By Mary X. Dennis 

Updated on March 27, 2023

Medically reviewed by Janet Taylor, M.D.

If you’re a parent and your child is living with ADHD, you and your family might be feeling a little overwhelmed. The truth is, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a common learning disorder. This means there is support for your child—and you—if you need it.1 So if your child’s ADHD symptoms are impacting their schoolwork, their friendships, or your family, online therapy can be a useful tool.

Therapy for ADHD can take many forms, depending on your needs. Some companies offer apps that share beneficial exercises and coping strategies for kids and their parents to try, while others offer ADHD-specific talk therapy, support groups, or family therapy. There are also companies that specialize in medication management for kids and teens.² We’ve evaluated 55 online therapy companies and 25 therapist directories and surveyed over 100 users at each in order to compile this list of the best online ADHD therapy options for you and/or your child. Here are our picks.

 How Do I Get My Child Assessed for ADHD?

Best Online ADHD Therapy of 2023   

• Best Overall: Talkiatry
• Best With Insurance: Teladoc
• Best for Holistic Approach to ADHD: Amwell
• Best for Teens: Teen Counseling
• Best for Parental Support: ADDA Parent Support Group
• Best for Diagnosis and Assessment: ADHD Online
• Best for Children: Little Otter
• Best for Family Therapy: LifeStance
• Best Subscription Service: Talkspace
• Best Directory: CHADD

01of 10

Best Overall: Talkiatry

Key Specs   

• Price: Depends on your insurance co-pay; no self-pay options
• Insurance accepted?: Yes, mandatory
• Types of therapy: Psychiatry/medication management, Individual therapy

Why We Chose It 

Talkiatry is an online psychiatry platform that treats children ages 5 and up. It has a good reputation for safe and appropriate prescription policies, including for ADHD treatment, and it is in-network with most insurance plans.

Pros & Cons  

Pros

• Initial assessment and follow-up sessions with the same psychiatrist
• All prescriptions come from board-certified psychiatrists
• Easy intake, prescription management, and online payment options
• Psychiatrists can refer patients to therapists

Cons

• Insurance is mandatory—no out-of-pocket option
• Not geared specifically toward children

Overview  

Talkiatry takes the headache out of trying to find a psychiatrist in-network with insurance—something that is more difficult than it should be in the U.S. According to statistics from the NIH, only half of practicing psychiatrists accept insurance, a far lower number than physicians of other specialties (nearly 90%), and that number is steadily decreasing despite the fact that calls for early psychiatric intervention for children are increasing.³ And while there are more child psychiatrists in this country than there were a decade ago, there are still not nearly enough to keep up with demand, especially in lower-income areas where the exorbitant out-of-pocket rates for psychiatry make those services inaccessible to many.⁴

At Talkiatry, you can simply enter your insurance information and answer some basic intake questions about your mental health history or that of your child and get automatically matched with a short list of board-licensed psychiatrists in your network who fit your needs.

In addition, Talkiatry lists ADHD as one of its specialties on its website, making it a great choice for both children and adults who need medication as part of their ADHD treatment.

Types of Therapy Offered 

The initial psychiatry session at Talkiatry is a full 60 minutes long, ensuring its assessment, diagnosis, and prescription processes are thorough and appropriate. Talkiatry does not restrict access to controlled substances like Adderall or Ritalin for ADHD treatment, so if that is what is called for, it is available here. If your psychiatrist thinks it’s necessary, they can refer you or your child to a Talkiatry provider for talk therapy. 

Follow-up sessions are with the same doctor who did your initial assessment (unless you choose to switch, which is simple and can be done through the site), which helps provide dependable care and a consistent relationship between patient and doctor. 

Controversy exists over over-prescription of medication online, and ADHD drugs are often at the center of these cases. BetterHelp, Cerebral, and Done have all been embroiled in legal controversy about the over-prescription of potentially dangerous medications to minors.⁵ With Talkiatry’s stable of board-certified psychiatrists, its thorough initial assessment, and its clean record and reputation, it is an excellent choice to get everything your diagnosis requires, and nothing it doesn’t.

Plans & Pricing 

Talkiatry is only available to patients with insurance, and session costs depend on your plan’s co-pay. This is not a monthly subscription service; sessions are booked and co-pays are charged individually. See if Talkiatry is in-network if you have insurance here. 

