On average, Psychology Today notes that one session of therapy can run you between $100 to $200 (and if you live in certain cities, this number can get even higher!!!). Now for some people, $100 to $200 is just a drop in the bucket; but maybe for you this is gas money, grocery money, or even the light and water bill.

Given the rising costs of…well…just about everything, I wanted to help you learn how you can possibly get free therapy services. Read on for several ways you, or someone you care about, can get access to free therapy or mental health-related resources…

1). Open Counseling

Yes, you read that picture right. This website helps you find free and/or affordable therapy near you. If you are trying to find free or low cost therapy near you then their website here is a great place to start.

2). Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Depending on the company you work for you may be able to get therapy services through an EAP. For example, I once had a client who was able to get 10 free sessions through his EAP. And for those cynics who are thinking, “10 sessions?! That’s nothing!” WRONG! 👀

I am not exaggerating when I say that if you put in the work you can see results fast. So don’t delay! Contact your company’s Human Resources (HR) team; and if you have concerns about your privacy/mental health concerns being shared with your company, speak to your job. Remember, free therapy services through an EAP should not have to mean completely giving up your right to privacy/confidentiality.

3). State-Funded Assistance (American readers)

Believe it or not, there are programs available (depending on the state you live in) to provide you with access to free mental health services. Click here to find your state and the link that will provide you with information about the resources specific to your location.

4). University resources

Are you currently attending a college or university? Many schools offer their students a limited amount of free counseling sessions each year/term. For example, when I was in college my school offered 10 free sessions every year.

5). Therapy Aid Coalition

Are you an essential worker? Then the Therapy Aid Coalition will provide you with free, short-term therapy sessions. Now I know what some of you are thinking: I’m not an essential worker! 😩Keep reading…

According to their website, essential workers can include the following,

• Doctors, nurses, doulas, pharmacy employees, providers of home health services and other healthcare professionals
• Delivery persons, drivers/delivery workers (Instacart, Amazon Fresh, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Lyft, etc.)
• Employees of grocery stores
• EMTs, firefighters, paramedics
• Garbage collection employees
• Gas station attendants
• Mass transit & airline employees
• Medical staff (hospital, urgent care, administrative, and support such as clergy)
• News & media employees
• Law enforcement & military
• Social workers, psychologists, therapists and other workers in residential treatment centers, hospitals, and child welfare agencies.
• Staff members of shelters (homeless, DV, etc)
• Teachers and school personnel
• Truck drivers, USPS, UPS, FedEx and other parcel delivery employees
• Utilities and telecommunications workers

Pretty comprehensive, right? (And if you still don’t qualify…make sure you read all of the points in my post, lol). In addition, their website states, “If you are unable to locate a pro-bono therapist via our search feature, please email us for assistance connecting.” To see if you qualify click here to start your search for therapists in your area.

6). Local Resources

Organizations such as nonprofits, places of worship (e.g., church, synagogue, mosque, etc.), hospitals, schools, social services or community centers/clinics occasionally will occasionally provide free mental health services or resources. Doing a quick google search I was able to find free remote counseling, free short term counseling for 14-26 year olds, and even free short-term EMDR trauma therapy! In other words, don’t just assume that since you can’t currently afford therapy there’s no hope for you. Put in some legwork to see what resources are available in your own community.

7). Clinical Trials

Now this last one is one that you could try as an absolute last resort. A clinical trial is just a research study that can be used to investigate how different treatments affect people in the study. Assuming you are assigned to an intervention group, you would receive treatment for your ailment at no monetary cost to you. Of course in any research there is alwayssome level of risk. Before going down this route I strongly recommend you speak to your doctor first to ensure this may be a fit for you. Check out this link to see a list of mental-health related clinical trials that could enable you to receive free therapy services.

Other Mental Health Resources

In addition to the resources listed above that can connect you to licensed mental health professionals, there are other free resources that you can use to help address some of your mental health concerns.

Support Groups

Support groups may involve in person or online peer-to-peer support groups where you get to meet others who are currently struggling like you. In addition to this website, which allows you to find support groups in your area, NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) also provides links to two types of support groups.

1). A support group for those suffering with mental health conditions

2). A support group for the family, friends, or significant others of those suffering with mental health conditions.

Drop-In Centers

While most people associate drop-in centers with agencies that provide health/food resources to those in need, there are also some mental health drop-in centers available depending on where you live. Do a quick google search for mental health drop-in centers in your area as this may be one way to get access to free mental health resources.

Now I know this may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie but hear me out! Imagine if there was a website where you could login and get free access to “interactive sessions” to target various issues that negatively impact your mood? Well you don’t have to imagine it…it exists. The Centre for Interactive Mental Health Solutions (CIMHS) is just one example of this.

To be clear, I do NOT, recommend that anyone struggling with depression solely rely on any of the resources mentioned above (including the interactive therapy) unless it involves a licensed mental health professional who has experience dealing with depression.

However, if you have received therapy in the past, and would like a “booster” that could reinforce some of the tips you learned and help you practice managing your mood, then the Bliss program may be right up your alley.

Cautionary Note

There are a couple more ways to receive free or “technically free” therapy services.

Pro bono services

You can look for therapists who offer pro bono services. Some therapists will volunteer a set amount of hours at a community center or clinic.

Bartering

The second way you can get technically free services is something that many people are unaware of: bartering. Bartering is when a psychologist/therapist exchanges their services for a good of some sort. So imagine you are an electrician. Bartering would involve you offering your therapist electrical work in exchange for therapy sessions. A couple of things to keep in mind. While the APA ethics code does allow bartering in some cases, there are so, SO many things that can go wrong in this situation!!!

For example, let’s say you barter with a therapist for services and either you or they are dissatisfied with the work/therapy provided. Then what? If the therapist brings up their concerns about your electrical work this has the ability to negatively affect the therapeutic relationship.

In addition, bartering is actually illegal in some states! 😶 While some psychologists may be open to it in more rural areas, in general it is not something that is highly recommended. So while I’ve included it here for you to be aware of it, I wouldn’t recommend it personally because of the potential ethical risks involved as well as the damage it can do to the therapeutic relationship.

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If you made it this far, thanks for reading! And I hope that this blog will enable you to get access to much needed care.

***P.S., If you do have health insurance, but are unsure about your mental health benefits, please don’t hesitate to look them up! You can do this by logging into your client portal or calling the number on the back of your insurance card. Some health plans automatically include mental health benefits; and I have even had patients who had no copay, no co-insurance, and no deductible meaning that they received therapy with no additional out of pocket costs.***

***P.P.S. Imagine if you find your dream therapist and learn they don’t take your insurance 😩 Then you can check to see if your insurance plan includes out-of-network (OON) benefits so you can see the therapist of your choice! Read thisarticle to learn more.

***P.P.P.S One more thing I didn’t want to forget! Are you a black woman or girl looking for free therapy services? Then read here to learn how you can get free therapy vouchers.

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