Psychotherapy Fees
Breaking News! The Canadian Revenue Agency announced (8 January 2016) that fees paid to Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers may be deducted on your personal income tax return.
Full details here on the Canada Revenue Agency website.
Please note that OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) only pays for psychotherapy by medical personnel. Some employee benefits plans will pay for the services of registered psychotherapists, others only for 'registered psychologists', or therapists with 'MSW' or 'RSW' certifications.
We are trained professional psychotherapists and therapists in private practice and, like other helping professionals, charge fees for our work.
Each of us sets an independent fee or rate reflecting our individual skill, education, training and experience as psychotherapists and therapists.
How Therapy is Paid For
In Ontario the tradition has been and continues to be that providing for your own life is a private matter.
Please note that psychotherapy is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) unless you work with a psychiatrist or with a general practitioner MD doing psychotherapy.
Unfortunately there are few psychiatrists who do drug-free therapy and most GPs have very little professional training. Neither category is required to experience personal psychotherapy as part of their training, whereas all members of this site have done so and continue their therapeutic journey in a variety of ways to ensure you get objective help.
Some insurance and employee benefits programs may cover your therapy, but this depends on your plan which you should check before you start. In most cases you will have to pay for therapy directly at the time of your sessions, even if you get repaid later by insurance and the benefit plan may only partially reimburse you.
Your workplace may be interested in the many advantages of our Employee Counselling Service which provides affordable therapeutic counselling on a confidential basis.
What About My Benefits Budget?
We are often asked about benefits plans. Many employees have access to benefits plans into which they have already paid taxable personal income.
You may be surprised to learn that access to such plans is restricted by per session and per annum budget limits, as well as specific provisions requiring you to go only to certain providers.
The typically higher fees charged by some providers for instance registered psychologists, will mean that your annual benefits only allow for only a few sessions before you must start paying out of your own pocket.
Overall it may be considerably less expensive, and you may have more choice, if you elect to pay for your therapy out of your own pocket rather than begin a process that ends for lack of funds.
Continuity with the same therapist is an important factor in positive therapy outcomes.
What Benefits Providers will I have access to?
Please check your benefits plan to see which categories of providers are recognized: on this site we have Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Social Workers, and Registered Nurses all in private practice.
The designation of registered Psychotherapist is very recent in Ontario, so your existing benefits plan may not specify it, but we are aware that some larger benefits providers are already providing coverage for therapy by RP as well as RSW and RN practitioners. We suggest than you check this in advance with your HR department about their position on providing coverage.
Is Psychotherapy Worthwhile?
Why should you choose psychotherapy? What makes it ‘worthwhile’ as an option in your life?
We do not offer quick-fix, crash-diet’ solutions. We are here to help you deal with the larger issues of your life.
Each of us has done considerable psychotherapy and has been learning to live in an authentic way; we take our work seriously and we will take yours seriously.
We chose to improve our own lives by devoting time to personal growth at our own expense to better serve our clients.
The fees we charge enable us to continue our work and in many cases are less than those charged by Toronto therapists.
The final question is not whether therapy is worthwhile but whether you think you are deserving of a better life. It is up to you to decide that.
Discussing Fees
The average cost of private psychotherapy across Canada is between $125-175 per session. HST is payable because it is not regarded as a medical expense. Every member of this network is free to set their own fee scale and some offer sliding fees based on client income. Like other professionals in the helping professions, we do not quote or negotiate fees through email. Fees are discussed during consultations, or, at the discretion of the therapist, by phone.
Our rates represent the current mid-range in Toronto. Psychotherapy as provided by registered psychotherapists, registered social workers and registered nurses is much less expensive than the services of registered psychologists, but our fees must cover the costs we must pay for annual registration fees, continuing education, professional development, rent and the normal associated office expenses as well as the time we spend with you as our clients because we rely on our work for our livelihood.
Fees vary. Some of us charge a fixed standard rate. Some provide 'no-fee' slots to those entirely unable to pay.
Many of us have a 'sliding scale' or 'fee scale' to accommodate a range of financial circumstances. A 'sliding scale' attempts to take into account your individual circumstances (employed, better-than-average employment income, other income sources, university or college student, underemployed, unemployed, on disability, etc.). Please be prepared to discuss your own circumstances if you ask for such consideration.
In all cases, every therapist reserves the right to set her/his own fees.
We offer several payment methods. We accept payments in cash and cheque. Some of us accept Interac and also PayPal, enabling you to use a credit card.
HST is now payable on therapy fees since July 1, 2010.
Feel free to discuss fees, rates and payment options when you meet for your free consultation.