How much does a therapy session cost?

Private session

$175 – $275 50 min

Based on a single source. Treat it as a rough guide.

One cost-guide source puts private psychologist rates nationally at $175 to $275 for a 50-minute session, median around $180-$220. The spread mainly reflects credential level and location, with big-city markets running higher.

What the public system covers

Medicare Part B, for people 65 and older or with a qualifying disability, covers outpatient psychotherapy with a 20% coinsurance after the deductible. Medicaid also covers mental health care, though limits and copays vary by state. Outside these programs, coverage depends on private insurance or employer plans, and copays run well below the self-pay rate.

Official or association fee schedule

Medicare's national fee schedule is the closest thing to an official reference rate: for CPT code 90834, a 45-minute psychotherapy session, the allowed amount is $101.51 in 2025 and $113.90 in 2026 — what the program pays providers, not what self-pay patients are billed.

Online therapy

$69 – $109 per week

Subscription platforms such as Talkspace price week-based plans from about $69 up to around $109, covering one weekly video session plus ongoing messaging rather than single visits.

Private session

£40 – £80 50 min

Based on a single source. Treat it as a rough guide.

One UK guide puts private therapy at £40-£50 per session through BACP, the counselling and psychotherapy body, with the broader private-practice hourly range running £50-£80 for a typical 50-minute session; big cities and specialist psychologists tend toward the top.

What the public system covers

NHS Talking Therapies offers free, self-referral talking therapy for anxiety and depression in England, with no GP referral required. Its official access standard is to see 75% of patients within 6 weeks of referral and 95% within 18 weeks.

Online therapy

£31 – £72 per week

Week-based online platforms range from about £31.50 (Online-Therapy.com) up to roughly £72 a week, billed monthly — a different pricing model from paying per in-person session.

Private session

CA$120–350 50 min

Rates vary sharply by province, from about $120 to $350 CAD for a 50-minute session. In Quebec, where the profession sets its own prices, most psychologists charge $120-$180; elsewhere in Canada, cited rates run closer to $200-$350.

What the public system covers

Provincial health plans such as OHIP in Ontario, MSP in British Columbia, and AHCIP in Alberta do not cover psychologists in private practice, only psychiatrists and hospital-based care; MSP states explicitly that psychotherapy and counselling are not covered. Alberta offers a supplementary benefit of up to $300 a year toward psychologist costs for eligible residents.

Official or association fee schedule

Quebec's regulator states plainly that no official fee schedule exists for private practice. In Ontario, one clinic cites $235 an hour as consistent with the provincial association's guidance — a single practice's figure, not one published by the association itself.

Online therapy

CA$88–122 per week

BetterHelp Canada charges roughly $88 to $122 CAD a week, which includes one weekly video session plus unlimited messaging with a therapist.

Private session

A$237–245 50 min

Based on a single source. Treat it as a rough guide.

A network survey of 378 psychologists puts average fees at $237, median $245, for a 50-minute private session. As a single-source figure, it reflects one national network rather than a cross-checked market-wide estimate.

What the public system covers

Under Medicare's Better Access scheme, a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan unlocks up to 10 individual and 10 group subsidised sessions a year. The rebate for a registered psychologist is $101.55 a session, with a higher rebate for a clinical psychologist; the patient pays the gap between the rebate and the practitioner's fee, unless the practitioner bulk-bills.

Official or association fee schedule

The Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates part of the fee for a registered psychologist: item 80110, for a session of at least 50 minutes, has a schedule fee of $119.45 with an 85% Medicare benefit of $101.55. The psychologists' association also publishes its own non-binding suggested fee, reviewed annually.

Online therapy

A$440 per month

BetterHelp Australia runs to around $440 AUD a month for one weekly video session plus ongoing messaging; it is not Medicare-rebateable and is not covered by private health insurance.

Private session

€60 – €200 50 min

Price tracks the practitioner's qualification: a counsellor typically charges €60-€100, an accredited psychotherapist €70-€120 for 50 minutes, a chartered psychologist €100-€180, and a clinical psychologist €130-€200 or more.

What the public system covers

HSE Counselling in Primary Care gives medical-card holders up to 8 free sessions, accessed through a GP or health-professional referral rather than self-referral; typical waits run 3-6 months. The broader, non-means-tested Primary Care Psychology service has far less capacity and correspondingly longer waits.

Online therapy

€70 – €120 per session

Online sessions with an Irish-accredited practitioner are priced much the same as in-person therapy, roughly €70-€120 for 50 minutes.