Key takeaways
- Our Ritual is a teletherapy platform that offers virtual relationship counseling.
- Users can opt for individual or couples therapy, which affects the pricing plan and session lengths.
- Our Ritual may suit people looking for flexible and approachable relationship therapy.
Pros
- suitable for individuals and couples
- sessions available 24/7
- range of Experts with varying qualifications and specialisms
- freedom and flexibility with pacing
- video calls and app offer long-distance accessibility
- secure and private platform
- accommodates LGBT+, military, and long-distance couples.
Cons
- not transparent about Experts’ qualifications and credentials
- cannot choose a specific Expert
- cannot choose session length
- does not accept insurance
- may not suit complex or urgent situations or needs
Our tester, Lucy, has been with her partner Sam for over 10 years. They are married and have children. Lucy has some therapy experience and signed up with Our Ritual as an individual. Sam has no therapy experience and did not sign up for Our Ritual.
Lucy signed up with Our Ritual hoping to improve communication and intimacy in the relationship.
Lucy found signing up with Our Ritual relatively simple. “It was fairly quick to register for an account. I downloaded the app from the Google Play store. The initial setup required me to use my internet browser where I filled in a questionnaire.”
The intake form asks a range of contextual questions, including some personal data. “The first few questions asked about age, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, and whether I had children. Later questions asked about relationship satisfaction and how time sensitive our situation was. I was also asked if I wanted to start with Our Ritual as an individual or as a couple.”
This final question determines the payment plans, assigned Expert, and app features. “After completing the form, I was recommended a plan based on my responses and taken through to a payment page. Information about the pricing and timeline for payments was presented clearly.”
“Once I had completed payment, I closed the browser window and opened the app to log in. It was a quick and simple process.”
The Our Ritual app has a few key services and features, including:
- Therapy sessions: Users are assigned an Expert, a trained and qualified professional who leads their therapy sessions. Users can schedule a video or audio call weekly, and use a chat to message their Expert anytime. Users can also change their assigned Expert.
- Pathways: The Pathways use short videos, questionnaires, and exercises to explore different topics, such as understanding communication, managing conflicts, and improving intimacy. Each week, the user can explore a new part of their current Pathway. After a weekly session with an Expert, they unlock the next part of the Pathway. There is also a Library where users can revisit completed Pathways or explore additional video content.
- Emotions: Users can log up to three emotions they feel each day, either by completing a short questionnaire or inputting the emotions directly. These are then tracked in a weekly visual chart. Users can choose to share these with their therapist.
In the following discussion, our tester Lucy goes in-depth on how each of these features worked and whether they were helpful to her.
Therapy sessions with Experts
After completing the intake survey and setting up an account, users are assigned an Expert based on their answers.
A note on Experts
Our Ritual uses the term Expert to describe the professionals it works with to provide therapy sessions.
Over 60 Experts are available across different time zones. They have a variety of qualifications and specialisms, ranging from psychologists to clinical social workers, using various therapy tools such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or narrative therapy.
Although Our Ritual specifies that all its Experts are trained and qualified professionals, it does not provide their credentials or experience. Notably, the ability to review the Expert’s details do not become available until after a welcome video session with them.
Though it is possible to change Experts with Our Ritual, people looking to choose their therapist and view credentials in advance may prefer other platforms.
Scheduling
Our tester was impressed by the flexibility in scheduling an appointment
“There were lots of time slots available — one every 5 minutes across 24 hours! I was surprised at this flexibility and breadth. Because the sessions are virtual, I assume they have therapists worldwide. This is great for people who struggle to arrange appointments within typical daytime hours.”
“There were also lots of opportunities to reschedule, even directly before the meeting, in case I couldn’t make it last minute.”
Sessions can last between 20 to 50 minutes, depending on whether the user is on an individual or couples plan. Users cannot determine the session length beforehand. This may make Our Ritual unsuitable for people who want to control their therapy session duration.
Session
Lucy describes her 30-minute welcome session positively, noting the empathetic and approachable nature of her Expert.
“I felt comfortable with my Expert and found it easy to talk to him. He was very empathetic and calming. I felt nervous before our video call, but he quickly put me at ease with a professional but warm manner.”
“He asked me background questions about my relationship and goals. He also looked at my responses to Pathway questions and the Emotions tracker. At the end of the session, he invited me to ask questions about the Our Ritual process. Afterward, he released the second Pathway for me to go through in the app, and I was able to access the chat function.”
Lucy notes that the initial session didn’t resolve any relationship issues, but she set up future sessions.
“In the welcome session, I didn’t feel I gained any tools or answers but that I could talk over my concerns and hopes around the relationship. It was useful to clarify this out loud and to build trust with the Expert.”
Chat
After their first welcome session, users can send chat messages to their assigned Expert at any time.
“Once I scheduled my first sessions with my Expert, the chat became available. They sent me messages after our first meeting that were generic but friendly, and they responded quickly to me.”
The chat feature does not guarantee an immediate response as Experts may only be available at limited times. It should not be used in urgent situations.
Pathways
The learning Pathways are a key component of Our Ritual’s therapy process. Our tester, Lucy, explains how the Pathways worked.
“At first, it recommended a few Pathways based on my intake survey, though you could select others if you wanted. The first Pathway was titled ‘Foundations of Connection’ and had a total of 7 tasks. It began with short videos of a therapist explaining different concepts.”
