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Cerebral is one of the newest companies to join the growing telehealth market that offers subscription plans that include online therapy, prescriptions, and medication delivery. It was founded in 2020 and has expanded rapidly, so now, it offers services for users in 50 states.
We researched and tested this platform to provide you with this unbiased review and help you get a better idea of what type of services it offers and whether it can be a good option for addressing your mental health issues. When writing this review, we also took into account numerous Cerebral therapy reviews that the company’s clients left on its website and on other online resources.
Keep reading to learn about what you can expect and find out whether this service can help you get the treatment you need.
What is Cerebral?
Cerebral is a mental health subscription platform that provides clients with ongoing, comprehensive access to online care and medication management for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and more.
Cerebral’s mission is to improve access to high-quality mental health care. According to the information provided on the company’s website, its services are available to people who are ages 18 and older and live within their operating regions. Cerebral is not a good fit for people with suicidal ideation, schizophrenia, who are pregnant or have certain substance abuse issues. But they offer care for alcohol dependence – medication, care, and counseling services.
The company’s clients can get access to health care professionals, licensed therapists, and care counselors for a flat monthly fee. Besides, Cerebral is in-network with many insurance companies and will ship prescriptions for medication right to your door.
Cerebral Mental Health: How Does It Work?
Getting started on this platform is easy and the entire process takes about 15-20 minutes.
After you click on the Get Started button, you’ll be taken to a webpage with a personal health questionnaire. You have to answer a few questions to help them determine whether you can benefit from Cerebral’s services and which subscription plan is best for you.
After you sign up, you’ll be able to speak with a professional (a prescriber or a therapist) on a video or phone call to determine your treatment plan. It typically happens in less than 7 days. From there, you’ll schedule all your weekly or monthly live video or phone sessions directly in your private user portal on a desktop or in the Cerebral app (it’s available for Android and iOS). Sessions with therapists last about 45 minutes. You can also use this portal to send unlimited messages to your providers whenever you want. If prescribed, your medication will be mailed monthly.
If you are not happy with your therapist or prescriber, you can request a switch when you speak with your care counselor. You can also send a message with a request through the contact page or call the company’s customer service line during business hours.
Cerebral Therapy: What Conditions Do They Treat?
Cerebral prescribers are psychiatrists, medical doctors, and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners. They can prescribe SSRI and SNRI medications to address symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In certain states, clients can get medication treatment for ADHD, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.
Cerebral therapists are trained to use evidence-based therapeutic practices to address a variety of mental health problems, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They may hold a PsyD, PhD, or be a Licensed Mental Health Counselors, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, or a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
There are also Care Counselors that guide clients through behavioral health techniques (mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, and grounding exercises) via monthly video or phone appointments and unlimited messaging. Care Counselors are also trained in behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, and other therapeutic techniques, and some of them are licensed therapists.
According to the information provided in the FAQ on its website, Cerebral treats the following conditions:
✓ Depression
✓ Anxiety
✓ Insomnia
✓ Menopausal depression
✓ Postpartum depression
✓ Bipolar disorder (in certain states)
✓ ADHD (in certain states)
✓ Alcohol dependence (in certain states)
✓ PTSD (in certain states)
How Much Does Cerebral Cost?
Generally, Cerebral’s subscription plans range from $85 to $325 per month. But at the time of writing, the company allowed their clients to try out their services at a discounted price during the first month – $30. The clients are billed monthly, and the company promises they can cancel at any time.
Cerebral offers three different therapy plans, but some of them are only available in certain states:
✓ The Medication and Care Counseling plan costs $85 per month. It includes the evaluation, diagnosis, a prescription from a medical provider, and regular video or phone sessions with your care counselor (once a month for clients without in-network insurance).
✓ The Medication + Therapy plan costs $325 per month. It’s an all-inclusive plan that includes everything from the Medication & Care Counseling service but also offers weekly sessions with a licensed therapist instead of monthly check-ins with a care counselor.
✓ The Therapy plan costs $259 per month. It includes weekly video or phone sessions with a licensed therapist from your state. You can also message your therapist anytime.
Does Cerebral Accept Insurance?
Cerebral accepts multiple insurance plans from major health insurance companies. So if you’re in-network, regardless of which subscription plan you choose, it will cost you only $29 a month. But depending on your insurance plan, you may also have to pay a copay, as well as the cost of the prescribed medication. You can also pay for your subscription using HSA/FSA funds.
If you have insurance that isn’t considered in-network with Cerebral, you can contact them, and they’ll send you an invoice that you can submit to your insurer for possible subscription reimbursement.
Is Cerebral Legit?
Cerebral is a HIPAA-compliant platform, which means the company treats privacy and protection of user data seriously. Still, this service is not anonymous: the users are required to provide personal information and a current picture of their face so that the company can verify their identity.
You should also keep in mind that although Cerebral provides information on how clients can contact them via email, making a phone call, or sending a text message, many clients complain on Trustpilot that their messages are ignored and they have to wait for many days to get a reply. There are also numerous complaints from clients in Cerebral online reviews that it’s difficult to cancel the subscription and impossible to get a refund.
Final Verdict
Cerebral make it easier for consumers to get access to mental health care. If you have an insurance plan that is in-network with Cerebral, it’s a good option to consider for individual treatment because its prices are more affordable than on most other online therapy platforms.
But this service is not for everyone though because they don’t offer teen counseling, couples therapy, family therapy, or group therapy. It’s not appropriate for people with addiction and eating disorders and it may not be a good fit if you have a more severe form of depression or panic disorder.
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