Brightside: Online Therapy and Psychiatry Platform

Providing Accessible and Affordable Online Therapy

Brightside is an online counseling and psychiatry platform aiming to make quality mental health care more accessible and affordable. With Brightside, you can get matched with a licensed therapist or psychiatrist who can provide online counseling, prescribe medication if needed, and help you work through conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, and more.

The Brightside Platform

The Brightside platform makes it easy to get started with online therapy. You simply fill out a questionnaire about your mental health history and needs. Then, Brightside’s care team reviews your responses and matches you with a therapist or psychiatrist they feel could help you.

Once matched, you can start booking video or phone sessions through the Brightside platform. The platform also includes tools to communicate with your care provider between sessions and keep track of homework or activities you’re meant to work on.

What Conditions Can Brightside Help With?

Some of the common conditions the Brightside platform can help address include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• OCD
• Bipolar disorder
• ADHD
• Grief
• Life transitions
• Chronic illness
• Sleep issues
• Anger management
• Substance abuse
• Relationship problems

Brightside’s therapists and psychiatrists can provide counseling and support to help manage symptoms, develop healthy coping strategies, adjust medication if necessary, and generally help you thrive despite mental health challenges.

Prescriptions and Medication Management

One of the key benefits of Brightside is the ability to get medication prescribed online. The platform employs board-certified psychiatrists who can prescribe common psychiatric medications like antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and more based on your symptoms and needs.

The platform also includes ongoing medication management. Your Brightside psychiatrist will monitor how any prescribed medications are working for you, adjust dosages if needed, and ensure you have refill access.

How Much Does Brightside Therapy Cost?

Compared to traditional in-office therapy, Brightside offers significant savings. Exact pricing depends on the type of care provider you’re matched with, but costs are clear and affordable.

Brightside Membership Plans

Brightside offers three main membership plan options:

• Therapy Only - $60 per week. Includes unlimited text messaging and one 30-minute video session with your therapist.
• Therapy + Psychiatry - $100 per week. Includes everything in the Therapy Only plan plus prescription access and medication management from a Brightside psychiatrist.
• Psychiatry Only - $100 per week. For individuals who only require medication management rather than regular therapy.

All plans include unlimited text messaging with your care provider in between sessions. There are also options to add-on extra session time or schedule 45 or 60-minute sessions for an additional fee.

Financial Assistance

To further increase accessibility and affordability of care, Brightside offers financial assistance programs. These programs provide discounted membership rates for those who:

• Lack health insurance
• Have insurance that does not adequately cover therapy/psychiatry
• Are unable to pay even the lowest membership rates (in which case services may be fully covered).

Brightside care advocates review each applicant’s specific circumstances individually to determine eligibility and discounted rates. Payment plans are also available when needed.

Is Brightside Covered By Insurance?

While Brightside itself is not an in-network provider for any insurance companies, many insurance plans do offer out-of-network coverage for therapy and psychiatry. After signing up for Brightside services, you simply submit receipts to your insurer seeking reimbursement.

Types of Plans That Offer Reimbursement

If your health insurance plan covers outpatient mental health services like therapy and psychiatry, you can likely get partially reimbursed for the cost of Brightside services. The exact percentage covered varies widely, but may be 50-80% or more. Common types of plans that include out-of-network reimbursement for therapy and psychiatry include:

• PPO plans
• POS plans
• HMO plans (limited)
• Medicare Advantage plans (limited)

Verifying Your Coverage

To confirm if your specific health insurance plan includes out-of-network reimbursement for services like Brightside online therapy and psychiatry:

1. Call the number listed on the back of your insurance card
2. Ask to speak with a mental health care representative
3. Confirm coverage details for online or outpatient therapy and psychiatry

Be sure to take notes on reimbursement details like policy limits, deductibles, reimbursement percentage/amounts, and claims submission details.

The Brightside Provider Network

Brightside maintains a national network of over 5,000 licensed therapists and psychiatrists. All providers must complete a rigorous vetting and background check process before being approved to see Brightside members.

Key Stats on the Provider Network:

• 5,000+ participating providers
• 70% psychologists or LCSWs
• 30% licensed professional counselors
• 10+ years average experience
• Maintain own private practices
• Experienced in teletherapy

This robust provider network helps ensure timely and high-quality matches between members and providers. No matter your mental health needs or background, Brightside is likely able to connect you with a great provider.

Ongoing Provider Reviews

To ensure continued quality of care, Brightside members are asked to review their therapist or psychiatrist on an ongoing basis. Provider ratings and reviews are monitored to quickly identify and address any emerging issues.

If for any reason you are not satisfied with your matched provider, you can request to switch to someone new at any time.

The Brightside Member Experience

From start to finish, Brightside is designed to provide timely, personalized and affordable mental healthcare. Here’s an overview of what you can expect as a Brightside member:

Getting Started

Getting started with Brightside therapy or psychiatry services takes just a few minutes. You’ll fill out a quick digital questionnaire covering:

• Mental health history
• Areas for improvement
• Medication history
• Provider gender preference

Within 48 hours, the Brightside care team reviews your responses and matches you with a provider based on experience, availability, treatment focus, personality fit and other factors.

Scheduling Appointments

Once matched, you can start booking video or phone sessions through the Brightside platform or provider’s own scheduling system. Appointment availability varies depending on the provider.

To make regular sessions easier, many members schedule recurring appointments, such as every Tuesday at 2pm. Rescheduling appointments as needed is simple.

Messaging Between Sessions

One major benefit of Brightside is the ability to communicate with your provider between sessions. Send a quick text message through the Brightside platform when you have a question or need extra support.

Your provider may assign homework tasks such as journaling, tracking behaviors, practicing coping methods and other activities. Keep your provider updated on your progress for optimal care.

Changing Providers

While most members develop great relationships with their first matched provider, it’s easy to switch to someone new if ever needed or desired. Common reasons members may change providers include:

• Want a specialist for a specific condition
• Seeking different therapy approach
• Want provider with more/less experience
• Personalities didn’t mesh

Simply make the request through the Brightside platform. You’ll get matched with someone new, often within just a couple days.

The Bottom Line on Brightside

For those struggling with mental health conditions, Brightside makes personalized therapy and psychiatry services more accessible and affordable through convenient online care options. With a robust provider network, flexible pricing, insurance reimbursements and financial assistance programs, quality mental healthcare is now within reach for so many more people.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.