The complete guide to Grow Therapy: Everything you need to know

Choosing an online therapy platform can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options. If you’ve wondered “How does Grow Therapy work?” or “Is Grow Therapy legitimate?”, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll cover how Grow Therapy works, its insurance coverage, costs, and how it compares to other platforms so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

What is Grow Therapy?

Grow Therapy is an online therapy platform that connects you directly to fully licensed therapists. 

Through Grow, you can access a wide network of private practice clinicians with diverse backgrounds and specialties. The platform makes it easy to find the right therapist based on your unique needs and availability.

The difference between Grow and other online therapy platforms is its flexibility. Grow is completely subscription-free. Unlike subscription-based platforms like BetterHelp or TalkSpace, Grow allows you to pay session by session, while working directly with your provider.

You can search for therapists who are covered by your insurance and see all of your costs up front. No insurance? No problem. You can also choose to pay out of pocket. 

Grow allows you to connect with your provider either in-person or virtually, and use your personalized dashboard to stay connected between sessions. Therapists are available for both online and in-person appointments, giving you the freedom to choose what works best.

Is Grow Therapy legitimate and safe?

Grow Therapy is a legitimate, safe, and trusted platform for mental health care.

All Grow Therapy providers are fully licensed, carefully vetted and carry malpractice insurance. Grow is HIPPA-aligned and all data is secured by encryption. 

With Grow’s transparent credentialing process, you can trust your therapist has completed a thorough background check and credential verification.

How much does Grow Therapy cost?

With insurance, sessions through Grow Therapy typically range from $0 to $50. Grow accepts insurance from over 100 health plans, including Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Ultimately, the cost of therapy with Grow depends on your insurance coverage and provider — you can use Grow’s therapy cost calculator to see your estimated costs up front.

If you don’t have insurance, you can still work with a Grow therapist by paying out of pocket. Self-pay and sliding scale options are available, with most sessions ranging from $75 to $200.

Unlike other mental health platforms like BetterHelp or Talkspace, Grow Therapy is a pay-per-session model, with no additional subscription fees. 

Other charges may apply for late arrivals (over 15 minutes) or cancellations made less than 24 hours before an appointment.

State availability and coverage

Grow Therapy is available nationwide, with over 19,000 licensed providers who specialize in a wide variety of specialties and modalities, across all 50 states. All Grow providers are fully licensed in their state and compliant with state regulations.

Grow offers a wide range of therapy services for adults, couples, children and teens. It also provides access to medication management with licensed prescribers, giving clients comprehensive support for their mental health needs. 

How Grow Therapy compares to other platforms

If you’re deciding between Grow Therapy vs BetterHelp, Talkspace, Headway, or Rula, it helps to understand how Grow’s model is different.

Unlike subscription-based platforms such as BetterHelp and Talkspace, Grow Therapy is completely subscription-free. You only pay per session, with no monthly fees or long-term commitments.

Grow also accepts insurance from more than 70 major health plans, including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Many competitors either don’t take insurance at all (like BetterHelp), or have more limited coverage options (like Headway and Alma, which doesn’t accept Medicare or Medicaid).

With Grow, most clients pay only their standard copay, averaging about $21 per session.

Another key difference is flexibility of care. While platforms like Talkspace, BetterHelp, and Rula are online-only, Grow gives you the choice of in-person or virtual sessions. Grow’s combination of insurance coverage, flexible formats, and transparent pay-per-session model makes it easier to find the right provider at a cost that works for you.

Getting started with Grow Therapy

Here’s how to start therapy with Grow Therapy:

1. Visit growtherapy.com.
2. Enter your location, insurance, and what kind of care you’re looking for (e.g. talk therapy, couples, family, psychiatry if needed).
3. Browse the provider directory to choose a therapist. You can filter by specialty, available times, mode (telehealth or in person), background, and more.
4. Book your first appointment.

Ahead of your first session you’ll be asked to complete a mental health check-inso that your therapist is fully-prepared for your visit.

How Grow Therapy sessions work

Grow Therapy sessions work much like traditional therapy appointments, but with added flexibility and convenience. Sessions typically last 45–60 minutes and can be scheduled at times that work for you, including nights and weekends. 

In your first session, your provider will get to know you, discuss your goals, and start building a personalized plan. Ongoing sessions may focus on talking through challenges, practicing strategies, or, if you’re seeing a prescriber, reviewing medication options and progress.

You can meet in person, by video, or by phone. For virtual sessions, you’ll need a stable internet connection and a supported browser like Google Chrome. 

Your sessions are completely private—Grow Therapy does not record or store telehealth visits. 

AI-assisted tools for session documentation are available to help therapists save time and stay focused on your care. These tools require consent from both you and the therapist to be enabled. Between sessions you can communicate with your therapist via Grow’s secure messaging on your client dashboard.

Types of therapy available

Grow offers many types of therapy for all stages and ages, including individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and specialized care for children (6–12) and teens. 

With Grow’s filtered search tool, you can find providers by specialty, therapeutic approach, and more.

Depending on your needs, you’ll find Grow therapists trained in evidence-based methods such as:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT),
• The Gottman Method,
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT),
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), 
• and others. 

Grow also provides psychiatric services and licensed prescribers for medication management.

Providers in Grow’s network have experience supporting a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, grief, and relationship challenges.

Finding the right therapist

Grow Therapy makes it easy to find the right therapist through a personalized search experience that reflects your preferences, needs, and insurance coverage. 

Grow’s network includes licensed therapists and prescribers with experience in areas such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, LGBTQ+ affirming care and more. 

Using Grow’s filters, you can browse and select the provider who best fits your needs. To help guide your search, Grow offers screening tools that can help you clarify your goals before you begin browsing.

If it turns out you and your therapist aren’t the right fit, it’s no problem. You can work with the Grow care team to switch to a new provider at no additional cost, ensuring you find someone who feels right for you.

For mental health professionals

Grow Therapy supports independent mental health professionals in growing and managing their private practices. Grow reduces administrative burdens by handling insurance credentialing, billing, and marketing.

Providers can join Grow’s network of major insurance plans including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Anthem, and more. 

Once in-network, you can start seeing clients in as little as 30 days after credentialing. 

Grow also includes practice management tools such as a comprehensive dashboard, EHR, scheduling, secure messaging, telehealth, and AI-assisted documentation, all HIPAA-compliant.

Providers on Grow are not employees and do not pay subscription fees. They maintain control over their practice decisions, including scheduling, caseload, and treatment approach, while gaining access to infrastructure and support that make it easier to manage a practice and connect with clients.