Therapy fees in Toronto are set by each practitioner, so they vary with the therapist’s profession, experience and the type of session. At Thought & Feeling, a 50-minute individual session with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker is $170 to $190, and many extended health plans help cover it. Fees in this article were current when it was published in October 2026; our fees and insurance page always has the latest rates.
How much does a therapy session cost in Toronto in 2026?
There is no single price. Ontario’s regulators do not set therapy fees, so each therapist or clinic sets its own.
The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario’s fee standard says the College does not set the fees its registrants charge. It does require therapists to tell you their fee schedule before services begin, and it prohibits fees that are excessive or unreasonable for the service provided.
Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers set their own fees, which vary with experience, specialty, location and session type. The fairest guidance is simple: any regulated therapist should tell you their fee, and the session length it covers, before you start.
| Provider and session type | What the fee looks like | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker | Set by each practitioner and disclosed before you start | CRPO Standard 6.1 |
| Individual therapy at Thought & Feeling | $170 to $190 for 50 minutes | Our current fees, 2026 |
| Couples therapy at Thought & Feeling | $195 to $225 for 50 minutes | Our current fees, 2026 |
| Family therapy at Thought & Feeling | $220 to $245 for 50 minutes | Our current fees, 2026 |
OHIP generally does not pay for private psychotherapy outside of hospital. Our guide on whether insurance covers therapy in Ontario explains what does.
What affects the cost of therapy?
Price mostly reflects the therapist’s profession and training, their experience and focus, their caseload and location, and the length and type of session.
Profession and training
Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Social Workers and psychologists each register with a different college and follow different training paths. Psychologists can also provide formal psychological assessment and diagnosis, which some people need for school, work or legal reasons. If what you want is ongoing therapy rather than a formal assessment, a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker is often a natural fit, and many extended health plans cover both.
Experience and specialty
Within one clinic, fees often vary from therapist to therapist, reflecting experience and additional training, such as Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD or trauma-focused approaches. That is why our individual fees are a range, $170 to $190, rather than one number.
Session length
A standard session at our clinic is 50 minutes, and longer sessions are available as needed, billed at a proportionate rate.
Couples and family sessions
Sessions with more than one person usually cost more, because the therapist is tracking several people and the relationships between them. At our clinic, couples therapy is $195 to $225 and family therapy is $220 to $245.
In-person or virtual
Some practices price virtual and in-person sessions the same and some do not, so ask. In-person sessions include the space itself. Ours is a calm, thoughtfully designed clinic on Lake Shore Boulevard West, with natural wood, soft light and hot drinks waiting.
What is included in a session fee at Thought & Feeling?
Your fee covers a 50-minute session with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker, plus a few things that make it easier to plan.
- A free 15-minute phone consult. We suggest therapists who may fit your needs, and you can talk with one or more before you choose.
- No tax. Psychotherapy by a CRPO-registered psychotherapist has been exempt from GST/HST since June 20, 2024, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, and we do not charge tax on sessions.
- A receipt after every session, ready to submit to your insurer.
- A reply within 24 hours when you first reach out.
- Flexible formats: in-person, video or phone.
You can pay by Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Debit Visa or Interac e-Transfer, and a card is kept on file from your first session. Sessions can be cancelled or moved free of charge with at least 24 hours notice; late cancellations and no-shows are charged the full session fee.
What should I ask about fees before booking?
A few quick questions up front mean no surprises later.
- What is the fee per session, and is the session 50 minutes or a full hour?
- Does the fee vary by therapist, or by individual, couples and family sessions?
- Is the first consult free, and how long is it?
- Is tax charged on sessions?
- Will I get a receipt with the therapist’s designation and registration number?
- Do you bill my insurer directly, or do I submit the receipt myself?
- What is the cancellation policy, and how much notice do you need?
- Which payment methods do you accept?
Can I use insurance or a health spending account to pay for therapy?
Yes. Many extended health plans cover Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers, and a health spending account can often cover the rest.
For example, if your plan reimburses 80 percent of a $180 session, it pays $144 and you pay $36, which a spending account or a spouse’s plan may cover. Whatever is left unreimbursed may count toward the medical expense tax credit, since the CRA lists psychotherapists, psychologists and social workers in Ontario as authorized medical practitioners.
Plans differ a lot in their annual maximums, per-session limits and the designations they list. Check yours, then see our fees and insurance page for how we can help.
How often do people go to therapy, and what does it add up to?
Many people start with weekly sessions and move to every other week once things feel steadier, though the right rhythm is something you decide with your therapist.
Weekly sessions help build momentum and trust early on. Later, more space between sessions gives you time to practise what you are working on. There is no set number of sessions that suits everyone, and a good therapist will check in with you about pace and goals along the way.
To help you plan, here is what different numbers of individual sessions add up to at $170 to $190 each, before any insurance:
| Number of sessions | What it might look like | Total before benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | About a month of weekly sessions | $680 to $760 |
| 8 | Weekly for a month, then every other week for two months | $1,360 to $1,520 |
| 12 | Around three months of weekly sessions | $2,040 to $2,280 |
| 20 | Weekly to start, then every other week over about eight months | $3,400 to $3,800 |
If your plan covered $1,500 a year at 100 percent, as a hypothetical example, that would pay for 7 to 8 of these sessions in full.
How should I think about the value of therapy?
It helps to think of therapy as a planned investment in your health, like other care you schedule and fund over the year.
What you are paying for is focused time with a regulated professional, a confidential space, and a plan shaped around your goals. A few ways to plan for it:
- Check your benefits at the start of your benefit year and map out how many sessions they cover.
- Choose a starting rhythm with your therapist, then revisit it.
- Use every source available: your plan, a spouse’s plan and a health spending account.
- Keep every receipt for claims and tax time.
Fit matters as much as price. Therapy tends to feel most worthwhile when you trust the person you are working with, which is why the consult call is worth the 15 minutes. Our guide on how to choose the right therapist covers what to ask.
Planning your first sessions with Thought & Feeling
If you are ready to look at options, tell us a little about what you are looking for. We reply within 24 hours, suggest therapists who may fit your needs, and you can book a free 15-minute phone consult with any of them. You can also browse our therapists by language and specialty, or contact us with questions about your benefits. Sessions are in person on Lake Shore Boulevard West in Etobicoke, or by video and phone across Ontario.
