Peer counseling is different from seeing a therapist. Therapists are licensed professionals who have been extensively trained to help you learn coping skills and new behaviors to improve your mental health. When you choose peer counseling, there will often be trained listeners or moderators, and group chats or sessions will include people like you who are looking for help. To help you find support, below are our picks for the best online peer counseling services of 2023.
Best Online Peer Counseling of 2023
Best Overall: Peer Collective Best Subscription: Sesh Best With Insurance: Sanvello Best for Grief: Circles Best for Sobriety Support: Monument Best for Support Chat: HeyPeers Best for 24/7 Chat Options: Supportiv Best for Group Therapy: Mindful Care Best National Service: Togetherall Best App: TalkLife Best Online Community: The Tribe Best for LGBTQ+: Pay What You Can Peer Support LGBTQ Virtual Peer Support Group
Pros & Cons
Overview
Peer Collective was formed by counseling psychology scholar Tim Desmond as a platform for providing an empathetic listening ear to those who need it. The company aims to improve mental health through emotional support, personal attention, and care. With Peer Collective, you will be matched to a vetted and trained counselor who has been screened for emotional intelligence and other skills that the company feels are vital for providing top-notch help. Options are available based on whether you’d prefer a counselor of a particular gender, race, age, or sexual orientation. You can choose to speak to someone as a one-time session, weekly, or more or less often. Types of counseling include anxiety, crisis, depression, trauma, anger management, loss, and grief. Counselors can provide an empathetic listening ear or will offer practical advice to help you manage or overcome issues—the type of support is up to you. While we didn’t survey users in 2022, we did survey users in 2021, and 74% reported that they either had a very good or excellent experience signing up for Peer Collective services. Eighty-two percent of users said their video sessions were very good or excellent, while 86% reported the same about their phone call sessions.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Before transitioning to an online service, Sesh was an in-person group therapy company. While it doesn’t identify as a group therapy service now, it offers a place for peer support under the guidance and leadership of licensed therapists. Your first month is free, so you can try Sesh before deciding on a daily ($30) or monthly membership at an affordable price of $60. Groups and conversations cover a wide variety of topics, including addiction and recovery; anxiety and stress; using art, music, and movement for mental health; body positivity and self-esteem; communication and relationships; Black wellness, LGBTQ empowerment and other culture-specific topics; depression; grief; parenthood; trauma and more. Of users surveyed in 2021, 78% rated Sesh’s services as good to excellent, and 70% said the groups met most or all of their needs. Fifty-one percent of people said their insurance paid for part of their therapy costs. Another 70% said they were very likely or likely to recommend Sesh to a friend or someone like them.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Sanvello offers options for peer support, counseling, and therapy. Its app also includes self-care features, such as mood tracking, journaling, and guided meditations, which can help reduce symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety and depression. Peer support through the app is provided in groups on a wide variety of topics where you can listen, share experiences, ask for or give advice, and talk to people who are likely to understand your feelings and struggles. Coaching is a one-on-one listening option where you can speak to someone trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) who will give you personalized guidance based on your needs. Of the users surveyed in 2021, 46% said Sanvello was very good to excellent value for their money. Overall, 53% of Sanvello users were satisfied or very satisfied with the app, and 58% would recommend it to a friend.
Pros & Cons
Overview
For those whose group support and peer listening needs arise from experiencing grief, loss, divorce, separation, or other relationship endings, Circles aims to provide a safe and secure place to listen and be heard by those who understand. When joining, you will be asked a few questions to help you find a circle of individuals that suits your needs and preferences. While Circles is a group therapy peer support platform, you can have an introductory meeting with your chosen group’s facilitator to feel more comfortable when you join the larger group. Each facilitator is either a professionally trained social worker, psychologist, or therapist. Each group meets at the same date and time, which you can choose, for 12 weeks. This consistency helps encourage growth and security, since the same people are working at the same pace to find comfort and healing. Sessions last for one hour. In our 2021 survey, 40% of users felt that the company met all of their needs. Seventy percent said they were likely to recommend Circles. Overall, 66% said they were satisfied with Circles’ services.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Monument offers support specifically for people who want to achieve and maintain sobriety. You can use free chat and group support forums or subscribe to a membership that suits your needs. Monument also offers therapy and medication management, should you desire it. Support groups run at different dates and times, meeting consistently with topics that include gender-, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC-specific needs and care; preventing relapse; navigating relationships; self-compassion; and more. Groups are often interactive, with Q&A sessions; when sessions are complete, you can chat with your peers from the group in a chat room 24/7. The therapist-moderated support groups are free, along with the 24/7 chat rooms. You can choose from three plans offering physician care, medication options, and therapist appointments ranging from $10 to $249 per month.
