your mental health. “In my professional opinion, early intervention is crucial in addressing mental health concerns effectively. The longer the delay in receiving care, the more challenging it may become to manage symptoms and address underlying issues,” says Natalie Rosado, LMHC, founder of Tampa Counseling Place in Tampa, Florida.
We tested the online counseling and online psychiatry platform SonderMind, which helps clients access quick mental health care with appointment times as soon as two days from signing up. After testing the platform for two weeks, our impressions are somewhat mixed. While there are some decent features—like quick appointment times and providers available to meet on nights and weekends—we also experienced a few hiccups during testing. Find out more about our experience testing SonderMind and whether the platform is right for you.
SonderMind highlights
What is SonderMind?
SonderMind is virtual therapy that accepts insurance and provides virtual and in-person care for individuals, couples, families, and groups. It also offers psychiatry. SonderMind therapy is only available in the following 21 states and Washington, DC, and psychiatry is only available in seven of those states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Colorado*
- Florida*
- Georgia*
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- Ohio*
- South Carolina
- Texas*
- Vermont
- Virginia*
*Psychiatry is available in these states.
SonderMind has providers that specialize in:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Depression
- Grief and loss
- Relationships
- Domestic violence and emotional abuse
- LGBTQ+ and diversity
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and stress
- Parenting and postpartum
- Bipolar disorder
How does SonderMind work?
SonderMind is available through its website and mobile app for iOS and Android users. You can choose between 30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute therapy sessions, and sessions with an online psychiatrist that are 30 minutes long.
From one of our SonderMind testers
“Overall, the platform is super user-friendly. It has an app available in the app store, and both the desktop and mobile versions are very intuitive to navigate. The layout and fonts are well-designed and not overwhelming in any way. However, the only thing missing is a clear, prominent customer service phone number or a live chat option.”
How to sign up for SonderMind
The sign-up process is quick and easy. It took our testers less than 10 minutes to complete the initial intake questionnaire. It asks about the type of provider you’re looking for, your availability, and other basic information. We’re surprised there aren’t many questions relating to the user’s mental health symptoms. We are also disappointed that there are no crisis resources listed for people who need emergency care.
How to match with an online therapist
After you complete the questionnaire, you will receive an email with a link to view the therapists you matched with. One of our testers matched with eight therapists, but was disappointed that none of their initial matches were nonbinary or LGBTQ+, as they requested during sign-up. “The importance of a client identifying with their therapist in aspects such as gender identity, racial identity, ability, and other personal characteristics may significantly influence the therapeutic process and its outcomes,” says Brittany Webb, a licensed professional counselor at Better Mind Counseling and Services. Having a therapist that clients can socially identify with can create a stronger therapeutic alliance, which can lead to improved results.
If you’re not satisfied with the therapist choices you’re presented with, you have the option to add additional preferences, but our testers found this additional process to be time-consuming and tedious. They would have preferred to be asked these questions as part of the initial questionnaire.
Each provider has a thorough profile that lists their specialties and the insurance they accept, along with a short description that introduces them. The profile information helps users narrow down their choices. Provider availability is pretty widespread, including weekends and evenings. Most of the providers our testers matched with have numerous time slots available over multiple days. We notice appointments in as few as two days.
Live video sessions
Once you choose a therapist, you will have a quick consultation with them to schedule your first session. For your sessions, you can choose to meet in person or virtually via video through the SonderMind app or website. SonderMind recommends using a desktop or laptop computer to connect to your video sessions and using either Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari as your browser. If you must use a mobile device, you’ll need to use Google Chrome (for Android devices) or Safari (for Apple devices).
One of our testers was slightly disappointed with the care they received from their therapist. They felt as though their therapist was a great listener but didn’t offer a lot of insight.
From one of our SonderMind testers
“In one of my sessions, I was eager to discuss a significant event that had occurred. However, I found myself disappointed as I didn’t receive any actionable advice or resources from them. Instead, they simply listened without offering tools or guidance to help me manage my situation.”
Although our tester’s therapist wasn’t an ideal match, it’s difficult to fully gauge the quality of care SonderMind provides from only a handful of sessions with one therapist. Each provider has different expertise, experience, and treatment modalities. Many customer reviews on Trustpilot report positive experiences with their therapists, stating that they’re kind, helpful, and great listeners. If you aren’t satisfied with your match, you can always switch therapists.
Our testers are also disappointed that a provider ended a few sessions 10 minutes early. This is a significant drawback, especially because the per-session rate is based on how long you want your session to be, and you pay more for longer sessions.
In-person sessions
Some SonderMind therapists offer in-person sessions, but we find it difficult to determine which providers offer them. When you look at the profiles of your therapist matches, it clearly marks if they offer virtual therapy, but we didn’t see any statement about in-person therapy. If you’re interested in in-person therapy, you’ll have to reach out to the therapist to find out whether that is a service they offer.
Additional features
One additional platform feature is a progress tracker, which is included in each subscription. Before and after each session, you’ll complete a questionnaire about how things are going so far, including your symptoms and relationship with your therapist. Your answers will translate into a graph showing how certain emotions change over time. SonderMind shares your responses with your therapist so you can work together to identify behavior patterns and reflect on your progress and well-being.
