Expert mental health care, fast.

Brightside is available to people 18 years and older in all 50 US states who believe they may be experiencing depression (including MDD, PPD, PMDD), Bipolar II, anxiety, phobias, OCD, panic disorders, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and/or insomnia and think they would benefit from treatment.

Remote care is not a good fit for people with certain conditions or situations. These include (but are not limited to):

• Ongoing, high-risk self-harm behavior
• Recent involuntary hospitalization for psychiatric reasons
• Schizophrenia or any symptoms of psychosis
• Some cases of Bipolar Disorder I or any symptoms of mania
• Substance abuse problems
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Eating disorder with high-risk symptoms
• Kidney or liver disease, seizures, or long QT (for Psychiatry plan only)

Our providers do not treat, and do not prescribe for adhd.

If any of these describe you, it’s best for you to be seen in person by a Primary Care Provider who can help you find the treatment that’s right for you.

Brightside makes it easy to get top quality depression care from the privacy of home.

Here’s how Psychiatry works:

1. Take the assessment: Answer questions about yourself to provide the information your provider will need to thoroughly evaluate your situation.
2. Connect with a psychiatric provider: Get matched with an expert psychiatric provider for a comprehensive video consultation. Share how you’re feeling, then decide on the best next steps — together. These conversations normally last about 15 minutes to review your situation, discuss your care plan, and answer any questions you may have. 
3. Follow your care plan: If the provider chooses to prescribe, your medication will be filled at your local pharmacy for pick up. Your plan also includes self-care tools you can use at your own pace.
4. Make progress: We’ll ask you to tell us about your symptoms and side effects weekly, allowing the provider to monitor your progress and make any necessary changes to your care plan, so you can get the best results.

Here’s how Therapy works:

1. Take the assessment: Tell us what you’re experiencing, and we’ll help you understand what it means.
2. Connect with a Therapist: Connect with an expert, licensed therapist by messaging and with access to one 30-minute video appointment included with your subscription each week (your first appointment with your therapist will be 45-minutes long). You will continue to have Unlimited messaging support and guidance to help you build skills and feel better.
   
3. Complete sessions: Complete personalized, self-paced audio lessons and practice exercises, building the evidence-based skills and habits you need to overcome your depression and anxiety.
4. Make Progress: Report back on what’s working well for you and where you want to go deeper with the option to purchase additional video sessions if you choose. Your therapist will help guide you through your personalized program so you see the best results.

Brightside’s provider network includes psychiatrists, physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and therapists who are graduates of prominent US medical schools, have several years of experience, and have current licenses to practice in your state. They follow the same high clinical standards as in person care, ranging from psychiatrists, providers, and licensed therapists.

Brightside’s clinical advisory board consists of industry experts from top institutions like Stanford, UCSF, and Yale and oversees our clinical policies and operations.

At this time, we accept the below as in-network insurance carriers in select states only: 

• Cigna
• Aetna 
• Optum/United Healthcare (in select states with national rollout coming soon)
• Anthem CA
• Allegiance
• PEHP

We’ve ensured our care is affordable even without insurance, and paying for Brightside services directly with your credit card is always an option. We also accept HSA/FSA payments if you have one of those accounts.

Brightside Health will never sell your information to third parties. When you partner with us, you can have confidence that we do not sell your data to other companies.

Anxiety and depression are complicated. In order to make sure that you are on the right treatment for you and making progress, we will ask you to do periodic check-ins with us to tell us how you’re doing.

You can use this information to track your progress over time. We’ll also use your responses to help your doctor monitor your care and make any necessary adjustments so you get the best outcome.

Your Brightside Psychiatric Provider will select the most appropriate treatment for you based on your specific needs.

Listed here are many, but not all, of the medications our doctors commonly prescribe. Brightside offers effective treatment with nonaddictive medications like SSRIs and SNRIs. We do not prescribe controlled substances like Xanax, Klonopin, or Ativan.

If you would like to inquire about a medication you don’t see here, message us at [email protected].

Your safety is so important to us. If you are in emotional distress or thinking about hurting yourself at any point, please make use of these resources:

• Visit: If you are having a medical or mental health emergency, call 911 or go to your local emergency department.
• Call or Text: You can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and be connected with a counselor 24/7. Your conversations are free and confidential.

There is always help available. We also recommend reaching out to a family member or friend to let them know that you need help and support.

If this is not a life-threatening emergency, Brightside Health can help. Our Crisis Care program helps individuals who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings and provides hope for the future. Please note that Crisis Care should not be used if you are seriously planning to harm yourself now or in the very near future. In those instances, 988 or 911 are appropriate resources, and we can be here to help in the future. At this time, Crisis Care is only available for individuals with accepted insurance. Please take the free assessment to check your eligibility.