As a therapist, I've spent years helping others navigate the mental health care system, and I’ve been intrigued and curious to see if online therapy truly can deliver on these promises. That’s why when I needed individual and couples therapy myself, I turned to one of these virtual platforms — Amwell, which provides both medical and mental health services — to see if it could help me find a quick and straightforward option. I was optimistic, but I also worried about whether it could live up to my high standards as a therapist. Here’s how my experience went.
Amwell offers:
Amwell does not offer a therapy subscription; instead, you pay a flat fee of $109 per session if you’re not using insurance. Psychiatry sessions are $129 per session. You are billed before your session takes place.
Amwell is in network with many major insurance plans, including Anthem, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United Healthcare, which means you could pay less out of pocket depending on your provider. It does not accept Medicaid or Medicare.
Getting started with Amwell is fairly simple. First, I created a free account by entering my name, address, and insurance details, then I filled out an intake questionnaire.
I was asked about my mental health history, whether I take medication, and why I was seeking therapy. I also provided my medical history, including whether I have any diagnosed or allergies, and what immunizations I've had.
After completing the questionnaire, I was directed to a list of providers licensed in my state. I could sort providers by date available, name, gender, or specialty. I could also select a psychiatrist.
I would’ve preferred to refine my search further, using filters such as age groups treated, clinical specialties, provider gender, and treatment modalities. I had to click into each provider’s bio to see those details, as well as information about what languages they spoke; their years of experience, professional education, licensure, and location; and the services offered, such as individual and couples therapy. This made the sorting process time-consuming, especially compared with services that match you with a therapist.
Kentucky recently ranked sixteenth in a list of states with “mental health deserts,” meaning areas that lack providers. There weren’t a ton of providers in my state via Amwell either, though I found some whose experience aligned with my care needs. I chose female providers specializing in women’s mental health.
Before my first therapy appointment, I filled out the health questionnaires again. While the process takes less than five minutes, it felt like a waste of time to do this before each appointment — if you don't log on early, it can make you late for your session.
Joining the waiting room for my first session was not as complicated as I anticipated; I just clicked the provided link, and I was in. Before joining, I could test the features for my camera and microphone to confirm that everything on my device worked.
However, my initial therapy session with Amwell didn’t go as planned. Actually, it didn’t happen at all. I logged in as the first person on the call, but then I just sat there, and sat there, and sat there. After 15 minutes, I was frustrated that my provider didn’t show and hopped off the call.
I gave it another shot though, and the same thing happened again. And then it happened again.
In all, I scheduled with three providers offering individual therapy, but each time I had a scheduled appointment, the clinicians never showed.
While this may be a reflection of the providers rather than Amwell as a service, it was beyond frustrating.
To make matters worse, after each of these empty sessions, a charge of $109 appeared on my credit card. There were no clear directions on handling payment in the patient portal, so these erroneous charges made the situation even more stressful. I also couldn’t reach customer service to inquire about this or resolve the issues.
That said, 24 hours later, the charges were refunded, though I never spoke to someone. I was reassured that I wasn’t charged for sessions that never happened, but this definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.
As therapists, we’re taught to avoid countertransference, when our feelings may influence how we interact with a client during a session. Self-care is essential to avoid this, and going to therapy ourselves is a big part of self-care. (Yes, therapists need therapists, too. We need to work through anything that could influence the therapeutic relationship or process.) Being a therapist is a stressful job because you’re constantly helping other people, and I really wanted to have these sessions. I was extremely disappointed.
To reschedule a session, I would have had to call customer service at least 24 hours before my appointment or be charged $40.
Plus, when you schedule an appointment on Amwell, you must enter your phone number and then you receive a text to confirm your appointment and a reminder on the day of your session. I don’t know if Amwell also uses these reminders for the therapists, but my experience with no-shows made me wonder. Maybe they should start if they aren’t.
Amwell’s couples therapy went much better than the no-show individual sessions. And not just because the provider actually showed up!
From the beginning of the session, our couples therapist was professional and kind. He took the time to introduce himself and build a rapport with my partner and me. Then he gave us a rundown on what to expect from our sessions together. He even went over what to do if our session was disconnected, which I appreciated (we didn't end up having any technical issues). He tended to guide our session, but he left an appropriate amount of time for my partner and I to discuss our thoughts. He also provided detailed feedback and engaged with what we wanted to talk about, rather than forcing interventions.
