How Much is a Therapist in Dallas?
Takeaway: There are many important factors to consider when deciding whether or not to seek therapy. For many people, cost is a big one. In this blog post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about how much a therapist costs in Dallas, including what influences cost, how to pay for therapy, and why the financial investment is worth it.
There are so many treatment options in North Texas that it can be hard to understand which is the right one for you—and what it will cost. Finances are an understandable concern! You might be wondering about insurance, if therapy services are worth it, and whether you should make that investment into your or your child's mental health now, or if there will be a better time later.
Everything you need to know about the cost of therapy in Dallas, TX
With so many questions, it can be helpful to understand the range of prices per session in the Dallas metroplex as well as the factors that influence the differences. Why is one therapist's services so much more than another? How do I know whether counseling is worth it? I am Lindsey Bass, a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Dallas, Texas area and founder of Linden Tree Counseling, PLLC. I'll answer these and some other frequent questions that arise when discussing the cost of therapy so you can start to make a more informed choice about what is right for you and your family.
How much are therapy sessions in Dallas?
There are so many factors that go into how much a session costs. Psychology Today, a large (but by no means comprehensive) directory of therapists, estimates that most therapy sessions fall between $100 to $200. I've personally seen rates in Dallas as high as $275 per session. TherapyDen, another directory of mental health professionals, estimated rates based on the profiles on their website. They determined that the average cost of a therapy session in Dallas, TX was $150 in 2021.
But the type of therapy also affects the cost. Group sessions tend to be less than individual sessions. Family therapy services may be more or less than individual counseling sessions. In general, I'd estimate that the following ranges are fairly representative of costs in the DFW area in 2023 based on different types of sessions:
Initial Intake Session: $150-$250
45 minute adolescent/adult therapy session: $100-$200
60 minute adolescent/adult therapy session: $125-$275
45 minute child/play therapy session: $125-$250
60 minute family session/parent consultation: $80-$250
90 minute group therapy sessions: $30-90
Why is therapy so expensive?
With prices often being over $100 per session, therapy is definitely an investment! Some of the things influencing the cost have little to do with treatment itself. The cost of living and the cost of doing business are going to influence price per session. It's more expensive to live in Dallas than even an hour away in Tyler, TX, so therapists in Dallas charge more to make ends meet. But many of the things that make therapy expensive makes it more effective, such as training. You might think that you can talk to family and friends for much less, but there are several factors that make therapy services more effective and therefore more expensive as well.
Treatment Type and Setting
Therapy is not one size fits all. Some people need more intensive treatment, such as in a hospital or intensive outpatient program (IOP), which tend to be more expensive. Some people need occasional sessions and go to outpatient clinics, such as a private practice like Linden Tree Counseling, PLLC or community mental health center.
Oftentimes community mental health centers offer low cost therapy services. They may also be dedicated to a certain concern, such as domestic violence. Because these centers receive funding to reduce the cost of therapy, sessions are often limited and they may have long waitlists. University clinics also often offer low-cost services for people to receive counseling from students seeking to get a degree in a mental health-related field such as counseling or psychology.
Therapists who only do sessions online may not have to rent an office space, so they may be able to offer lower-cost sessions than someone conducting therapy in person. However, while telehealth does help overcome some barriers to access, it is difficult to implement with certain populations, including children. Children may not be able to pay attention enough for telehealth to be as effective as in-person sessions. And the emotional and behavioral issues that they often come to therapy for are often more challenging to address over video sessions as well.
Training and Specialization
All therapists have to meet certain requirements, often including a masters degree and over a year of supervision from a more experienced clinician. But some providers choose to specialize further, and that requires additional training—and associated costs. Children require a different approach to therapy than adults. Individual therapy requires different training than couples or family therapy training. The cost of sessions reflects how much time and knowledge your therapist has invested to attain to best meet your specific needs.
Length of Treatment
The longer sessions are or the more sessions that are attended, the more therapy costs. According the the American Psychological Association (APA), about half of those in therapy recover after 15 to 20 sessions. Children may take slightly longer with an average of 20 play therapy sessions needed to recover according to the Association for Play Therapy. However, both the APA and Consumer Reports find that long-term treatment does better than short-term treatment.
