What therapy costs in Ontario, and what insurance covers.
Cost is the most common reason people put off the first call. So here is the whole picture, including the free routes and the ones that are not us. Current as of October 2026.
The short version
Private therapy in Ontario costs roughly $150 to $250 a session with a Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist, and $250 to $350 with a psychologist. Sessions are usually 50 minutes. None of it is covered by OHIP unless a physician delivers it or it runs through a hospital program.
Most Ontario workplace plans cover part of it, commonly $500 to $2,000 a year. The detail that decides whether you are reimbursed is which provider title your plan names, because some plans cover Registered Social Workers only and some cover Registered Psychotherapists only. Check that wording before you book.
If you have no coverage, hospital perinatal programs are free, employer EAPs often include a block of sessions that does not touch your paramedical allowance, and most private practices hold a small number of reduced fee spots.
By provider type
What each kind of therapy costs in Ontario.
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
$150 to $250Covered by most workplace plans. Not OHIP.
Regulated by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. The most commonly covered provider type on Ontario workplace plans. This is what most of our team is.
Registered Psychotherapist (RP)
$150 to $250Covered by many plans, but not all. Not OHIP.
Regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Equivalent scope to an RSW for talking therapy. The one thing to check is that your plan names RPs, because some plans cover social workers only.
Psychologist (CPsych)
$250 to $350Covered by most plans. Not OHIP.
Required if you need a formal diagnosis, a psychoeducational assessment or a report for a legal or custody matter. For treating perinatal anxiety or depression, not inherently more effective than a specialist RSW or RP.
Psychiatrist
FreeCovered by OHIP. Physician referral needed.
A medical doctor who can prescribe and diagnose. The route when medication is central. Usually works alongside therapy rather than replacing it. Waits vary widely by region and referral.
Hospital and community programs
FreeReferral usually needed. Waits often several months.
Women's College, Mount Sinai and Sunnybrook run perinatal mental health services. The strongest option if cost is the deciding factor. The constraint is access, not quality.
Student and training clinics
$30 to $80Sliding scale. Waitlists vary.
Supervised trainees at university clinics and community health centres. Lower cost, and the supervision means a senior clinician is involved in your care. Less likely to offer perinatal specialism.
Fees are for a standard 50 minute individual session in the Greater Toronto Area. Couples sessions typically run $25 to $50 higher because the work is denser and the preparation longer.
Nobody should have to email a practice to find out what it costs.
Insurance
The one piece of wording that decides whether you get reimbursed.
Check the provider title, not the amount
Almost everyone checks their annual maximum and stops there. The more common reason a claim is refused is that the plan covers one provider title and the clinician holds the other.
- Some plans cover Registered Social Workers only
- Some cover Registered Psychotherapists only
- Some cover both, some only psychologists
- Two people at the same employer can have different answers
Ask the member line those three questions directly: is an RSW covered, is an RP covered, what is my annual maximum. Write down the answer and the date you were told it.
What you can usually stack
- Paramedical allowance. The core mental health benefit, commonly $500 to $2,000 a year.
- Health spending account. Often covers therapy even when the paramedical allowance is spent, or when it does not list your provider's title.
- Wellness or lifestyle account. Same idea, different pot.
- EAP sessions. A block of free sessions through your employer that usually does not count against the allowance.
- Medical expense tax credit. Claimed on whatever you paid out of pocket.
Use them in that order and the out of pocket cost is often a fraction of the list price.
No coverage
Five routes that cost nothing, or close to it.
- Hospital perinatal programs. Women's College, Mount Sinai and Sunnybrook. Free. Ask your OB, midwife or family doctor for the referral.
- Psychiatry through OHIP. Free with a physician referral. Best when medication is part of the picture.
- Your employer's EAP. Usually a block of free sessions, and it often does not touch your paramedical allowance.
- Community health centres and training clinics. Sliding scale, often $30 to $80. Supervised trainees, which means a senior clinician is involved in your care.
- Reduced fee spots in private practice. Most practices hold a few, including this one, and most people never ask.
If cost is the deciding factor, start with the public route. A free program you actually attend beats a private one you cancel in month two.
Our fees, specifically
Published, so you do not have to send an email to find out.
- Consultation call, 15 min
- Free
- Individual session, 50 min
- $175 to $200
- Couples session, 50 min
- $210 to $225
- Extended couples, 75 min
- 1.5× the rate
Fees vary by therapist. Your exact fee is confirmed on the free call, before you commit to anything. Your exact fee is confirmed on the free call, before you book anything.
