How much does a therapist cost?

[ani'smommy]

I am not sure if our insurance will cover it or not -- if it doesn't, how much does it cost? I know there is probably a pretty wide range, but more or less, how much is it a session? I'm in the Midwest if that makes a difference.

[MomToKandE]

I'm on the east coast and I've seen around $125 per hour from several. At least part of that should be covered by insurance. Also, many docs have sliding scales based on income. Hope that helps!

[Oubliette8]

You're right, there is a wide range of answers here, and you will likely find a wide range in your very own community. I live in the midwest and I think my therapist charges about $125 for an hour. He's a Ph.D., which might make a difference- there are all sorts of degrees and levels of education among people who fall under the "therapist" category. In my community, there are several places were you can get free therapy- one of them receives county funding, one of them is private. Sometimes religious organizations also offer free counseling- sometimes just for parishioners, and other times non-religious counseling to all as a public service. If you have a university near you, they sometimes have community counseling centers where you can be seen by professional students at a significantly reduced cost. Many other independent therapists have sliding scales based on income if you ask- some do, some don't, but you don't know unless you inquire.

You should call around and interview a few therapists to get an idea of the going rate in your area. That shouldn't be the only question you ask though- also ask about things like education, their approach to therapy, their experience with your particular problem, and just get a general feel for how well you think you would click with them- therapy is generally ineffective if you dislike your therapist, so its important to find a good fit for you.

The other thing is that some therapists will not deal with insurance at all, others leave it up to you to do all the insurance work, and still others only take some insurance plans. If you really need the insurance, be sure to ask about that. -Neb

[34me]

Well, here in CO they are $125 an hour too (and an hour is really 50 minutes )