User Survey and Testing Insights 

Talkiatry was one of the highest ranked of the 55 online therapy companies we looked at: 95% of the 105 Talkiatry users we surveyed rated the company as good to excellent overall. The psychiatry services igot positive ratings from 89% percent of users. Eighteen percent of users were specifically there for help with ADHD, compared to 16% of users across all surveyed platforms (and just 10% of Teladoc users), suggesting Talkiatry is sought out for ADHD care slightly more than other online therapy providers. Ninety-one percent of Talkiatry users rated their provider’s qualifications positively, compared to an average of 84% of users across all 55 online therapy platforms we surveyed. 

02of 10

Best With Insurance: Teladoc

Key Specs 

• Price: $0 to $99/session for therapy, $0 to $299/session for psychiatry
• Insurance accepted?: Yes
• Types of therapy: Individual, couples, teen, psychiatry

Why We Chose It 

Teladoc is our highest rated one-stop telehealth provider for therapy, and offers robust insurance coverage, making it a great choice for insured parents and their families looking to conveniently manage their child’s ADHD in the same place as other health care needs.

Pros & Cons  

Pros

• Families can share a Teladoc account
• No subscription necessary
• Individualized care plans

Cons

• No same- or next-day appointments
• Does not prescribe some controlled ADHD medications
• Must sign up to see insurance coverage/co-pay pricing

Overview  

Teladoc is one of the pioneers of the telehealth industry, and it has maintained its standing as one of the largest, most dependable options in online health care. It takes most forms of insurance, including many Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans, and has a large roster of board-certified therapists and psychiatrists who can treat ADHD in both children and adults.

Types of Therapy Offered 

Teladoc offers individual and couples therapy, psychiatry, and adolescent mental health care for children ages 13 to 17. Therapy sessions can be held via video chat or phone, with providers that that include psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors. These options make any type of service through Teladoc suitable for any member of the family, no matter their preferences.

Users can choose to either be matched with a provider after a very short questionnaire, or view all clinicians available and select their own. You, your spouse, and your children can use the same Teladoc account. Dependents over 18 can set up their own account through the Teladoc site; if your child is under 18, you can set up their profile as a dependent by answering some questions about their health history under your own account.

Teladoc has an app that hosts sessions as well as a portal, where users can message their therapist outside of sessions and usually get a response within a few hours. The platform does not promote ADHD-specific care, likely due to its prescription policy limiting access to stimulant ADHD medication. However, its outstanding insurance coverage and the ability to treat an entire family under one account for both primary and mental health care makes it a great option for insured families who need ADHD treatment that does not involve prescription stimulants. This could include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been proven effective for adult ADHD⁶ and which Teladoc specifically mentions as an available therapeutic modality.

Plans & Pricing 

Teladoc does not offer a subscription plan. Both psychiatry and therapy sessions are scheduled and billed individually, although scheduling recurring sessions is possible. A session frequency will be suggested to you by your therapist in your initial session. 

Out-of-pocket rates for psychiatry sessions are $299 for initial sessions, and $119 for follow-ups. Therapy sessions are typically $99 persession.

Teladoc is in-network with 60 different forms of insurance, making it one of the best options for insured users; covered sessions can be as low as $0. However, to view its list of accepted providers and your co-pay rate, you must first create an account.

User Survey and Testing Insights 

Teladoc received outstanding scores in our user survey, earning it the highest overall satisfaction rating of any of the 55 companies we looked at: 97% of our 105 users rated Teladoc as good, very good, or excellent overall, compared to an average overall rating of 84% across all 55 companies. Its recommendation rating was also among our highest: 86% of users would recommend Teladoc to a friend, compared to 71% of users across all surveyed companies. 

However, only 10% of Teladoc users were there for ADHD, compared to 16% of all surveyed users, suggesting ADHD is not Teladoc’s forte. Still, with 82% of insured users saying their insurance was accepted at Teladoc, compared to an average of just 54% of insured users who were able to use their insurance across all surveyed companies, Teladoc wins our vote for best insurance option for ADHD online therapy.