- Direct billing
- Sun Life and TELUS eClaims
- Receipts accepted by
- All major insurers
- HSA and wellness accounts
- Accepted
- Reduced fee spots
- A few, ask on the call
Asking about a reduced fee takes one sentence. There is no application and no documentation, and it does not change who you are matched with.
Asked by people working out the cost
Questions about paying for therapy in Ontario.
How much does therapy cost in Ontario?
Most private therapy in Ontario falls between $120 and $350 a session. Registered Social Workers and Registered Psychotherapists typically charge $150 to $250. Psychologists typically charge $250 to $350, because the training is longer and the scope includes formal assessment. Sessions are usually 50 minutes.
Hospital and community programs are free. They generally need a referral and the wait can run several months.
Does OHIP cover therapy?
Sometimes. OHIP covers therapy with psychiatrists and some family doctors. It doesn't cover private therapy with a Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist, but you may be able to access these services for free through a hospital program, your family health team, a community health centre, or Ontario Structured Psychotherapy.
This surprises a lot of people. Seeing a psychiatrist is free, but you'll need a referral from your doctor, and psychiatrists usually focus on diagnosis and medication rather than weekly therapy. Free programs can also have waitlists, so many people use workplace benefits to see a private therapist sooner.
Is therapy covered by workplace insurance in Ontario?
Usually in part. Most Ontario workplace plans include a paramedical allowance for mental health, commonly between $500 and $2,000 a year.
The detail that matters is which provider type your plan names. Some plans cover Registered Social Workers only. Some cover Registered Psychotherapists only. Some cover both, some cover psychologists only. Two colleagues at the same company can have different answers. Check the exact wording before you book, because the clinician's title decides whether the receipt is reimbursed.
How do I find out what my plan covers?
Log in to your insurer's portal and look for the paramedical or mental health section. Or call the member line and ask:
- Is a Registered Social Worker covered?
- Is a Registered Psychotherapist covered?
- What's my annual maximum?
- Do I need a doctor's referral?
It helps to write down what they tell you and when, in case anything changes later.
Not sure what you're looking at? Send us a note and we'll help you make sense of it.
What is direct billing and do you offer it?
Direct billing means the clinic invoices your insurer and you pay only the remainder, so you are not out of pocket while you wait for reimbursement. We direct bill through Sun Life and TELUS eClaims, and provide receipts for all other insurers. Ask us when you book.
For every other insurer we issue a receipt you submit yourself. Reimbursement is generally a week or two. It is a small administrative step rather than a barrier, and plenty of our clients do it monthly in one go.
Can I use a health spending account?
Yes. Health spending accounts, wellness accounts and lifestyle spending accounts are all accepted, and they often cover therapy even when the core paramedical allowance is exhausted or does not list your provider's title. If you have both, use the paramedical allowance first and the spending account for the remainder.
Is therapy tax deductible in Canada?
Fees paid to a Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist can generally be claimed as a medical expense on your Canadian tax return. Keep every receipt. The medical expense credit has a threshold based on your net income, so whether it is worth claiming depends on your total medical expenses for the year.
Check with an accountant for your own situation. We can reissue a full year of receipts in one PDF if that helps at tax time.
What if I have no coverage at all?
Several routes exist and none of them require you to pay private rates.
Hospital perinatal programs at Women's College, Mount Sinai and Sunnybrook are free, and the clinicians are often excellent. Ask your OB, midwife or family doctor for a referral. Your employer may have an EAP with a block of free sessions that does not touch your paramedical allowance. Community health centres and training clinics offer sliding scale therapy. If cost is the deciding factor, start there and do not let anyone talk you out of it.
We also hold a small number of reduced fee spots. Mention it on the consultation call. There is no application and no documentation.
Why do therapists charge different amounts for the same service?
Mostly experience and specialist training. A therapist with many years in perinatal mental health will usually charge more than someone newer to the field. Both can be the right choice.
The relationship you build with your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of how helpful therapy will be. So the most useful question isn't who costs the most. It's whether this feels like someone you can talk to.
Do I pay for the first call?
No. The 15 minute consultation is free, there is no card on file and no intake form to complete first. Your exact session fee is confirmed on that call, before you commit to anything.
Reading on this
Related, if you are still deciding.
How to choose a perinatal therapist
All five routes in Ontario, what each is for, and how to verify a registration.
Questions people ask us
Twenty four answers, including the ones about booking, fit and what happens on the first call.
What the free consultation is for
What to ask in fifteen minutes, and how to tell whether someone is the right fit.