Pros & Cons

Mindful Care’s mission is to improve access to urgent mental health needs in an affordable manner by offering individual and group therapy, as well as “MicroTherapy,” or 20-minute sessions with coaches that can be scheduled same-day. I reviewed Mindful Care’s individual and group therapy services to better understand the type of support patients received, spoke to experts on their thoughts on the effectiveness of both, and reflected on how individual therapy and group therapy could help me with my personal objectives. Additionally, we surveyed 105 users of the company to understand their experiences with these services. This is how Mindful Care compares to the other 54 online therapy companies we reviewed.

What Is Mindful Care?

Mindful Care is the first mental health company offering same-day services focused on providing psychiatric care, group therapy, and individual therapy. It was founded by Tamir Aldad, MD, a fellowship-trained addiction psychiatrist. Dr. Aldad saw that patients were waiting a long time to see a mental health care provider and ended up self-medicating or self-harming due to the delay in care. Mindful Care was founded in 2018 to provide quick services for patients in order to avoid these outcomes.  Supported by Sopris Capital, a U.S.-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage high-growth healthcare and B2B technology companies, Mindful Care currently averages over 10,000 patient visits a month across Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. The company works with nearly all insurance providers to ensure its services are available to more people, and also offers affordable self-pay rates. Mindful Care has an overall positive reputation in the mental health care world and is looking to expand its services into other states.

What Services Does Mindful Care Offer?

Mindful Care offers three types of services: psychiatric urgent care, individual therapy, and addiction recovery. Mindful Care specializes in medication management and therapeutic services that promote mental strengthening. Clients seeking this service typically struggle with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and life adjustment concerns. Sessions are offered virtually or in person at one of the local offices in the six states mentioned above. If seeking individual therapy, you will receive a consultation prior to starting. Based on the consultation, you may be recommended for MicroTherapy or 40-minute individual sessions, depending on your needs and therapist availability. MicroTherapy consists of 20-minute sessions offered on the same day. The goal is to avoid patients having to wait six to eight weeks to see an in-network mental health care provider. The other type of individual session is longer (40 minutes), though these are harder to schedule; the wait time for an appointment can be days or weeks.  Mindful Care services also include MindFit group therapy, which is currently offered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Each group therapy session addresses a different need, such as anxiety, anger management, or substance use. Depending on the type of service you require, you can choose which recurring weekly session you want to do. These groups are offered at set times throughout the work week so you can connect with others who are experiencing similar circumstances to you. There are also medication-assisted treatments and coaching available for alcohol and opioid use disorders. This involves medication management, one-on-one and group therapy, and care navigation with your Mindful Recovery team.

Who Is Mindful Care For?

The three main types of services offered by Mindful Care are geared toward people of all genders, demographics, races, and backgrounds. There is no one “ideal” therapy seeker for Mindful Care, though our user survey data shows that anxiety was the driving reason for 73% of users to look for therapy.  Mindful Care’s psychiatric services are open to children over the age of 12 and adults. Individual and group therapy, as well as substance use counseling, are only for adults.  Mindful Care’s groups might be helpful to you if you’re dealing with the following issues:

Anger management Anxiety Bipolar disorderDepression Everyday challenges Handling tough emotionsLGBTQ support Substance use supportTrauma

How Much Does Mindful Care Cost?

At Mindful Care, the out-of-pocket costs depends on the services you’re signing up for.

Psychiatry: $175 for an initial evaluation; $75 per 20-minute follow-upGroup therapy: $150 for a 20- to 25-minute initial evaluation, then $35 per group sessionIndividual therapy: $50 for 20-minute sessions; $100 for 40-minute sessions. Addiction and substance use treatment: $49 per month; includes weekly recovery support, monitoring, group and/or individual therapy, and medication management

Given that the average cost of a therapy session in the U.S. ranges from $60 to $200, Mindful Care’s out-of-pocket prices are affordable, falling on the low end of the average. This is likely why 17% of the users we surveyed stated that the ability to pay per session was an important factor in determining which provider they worked with.

Does Mindful Care Take Insurance?

Yes, Mindful Care accepts insurance and will verify your provider and out-of-pocket cost before your appointment. This may mean no or low cost per session. Though affordable without insurance (compared to other mental health care services), the fact that Mindful Care takes insurance makes the service even more appealing; 23% of users surveyed rated the fact that it takes insurance as an important factor in their search for a therapist. Mindful Care provides a comprehensive list of the insurance plans it accepts in every state in which it operates. For any questions about providers not listed, call or email for more information. 

