Affordable Therapy Options For Mental Health
- For those experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988
- For those experiencing abuse, please contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- For those experiencing substance use, please contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357
Whether you’re living with a mental health condition or simply want to invest in your well-being and overall health, therapy can be a powerful form of self-care for people of all backgrounds.
If you’re looking for affordable therapy, the costs of therapy — not to mention the hassle of getting to an office — might prevent you from seeking the help you deserve. For some people, a lack of adequate mental health benefits through insurance can lead to expensive out-of-pocket payments. Others may struggle to afford traditional therapy, even with mental health coverage.
How to choose affordable therapy
If you’d like to work with a mental health professional but you’re concerned about the cost, you have options for affordable therapy. In fact, in many cases, it’s possible to find free or discounted therapy. This article showcases affordable therapy options so that you can implement quality mental health care into your self-care routine.
Finding affordable therapy
1. Contact your insurance company
Some support groups may not technically qualify as “group therapy” since they’re not always led by a licensed therapist. Regardless of their technical definition, these groups can provide meaningful insight and social connection.
Not everyone has the time or financial resources for traditional, in-person therapy. Additionally, many people struggle to afford traditional therapy. Affordable online platforms like Open Path Psychotherapy Collective and BetterHelp can connect you to thousands of mental health professionals who believe in the power of high-quality and available therapy. Online therapy services also allow you to work with your licensed mental health professional from home.
Because the licensed therapists who work through these platforms don’t have to pay for office space or other forms of overhead, online therapy costs are often lower than they are with traditional therapy. It is important to note that medication management and diagnoses are not available through many online therapy services.
The average price of affordable therapy
Affordable therapy organizations
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 74174.
- Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-8255 (and press 1) or text 838255. For support for the deaf and hard of hearing community, please use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255.
- Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ helpline): 1-866-488-7386.
- SAMHSA National Helpline (Substance Use Helpline): 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
- National Eating Disorder Association Helpline:1-800-931-2237.
When you call or text these organizations, you can speak to highly trained and compassionate individuals without the need for health insurance. Sometimes, they have personal experience with the concerns you’re facing and can guide you toward the next steps for treatment or support. However, it is important to note that these representatives are often unable to offer medical advice.
Professional mental health services should be available, affordable, and convenient — and these therapy options and online resources are working to make this vision a reality. With BetterHelp and other online platforms like Open Path Collective, affordable counseling or therapy is within reach.
As you begin your search to find a therapist, keep this guide handy. Regardless of your motivation for therapy, you deserve a compassionate, experienced professional who will honor your financial circumstances and mental health goals.
What type of therapy is the most affordable option?
The most affordable option for you will depend on factors such as location and which insurance providers cover which practitioners in your area. It will also depend on what types of licensed professionals you want to work with. A clinical social worker, for instance, may charge a different rate than a psychiatrist.
Insurance coverage will be a major factor in how much money you pay out of pocket for talk therapy. Some plans have copays as little as $15 or $0 for in-house therapists. Out-of-network therapists may offer sliding scale rates or financial aid to receive their services, but will typically run around $100 to $150 per session.
Anyone can seek therapy to help overcome challenges related to life, such as grief, identity crises, and familial dysfunction. Practitioners often recommend psychotherapy to people with psychiatric conditions like eating disorders, anxiety, or depression.
To find a therapist, consider starting with your insurance provider. They should be able to give you a list of in- and out-of-network providers they cover. If that isn’t an option, or you aren’t satisfied with the options given to you, you can look for local social workers, interns, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health personnel trained to practice psychotherapy. There are also therapists who provide live sessions via videoconference, which can allow you to broaden your search radius should local options be limited.
A typical therapy session ranges from $100 to $200, depending on who you work with, their level of experience, and the modalities they work in. Some clinicians also charge a different amount for sessions related to intake processing as opposed to live sessions.
If you can’t find a therapist who accepts insurance, or your plan don’t have coverage for mental health, you might be able to find lower-cost options elsewhere. High school and college students may have access to psychotherapy through their school, and some employers provide access to psychotherapy sessions through employee assistance (EAPs) and similar programs. Local health clinics and universities with mental health services may also be able to offer affordable therapy.
Probably the most frequently recommended psychotherapies are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Others common modalities include:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Graded exposure therapy
While few, if any, apps will offer therapy for free, there are several options that can connect clients with an online therapist who can perform video, phone, or even text-based therapy. You can also turn to other mental health resources for additional aid, such as physicians who can prescribe medication or clubs dedicated to practicing mental wellness. If you need urgent or immediate support, it’s recommended to call 911 or 988 (the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) or go to the ER.
Insurance doesn’t always cover online therapy, but some companies like Talkspace accept insurance. You may be able to secure sessions out-of-pocket with other online providers for a lower cost than you would a face-to-face therapist.
Patients with chronic health conditions can benefit heavily from therapies that focus on the relationship between the body and mind, in addition to conventional talk therapies like CBT, DBT, and ACT.
The most successful therapy for you will be what you connect with that helps you progress. This could be ACT, DBT, EMDR, CBT, humanistic, art, music, or other kinds of therapy. The most important elements for your success will be a healthy therapeutic alliance and a safe space or environment in which you can feel comfortable being vulnerable. You may have to switch therapists a few times before you find the right therapist and therapy for you.
- Previous Article
- Next Article