Talkiatry online psychiatry review 2024 | expert insights

What is Talkiatry?

Talkiatry is a mental health service provider that primarily focuses on psychiatric care through telehealth visits. The company aims to make psychiatric care more accessible and convenient for patients by leveraging technology and a network of qualified mental health professionals. 

Talkiatry has more benefits than drawbacks, and overall, we think it’s an affordable platform with quality providers. While the Talkiatry platform does not offer therapy services alongside medication management, consumers can utilize their insurance to access virtual psychiatric care that’s tailored to their needs. You will be matched with a clinician through Talkiatry, and continue to meet with the same person as you continue to address your mental health treatment.

We like that many aspects of the platform are quick and easy. The sign-up process is seamless. It took us 10 minutes to complete, and we encountered no issues or delays. It also didn’t take long to be matched with a provider. You can be matched on the same day as signing up. If you need an appointment soon, the care coordinator may be able to find an appointment within the next few days, so you won’t have to wait long to receive care. A Talkiatry user we spoke to said that she was able to schedule her initial appointment for the next day. 

The ease of the platform applies to medication refills as well. You can request refills in the patient portal, Healow, with the click of a button. There’s no need to send a message to your provider and wait for a response. A Talkiatry user reported her medications were often available within the same day she requested the refill. Additionally, providers can order blood tests to gather more information about your health, which speaks to the level of care you receive. (2) Through Healow, you can also send messages to your provider and expect to receive a response in less than a day. Talkiatry users we spoke to reported receiving responses often within a few hours. 

Overall, the promptness and ease are impressive. Signing up, scheduling an appointment with a provider, receiving your medication, or receiving a response when messaging your provider are quick and easy. Plus, these processes were seamless.

How does Talkiatry work?

To sign up for Talkiatry, you must complete a short assessment on its website or mobile app. It took us about 10 minutes to complete. The assessment begins with an eligibility check. It asks for your state of residence and insurance plan to make sure you’re eligible for the platform, since it’s only available in 42 states and Washington, D.C., and it only accepts certain insurance plans. 

After the eligibility check, it will ask you personal and clinical questions to understand why you’re seeking psychiatric care and how your provider may be able to help you. 

Match with a provider

Once you’ve completed the assessment, you’ll be matched with a provider, and you can schedule your first visit at a convenient time. 

In some cases, Talkiatry may need to gather more information from you, so a care coordinator may request to schedule a 15-minute phone call. When we were asked to schedule the phone call, we only saw open availability for the next three days, but there were plenty of time slots to choose from. You can contact customer service if none of the time slots work with your schedule. 

During the phone call, the care coordinator will ask you for any additional information they need, like insurance information, and they will work with you to find an appointment time for your initial consultation.

We were impressed by the fact that if you need an appointment soon, Talkiatry will do its best to match you with someone who is immediately available.

Another Talkiatry user we spoke to said that she had worked with three different psychiatrists while using the platform, and each one was a great match for her. She explained that the providers specialized to her specific needs and were caring and willing to help.

Live video sessions

The initial consultation is a live video session that lets you see if the matched provider is a good fit for you and if they can help you with your current symptoms. Here are some tips for preparing for a video telehealth visit:

• Find a quiet spot where you feel comfortable to talk openly.
• Ensure the spot you’re taking the session also has good access to the internet.
• Tell your provider or the care coordinator if you need a screen reader, closed captioning, a translator, or other support.
• Sign on early to make sure you can connect to your visit successfully.
• Test your speakers or headphones to make sure you can hear well.

The initial session is 60 minutes for adults or 75 minutes for children and teens. If you’re interested in Talkiatry for your child, note that a parent or guardian must be present for the initial consultation with the provider. The ability for a child to have an extended session can be beneficial, as it can take time for kids to open up about their issues. Parents can add insight too, which can help establish appropriate medication treatment for the child. After the initial session, a parent or guardian will not be required for follow-up visits. Before each session, you will fill out a quick questionnaire and can input any vitals like your heart rate.

You and your psychiatrist decide how often you should meet after the initial appointment. Follow-up sessions are 30 minutes long for adults or 45 minutes for teens and children. If you find that your provider isn’t a good fit, you can call or email customer service to switch providers.

Who is Talkiatry right for?

Talkiatry is best for people who have insurance, are seeking medication management for a mental health condition (3), and are experiencing mild to moderate mental health symptoms. Some conditions that can benefit from Talkiatry’s services are: 

• Anxiety disorders: Those experiencing generalized anxiety disorders, social anxiety, panic disorders, and other anxiety-related conditions.
• Depression: Individuals with major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and other forms of depression can receive diagnosis, treatment, and medication management.
• Bipolar disorder: Patients with bipolar disorder can get support managing mood swings and other symptoms through therapy and medication.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Both children and adults with ADHD can benefit from diagnosis, treatment plans, and medication management.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Those with OCD can receive specialized care to manage compulsions and intrusive thoughts.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Individuals with PTSD can find support and treatment to manage symptoms stemming from trauma.
• Other psychiatric conditions: Talkiatry is equipped to handle a wide array of other mental health issues, ensuring comprehensive psychiatric care.

Additionally, Talkiatry is right for people seeking convenient and accessible care, such as individuals living in remote locations, busy professionals, students, and caregivers. It’s also ideal for people with social anxiety, mobility issues, and frequent travelers.

Talkiatry can only provide care for people with certain health insurance plans. If you are having severe symptoms, we recommend that you seek in-person care to receive the best treatment.