It is easy to navigate the Mindful Care website. On the homepage, you see a blue and white color scheme with the prominent phrase “Mental healthcare how it should be,” accompanied by pictures of smiling people. A blue “get started” button is immediately visible.  Scrolling down the homepage, you see an option to select a plan that consists of either psychiatry and medication, therapy, or addiction recovery. Once you select the right option for you, you can press “learn more,” which takes you to a new page where you have the option of logging in or signing up. If you click “learn more,” you can find out how to schedule an evaluation, how to find the right treatment, and what to do to get the care you deserve.  There’s also a header on top of the website that says “locations,” which provides a list of all the states that Mindful Care operates in. The overall look of the website is inviting and friendly and makes the user feel comfortable with what they are signing up to do. According to our survey respondents, 75% of users found navigating the website easy or very easy. Unlike some of the other services we reviewed, Mindful Care does not currently have an app.

How Do You Sign Up for Therapy at Mindful Care?

The sign-up process at Mindful Care is relatively easy and straightforward. On the upper right hand corner on the home page, there is an option to “Get Started.” After clicking the purple button, enter basic information like your full name, phone number, state of residence, email, and password to sign up for an account. Then, enter your health history and insurance information. If you don’t have health insurance, that’s okay. The health history form will ask for information including your gender, your preferred appointment time and date, services you are seeking, and the reason for your visit. Once the relevant steps have been completed, you will receive a text message or email from Mindful Care. You can then schedule your first session, an initial intake appointment to assess what type of service is best suited for you. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents found the sign-up process at Mindful Care easy to navigate.

Intake Assessment

Once a social worker has been assigned to you for your initial consultation, you will be asked a series of intake questions to assess your level of self-harm and self-awareness. These questions center around whether you have trouble eating or sleeping, thoughts about self-harm or violence, any previously diagnosed mental health conditions, and what services you are seeking. These questions are used to determine what type of therapy you are best suited for and how urgently you need to speak to someone. Once the social worker determines what type of services would best help you, you can access your private user portal that lists tasks, upcoming and previous appointments, and a tab for resources. Personally, my resources tab was empty, but it can be a place to add any information pamphlets, PDFs, or other reading materials that your therapist recommends or that you want to discuss with them.

Matching With a Therapist

Mindful Care matches you with a therapist based on your intake consultation and preferred time slot. For the MicroTherapy sessions, it is not guaranteed that you will get the same therapist every time (unless you actively schedule sessions based on your preferred therapist’s availability). For the longer individual therapy sessions, you are matched with a therapist based on your needs, but again, it is not guaranteed you will get the same provider each time. The website also makes this clear in its Frequently Answered Questions section. For group therapy sessions, you can choose which session you want to participate in based on your schedule and the main objective or goal of the session. The same therapist leads the sessions weekly. For both MicroTherapy and group therapy sessions, you will be given the name of your therapist prior to your appointment. I was not able to find any further information on them within the internal Mindful Care search or database. Based on our survey results, the process of looking for a therapist at Mindful Care was not too difficult: 21% said it was very easy and 39% said it was easy. Only 3% indicated difficulty with the process.

How Do Therapy Sessions Work at Mindful Care?

You will be contacted by text and email after signing up and receive reminders before the appointment, plus a link to join virtually. There are no options to message your therapist outside of your allotted appointment time and it is recommended to join five minutes early to check in on the internal portal. You will receive a link to the internal portal to join your virtual session. 

MicroTherapy Sessions

Though the quality of the video is generally good and I did not experience any disruptions during my sessions, my first impression was that the MicroTherapy felt rushed.  I felt I had to say everything I was thinking or feeling in that moment before the clock ran out, and I didn’t think there was going to be enough time left over for the therapist to respond to my feelings.  Though I did receive some helpful advice, my overall impression was that 20 minutes only scratched the surface of topics I wanted to discuss at length. I saw two different therapists (and one social worker) and I felt this way through all of my sessions. Though the therapists were very knowledgeable and personable and the services felt consistent between them, I didn’t feel like there was enough time to build a rapport.  Additionally, one therapist did give me a homework assignment to write down my feelings, but because there was no follow-up or anyone to keep me accountable on whether or not I did it, I didn’t feel inclined to act on it.

Longer Therapy Sessions

If, after your initial consultation, it is determined that you would benefit from longer therapy sessions, you are assigned a therapist who can provide 40-minute sessions. Unlike your MicroTherapy provider, which might change day-to-day depending on when you are seeking services and therapist availability, you will work with the same therapist consistently for these longer sessions.

Psychiatry Sessions

In-person sessions are only available for urgent psychiatric care for those who want to visit one of the local offices. All new patients are entered into the 12-week urgent care plan, which consists of five appointments over that period. During this time, the goal is to stabilize symptoms and develop a treatment plan. After the 12-week period, there’s an evaluation to note whether the patient should be transitioned to continued care, which consists of regularly scheduled appointments, or discharged.