Lucy found the Pathways useful for structuring her thoughts and preparing for therapy sessions. “After a few videos, it asked me to complete a questionnaire to define the starting point, goals, and future vision of the relationship. This was helpful for gathering my thoughts before meeting my therapist.”
Lucy notes that having weekly “tasks” to complete incentivised her to stay engaged with the app. They also were short enough to complete despite a busy schedule.
“Each exercise in the Pathway is counted as a ‘task.’ I really enjoyed completing the tasks — it was a small but easy way to follow the Pathway without getting bored or distracted. I could dip in now and then to complete a small step of the Pathway in usually less than 5 minutes, which was ideal when I’m so busy with work and parenting.”
Lucy also notes that it provides options for responding to some questions, accommodating different preferences.
“I was asked to respond to a question about the relationship in either a video, audio, or written text response. I liked that it gave these options and allowed for practices before sending. If using the app as a couple, I imagine the use of audio and video responses is great for sharing and connection. As an individual concerned about privacy, I was relieved to respond in text form.”
Library
Though Our Ritual’s Library of videos was always available, Lucy only dipped into it briefly.
“Once I completed a Pathway, I could review it in the Library, or explore other topics and content. This mostly consisted of short videos or audio clips with topics such as vulnerability, long distance, intimacy, and more. I watched a few but preferred the structure of the Pathway rather than watching random videos.”
Emotions
Lucy says that the daily Emotions check-in was her favorite feature of Our Ritual.
“Each day I could fill in an Emotion Check-In questionnaire, or just choose up to three emotions directly, which would then be tracked in my daily emotions chart. I really enjoyed this feature! As a visual learner, it was a clear and useful way to track my daily moods. The responses were color-coded and described nuanced feelings (e.g., ‘alienated’, ‘respected’, ‘drained’, etc.).”
Notably, Lucy says this was a simple and helpful way to step into therapy and become mindful of her moods.
“I liked being able to complete this task daily. It kept me engaged with the app and therapy without expecting too much of me or having to put things in my own words. It was quick to do, but it helped me connect with my emotions every day in a way I usually wouldn’t make time for.”
Our tester’s final thoughts
Our tester praised Our Ritual for its accessibility and engaging exercises. “I really enjoyed completing the daily and weekly tasks,” Lucy says. “It kept me engaged with my emotions and gave me an easy-to-follow structure for exploring aspects of my relationship.”
Lucy also appreciated the approachability of her assigned Expert. “My therapist was very pleasant, calm, and empathetic. He explained the process clearly and left lots of room for me to talk or ask questions. Despite initially being nervous about relationship counseling, he made me feel comfortable and confident.”
“I’d recommend Our Ritual for people wanting highly flexible and beginner-friendly relationship therapy. As a busy mom, the flexibility in booking sessions and the ability to dip in and out of learning tasks quickly was so helpful.”
She did, however, criticize the lack of transparency around the Experts.
“Not being able to view my Expert’s details before the welcome session was a bit confusing, as I was unsure what to expect from them. Even though my Expert was friendly and professional, he didn’t tell me his background or qualifications, and I couldn’t see that information on the app.”
“I wouldn’t recommend Our Ritual to anyone wanting freedom of choice in their therapist, or who [is] keen to pick a therapist with specific qualifications and specialisms.”
Overall, our tester had a positive experience using Our Ritual and recommends it.
Pricing varies depending on whether the user signs up for an individual or couples account. Users also have the option to pay in different installments, from monthly to biannually. The different installments affect the weekly cost, with a longer commitment period reducing the weekly cost.
The pricing plans for individuals are:
- Individual Monthly: $190 ($48/week)
- Individual 3-Months: $160 ($40/week)
- Individual 6-Months: $120 ($32/week)
For couples:
- Couple Monthly: $310 ($77.50/week)
- Couple 3-Months: $260 ($65/week)
- Couple 6-Months: $208 ($52/week)
If a user decides that Our Ritual is not appropriate for them, a 14-day money-back guarantee is available under certain conditions.
Insurance
Our Ritual does not accept insurance, FSA accounts, or HSA accounts.
Cancelling
Users can cancel their subscription by emailing the support team before their subscription is due to renew. The cancellation process can take around a week.
Our Ritual is a secure and encrypted program. User data and information are never sold to third parties.
Users can change their username and profile details in the settings at any time.
Our Ritual membership can range from $120 to $310 per month.
Pricing depends on whether the account is for an individual or a couple and whether the payments are monthly, every 3 months, or every 6 months. The weekly cost is lowest for the 6-month plan. Individual plans have lower fees than couples plans.
Our Ritual offers individual or couple counseling with a focus on relationships. This means people can sign up as an individual to discuss and explore relationships without other people participating.
Our Ritual is a relationship therapy platform offered via an app or desktop.
Users can explore various learning pathways, track emotions, and schedule weekly video calls with a licensed relationship expert.
Our Ritual is an accessible option for people wanting to explore relationship therapy. The ability to sign up as an individual or couple, alongside the flexibility in scheduling video calls with a therapist, makes it suitable for a wide range of people.
Our Ritual may suit people looking for relationship therapy with flexibility, for example long-distance couples, individuals with scheduling conflicts, or people wanting to explore relationship counseling at their own pace.