03of 10

Best for Holistic Approach to ADHD: Amwell

Key Specs 

• Price: $109 to $129 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family, group

Why We Chose It  

Amwell is a top-rated general telehealth company that offers an in-depth clinical assessment for ADHD diagnosis. Upon diagnosis, your provider formulates an individualized ADHD treatment plan that can extend beyond therapy sessions to diet, sleep, and daily routines.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Treatment team can include medical doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists
• Children as young as 10 can receive services
• Thorough assessment process and individualized treatment plan

Cons

• Does not prescribe stimulant ADHD medication
• Relatively high out-of-pocket cost
• Broad focus can make the website difficult to navigate

Overview  

Amwell is one of the biggest and best options available for general online telehealth, and includes on-demand urgent care with no appointment necessary. Its expansive staff includes medical specialists of all kinds as well as a variety of therapists, making it ideal for users who are still seeking an ADHD diagnosis and investigating treatment options that include a holistic approach to the condition, taking into consideration things like diet, sleep hygiene, and daily activities that might be affected by ADHD.

Types of Therapy Offered  

Amwell offers 45-minute individual talk therapy sessions for adults, teens, and children as young as 10, as well as couples and family therapy. If you are seeking medication, a separate appointment with a psychiatrist is required. 

For an ADHD diagnosis, you can receive an assessment by Amwell therapists or psychiatrists. If stimulant medication is deemed appropriate, your Amwell provider can then refer you to a local psychiatrist for an in-person visit, as Amwell will not prescribe controlled substances via telehealth. Amwell’s psychiatrists can prescribe non-stimulant ADHD medications such as Strattera and clonidine. 

Amwell also offers a large variety of treatment options in addition to talk therapy, such as team activities, routine building, and educating both parents and children on how diet and sleep can affect ADHD symptoms.

Plans & Pricing  

Amwell’s online therapy sessions have two out-of-pocket rates: 

• Session with a master’s level therapist: $109
• Session with a doctoral level therapist: $129

Psychiatry visits cost $279 for an initial visit, and $109 for each 15-minute follow-up visit. 

There is no subscription plan—sessions are scheduled and charged individually. 

Amwell accepts over 100 insurance plans, including from UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and MVP. The full list of insurance companies accepted is available here. Uninsured patients may also pay out of pocket.

User Satisfaction 

Overall, Amwell had excellent satisfaction ratings in our user survey. Eighty-eight percent of 105 Amwell users surveyed rated their overall experience as good, very good, or excellent, and 80% had a positive experience with the initial registration process. Sixteen percent of users said they were seeking help with ADHD symptoms in particular, which is on par with the other companies we looked at. Seventy-eight percent of users said they would recommend Amwell, compared to an average of 71% across all companies we surveyed.

04of 10

Best for Teens: Teen Counseling

Key Specs 

• Price: $60 to $90 per week
• Insurance accepted?: No
• Types of therapy: Individual therapy for teens ages 13 to 19 years old

Why We Chose It 

As a dedicated platform just for teens, Teen Counseling has therapists that cater specifically to adolescents and is prepared to look through a teenage lens at any issues users may be facing, including ADHD.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Parents are involved, but limited to separate messaging rooms
• Unlimited messaging outside of therapy sessions
• Offers video, phone, live chat, and messaging

Cons

• Does not take insurance 
• No psychiatry available
• Sessions are only 30 minutes long

Overview  

As an offshoot of the well-known online therapy company BetterHelp, Teen Counseling brings one of the most popular online therapy business models to a teen-specific demographic. It has a large directory of therapists, including those who treat ADHD, with services available in all 50 U.S. states. With its focus on teenage mental health, its messaging services and providers who specialize in adolescents make Teen Counseling a valuable resource for your child and you.

Types of Therapy Offered 

Teen Counseling offers individual therapy with licensed therapists who specialize in working with teenagers. Its weekly live sessions run only 30 minutes, but teens can message their therapist through their patient portal for advice, information, or symptom-specific worksheets—including ADHD-specific resources—at any time.  

Parents can sign up and then invite their teen, or go through the sign-up process together. There is also a separate message space for parents, so they can be involved in the treatment process without violating their teen’s private communications with their therapist.

There is no psychiatry offered at Teen Counseling. Users seeking prescriptions or medication management will need to find a psychiatrist independently.

Plans & Pricing 

There is only one plan available at Teen Counseling, which includes one 30-minute live therapy session a week and unlimited messaging every day. The cost of the plan varies—pricing is visible once you have completed the registration process—but generally runs from about $60 to $90 per week, billed every 4 weeks. Missed sessions or weeks where a session is not booked are still charged, and cannot be rescheduled later. Teen Counseling does not submit to insurance and users are expected to pay out-of-pocket.