What other users are saying
Customer reviewers report frequent issues with billing, specifically regarding insurance coverage. This is a common occurrence in online therapy, but it’s even more frustrating that SonderMind’s customer service is difficult to get in touch with to try to solve billing issues.
How much does SonderMind cost?
The cost of SonderMind therapy and psychiatry varies based on your location and session length. In most available states, the 45-minute sessions are less than $100. This is a pretty affordable online therapy platform, considering in-person therapy sessions can range from $100–$200 out of pocket, according to our research.
Here’s a breakdown of the cost of therapy on SonderMind:
- Intake session (one hour): $90–$200.
- 60-minute session: $85–$169.
- 45-minute session: $70–$114.
- 30-minute session: $45–$86.
Here’s a breakdown of the cost of psychiatry:
- Intake appointment (one hour): $196–$360.
- 30-minute follow-up: $105–$150.
- 30-minute follow-up (with additional billing codes): $178–$240.
Our testers were shocked that the cancellation fee was $85 when they had to cancel their session due to an emergency. They were unaware of the cancellation policy, as it wasn’t stated anywhere during the sign-up process. We learned that SonderMind can charge you up to the full session cost if you cancel within 24 hours of your appointment. However, many platforms require 48 hours’ notice for cancellations, and we appreciate that SonderMind offers a little more flexibility with 24 hours’ notice.
Is SonderMind covered by insurance?
SonderMind is in-network with many major insurance companies, including Aetna, Anthem, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and United Healthcare. Coverage varies by state and by plan.
SonderMind accepts Medicare but does not accept Medicaid.
How to save money on SonderMind
The best way to save money on therapy through SonderMind is to use your insurance. SonderMind does not offer financial aid.
Our experience with SonderMind customer service
We weren’t particularly impressed with SonderMind’s customer service, which you can only contact using a contact form on its website. This isn’t as convenient as having a phone number or live chat option to receive quick support, which are options that other platforms, like Talkspace, offer.
We filled out the contact form on the website and received a response within two hours. While the response answered our questions, we were caught off guard by how brief and abrupt it was. We’ve definitely had more friendly conversations with customer service representatives from other platforms.
It seems like we aren’t the only ones with this experience. Many customer reviewers on Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau (BBB) report having difficulty contacting customer service and feel frustrated that there isn’t a phone number to call.
Our SonderMind testing experience
The Handbook team researched over 70 online therapy and psychiatry platforms, directories, and networks. Based on our research, we signed up for the top 20 platforms to test out for ourselves.
We spent two weeks testing SonderMind by exploring the website and mobile app, choosing a therapist from a selection of matches, and attending virtual sessions with a therapist. During testing, we focus on our experiences with customer service, the accuracy of the therapist-matching process, and the accessibility of the platform.
Fill out the intake assessment.
Subscribe as a new user.
Receive therapist matches and browse their profiles.
Choose a therapist from the selection.
Schedule and attend virtual sessions on the platform for two weeks.
Contact customer support with questions.
Explore and utilize progress trackers.
Cancel subscription.
Compare SonderMind to other online therapy platforms
SonderMind is one of the few therapy platforms that charges per session rather than per month. This can either be a benefit or a disadvantage. When platforms charge per session, there’s no need to cancel or pause your subscription, but you may not receive as many resources or bonus features included with monthly subscriptions.
Like SonderMind, MDLive also charges per session. For therapy, MDLive charges $108 for sessions that last from 45–60 minutes. The cost is comparable to SonderMind’s average cost for 45-minute sessions, but 60-minute sessions may cost up to $200. With SonderMind, you have the unique option to choose the length of your sessions which can reduce the cost.
| Cost | $45–$200 per therapy session | $280–$400 per month | $276–$436 per month | $95–$349 per month | $108 per therapy session |
| Insurance accepted? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Services | Individual, family, group, and couples therapy; psychiatry | Individual and couples therapy | Individual, couples, and teen therapy; psychiatry | Individual and teen therapy; psychiatry | Individual, couples, and children’s therapy (10 and older) |
Our final verdict
One of SonderMind’s standout features is its selection of appointment times, including evenings and weekends. You should be able to secure an appointment with a therapist within one week of signing up, likely sooner. However, we found narrowing down our therapist search by specific preferences difficult. We’re also dissatisfied with the lack of customer service options and the abrupt, short response we received from them.
Frequently asked questions
SonderMind is available for therapy in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, DC. It is available for psychiatry in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
To sign up for therapy services through SonderMind, you will fill out a brief questionnaire and receive your therapist matches, typically within 48 hours. You choose a therapist from your given list and schedule an in-person or virtual appointment.
Yes, SonderMind has an app that is available in the Apple and Google app stores.
- Cruwys, T., Lee, G. C., Robertson, A. M., Haslam, C., Sterling, N., Platow, M. J., Williams, E., Haslam, S. A., & Walter, Z. C. (2023). Therapists who foster social identification build stronger therapeutic working alliance and have better client outcomes. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 124. Link