Who should seek an alternative to Talkiatry

Talkiatry isn’t the right fit for everyone. For example, someone who requires more extensive care or whose mental health concerns cause safety concerns, an in-person psychiatric provider is needed. Individuals with intensive care needs may need a higher level of care, such as residential treatment, that Talkiatry is not equipped for. Talkiatry cannot provide treatment to the following groups of people:

• People who have schizophrenia or eating disorders.
• People who are currently experiencing suicidal ideation.
• People who need medication that must be given in person.
• People who were hospitalized for a mental health condition within the last six months.

Talkiatry is only available in certain states. Suppose you live in New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, or Delaware. In that case, Talkiatry is unavailable in your state, and you should look for an alternate platform. If Talkiatry isn’t right for you, we recommend looking at Brightside or Talkspace for psychiatric treatment. 

How therapists are onboarded

Talkiatry is primarily a psychiatry practice, though it does have therapists on staff to see patients who are also seeing one of our psychiatrists. The onboarding process for psychiatrists and therapists is similar. 

Talkiatry will host a multi-day virtual orientation experience for all new clinicians designed to help introduce them to the community and their work as psychiatrists and therapists in the practice. Over the course of three full days of live classroom learning, new clinicians meet as a cohort with the Learning & Development team to learn and practice using Talkiatry’s electronic medical record to document their work with patients.

To build community with and learn from existing clinicians at Talkiatry, they meet with clinical leadership, clinical support teams, and a clinical buddy along the way. Clinicians return to orientation after two days of seeing patients to ask questions of experts and further hone their expertise.

How many therapists are on the platform

Since this number is not readily available on the website, we reached out to Talkiatry for more information. Talkiatry has over 300 full-time psychiatrists and over 75 full-time therapists. It is not an app or a matching service. Talkiatry is a national, virtual practice. All of the doctors are employed by Talkiatry directly. Each one is individually vetted, and Talkiatry does everything it can to ensure the highest possible standard of care.

Onboarding new users

Talkiatry is primarily a psychiatry practice. While there are therapists on staff to work with patients who are also seeing one of our psychiatrists, patients come in through psychiatry first. Here’s how it works:

• Online assessment: As a new user, you must answer a few questions about your insurance, where you live, what you’re looking for and your medical history. This usually takes about 10 minutes.
• Matching: Talkiatry will use the answers to find psychiatrists that are the best match for you.
• Choose your psychiatrist: Review the matches, read about their qualifications and approach, and choose one you’d like to see.
• Schedule your first appointment: Find a time that works for your schedule, 100% online.
• Therapy: If you’re interested in seeing a Talkiatry therapist as well, let your psychiatrist know and they’ll refer you to one of the in-house therapists.

How are new users matched with a therapist?

The process is slightly different for psychiatrists and therapists. Talkiatry patients start with a psychiatrist, and if they’d like to work with one of the in-house therapists in addition to the psychiatrist, Talkiatry is happy to collaborate on care. Here’s how it connects patients with psychiatrists: 

The process starts with a short online assessment, where Talkiatry will ask questions about a patient’s medical history, insurance, location, and preferences. Based on those responses, it will match prospective patients with 1-3 providers to choose from. They choose a psychiatrist and schedule a first visit. The team at Talkiatry is also available to help patients if they don’t see a match they believe is right for them.

Here’s how Talkiatry’s assessment narrows down the list:

• Location: Even though it’s all virtual, each patient’s psychiatrist needs to be licensed to practice medicine in their state.
• Age range: Psychiatrists often specialize in treating a specific population (adult, child and adolescent, and geriatric patients).
• Reason for the visit: Talkiatry will match patients with a doctor who fits their clinical needs based on their responses or past diagnoses.
• Specialties: For patients seeking providers with specific expertise (including LGBTQIA+, or perinatal care), Talkiatry will find doctors with that experience and training.
• Provider preferences: Talkiatry will take into account any preferences the prospective patient has noted in the assessment.
• Availability: Care shouldn’t have to wait. Talkiatry can find psychiatrists that have availability in days, not weeks or months.

Talkiatry vs. other online psychiatry platforms

	Talkiatry	Brightside	Talkspace	Sesame	LiveHealth Online
Rating	Coming Soon	Coming Soon	Coming Soon	Coming Soon	Coming Soon
Cost	$30 copay on average	$95/month	$299 evaluation, $175/follow-up session	$43+	$185 initial evaluation, $80/follow-up session
Care option	Psychiatry	Psychiatry and therapy	Psychiatry	Psychiatry and therapy	Psychiatry and therapy
Insurance accepted	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Financial aid	No	No	No	No, but low costs available	No, but low costs available
Prescriptions available	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Prescribes controlled substance	Yes	No	No	No	No
	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
		Read Review	Read Review

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Our Experts

Rychel Johnson

Rychel Johnson, M.S., LCPC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Kansas. She owns a private practice specializing in anxiety treatment and social skills development. Rychel also enjoys extensive road trips and spending time with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

Krista Manning

Krista Manning is an accomplished medical copy editor and fact-checker who stands out in the pharmaceutical, health, and wellness domains. With a meticulous eye for detail and a command of medical language, Krista ensures the accuracy and clarity of content. Beyond her professional expertise, Krista is an advocate for mental health awareness. Recognizing the crucial intersection of psychological and physical well-being, she actively contributes to projects that promote mental health awareness within the healthcare narrative. Krista’s commitment extends beyond the pages she edits, emphasizing the holistic nature of health communication.