User Survey and Testing Insights 

Teen Counseling ranked slightly above average in our user survey, with 85% of users saying they were satisfied with their experience overall, compared to 84% of users across all surveyed platforms. Similarly, 72% of users said they recommended the company, compared to 71% of all surveyed companies. Teen Counseling did have a high percentage of users that sought therapy for ADHD—23%—which is quite a bit higher than the overall average of 16%, indicating it is likely well-versed in dealing with ADHD, as well as the specific needs of a teenage demographic.

05of 10

Best for Parental Support: ADDA Parent Support Group

Key Specs 

• Price: Free with ADDA membership ($15/month)
• Insurance accepted?: N/A
• Types of therapy: Peer support

Why We Chose It  

Peer support can be a great additional resource to traditional sessions with a therapist. The ADDA support group—for parents diagnosed with ADHD themselves, for those parenting children with ADHD, or both—is a great place to find encouragement, community, and support.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Low cost
• Access to an ADHD-specific parent community
• No commitment necessary

Cons

• No traditional therapy element
• Limited, fixed schedule
• Moderated by coaches, not licensed therapists

Overview 

While peer counseling should not be used as a replacement for therapy with a licensed professional, the challenges ADHD can bring to parenting are certainly worthy of a peer support group. 

The ADDA parent support group offers a safe, non-judgmental space for parents to share their concerns, vent frustrations, and gain a sense of community with other parents dealing with the same issues, whether they are living with ADHD themselves or have a child with ADHD.

Types of Therapy Offered 

This support group offers peer counseling, not formal group therapy. Sessions are held most Monday evenings. Each session is led by an ADHD/executive function coach (some of whom are also licensed therapists), who shares information on executive functioning skills and techniques for issues such as time management, emotional regulation, and staying organized. Executive functioning, which refers to the brain’s self-management and includes skills such as organization, focus, and working memory, is often impaired in those with ADHD; therefore, teaching ways of improving executive functioning skills is highly beneficial to those both with ADHD and who are parenting children with ADHD.

Plans & Pricing 

You can participate in the support group for free with ADDA membership ($15/month).

User Survey and Testing Insights 

As a peer counseling group rather than a formal therapy provider, the ADDA parent support group was not included in our user survey. However, ADDA is a 30-year-old organization with a solid history of providing beneficial education and support to people with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD, including free resources such as its Adult ADHD Starter Kit, 10 years’ worth of webinars, and a library of clients’ stories and professionals’ science-based best practices.

06of 10

Best for Diagnosis and Assessment: ADHD Online

Key Specs 

• Price: $99 to $199 per session
• Insurance accepted?: No
• Types of therapy: Individual, psychiatry/medication management

Why We Chose It 

This ADHD-specific platform allows users a convenient, simple way for you or your child to get assessed, diagnosed, and connected with a therapist and/or psychiatrist.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Online assessment does not require an appointment
• Diagnosis accepted in all states
• Affordable out-of-pocket session fee

Cons

• Medication management not available in some states
• Does not accept insurance
• Online assessment is automated and impersonal

Overview 

ADHD Online’s online assessment process is a fully automated series of questions developed by psychologists and physicians to evaluate and diagnose you or your child for ADHD. With an official diagnosis of ADHD, it’s easier for your child to get the assistance they might need, be that in school or at home, with behavior plans or medication. The site also offers medication management and some limited therapy options.

Types of Therapy Offered 

The site’s online assessment process is dynamic, and adapts to the user’s age. It takes about an hour to complete, after which the results are evaluated by a psychologist, and a diagnosis or exclusion for ADHD is returned within a few days. The resulting diagnosis is accepted in all states, and can be widely used for insurance purposes, or for seeking therapy or medication.

The diagnosis can also be used on the site’s own medication management page, where an initial consult will include receiving a prescription, if appropriate. ADHD Online’s treatment plans can include any ADHD medications, including both stimulant and non-stimulant drugs, as well as blood-pressure medication, wakefulness-promoting medication, and anti-viral medication, which are all used off-label to treat ADHD. Medication management services through ADHD Online are available in over 40 states.

The site also offers talk therapy sessions, although only in 8 states: Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Plans & Pricing 

ADHD Online does not offer a subscription plan. Sessions are charged individually. It does not accept insurance, but can provide an itemized statement that you can submit for reimbursement yourself. 

