how much does a therapist charge?

Question

how much does a therapist charge per hour or per visit?

Answer 1

That depends on the therapist.

If you don't have serious mental health issues (requiring psychotropic drugs), you can go to a talk therapist (counselor) and depending on where you live and counselor, they should have some sort of sliding scale set up depending on your ability to pay.

That is something you can find out when you call around for a therapist. I suggest you find one that is a good fit for you.

A ballpark figure average fee (w/o sliding scale) $85.00 per hour. If you belong to a church, often they have a lay counselor or the pastor does the counseling and that may be for a small "offering" or a set fee. Mental Health Clinics often are cheaper. There are also group type of therapies also.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you understand that the counselor should help you to come to a conclusion on what your issues are and how to cope with them. They do not wave a magic wand and make you all better, you need to do some work. It is well worth the effort.

Good luck in your search.

Answer 2

Can you make a living on that without burning out? I doubt it. You are hurting the profession by charging less. Nurses and pharmacists are usually employees with benefits. Most massage therapists are self employed and have business expenses as well as a salary. Most massage therapists consider 25 hours full time. You won't be able to last more than a few years if you do more. Undercharging is also a sign of caretaking and codependence. I am not sure if that is you or not of course but it is something to seriously look at. If you make more then you can open a free clinic to those who really do need it. It is about what people value. I know people who are on a fixed income and don't make much but they think massage is a priority and come more than once a month even. I also know people who can afford $60+ an hour but they balk at it and would rather buy a new SUV or clothes or something. By charging less you are showing that massage is not of value.

Answer 3

It depends. If you have health insurance, you would only pay the co-pay amount. If you don't have health insurance it is usually charged on a sliding scale, by how much income you have. There are also free clinics. If you had to pay cash and your income was not an issue it can range from 75-150/hr.