Pros & Cons
Overview
HeyPeers is a chat-based peer support platform with three different ways to interact, including chat rooms available anytime, scheduled video group meetings, and one-on-one sessions with a trained support person. Each option is led or facilitated by a trained support person who has lived experience with the issues and struggles faced by members. After joining, you will be matched with groups, peer support, or individual coaching that suits your needs and preferences. You can connect through any device with the trained support person you choose and join their scheduled group meetings on various topics. HeyPeers has groups and meetings for mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and so on, and also provides safe spaces for those dealing with chronic illness, pain management, rare diseases, parenting and postpartum, and more. Facilitators and peers offer encouragement, advice, and active listening.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Supportiv is a “mental wellness” space that does not claim to be therapy. Instead, the company custom-matches you with people who want to talk about the same types of struggles or concerns as you do, with precision. Moderators are always present and will recommend resources that relate to your specific need without any fluff, ads, or spamming. Beyond supportive chat rooms matched to your needs, you will find a wealth of resources on Supportiv that trained psychology-student moderators will offer based on your specific needs, or you can browse them yourself. Some organizations and employers cover Supportiv as a benefit, but if not, you can access it for $15 per day.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Mindful Care offers multiple therapy options so you can choose the type of care you need or prefer. You can choose from one-on-one therapy sessions or connect with peers for group sharing. Mindful Care helps you find the best treatment option for your needs. The group therapy option is called MindFit Group Therapy. There are options to choose from: anxiety, depression, LGBTQA+, life’s challenges, healthy relationships, substance use, emotional concerns (borderline personality disorder and other diagnoses), bipolar disorder, and trauma. Each group meets for one hour weekly in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Eighty-three percent of those we surveyed are so confident in Mindful Care’s services, they’d recommend them to a friend. Additionally, 84% said they were happy with Mindful Care’s ability to match them with a therapists. Overall, 92% of surveyed users said Mindful Care’s service were good to excellent.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Togetherall is a free service for employees and students, providing a community for sharing, giving, and receiving support and encouragement under the guidance of licensed, registered mental health care practitioners. The company aims to help people improve their mental health and well-being in a nonjudgmental space while remaining anonymous. Moderators also proactively respond to members in crisis, offering support, which may involve guiding them to find local assistance from a doctor or therapist. You can choose to “ask a wall guide,” which will open a chat between you and a licensed mental health care practitioner where you can ask for specific help using the platform or finding further care or resources. Resources on the website include articles and self-help courses covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, depression, and many more.
Pros & Cons
Overview
The Tribe is a peer-to-peer support platform with both live chat and forum posting. Topics include anxiety, addiction, depression, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ, marriage and family, OCD, and teen-focused. There are additional resources you can use, including helpful activities, mood mapping, expert-created articles, and blogging. Although the Tribe is not therapy or one-on-one care, you can use it to search for therapists based on your needs and location. You can tailor your posts and chats to only be visible to your chosen online connections or the general public, providing a level of privacy you are comfortable with.
Pros & Cons
Overview
Pay What You Can Peer Support was created by Daniel Cole, who found immense benefit from joining a peer support group for his own struggles. He wanted to bring the benefits he experienced to a broader community, making it accessible to anyone with a donation-only payment. The LGBTQIA+ support is one of several available group on the site and is led by a certified social support worker and counselor. The group meets virtually on Zoom once per week and provides an outlet for people to meet, connect, and discuss their feelings and struggles with one another. The pay-what-you-can model allows you to add a donation after your group meets while providing feedback about your experience. If you prefer to talk to a group rather than a trained listener, you may want to check out Sesh for a therapist-led support group. If you prefer instant messaging or posting on a forum, try HeyPeers or Togetherall.
Compare the Best Online Peer Counseling
How Is Online Peer Counseling Different From Online Therapy?
Online peer counseling is different from online therapy because you are meeting with others sharing lived experiences of similar struggles as you face. The idea is to provide mutual support rather than expert advice. However, many peer groups are led by experts and can include advice, resources, and actionable tips to help you through your struggles. Not all peer counseling is led by or includes licensed therapists or mental health experts.
How to Decide Which Peer Counseling Service Is Right for You
To help decide which peer counseling service is right for you, it’s wise to consider exactly what your needs and preferences are. Keep in mind that peer counseling services are inappropriate for those experiencing a mental health crisis or feeling suicidal. Factors to consider include:
Type of support: Look for a peer counseling service that has a community you think you’ll connect with. Peer support works best when you can share and listen to others with similar experiences.Mode of communication: There are options for video, audio, instant messaging, forums, and more. Consider what type of communication you prefer or if you’d like multiple options. Also, consider whether you can join using a computer, mobile, or other device based on your needs.Moderator qualifications: Some peer counseling platforms provide groups led by or moderated by trained listeners, while others are led by licensed therapists or other qualified mental health practitioners. Consider the level of training and qualifications of those leading and moderating and your preferences before joining.Anonymity: Many peer counseling platforms provide complete anonymity and privacy. If this is important to you, investigate the level of anonymity you will be provided before choosing.Price: Whether you’d like a more basic free or pay-what-you-can service or require more structured peer counseling that comes at a cost, consider the price you are willing to pay before deciding. It’s also wise to consider whether your benefits or insurance may cover the costs.
Methodology
To perform this review, we looked at approximately 25 peer support platforms. Factors considered in the evaluation include safety, ease of use, anonymity options, moderation and training of peer counselors or group leaders, and affordability. Companies that did not make the list either provided less accessible or lower quality services, had issues with safety and privacy, included too many ads, or had lower-quality websites or apps. Verywell did not re-survey users when creating this article. There was an error. Please try again.
