Virginia whole-family mental health services

When one member of the family is struggling, everyone is affected.

That's why we offer a comprehensive range of mental health services designed to support families in Virginia.

At Little Otter, we provide therapy and psychiatry for children aged 0-14, couples counseling, parenting support, and therapy and psychiatry for adults in Virginia. With our award-winning online therapy app, you can access the mental health care your family needs, right from the comfort of home.

Little Otter Parent:

“Little Otter has been a game changer for our family.

They say it takes a village to raise a family and Little Otter feels like our village. I love the way we are able to access the variety of people to support us in different ways and that these folks are talking to one another.”

We meet you where you are on your mental health journey.

What we treat:

For children 0-14:

Anxiety & worries

Depression & sadness

Attention, focus & ADHD

Sleep & bedtime

Tantrums

Aggression

Trauma & PTSD

Sensory sensitivities

For adults:

Parenting challenges

Co-parenting challenges

Relationship challenges

Adult mental health disorders:

Anxiety

Depression

ADHD

Postpartum mental health

For couples & family:

Couple/marital conflict

Parent-child relationship difficulties

Sibling conflict

Family conflicts and communication challenges

What makes Little Otter different:

  • At Little Otter, we understand that mental health issues don't exist in a vacuum. Our whole-family approach ensures that when one member is struggling, the entire family receives the support they need to thrive together. Parent mental health profoundly impacts young children’s development, and we are committed to fostering healthy attachments and emotional development within the entire family unit.

  • Children under the age of 12 suffer from mental health disorders at the same rates as teenagers, yet only 10.8% receive the care they need. Our care is designed to provide developmentally-sensitive solutions for young children, addressing their unique mental health needs to improve development, functioning, and overall family well-being.

  • We are committed to delivering the highest quality care through evidence-based practices. By measuring progress between provider and patient, we ensure that each treatment plan is tailored, effective, and shared transparently with families. Early intervention leads to better outcomes, creating a positive impact on a child’s emotional development and mental health.

  • Our high-quality, full-time providers are master's or doctoral-level clinicians or MDs with expertise in early childhood and family mental health, as well as telemental health care. We also ensure collaborative care between Little Otter providers and external providers, such as pediatricians. This comprehensive training guarantees that every therapist, psychiatrist, and parenting specialist at Little Otter delivers consistent, compassionate, and effective care tailored to each family’s needs.

How Little Otter works

Here’s what to expect when using Little Otter to support your family’s mental health:

At Little Otter, kids get better. So do their parents.

We know that the child mental health crisis is a family mental health crisis. And solutions must meet the mental health needs of the whole family. Thankfully, our care program is designed to do just that.

Remission rate for kids after 12 sessions compared to the expected 27% in the community.

Of parents moved from clinical to subclinical for anxiety, without receiving direct treatment.

Response to treatment compared to 15.5% within a measurement-based care system.

Of parents moved from clinical to subclinical for depression, without receiving direct treatment.

Family mental healthcare, covered by insurance in Virginia

We accept the following insurance plans:

  • Independence Blue Cross*

  • AmeriHealth

  • Sana

  • Florida Blue

We have additional insurance partnerships that may provide referrals directly. Check with your insurance provider to see if you are eligible for coverage.

All therapy sessions are HSA/FSA eligible. Parent specialist sessions will be contingent on an individual's insurance plan.

For all other questions about your coverage, reach out to us at help@littleotterhealth.com.

Meet Dr. Helen Egger, Little Otter’s Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Helen Egger has been in the field of child mental health for more than 30 years. She is a pediatric doctor, early childhood mental health expert, digital health expert, and prolific scientist. And, she is a mother of four

Dr. Helen Egger was previously the Division Chief for Child Psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine and Department Chair and Director of NYU Langone Health Child Study Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We are currently in-network with:

    • Independence Blue Cross*

    • AmeriHealth

    • Sana

    • Florida Blue

    We have additional insurance partnerships that may provide referrals directly. Check with your insurance provider to see if you are eligible for coverage.

    All therapy sessions are HSA/FSA eligible. Parent specialist sessions will be contingent on an individual's insurance plan.

    For all other questions about your coverage, reach out to us at help@littleotterhealth.com.

    *Service out of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Plans that fall within our Independence Blue Cross coverage include Keystone Health Plan East, Inc., Personal Choice, Bluelink, and Independence Assurance Company.

  • The initial Kickoff Session has a one-time fee of $20, with no membership or recurring payments required.

    A Standard Therapy Session costs $195, and an Assessment is priced at $390.

    Psychiatry Services include a General Psychiatry Evaluation (75 minutes) for $500 and a Psychiatry Follow-up/Med Management (30 minutes) for $250.

    There are also several bundles available: an Assessment bundle for $527, which includes a 90-minute assessment and one standard therapy session at a 10% discount; a 4-session bundle for $702, offering a 10% discount; an 8-session bundle for $1,326, offering a 15% discount; and a 12-session bundle for $1,989, also offering a 15% discount.

  • Little Otter’s virtual care allows you to connect with our expert clinicians through secure online platforms. You can attend sessions, receive guidance, and access resources, all from the comfort of your home.

  • We offer tele-therapy for children 0-14 and adults, parent training and support, couples therapy, and psychiatric services for children 0-14 and adults including med management.

  • Our providers have experience across a wide range of concerns. A non-exhaustive list of concerns we can help with are anxiety, depression, trauma, eating disorders, ADHD, behavioral challenges, OCD, and grief/loss. However, we do not assess for ASD at this time.

  • If you would like to speak to a licensed provider and begin your care, please schedule your initial Kickoff Session via your Little Otter account.

    Once you’ve had your Kickoff Session, you can log into the Little Otter app, click on “Book or Manage Appointments” and choose the provider that you would like to schedule with by clicking “Schedule” underneath their name.