The initial online assessment costs $179, after which a consultation to receive a prescription costs $199. Follow-up visits are $169. Teletherapy services are $99 per session.

User Survey and Testing Insights 

As a niche company focused only on ADHD, ADHD Online was not included in our general therapy company survey. However, its online diagnostic assessment is extremely thorough and its comprehensive ADHD services stand out among the other non-ADHD-specific resources we surveyed.

07of 10

Best for Children: Little Otter

Key Specs 

• Price: $90 initial session, $200 standard session price
• Insurance accepted?: Kaiser Permanente only
• Types of therapy: Child (ages 0 to 14), adult, couples, parent coaching

Why We Chose It 

Little Otter is one of the only online therapy companies that specializes in children and will see children from toddlers to teenagers for issues including ADHD.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Specializes in child therapy
• Psychiatry and medication management available
• Parent coaching available

Cons

• Expensive session rate
• Only takes one insurance plan
• Not available in all states

Overview  

Little Otter focuses on the mental health of children ages 0 to 14, and lists ADHD as one of its specialties, as children can be as young as 4 when first diagnosed with ADHD.⁷ It also offers parental training and support, as well as couples therapy specific to resolving parenting issues.

Types of Therapy Offered 

Little Otter offers services from child therapists, child psychiatrists, and parent specialists. It takes an integrated approach, and works with all family members as well as a child’s pediatrician and daycare staff or teachers. In addition to therapy sessions for children, it provides psychiatry services as well as therapy and coaching to parents struggling with their own mental health issues, or couples therapy to parents experiencing friction in parenting issues. 

While the site is highly specific to child-related therapy, Little Otter’s range is limited—it does not have therapists in all states. However, the site does have a resources page that offers free, accessible information in the form of an in-depth blog you can search by age or issue. There are also downloadable resource kits on topics like bullying, anxiety, and sleep, and a free “ask a therapist” page where children or parents can pose any question they like. There is also a shop with mental health resources, such as flashcards on emotions and healthy routines, affirming posters, and children’s mindfulness journals.

Plans & Pricing  

Little Otter is on the high end for online therapy pricing.

• Standard therapy sessions (45 minutes) cost $200.
• The initial intake session (30 minutes) is $90. 
• A general psychiatry evaluation (75 minutes) is $500.
• Follow-up psychiatry/medication management sessions (30 minutes) are $250.

Discount bundles are available: $540 for a 90-minute assessment and one standard session (a 10% discount) and $2,040 for 12 standard sessions (a 15% discount). 

Sessions are scheduled and billed individually; there is no subscription plan. Little Otter is out-of-network for every insurance plan except Kaiser Permanente and sessions will be charged to a credit card a day prior to the session. However, it will provide a superbill for reimbursement purposes, and its FAQ claims most plans will reimburse 40% to 70% of costs for therapy and psychiatry services (but not for parent coaching).

User Survey and Testing Insights 

Little Otter scored lower than average for overall user satisfaction. It received positive overall ratings from 71% of surveyed users, below the average of all 55 companies we surveyed, which was 86%. However, 23% of Little Otter users said they were seeking help with ADHD symptoms, quite a bit over the average of 16%. Fifty-eight percent of Little Otter users said they would recommend the platform to a friend, lower than the average across all platforms, which was 71%. However, since it is the only platform we reviewed geared specifically toward children, we feel Little Otter still offers outstanding child-specific services that other companies in our survey could not compete with.

08of 10

Best for Family Therapy: LifeStance

Key Specs 

• Price: Varies
• Insurance accepted?: Yes
• Types of therapy: Individual, family, child-parent, adolescent, peer support

Why We Chose It  

LifeStance offers a variety of different forms of family therapy, including systemic, structural, and strategic. It lists ADHD as one of its specialties, and offers family therapy equipped to tackle this issue. With ADHD-specific family therapy, your entire family can benefit from discussing any issues that have come up around your child’s diagnosis and working to find solutions to problems centered around or related to ADHD.

Pros & Cons 

Pros

• Takes insurance
• Services include psychological evaluation and medication management
• Therapy can be in person, online, or both

Cons

• Only available in 32 states
• No up-front pricing or blanket insurance coverage
• Directory style therapist search, no matching function

Overview 

LifeStance is a therapy company that offers both in-person care at over 600 locations and telehealth care in 32 states. It is a reasonably popular choice for telehealth therapy, and offers a wide range of services with many kinds of therapy, psychiatry, and evaluations, including for ADHD. However, it has received criticism for its lack of transparency around billing. There is no pricing page on its site, and directory bios do not list individual therapist’s rates.

