I Tried Headway in 2023: Right here’s My Evaluation

I’ve been seeing the equivalent therapist for a lot of years and whereas I like her, she would not accept my insurance coverage protection. I’ve moreover simply recently started taking a prescription for an anti-anxiety remedy, so simply recently, my out-of-pocket payments for psychological properly being each month have started to actually really feel too extreme.

Regardless that my current therapist does have me on sliding scale pricing, which suggests I pay a lower cost for each session based totally on what I can afford, and her durations rely in the direction of my out-of-network deductible, I nonetheless solely see her as quickly as a month because of the out-of-pocket value. If I may even see a therapist in-network, I would actually really feel further comfortable seeing them weekly or every totally different week on account of I would solely should pay my $30 deductible each time.

So I started trying to find a therapist who took my insurance coverage protection—nevertheless with little success, no matter years of trying. I tried using my insurance coverage protection’s site to hunt out an in-network therapist, nevertheless there have been slim pickings, and most suppliers aren’t accepting new victims. Plus, as a model new mom who works three days each week and does full-day childcare two events each week for my son, I don’t actually really feel like I’ve loads time to dedicate to searching for an in-network therapist.

So after I found Headway, a free on-line therapist itemizing that solely choices therapists who accept medical insurance coverage, I was immediately intrigued. Not solely does it help you be part of with therapists who accept insurance coverage protection, however it moreover handles billing and scheduling for you. There are moreover licensed marriage and family therapists, or LMFTs, who normally in every other case don’t accept insurance coverage protection for {{couples}} or family counseling.  I gave it a attempt to whereas the first therapist I chosen wasn’t the right match for me, Headway made it super easy to hunt out a variety of therapists that every one took my insurance coverage protection and had availability.

After evaluating the itemizing for ease of use, help with insurance coverage protection, therapist availability and {{qualifications}}, and the flexibleness to filter for my precise desires, I was very happy with the service—and this was mirrored in our most modern evaluation as correctly.

How I Regarded for a Therapist

It’s easy to find a therapist with the Headway itemizing. The homepage greets you with the invitation to “Enable us to find your psychological properly being provider,” with search bins beneath the place chances are you’ll fill in your location (“The place do you reside?”), concerns (“What can we help with?”), and insurance coverage protection service (“Not sure? Skip for now”). From there, you possibly can start trying the therapist itemizing.

Observe that even for digital appointments, you have to be bodily present throughout the state by means of which your counselor is licensed. Aside from insurance coverage protection type, you possibly can even use filters to enter your psychological properly being concerns (these embrace ADHD, anger administration, infertility, trauma, or stress, with 20 utterly totally different concerns listed whole). 

These are merely among the many base filters—you possibly can even specify for individuals who’re trying to find converse treatment, remedy administration, or psychiatric care, and kind by the therapist’s availability, ethnicity, gender, language spoken, whether or not or not they’re digital or in-person, and their treatment modalities (resembling cognitive behavioral treatment, strengths-based treatment, and trauma-focused treatment, with 9 modalities complete). You probably may even seek for a particular provider by determine.

You probably can filter therapists based totally on who accepts your insurance coverage protection, and when you click on on on the “value” tab of any therapist’s bio, you’ll see a list of insurance coverage protection they take. Not solely that, nevertheless Headway claims its therapists typically have availability inside just some days. That was huge for me.

While you resolve to maneuver forward with a therapist you uncover on Headway, first, you’ll be requested to create an account and add your insurance coverage protection particulars. There are over 30 insurance coverage coverage listed throughout the dropdown menu. While you enter your particulars, you’ll see a list of practitioners in your state. Whereas a surprising number of therapists have been licensed in my state and took my insurance coverage protection (19 with openings shortly, to be precise), numerous them have been “licensed expert counselors,” which is not the equivalent as a psychotherapist. As an example, psychologists and licensed medical social employees typically have further teaching and experience and will diagnose psychological properly being points. I wasn’t bothered by this, though, and eventually chosen a counselor. I wanted any person who was a bit older than my current therapist, who’s a peer (and probably even a little bit of youthful than I am), and likewise, ideally, any person who had youngsters.

I seen a quick snapshot of each therapist of their bios on Headway, along with {a photograph}, specialties (resembling nervousness, despair, and PTSD), just some phrases they’d use to clarify their technique (like “direct,” “solution-oriented,” or “holistic”), and their subsequent availability for durations. I scrolled by way of the outcomes net web page and clicked on a lot of therapists to be taught further. That’s as soon as I seen particulars about their availability—there have been a lot of therapists who took weekend appointments and one who scheduled as early as 7 a.m. The most recent appointment I seen was 6 p.m..

I seen that usually the bio snapshot would say the therapist had availability throughout the coming days, nevertheless as soon as I clicked to be taught further, they didn’t even have availability for two or further weeks.

It’s worth noting that the Headway itemizing is primarily comprised of licensed therapists and counselors—for individuals who’re trying to find a psychiatrist or superior apply nurse to help with remedy administration, they might be more durable to hunt out.