Group Therapy Sessions

The fact that Mindful Care offers group therapy sessions is noteworthy—it was one of the few companies of the 55 we reviewed that offered any form of group support and the only one that actually offered group therapy (vs. group support). However, it was initially difficult for me to figure out how to schedule group therapy on the patient portal. In fact, I had to email the patient experience team at support@mindful.care to schedule a group therapy session.  The next day, I received an email with all the group therapy sessions that were available that week. Topics included anxiety, everyday challenges, trauma, substance use support, anger management, and LGBTQ support. I opted for the one related to everyday challenges.  The hour-long group sessions were conducted over Zoom. There was one facilitator and a group of 9 to 15 participants (this number changed depending on the week). The facilitator introduced me to the group and we went around and made brief introductions. I mentioned that I was interested in group therapy to process my upcoming move to London and to meet others who might have similar feelings and emotions that I may have. Overall, I felt like the group was very supportive of each other and non-judgmental. There was no preset agenda ot topics to discuss during the 60-minute session. It was a safe place to talk about anything. The vibe was very positive and group members really wanted to help other participants reach their respective goals and work through issues they were dealing with. I appreciated how there was an opportunity for each participant to check in and give an update on how they were feeling in that present moment at the beginning of each Zoom session. Other participants then had a chance to validate their feelings or share similar experiences. It also helped having these sessions over Zoom due to the capabilities of using the “thumbs up” and “heart” features to show support. I did not experience any technical difficulties during the group sessions. Because it was Zoom, there were also a few participants who had dialed in via audio only, which I think is a great option for those who might not want to be on video on a specific day. Despite my positive experience, the Wednesday morning time slot didn’t work well with my schedule; otherwise, I would continue these sessions for at least a few months.

Substance Use Treatment

Participants in the substance use treatment programs have access to one-on-one coaching and guidance, care navigation, online support groups, and phone and text support. This treatment plan also includes prescription medication when needed.

What Happens If I Miss a Session at Mindful Care?

Mindful Care has a no-show and late-cancellation policy. For both psychiatric and therapy appointments, you will be charged a $25 fee if you miss or cancel without 24-hour advance notice.

Switching Therapists at Mindful Care

I opted for MicroTherapy sessions so I had a different therapist each time, though you can request the same therapist based on mutual availability. It feels less awkward to request a different therapist if you didn’t get along with yours because the sessions are so short and therefore building a long-term rapport is more difficult. I personally felt like I was just trying to get through my narrative in the 20 minutes, so I didn’t think too much about building a relationship, but more about getting the feedback and advice that I was looking for.

Pausing or Canceling Therapy at Mindful Care

You can pause or cancel individual therapy at any time. For group therapy, the sessions are recurring so you can let the provider know in advance if you want to pause or discontinue.

Quality of Care and User Satisfaction

Though Mindful Care has only been around since 2018, it has made significant strides in the telehealth world. Of the users surveyed, 30% said that all of their needs were met and 52% said most of their needs were met. Additionally, 35% of users thought that the services were affordable and 24% said they were very likely to still be using a therapist at Mindful Care six months from now.  Overall, the quality of the therapists and services provided at Mindful Care are top-tier. Our survey respondents agreed, with 92% positively rating Mindful Care’ services (25% said the services were excellent, 44% said very good, and 24% said good). An impressive 96% thought their therapist’s qualifications were good, very good, or excellent. Additionally, 43% of users said they would recommend these services to a friend or family member.  For me, I benefited the most from group therapy because the hour-long session was the ideal amount of time to really delve into issues and to give participants the platform to voice their feelings. “Group therapy is best suited for individuals who benefit most from social support,” explains Nicholas Hardy, PhD, LCSW, one of our subject matter experts.  “As an example, in substance abuse and grief counseling, the shared experience of a community provides therapeutic value and normalizes the individual experience. Individual therapy offers a personalized approach and gives the client greater opportunity to go ‘deep’ and explore various nuances.” However, he says, “the intensity of this approach can create anxiety for some people and is not always cost-efficient. To this end, group therapy can minimize sensory overload and offers an economically viable option.”  Dr. Hardy also notes that “a combination of individual and group therapy can be beneficial as well.” Personally, the MicroTherapy sessions were not enough because I could not build a sufficient rapport with my therapist and I was nervous that our time was coming to an end. For many, Mindful Care’s more traditional 40-minute therapy sessions might be better, as they allow more time to delve into issues that a 20-minute session may not have time for. However, that’s not to say that MicroTherapy can’t be helpful for some. “Microtherapy can be a beneficial tool in certain instances,” says Dr. Hardy. “As an example, for urgent, non-life-threatening issues, microtherapy may offer stabilization or provide an individual with guidance or immediate resolution.”  Dr. Hardy also agreed that MicroTherapy can be challenging because it does not allow a therapist time to establish context. This is similar to what I was feeling because the issues I wanted to discuss had more background, and involved past behavioral patterns that I thought required more time to work through. Mindful Care’s substance use services also set it apart from other online therapy companies that do not offer substance use treatment specifically. Five percent of the Mindful Care users we surveyed reported that they were particularly seeking substance use services, and 17% had previously had in-patient substance use treatment.

