InStride Health

What InStride Health Is

InStride Health is a specialized virtual therapy program designed specifically to treat anxiety, OCD, and related disorders in children, teens, and young adults ages 7 up to 26. The program is structured as a 4 to 8 month course rather than open-ended ongoing therapy. InStride was founded by clinicians from Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, specifically Drs. Mona Potter and Kathryn Boger, and the company emphasizes that its team specializes in anxiety and OCD in younger people. The treatment is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a strong emphasis on exposure therapy, and every care plan is tailored to the individual and family. Unlike many therapy services that pair you with a single therapist, InStride structures care around a dedicated three-person team: a therapist, an exposure coach, and a psychiatrist who all work together as one coordinated unit throughout your treatment.

How InStride Treatment Works

When you start with InStride, the process begins with an online application. After you submit it, you choose a time for a free 15-minute call with the InStride team to discuss your situation, answer your questions, and explain what happens next. The company says most young people ages 7 up to 26 start treatment within 1 to 4 weeks, depending on family availability. Next is a free evaluation appointment where a clinician understands the full picture and learns what you and your child (if applicable) hope to get from treatment. After that meeting, your personalized care plan is created.

Once treatment begins, you are matched with your three-person care team. The therapist develops your personalized treatment plan, monitors your progress, adjusts as you hit key milestones, teaches cognitive behavioral skills that help you change how you respond to anxiety and OCD, works with your family, coordinates with your school if you choose, and keeps your entire care plan on track. The exposure coach guides, motivates, and holds you accountable as you practice facing fears in real life. The site emphasizes that the coach connects with you in and between sessions by text, video, and phone as you practice at home, in stores, restaurants, schools, and wherever anxiety and OCD show up. The psychiatrist is part of your care team from day one, coordinates directly with your therapist and exposure coach, and helps decide whether and how medication will play a role in your care.

Treatment happens entirely virtually, by design. The site explains that this allows your coach to guide you through real-world exposure practice exactly where anxiety and OCD show up: at school, in a restaurant, at the grocery store. It also means no commute and easier scheduling around school and work. Your care plan includes individual sessions, group sessions, and parent or caregiver sessions. The program emphasizes guided real-world exposures tailored to your specific age, goals, and circumstances. The company notes that therapists design individualized exposure plans and that sessions are structured to be fun and active, incorporating the young person's interests, with rewards for doing exposures and practicing skills.

The company explicitly says that young people who were initially hesitant about virtual therapy have been successfully treated through InStride, and notes that sessions are about much more than just sitting at a computer.

What the Pages Prove: Age, Conditions, Insurance, and Outcomes

InStride explicitly serves ages 7 up to 26. The conditions it names are Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), OCD, School Refusal, Emetophobia (intense fear of vomiting), Health Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Panic Attacks. The site also refers to these as "anxiety, OCD and related disorders."

The program runs 4 to 8 months in duration. The company reports "90% of young people see symptom reduction within 2 months" and "97% of graduates experienced overall clinical improvement" according to the InStride 2026 Clinical Outcomes Report.

InStride is in-network with major insurers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum, and UnitedHealthcare, but does not currently accept Medicaid. Most families start treatment within 1 to 4 weeks and cover it through insurance.

The site lists availability across 25 states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Popular locations are listed as Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.

Clinical services are provided by InStride Health MA, P.C., InStride Health NJ, P.C., and InStride Medical in New York, each an independent, physician-owned medical group. Patient videos and reviews are published only with permission.

What the Pages Do Not Say

The site does not publish out-of-pocket costs or session fees. While families cover treatment through insurance, it does not specify copay amounts, deductibles, or what uninsured families should expect to pay.

The page does not explain medication options or prescribing practices in detail. While the psychiatrist decides whether medication plays a role in care, the site does not clarify which psychiatric medications are prescribed or how medication decisions are made.

The site does not provide specific details about group session format, size, or how groups function alongside individual care. It also does not detail whether parents are required to participate, what parent training involves, or whether families are expected to maintain consistent practice between sessions.

Wait times vary: most young people start within 1 to 4 weeks depending on family availability and location. The company does not provide information about cancellation policies, session rescheduling, or pausing treatment.

Who It Fits and Who It Does Not

InStride is an excellent fit if you are ages 7 to 26 with anxiety or OCD, your family can commit to a structured 4 to 8 month program with regular exposure practice, and you have health insurance covering mental health care. The three-person team model suits families wanting coordination across therapy, coaching, and psychiatry.

InStride is not appropriate if you are outside the 7-to-26 age range, lack insurance covering mental health (it does not accept Medicaid and does not publish cash-pay rates), or need ongoing therapy beyond 8 months. It is not the right fit if you prefer a single long-term therapist over a coordinated team, or if you need crisis intervention. The program is for treatment of anxiety and OCD, not emergency psychiatric care. If you are in acute distress, call 911, go to an emergency room, call 1-800-273-TALK for a 24-hour crisis center, or text 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.