How I Set Up a Treatment Appointment

As quickly as I’d chosen the counselor who appeared like match, it was super easy to schedule. I chosen the date and time that labored for me; this counselor had every in-person and digital timeslots obtainable, which have been indicated by each a video digital digital camera or chair graphic (the chair represents “in-office”). 

I pressed the inexperienced “Book Session for [Date]” button and was prompted in order so as to add my insurance coverage protection knowledge, which solely took a second, then my financial institution card knowledge. Then I stuffed out a quick sort about topics I wanted to debate.

Immediately after scheduling, I acquired an computerized electronic message from the counselor confirming my appointment. It moreover talked about that my session will be spherical $30, which was the “best estimate whereas we work collectively along with your insurer to get your precise value.” The e-mail talked about I’d be charged after my first session. I moreover acquired a welcome textual content material, a second electronic message from the counselor guaranteeing I lived in Oregon, the place she practices, and a bunch of paperwork to complete. 

One in all many points I didn’t like was that I wanted to sign and scan among the many paperwork bodily. Fortunately, I’ve a printer that does that, however it might have been an unlimited drawback if I didn’t have one, and was nonetheless further time-consuming than an digital signature.

My Treatment Session

The day sooner than my session, I acquired a message from my Headway counselor reminding me to complete the paperwork. The messages look like they’ve been despatched from the provider (and they also have been), nevertheless they received right here by way of Headway’s messaging service by means of the e-mail cope with @suppliers.headway.co, so it was all discreet (the platform is HIPAA-compliant). One little snag was that my paperwork wouldn’t bear to the Headway electronic message account, so I wanted to forward it to my counselor’s enterprise Gmail account. It wasn’t an unlimited deal, nevertheless it may very well be wonderful for all correspondence and paperwork to stay in a single protected place.

It was easy to test in, and my counselor was there already; she talked about it was her first time using this new video platform, and her laptop computer laptop was at a wierd angle (tilted up as an alternative of straight on), nevertheless the audio was clear.

I appreciated that she was eager to share a suitable amount about herself; she has grown kids, for example. She was solution-oriented and steered I prioritize sleep and one-on-one time with my husband. Throughout the second, these suggestions felt a little bit of trite, nevertheless I did think about her phrases after our session and took her suggestion. She suggested me at one degree that I regarded drained, which is trustworthy on account of I am, however as well as… no. 

We realized halfway by way of that she hadn’t despatched me one among many consumption sorts that dove into my properly being historic previous and why I was trying to find treatment. Whereas that may have been further work for me upfront, having that knowledge would’ve helped the session go further simply.

Our session ended after merely 50 minutes, which was high-quality with me, as I want shorter durations. 

Nonetheless, as soon as I logged into my insurance coverage protection site to see the declare, it hadn’t however been listed. This isn’t unusual—usually it takes a while for my claims to level out up—nevertheless for that goal, I’m not comfortable saying with 100% certainty that every one I paid was $30.

Our Most Newest Testing

We took one different take a look at Headway in Would possibly of 2024, and for basically essentially the most half our experience mirrored the equivalent success we had in our preliminary testing of the itemizing. 

Now we have been significantly impressed with what variety of filter selections there are: 12 to be precise, means over most on-line treatment directories provide. Now we have been able to determine on very specific requirements—along with a specialization in nervousness and availability on weekends—and no matter these constraints, we have now been provided a whopping 147 therapist selections. 

Nonetheless, on account of variations in each specific particular person insurance coverage protection plan, pricing was unclear. The positioning mentioned broadly that we could anticipate to pay wherever from $0 to $500 per session, and provided us with a phrase that outlined that “Your estimated value may change as we be taught further particulars about your safety, resembling whether or not or not you have received met your deductible.” Not determining up entrance how loads we could anticipate to pay was a specific detriment to our experience.

Furthermore, there was normally no contact knowledge throughout the therapist’s bios and no method to contact a therapist instantly, together with yet another step to the tactic.

No matter these setbacks, we appreciated that starting your search for a therapist on Headway involved not solely inputting our location and insurance coverage protection knowledge, however as well as our basic concern—what was bringing us to treatment throughout the first place. These preliminary searches on on-line treatment directories infrequently ask for this, highlighting yet another good aspect of Headway.

Execs and Cons

I assumed it was easy and atmosphere pleasant to find a therapist on Headway, though there are some issues I’d want to see improved. 

Final Concepts

I was impressed with my Headway experience and was pleasantly surprised by how shortly I could uncover and schedule an appointment with a licensed expert counselor. It was arduous for me to warmth as a lot as a model new provider on account of I’ve a trusted therapist I’ve been seeing for years. I may attempt it as soon as extra and filter significantly for a therapist (any person with a bit further teaching) on account of it was excellent that my insurance coverage protection was accepted, and the tactic was seamless. 

I was moreover comfy to see what variety of suppliers have been in my house. I want digital appointments, so it’s good to have the selection to see anyone throughout the state.

Personally, I wish to advocate Headway to anyone trying to find a counselor or therapist coated by their insurance coverage protection.