That said, the session felt short because it was only 45 minutes long. This is the standard time for Amwell sessions, which differs from the 55 to 60 minutes I’m accustomed to and prefer.
Still, my partner and I felt comfortable with the provider we saw and had a good experience. Unfortunately, we couldn't schedule a follow-up session within the same month because of our provider’s limited availability. While we hoped to be on a more regular schedule, we were able to make an appointment within four weeks. This may not be an issue with every Amwell provider.
Amwell has a messaging system that allows you to contact your provider directly.
However, the level of contact varies by provider. You can only message with some providers if you’re an established patient, meaning you’ve completed at least one visit with them. Others allow messages from potential clients. I attempted to use the messaging feature to contact the providers who didn’t show up, but I couldn’t connect with them because I wasn’t already listed as one of their clients.
Customer service was my least favorite part of my experience with Amwell. When the first provider I was scheduled with didn’t show up and I couldn’t reach them via message, I called customer service, which was a mistake. My call was disconnected after I’d been on hold for 15 minutes (in addition to the 15 minutes I just spent waiting for my therapist to arrive).
I had the same experience following the two subsequent no-shows: The providers never showed up, and I never spoke with a customer service representative over the phone. I also tried sending a message to the “virtual assistant” available in the waiting room during the virtual visit. The assistant stated that it would contact the provider to see what was going on, but there was no response, even after multiple attempts to contact customer service again.
In addition, I tried connecting with an Amwell team member by texting the number that sent the appointment reminder. They did not respond to my question but continued to send what I assumed were automatic reminders about future sessions.
To reschedule a visit with an Amwell provider, there are two options:
Text reminders also allow you to cancel your visit and direct you to either call customer service or visit the provider’s bio to schedule another appointment. There is a $40 fee if you miss a session or don’t cancel and reschedule within 24 hours.
Unlike online therapy subscription services like BetterHelp or Talkspace, at Amwell, you pay a flat fee per visit. This does make the costs a little higher than the monthly subscription cost at BetterHelp, but I ended up being grateful that I paid per session when I started having issues with no-show therapists.
Amwell is less advanced than larger online therapy services like Talkspace or BetterHelp. The website needs to be updated, and the customer service is lacking. There were a limited number of providers for my state, but this could be different for other parts of the country. However, Amwell’s easy-to-use interface sets it apart from other services that may be more difficult to operate.
Overall, my experience with Amwell was mixed. After three failed attempts to see a therapist for individual therapy, I gave up. But I really liked my couples therapy sessions, and so did my partner. In fact, it was such a positive experience, we plan to continue seeing him. As a result, I would recommend using Amwell for couples therapy if you’re not dealing with serious relationship problems that may require a more specialized provider or longer session times (some private practice therapists, for example, offer sessions up to 90 minutes).
Not sure if Amwell is what you’re looking for? Check out our list of some of our favorite couples therapy platforms.
If you or a loved one is experiencing significant distress or domestic violence, or is having thoughts about suicide and needs support, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. If you need immediate help, call 911.
So far, we’ve tested over 60 online therapy companies that offer individual, couples, teen, kids, and group therapy, as well as some platforms that offer psychiatry. For each service, we sign up for at least a month (sometimes multiple months if the service offers various types of therapy), and we evaluate each one based on its sign-up and intake process, therapist qualifications, pricing, and overall quality of care. Each tester is either a licensed therapist, like I am, or a professional health journalist with extensive experience testing and reporting on healthcare services and products.
Bailee Boggess McCoy, MSW, CSW, is a Kentucky-based writer, consultant, and mental health therapist. She specializes in health and wellness content and has clinical expertise in women's mental health, adoption, complex trauma, and identity development. Her work has been featured in Parade magazine and the quarterly issues of Fostering Families Today, as well as Live Science, Career Cloud, and other outlets.
She also has a background in clinical research, geriatrics, and neuropsychology-neurolinguistics. Her scientific research has been presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders.
Across her clinical and content-creating work, she finds joy in helping people find their voices and tell their stories. When she’s not writing or researching, she enjoys playing with her dog, reading, and traveling with her husband. She’s also a true crime enthusiast and a passionate creative.
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