Types of Therapy Offered  

LifeStance’s family therapy options cater to a wide variety of needs, including family members dealing with ADHD. It offers three separate forms of family therapy: Structural, which looks at the connection between children’s emotional issues and dysfunctional family structures; strategic, which works to restructure family interactions to end problematic behavior in kids; and systemic, which examines how every member of a family’s interactions affect the family unit as a whole. 

LifeStance recommends family therapy to households that have high drama or violence, emotionally charged family get-togethers, or a family member that has drifted apart from the family. 

In addition to family therapy, LifeStance offers child and adolescent therapy and psychiatry, child-parent therapy, and individual and couples therapy. ADHD and problems arising from it can also be addressed in family therapy.

Plans & Pricing 

LifeStance’s pricing varies by provider, and is not provided up front. Session rates are only available by registering and signing up for services. It is not a subscription service, and sessions are billed individually. 

User Survey and Testing Insights 

In our user survey, 88% of users rated their overall experience with therapy from LifeStance as good, very good, or excellent, a higher score than the overall average of 84% across all companies we surveyed. Seventy-five percent of Lifestance users said they recommended the company, which was also above the average of 71%. Twenty-one percent of LifeStance users reported seeking help with family issues—slightly higher than the average, which was 20%. The overall cost of therapy was only important to 6% of users, quite a bit less than the overall average of 11%, suggesting LifeStance’s difficult-to-determine price structure is a deterrent to some users.

09of 10

Best Subscription Service: Talkspace

Key Specs 

• Price: $65 to $109 per week
• Insurance accepted?: Yes
• Types of therapy: Individual

Why We Chose It  

While most therapy options in this list are billed per session, Talkspace’s popular subscription plan simplifies billing and scheduling with its monthly subscription service format. This makes ADHD-related mental health care accessible and affordable to many parents and their teenagers, especially to kids who prefer communicating with their therapist through text.

Pros & Cons  

Pros

• Available in all 50 states
• Takes insurance
• Convenient app hosts sessions and offers unlimited messaging
• Medication management available

Cons

• Not available to children under 13
• Does not cater specifically to ADHD
• Text-message centered therapy can feel impersonal

Overview 

Talkspace has become one of the most popular online therapy options, and many users enjoy its unlimited text messaging feature. Its most affordable plan is limited to texting alone. Or, you can opt for a plan that includes a weekly live session, which can be held over video, phone, or online chat. If your child needs ADHD services but is nervous about seeing a therapist in-person, Talkspace’s messaging service might appeal to them.

Talkspace does offer medication management, but does not prescribe controlled substances, so stimulant ADHD treatments like Adderall are not available.

Types of Therapy Offered 

Talkspace offers individual and couples therapy, as well as teen therapy for ages 13 to 17. It also offers therapy specifically catered to the LGBTQIA+ and veteran communities, making mental health services available to many different types of families. Additionally, it has an affordable “self-guided” therapy option. Unfortunately, there is no option for treatment for children, nor is there access to stimulant ADHD medication. Although subscription-style therapy companies are generally more broad-based than companies that require you to book individual sessions, we still consider Talkspace the best subscription option for ADHD, as it does provide medication management and has thousands of providers with many different specializations, including ADHD. The fact that it treats any member of the family over the age of 13 makes it a strong choice for ADHD services.

Plans & Pricing 

There are three plan options for individual therapy at Talkspace:

• Messaging therapy ($69/week): Unlimited messaging with your therapist five days a week
• Video + messaging therapy ($99/week): Unlimited messaging and one 30-minute live session a week 
• Video + messaging + workshops ($109/week): Includes texting and one live session per week, as well as weekly workshops on a variety of mental health issues

Plans are billed monthly (every four weeks), but can be paid three or six months upfront for a 10% or 20% discount. 

Other services include:

• Couples therapy: Starts at $396 per month, with weekly video sessions included along with messaging
• Psychiatry: $249 for the initial session, then $125 per follow-up session 

Talkspace does take insurance. Check if your insurance is accepted here, or view in-network insurance providers here. Payments from flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) are accepted.

