Talkspace Launches Live Chat Sessions, Giving Members Greater Options for Connecting with Therapists

New Feature Offers Talkspace Members More Flexibility to Choose Between Video, Audio or Chat for Their Live Therapy Sessions

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), a leading online behavioral health care company, announced the launch of live chat sessions giving members the opportunity to message with their therapist in real-time. Starting today, Talkspace members will have the option to select one of three modes of communication - video, audio, or chat - for their scheduled live sessions with their licensed therapist, empowering members with increased flexibility and convenience to access therapy in whatever format they choose.

“With therapy, there is no one-size-fits-all option. At Talkspace, our mission is to deliver high quality mental health care in a way that’s more affordable, accessible and convenient by creating as many ways as possible for members to customize and personalize their therapy journey to meet their unique needs. We align ourselves with that mission in every new product or service offering, strategic partnership, or function update on our platform,” said Roni Frank, Co-Founder and Head of Clinical Services at Talkspace. “We listened to the feedback provided by our members and are thrilled to offer another innovative way for our members to engage with their therapists in a way that is comfortable and convenient for them.”

Last month, Talkspace for Business released the Employee Stress Check 2021 report which examined the latest influences shaping workplace mental health. The report found two out of every three employees considering leaving their jobs agree that their employer has not followed through on their early pandemic promises to focus on mental health. As the number of employees returning to the office reaches a pandemic high, the new live chat function offers a flexible option for all workers to seek therapy and engage at a time and mode that works best for them.

A recent survey of Talkspace members and providers found the new live chat function to be extremely beneficial, especially for members who are uncomfortable with live video sessions or those who can better express themselves through writing. Live chat will be available to most members immediately. Talkspace members enrolled under employer benefits will have access to live chat later this year, and health plans, in early 2022.

To learn more, please visit https://www.talkspace.com.

About Talkspace

Talkspace is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare company enabled by a purpose-built technology platform. As a digital healthcare company, all care is delivered through an easy-to-use and fully encrypted web and mobile platform, consistent with HIPAA and other state regulatory requirements.

Today, the need for care feels more urgent than ever. When seeking treatment, whether it's psychiatry or adolescent, individual or couples therapy, Talkspace offers treatment options for almost every need. With Talkspace, members can send their dedicated therapists text, video, and voice messages anytime, from anywhere, and engage in live video sessions. As of June 2021, over 2 million people have used Talkspace, and over 55 million lives were covered for Talkspace through insurance and employee assistance programs or other network behavioral health paid benefit programs.

For more information about Talkspace commercial relationships, visit https://business.talkspace.com. To learn more about online therapy, please visit https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy/.