Privacy Policies at Mindful Care

Mindful Care’s privacy policies are available here and written in layman’s terms. One of the biggest points is that it is a professional healthcare provider that reserves the right to terminate services for consistently missed or late appointments, or inappropriate use or abuse. However, it notes that the patient has the right to terminate at any time as well. As for private and confidential information, the company notes: “Your medical records may be accessible to other clinicians in the office. Your personal information will NOT be released outside of MUC without your signed consent or a subpoena. Exceptions include suicide or homicide issues or child/elder abuse or neglect. Children (under the age of 17) have the right to confidential exchanges with clinicians unless there are issues that pose an immediate danger.” There has been no adverse media or negative commentary from security experts or others who have found issues with Mindful Care’s privacy policies. 

Mindful Care vs. Its Competitors

Mindful Care is a growing platform that is currently only available in six states. Compared to competitors like Talkiatry, which offers psychiatry and therapy, and Circles, which offers group therapy, this is a drawback. Talkiatry is a virtual mental health care platform with a team of over 400+ psychiatrists and therapists that operate across 30 states (and counting). According to our users, the quality of therapists is greater at Talkiatry. Forty-five percent of survey respondents said they were very satisfied with the therapists available through this company, and 36% were satisfied. This satisfaction may be a reason why more users continued services with Talkiatry over Mindful Care. In fact, 37% discontinued therapy while using Mindful Care’s services compared to 16% of Talkiatry’s users. Still, Mindful Care does have some redeeming features, such as the effectiveness of group therapy and the ease of sign-up. Further, the two companies scored similarly in terms of overall rating. Ninety-five percent of survey respondents positively rated Talkiatry (25% said excellent, 44% said very good, and 27% said good), compared to 92% for Mindful Care (25% excellent, 44% very good and 24% good). Circles also offers group therapy, though its groups focus specifically on divorce or separation, grief and loss, and challenging relationships; in this way, Mindful Care offers more diverse support for a greater number of people. Additionally, unlike Mindful Care, which charges per session, Circles costs $79 a month (about $20 per session), and offers the first week free. However, despite this, only 80% of our users rated Circles as good, very good, or excellent overall, which pales in comparison to Mindful Care’s 92%.

Final Verdict

I think Mindful Care is a great service for regular group therapy and for those who need same-day appointments to discuss particular issues and challenges that can be addressed in short 20-minute sessions. But MicroTherapy sessions are not ideal for long-term goals.  “Microtherapy is relatively new and has its limitations when compared to other treatment models,” Dr. Hardy says. “However, it is efficient and caters to a specific demographic. It could also benefit those who are anxious about therapy, or hesitant to engage in therapy long-term.” Mindful Care’s group therapy sessions are not advertised as openly as individual sessions are. I only knew about the different group times available each week (and the different themes or issues they discussed) because I sent an email for assistance. This information is not easily accessible on the website, which is unfortunate, given how useful of a tool it is.

Methodology

To fairly and accurately review the best online therapy programs, we sent questionnaires to 55 companies and surveyed 105 current users of each. This allowed us to directly compare services offered by gathering qualitative and quantitative data about each company and its users’ experiences. Specifically, we evaluated each company on the following factors: website usability, the sign-up and therapist matching processes, therapist qualifications, types of therapy offered, the service’s quality of care, client-therapist communication options, session length, subscription offerings, client privacy protections, average cost and value for money, whether it accepts insurance, how easy it is to change therapists, overall user satisfaction, and the likelihood that clients would recommend them. We also signed up for the companies in order to get a sense of how this process worked, how easy to use the platform is, and how therapy takes place at the company. Then, we worked with subject matter experts to get their expert analysis on how suited this company is to provide quality care to therapy seekers.

Key Specs

Price: $35-$175 (depending on type of treatment you are seeking)Is Insurance Accepted? YesTypes of Therapy Offered: Individual, group, teen psychiatric treatment, medication management, substance use treatmentCommunication Options: Video and in-person HIPAA Compliant? YesIs There an App? NoAccepts HSA or FSA? UnsurePrescriptions Available? YesBilling Cadence: Pay per session