If those twenty sessions are conducted weekly, the average time spent would be approximately four months. But that is just an average. While some will recover in approximately four months, others may take much longer depending on the presenting issue. People with co-occurring conditions (such as both anxiety and depression) or significant trauma may require counseling for closer to 12-18 months.
Insurance Coverage vs. Out of Pocket
Those utilizing insurance benefits may pay less for therapy depending on the plan's negotiated discounts and deductible.
For those paying out of pocket, some providers offer sliding scale fees based on what you are able to afford. These spots may be limited and require you to wait for one of these dedicated spots to become available. Similarly, reduced rates may be available to a certain number of clients but are not based on the client's income, but rather what the therapist is comfortable charging for services. New clinicians, such as associates, typically offer reduced rates.
Is therapy usually covered by insurance?
This can be a tricky question and is best addressed through your individual insurance plan. Even when mental health services are covered, all insurance plans have different requirements.
In Network vs. Out of Network
Some therapists contract with insurance plans and will be considered "in network". In these cases, your insurance plan negotiates a rate that the insurance company will cover, often less than the therapist's full rate.
However, many therapists do not contract with insurance plans, and are thus considered "out of network." Some insurance companies will partially reimburse out of network services. Out of network therapists may or may not provide documentation for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Again, it is best to check with your individual plan to determine what your insurance covers and your individual therapist to determine whether they will provide the necessary documentation. Linden Tree Counseling, PLLC does provide clients with a the detailed summary, often called a “superbill,” that insurance requires for reimbursement upon request.
Benefits of Using Insurance
If your insurance plan includes coverage for behavioral/mental health, then there is a chance that using insurance will save some money. (How much money this will save you compared to paying out of pocket will vary based on the coverages, copay, and deductibles in your insurance plan.)
By covering part of the cost, insurance may allow you to attend therapy more frequently. Although studies evaluating change estimate that overall improvement is similar regardless of frequency of appointments, attending therapy on a weekly basis compared to every-other-week is associated with faster achievement of therapeutic goals.
Benefits of Working Independently from Insurance Companies
There are reasons many therapists choose not to contract with insurance companies. Insurance companies' goal is to make healthcare as inexpensive as possible. This often means that they pay providers as little as they can. This may mean that therapists taking insurance have more clients on their caseload in order to meet their economic needs—but busier therapists may not be as effective as therapists with smaller caseloads. Because many therapists choose not to be in network due to low pay and logistical difficulties, this may limit the therapists you have access to work with. And those whose choice of therapist was limited by insurance or managed care did worse according to Consumer Reports.
If a therapist is in-network, then there are several ways that insurance companies control treatment including:
Insurance companies require a diagnosis.
Many times people enter therapy to help with dealing with normal but challenging life situations, such as grief, divorce, career changes, and so on. Struggling with these type of challenges may mean that you do not qualify for a mental health diagnosis that insurance companies cover, and claims will be rejected.
If there is a diagnosis made, such as depression or anxiety, this diagnosis often goes on your permanent health and insurance record.
Insurance companies may require access to your treatment plan and progress notes.
Therapists have to document what they do in sessions as part of your medical record. Insurance companies may request copies of these records without your knowledge as part of compliance.
Insurance companies also may place limits on the types and number of sessions that they will cover.
Oftentimes insurance companies will only cover 45-50 minute sessions, and sessions lasting over 60 minutes may be denied entirely. That may sound fine, but if there is a crisis and you need a longer session, you may be left paying for it out of pocket anyway.
There are many concerns that cannot be resolved in ten or even twenty sessions. What if you are dealing with the loss of a significant relationship such as a parent or partner? What if there is a chronic condition contributing to anxiety that you need ongoing support to manage? Consumer Reports also found that if length of therapy was limited by insurance or managed care that those patients also did worse.
Ultimately, it is your decision whether you decide to utilize insurance benefits. There are pros and cons for each, and only you can decide what is most appropriate for you or your child.
Linden Tree Counseling does believe that it is up to the client to determine what is best for them when it comes to utilizing insurance benefits. As such, Lindsey Bass is working to get in network with select insurance companies, specifically Aetna as of August 2023.
If she is unable to bill in-network, Linden Tree Counseling offers documentation if you want to file for out-of-network (OON) benefits at the client’s request. While you still pay upfront, some insurers will reimburse you for some or all of your therapy fees depending on their policies for OON benefits. It is your responsibility to verify benefits with your insurance company. If you do not have insurance benefits and paying for services would be a burden, please let us know to discuss options.