User Survey and Testing Insights 

Ninety percent of Talkspace users rated the company as good, very good, or excellent overall, compared to 84% of users across all platforms. Eighty-three percent of Talkspace users said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapist options at Talkspace, compared to an average of only 70%. Seventy-five percent of Talkspace users said they would return if they needed therapy again, compared to just 59% of users on all platforms. Sixteen percent of Talkspace users were seeking help with ADHD symptoms, exactly the same as the average across all platforms, suggesting that Talkspace is capable of performing on par with other providers in terms of ADHD care.

10of 10

Best Directory: CHADD

Key Specs 

• Price: Varies by provider
• Insurance accepted?: Varies by provider
• Types of therapy: Individual, child, parent coaching

Why We Chose It 

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) was founded in 1987, making it one of the longest-standing organizations for ADHD. Its website offers a wide range of ADHD resources, including a large directory of individual professionals and entire centers focused on ADHD. Parents who are seeking services not only for their child with ADHD but for support for themselves as well would benefit from this large directory of ADHD-specific resources.

Pros & Cons  

Pros

• Directory is free to use
• All therapists listed specialize in ADHD
• Search for individual therapists or ADHD centers

Cons

• No therapist matching feature
• Not all providers take insurance
• Cannot email therapists or book appointments from the site

Overview 

CHADD is one of the largest and oldest organizations for ADHD, and it offers a wealth of resources on its website. Its directory covers all 50 states, and allows users to search for a variety of individual professionals, or for specialized ADHD clinics in their area for in-person care. It also has resources specific to the treatment of children and teens, which can be difficult to find in the online therapy space.

Types of Therapy Offered 

CHADD’s directory search function is highly customizable, and users can search for professionals that cater to a specific population (children, parents of children with ADHD, adolescents, etc.) or by profession (such as coach, therapist, physician, or social worker). 

For parents who have a good idea of what they and their child need and are willing to invest time and effort in researching and contacting therapists, CHADD’s extensive directory is a great jumping-off point for discovering ADHD-specific therapy options. 

Plans & Pricing 

The therapist bios in CHADD’s directory do not specify session costs; users must contact therapists to inquire about their rates. 

The bios do list whether or not the provider takes insurance, but not which plans.

User Survey and Testing Insights 

As an ADHD-specific resource, CHADD’s directory was not included in our general therapy user survey. However, it is one of the oldest and most comprehensive ADHD organizations, and its directory of providers makes searching for ADHD-specific treatment easy.

Final Verdict 

Ultimately, choosing the right ADHD therapy for your child or your family depends on your needs, but the good news is that there are a lot of great companies offering ADHD therapy for families like yours. We recommend Talkiatry as the best overall option for ADHD care. As many people with ADHD need prescriptions for controlled substances, Talkiatry’s ability to prescribe these medications—coupled with its reputation for safe, appropriate prescription practices—stood out for setting a high standard of ADHD psychiatry care. Combined with its psychiatrist-based model, and ability to refer patients to in-house therapists, we found Talkiatry to be an outstanding all-around option for anyone seeking care for ADHD. 

However, if your child is younger or just diagnosed, Little Otter may work better because it provides services that support the entire family, while CHADD’s ADHD directory might be best for seeking out a highly intensive level of care. We also think Talkspace is noteworthy for its subscription plan, which may be the easiest solution for immediate care.

Compare the Best Online ADHD Therapy 

COMPANY	PRICE	INSURANCE ACCEPTED?	TYPES OF THERAPY
TALKIATRY BEST OVERALL	Varies based on insurance	Yes	Psychiatry/medication management, individual therapy
TELADOC  BEST WITH INSURANCE	$0-$99 for therapy, $0-$299 for psychiatry	Yes	Individual, couples
AMWELL BEST FOR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADHD	$109-$129 per session	Yes	Individual, couples, group, family
TEEN COUNSELINGBEST FOR TEENS	$60-$90 per week	No	Teens age 13 to 17
ADDA PARENT SUPPORT GROUP BEST FOR PARENTAL SUPPORT	Free with $15 membership fee	No	Peer support
ADHD ONLINE BEST FOR DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT	$99-$199 per session	No	Individual, psychiatry/medication management
LITTLE OTTER BEST FOR CHILDREN	$90 initial session, $200 standard session	Kaiser Permanente only	Child, adult, couples, parent coaching
LIFESTANCE BEST FOR FAMILY THERAPY	Varies by provider	Yes	Individual, family, child-parent, adolescent, peer support
TALKSPACE BEST SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE	$65 -$109 per week	Yes	Individual
CHADD BEST DIRECTORY	Varies by provider	Varies by provider	Individual, child, parent coaching

Guide to Choosing the Best Online ADHD Therapy 

What Does ADHD Therapy Look Like? 

