Therapy Costs & Affordable Care
Understanding therapy costs and finding affordable mental health care options.
Cost shouldn't be a barrier to mental health care. While therapy can be expensive, there are many options for affordable treatment—from insurance coverage and sliding scale fees to low-cost online platforms and community mental health centers.
This resource hub brings together everything you need to understand therapy costs, explore payment options, and find affordable mental health care that fits your budget.
Essential Resources
Budget Finder Tool
Interactive tool to find therapy platforms within your budget, including free and low-cost options.
Insurance Coverage Guide
Understand insurance coverage for therapy and maximize your mental health benefits for lower costs.
Affordable Therapy Platforms
Compare therapy platforms by price, including subscription models and per-session pricing.
Price Comparisons
Side-by-side cost comparisons of therapy platforms to find the best value for your needs.
HSA/FSA for Therapy
How to use Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts for tax-free therapy payments.
Free Mental Health Resources
Free self-help resources, worksheets, and educational content to support your mental health.
What Does Therapy Cost?
Traditional In-Person Therapy
- • Average cost: $100-$200 per session
- • With insurance: $10-$50 copay
- • Sliding scale: $50-$150 based on income
- • Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly sessions
Online Therapy Platforms
- • Subscription model: $240-$400/month (unlimited messaging + live sessions)
- • Per-session: $60-$120 per session
- • Text-only: $150-$300/month
- • Psychiatry: $199-$299/month
Low-Cost Options
- • Community mental health centers: $0-$30 per session (sliding scale)
- • Training clinics: $20-$80 (supervised graduate students)
- • Group therapy: $30-$60 per session
- • Crisis hotlines: Free 24/7 support
Free Resources
- • Support groups: Free peer-led groups (DBSA, NAMI)
- • Mental health apps: Free or $5-$15/month
- • Self-help resources: Worksheets, articles, videos
- • Crisis support: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
How to Make Therapy More Affordable
- Use insurance: Most insurance plans cover mental health services. Verify your benefits and find in-network providers for lower copays.
- Ask about sliding scale fees: Many therapists offer reduced rates based on income. Don't hesitate to ask—most want to make therapy accessible.
- Consider online therapy: Platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace are often 30-50% less expensive than traditional in-person therapy.
- Try group therapy: Group sessions cost significantly less than individual therapy and provide peer support.
- Use HSA/FSA funds: Use pre-tax dollars from Health Savings or Flexible Spending Accounts to pay for therapy.
- Reduce session frequency: Meet bi-weekly or monthly instead of weekly once you've made progress.
- Seek training clinics: University counseling programs offer low-cost therapy from supervised graduate students.
- Explore community resources: Community mental health centers, crisis centers, and nonprofits often provide free or low-cost services.
Therapy Finance Blog Articles
We're building a comprehensive library of therapy cost articles. Future posts will cover topics like:
- • The real cost of therapy: what to expect
- • How to afford therapy without insurance
- • Is expensive therapy better than affordable therapy?
- • Financial assistance programs for mental health care
- • Negotiating therapy fees with your therapist
- • Online therapy cost comparison 2025
In the meantime, explore our existing finance resources above, or browse related tags below.