Is therapy worth it?
While there are many approaches to therapy, they all share the goal of improving mental health. Consumer Reports determined that patients benefitted very substantially from therapy and that no specific modality or theory of psychotherapy did better than another. Other studies have similarly found that the therapeutic relationship itself is a major component of improvement, more so than specific techniques. There are certain situations where therapy may not be the best option, but the majority (70%) of people reported that mental health treatment was very helpful.
5 reasons why the cost of mental health care is worth it
Again, mental healthcare is not a one size fits all approach. Every individual has specific needs that would be the focus of sessions. But in general, these are some of the benefits that clients can see in therapy.
Increased Life Satisfaction
Life satisfaction is strongly associated with mental health. By addressing mental health concerns, therapy can help increase life satisfaction while also improving mood and general mindset.
Improved Communication Skills and Interpersonal Relationships
Whether in individual or group therapy, counseling can help develop communication skills that in turn improve the quality of relationships with family, friends, co-workers, clients and others. When you're more able to communicate effectively, the stress of relationship issues can be reduced.
Development of Adaptive Coping Skills
Not all coping skills are created equal. Many, many people use one that is less adaptive all the time: procrastination.
Many people think of procrastination as poor time-management, but often it is a way that people deal with uncomfortable emotions. You don't feel confident and are anxious about how well you can complete a project, so you avoid it. The project doesn't go away, but the discomfort does—temporarily. As you're probably aware, procrastination only puts off the negative feelings, and they may be more intense when you realize that now you have even less time to complete what you need to do.
Therapy helps you understand what coping skills you are using that are not that helpful (such as procrastination) and learn how to use more helpful ones, such as scheduling breaks or breaking up tasks into more manageable chunks.
Better Physical Health
There is a strong link between mental and physical health. People with mental health issues are at increased risk of physical complications as well. For some, mental health concerns manifest physically, such as headaches and stomachaches. For others, being anxious or depressed may make it hard to get out of bed and get exercise. By addressing mental health concerns, people can have not just better mental health, but physical health as well.
Better Workplace and Academic Achievement
People engaged in counseling typically use fewer sick days, experience less disability, report fewer medical problems, and endorse increased work satisfaction. Children engaged in therapy also have better overall academic achievement, as well as specific improvements in reading, language, and math.
Long-Term Benefits
Several different studies have found that the benefits from counseling interventions are substantial and continue to improve following therapy completion. Additionally, the benefits tend to be comparable or exceed those of medications alone for mental health issues.
When it might be time to hold off on mental health care
Therapy is an investment, and you want to get the most out of it. In order to do so, it's important to consider whether now is the right time for therapy. People can benefit from therapy even if they aren't sure about it. The most important factors are that you find the right fit, and that you are ready to consider different ways of thinking about or doing things. Not everyone is going to benefit from going to the same person, and you need to find someone who is a fit for you. It may take reaching out to a few different providers before you find the right fit. And we know from research that while the therapeutic relationship accounts for about 30% of change, what you do outside of sessions to actually implement the things you learn in therapy accounts for nearly 40%. You can still benefit from the support in sessions, but being prepared to do the work helps a lot.
In the meantime, make use of local resources such as support groups or national resources such as crisis help lines. However, if you are struggling and particularly if you are at risk of hurting yourself, then it is important that you seek treatment as soon as possible. Your mental health is important and you deserve support. You don't need to wait until you're in crisis to do something to help yourself.
Invest in your growth. Start working with a Dallas therapist today.
Life can be hard at any age, and everyone deserves the space to figure out what works best for them. Again, I am Lindsey Bass, a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Dallas, Texas area. I specialize in child, adolescent, and LGBTQIA+ counseling. I love working with individuals to help them address all their many life changes. I am trained in different modalities to meet my clients where they are developmentally and emotionally, including play therapy, talk therapy, and integrating expressive arts in therapy.
I focus on each of my clients as a whole person. Whether they are dealing with emotional meltdowns, high risk behaviors, academic concerns, low self esteem, or trauma, everyone is more than their struggles. By focusing on building on existing strengths as well as learning new strategies to manage difficult emotions, I help people feel more confident, secure, and capable.
If you are interested in starting therapy, I offer a free fifteen minute consultation to discuss your specific needs and see if I am a good fit for you.