ADHD therapy typically involves talk therapy that focuses specifically on ADHD issues, such as executive functioning. It can be individual, group, or family therapy, and you can find services that treat children specifically, support parents through their child’s treatment, or both. A study on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a very common form of talk therapy, in a group setting for adults with ADHD found that the therapy helped raise self-esteem, self-efficacy (ways to manage behaviors towards a specific goal), and knowledge about the disorder.⁸

What Types of Online ADHD Therapy Are Offered? 

Therapy can vary based on who in the family needs care and what kind of care will work best for your child and yourself. There are group therapy sessions where users can gain peer support in a community setting, a practice shown to help raise self-esteem and reduce feelings of shame in adolescents.⁹ Family therapy is a good option when an individual’s ADHD affects the entire family and/or family dynamics exacerbate their ADHD symptoms. The most common form of therapy for ADHD (even for kids) is individual therapy, which has many different approaches, including CBT, structural therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based therapy. The goals of individual therapy are often to reduce symptoms and also address issues of self-esteem or identity a person with ADHD may be facing. ADHD coaching is also popular. It focuses specifically on strengthening executive functioning skills like time management, planning, and organization. It might take some time for families to figure out what works best for them all or what their child needs specifically from treatment, and that’s ok.

Comparing Online ADHD Therapy 

There are several factors to consider when choosing a provider for online ADHD therapy. 

• Cost: If you have insurance you want to use to pay for therapy, a good place to start is by finding a platform or provider that accepts your insurance. If you are uninsured and want to keep costs down, look for an option with sliding-scale fees. 
• Topic: What issues are you looking to address in therapy? There are options for parent coaching, individual therapy to help kids struggling with self-esteem or classroom concentration, and therapy that can help adults with organization and social issues. 
• Scheduling: If your schedule is limited, finding a platform that allows you to search by available time slots or specific days is helpful. 
• Location: Even if you are planning on getting therapy online, finding a provider that works in your state is necessary. If you are in a state that does not have any therapists, finding a therapist who works as a “coach” can be a good way to expand your search to out-of-state providers. 
• What your child needs: Does your child feel more comfortable speaking to their therapist via text message? Do certain symptoms bother them more than others? Choose a provider or a service that can work best for your child and personalize their care.
• Other issues: If you have specific needs in a certain area—say, you want to be able to switch therapists easily, or still need a diagnosis, or want to work with a specific therapy technique—start your search by finding a provider that meets that need. Starting your search based on factors that are most important to you is a good way to find the best options for you.

Who Is Online ADHD Therapy Right For?  

ADHD therapy is appropriate for children and teenagers diagnosed with ADHD, as well as for the families, parents, and caregivers supporting them. A diagnosis of ADHD should be made before beginning ADHD therapy, and it can often be done online by the same companies or providers that offer therapy. Additionally, resources specifically for parents or caregivers of children with ADHD can provide valuable emotional support and guidance on how best to support their kids and families.

What If I’m Having Thoughts of Harming Myself?  

Mental health can be a difficult thing to maintain, and if you are struggling, there is no need to do so alone. If you are thinking of harming yourself, call the national mental health emergency hotline at 988 immediately. 

For chat-based emergency support, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to text with someone who can help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does Online Therapy Help With ADHD?
• What Are Common Symptoms of ADHD?
  
• Can You Be Tested for ADHD Online?
• Can ADHD Be Treated Without Medication?

Methodology 

We compared 55 different online therapy companies, surveying 105 users at each and testing the services ourselves. We also considered 25 popular therapist directories, testing the platform across 18 zipcodes and surveying 180 users at each. We also spoke with three licensed therapists in order to determine which companies were best for our list.

When assessing the services for this list, we looked for companies that specialized or were set up to treat the needs of people with ADHD. This meant that we looked for companies with a staff of therapists or psychiatrists with specialized experience. We also weighed other factors, such as affordability, accessibility, and prescribing policies.

Edited by Hannah Owens and Simone Scully

Source: https://www.parents.com/best-adhd-therapy-7108199