The Rise of Calmerry’s Online Therapy: An Unbiased Review
Calmerry has grown quickly to become one of the most popular online therapy platforms. But is it the right choice for you? To help you decide, we’ve created this in-depth review of what Calmerry offers in 2023.
We’ll look at the types of therapy Calmerry offers, the subscription plans available, customer reviews, privacy policies, and much more.
We’ll also see how Calmerry stacks up against its nearest competitors in the online therapy space, as well as how it compares, both in price and effectiveness, to conventional in-person therapy.
So keep reading to learn more about Calmerry and how it could aid your mental health and overall well-being. Let’s begin.
What Does Calmerry Offer?
Calmerry has a large network of licensed, professional, and experienced therapists, and counselors it works with. They all hold a doctorate or master’s degree in their respective field and have at least two to three years (2,000-4,000 hours) of clinical experience.
Most importantly, all the carefully vetted, talented professionals that Calmerry works with only use evidence-based approaches. This means the treatments and advice they offer are backed by rigorous scientific studies and are proven effective. Therefore, you can feel confident during your therapy sessions, knowing you are receiving the proper care that can really make a positive difference.
A few examples of the types of evidence-based psychotherapy used by Calmerry therapists include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Motivational interviewing
- Guided relaxation exercises
- Mindfulness-based therapies
…and more
But how is therapy delivered virtually on the Calmerry platform? Well, there are two main options:
- Text Therapy: You can send messages directly to your therapist in a secure, private chat room. You can send quick short questions, longer, more detailed queries, or anything in between, and receive helpful, thorough responses from your therapist multiple times daily.
- Video Therapy: This type of therapy replicates traditional face-to-face in-office therapy and has been proven just as effective. The only difference is that sessions are conducted over a video call rather than in person. A typical video therapy session lasts 30 minutes.
Who Can Use and Benefit from Calmerry?
While Calmerry’s biggest client base is in the USA, they also serve customers from other countries worldwide. As for who can benefit from Calmerry, the answer really is anyone and everyone.
Of course, many people turn to Calmerry when they have an issue they need help with, such as a mental health issue, relationship problem, or family conflict. Calmerry has therapists specializing in many different fields and from diverse backgrounds, so they can usually help, no matter how severe or unique your circumstances may seem.
A few examples of mental health issues that Calmerry can help with include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Trauma
- Grief
- OCD
- PTSD
- Anger
- Low self-esteem
…and more
The therapists at Calmerry can assist clients with chronic health issues in managing symptoms effectively, handling stress, practical and realistic goal setting, and breaking out negative reinforcement cycles to enable a more empowered future.
Finally, Calmerry can also help those who simply want to stay at their best. Many people use Calmerry to maintain and look after their mental well-being, similar to how we use exercise to look after our physical health.
If you’re still unsure whether Calmerry could be beneficial, you could always take the free mental health test available on their website!
How Much Does Calmerry Cost?
Calmerry offers a range of subscription plans to suit the needs and budgets of its users. Their goal is to make therapy affordable and to help show whether they’ve achieved this, we’ll compare how much Calmerry costs versus other online therapy providers in just a moment.
But first, here are the pricing plans currently offered by Calmerry:
- Messaging Package: This gives you access to unlimited text therapy but no video sessions. It costs $198 per month.
- One Video Package: This gives you access to infinite text therapy along with one video therapy session. It costs $247 per month.
- Four Videos Package: This gives you four live video sessions and unlimited text therapy. It costs $293 per month.
Okay, now you have the pricing information, you’ll want to know how it compares to other reputable platforms. So here’s a quick look at how it stacks up to its main competitors:
- Talkspace: Their four video therapy session monthly plan costs $396, meaning it is $100+ more pricey than Calmerry. Likewise, their messaging-only plan costs $78 more than Calmerry’s.
- BetterHelp: Their four video therapy plan costs up to $360, depending on your location and therapist availability. So in some cases, it costs $65 more than Calmerry.
Calmerry Versus Traditional Therapy
Calmerry doesn’t just have to compete against other online providers but also traditional in-office psychotherapy practices. So how does it compare? Let’s take a look:
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- Cost: In the USA, in-person visits to a therapist generally cost between $100 and $200 per session. This means if you were to get four sessions, Calmerry would be up to $500 cheaper.
- Wait times: It can sometimes take weeks to find and schedule an appointment for traditional face-to-face therapy. Whereas Calmerry’s online therapy is available almost instantly, you can schedule your first live video session within days.
- Convenience: Commuting to your in-office therapy sessions can be a burden, especially if you live in an area without therapists nearby. In contrast, Calmerry’s online therapy can be accessed from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.
- Comfort: Sometimes, people feel self-conscious in the traditional therapy setting, so they find it harder to open up about themselves and their challenges. In comparison, online therapy can be done from a comfortable, private location of your choosing, with a therapist located far away from you.
- Specialists: With traditional therapy, you are limited to the therapists you have in your local area, and they may not have the specialist knowledge or extensive experience you specifically require. Whereas, with online therapy, you can benefit from a vast network of therapists and, therefore, find one that is the perfect match for you.
- Additional benefits: With traditional therapy, you pay specifically for the therapist’s time. This means that if you want to improve and maintain your mental health in between the sessions, you’ll need to spend additional time (and potentially money) on helpful courses, guides, or materials. In comparison, Calmerry offers all its customers a digital toolbox with tools to help you track their mood and well-being, as well as modules and video lessons developed by licensed counselors.
Does Calmerry Accept Insurance?
At the moment, Calmerry doesn’t accept insurance. However, the company indicates that it can provide you with a receipt for the provided services, should you need them. You can then use the said receipt for either partial or full reimbursement with your insurance provider.
How Does Calmerry Protect User’s Privacy?
Calmerry states on its website that the privacy of its clients is its top priority. However, this isn’t just an empty promise; they actually have procedures in place that ensure this is the case.
For example, therapy at Calmerry is 100% confidential, and video sessions are never recorded, so you don’t have to worry about them being leaked or misused. In addition, any personal information that Calmerry does have about you, such as information you gave during the account creation process, is encrypted and stored securely.
Calmerry itself is also fully HIPAA-compliant. This means they follow the federal law in the U.S., which outlines that Calmerry MUST NOT disclose sensitive patient health information without the patient’s knowledge or consent.
Customer Reviews
Perhaps the best way to gauge whether Calmerry is a decent online therapy platform worth your consideration is to check out its customer reviews.
While some online therapy platforms only show reviews that have been written on their own website, which can be easily manipulated, Calmerry encourages its users to write reviews on external platforms that are independently verified. This means Calmerry cannot change what customers write about them; therefore, they cannot hide negative feedback, so you get a more accurate representation.
The platforms where you’ll find the most Calmerry reviews include Trustpilot and Sitejabber. In total, you can find more than 200 reviews of Calmerry on these platforms. Customers have awarded them 4.5 out of 5 stars on average, which is pretty impressive and shows clients are largely satisfied with the service.
Final Thoughts
Calmerry is a reputable online therapy platform with a large network of experienced therapists who only use evidence-based treatments. Compared with its closest rivals, BetterHelp and Talkspace, Calmerry holds its own and is the more cost-effective option.
Calmerry is also a decent option for those seeking an alternative to traditional therapy due to its convenience, cost-conscious pricing, shorter wait times, and access to a larger pool of specialists.
Overall, Calmerry is definitely worth considering, for people who have been eager to try out therapy but hesitated due to the cost and inconvenience factors.