How Much Does Therapy Cost in Ontario?
What therapy costs in Ontario in 2026 by provider type, what OHIP and extended health plans cover, free public options, the 2024 HST exemption, and how to find care that fits your budget.
Read moreInsurance and reimbursement
Does my insurance cover therapy in Canada?
For most Canadians with employer-sponsored extended health benefits, yes. Sessions with a registered psychotherapist (RP), registered social worker (RSW), or registered psychologist are typically reimbursable under most major group plans, including Manulife, Sun Life, Canada Life, Green Shield, and Medavie Blue Cross. Public provincial health insurance (such as OHIP in Ontario) does not cover private therapy with these clinicians.
Short answer
The question comes up before almost every first session. You have decided you want to try therapy. You have found someone who sounds like they might be the right fit. And then you stop: does your plan actually cover this? According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 34% of Canadians with a diagnosed mental health condition reported not getting mental health care because of cost. That is a lot of people sitting on a question that often has a better answer than they expect.
This article explains how mental health insurance works in Canada, what your extended health plan is likely to cover, what it is probably not covering, and the four things to confirm before you book your first session. It also covers what to do if you are one of the Canadians without coverage, because the answer there is not nothing.
Does provincial health insurance cover therapy in Canada?
Not in the way most people hope. Public health insurance in Canada, including OHIP in Ontario, covers medically necessary physician services and hospital care. Therapy provided by a registered psychotherapist, a registered social worker, or a registered psychologist in private practice falls outside that definition.
There are two situations where public insurance does apply to mental health support:
- Psychiatry with a referral. Seeing a psychiatrist (a physician who specializes in mental health, not to be confused with a psychotherapist or psychologist) is covered by OHIP when you have a referral from a family doctor. Psychiatrists can diagnose, prescribe medication, and in some cases provide psychotherapy, though most focus on medication management. Wait times for psychiatry in Ontario typically run six to twelve months.
- Hospital-based and publicly funded programs. Some outpatient psychiatry programs and community mental health services, such as the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) program, are publicly funded and free. These typically serve mild to moderate presentations and carry their own wait times.
For most Canadians who want to see a private registered psychotherapist or registered social worker, the cost falls to them, their extended health benefits, or a combination of both.
What does extended health insurance cover for therapy?
Extended health benefits, whether through your employer or a privately purchased plan, are where most therapy coverage actually lives. The specifics vary significantly by plan, but here is what these plans generally cover:
Covered designations
Most major Canadian group plans cover sessions with:
- Registered Psychotherapists (RP) are regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) in Ontario. If you want to understand what this designation means in practice, our guide on what is a Registered Psychotherapist walks through it.
- Registered Social Workers (RSW) regulated by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
- Registered Psychologists (C.Psych) who hold doctoral-level training and can additionally perform psychological assessments.
Coverage language in your benefits booklet can be confusing. You might see "psychological services," "paramedical services," "psychotherapy," or even "mental health professionals" without a specific designation listed. Do not assume this means you are not covered. Call your insurer and ask directly whether your therapist's designation qualifies. This is one of the most common reasons Canadians leave reimbursable sessions unclaimed.
Covered formats
Online therapy is typically reimbursable under most major Canadian group plans on the same terms as in-person sessions. The receipt requirements are identical. If your plan covers in-person sessions with a registered psychotherapist, it almost certainly covers virtual sessions with the same clinician, though checking your specific plan is always worth doing.
What is not typically covered
- Unregulated counsellors or life coaches. If a practitioner does not hold a regulated designation recognized by your plan, their sessions will not be reimbursed. The credential on the receipt is what the insurer checks, not the type of work done in the session.
- Sessions exceeding annual maximums. Once you have used your annual benefit, further sessions become out of pocket until the plan resets, which is usually January 1.
- Sessions with a student or intern below your plan threshold. Some plans require the clinician to be fully licensed, not in a qualifying or supervised status. Check your plan wording.
Which insurance companies cover therapy in Canada?
The major Canadian group benefit insurers all include mental health coverage in most of their plans. The table below summarizes the typical picture. Always verify against your specific plan document, because plan designs vary by employer.
A note on annual maximums: the table shows "varies by plan" because the range is genuinely wide. Some employer plans cap mental health benefits at $500 per year. Others set maximums at $2,000 or more. High-benefit plans at large employers sometimes go higher. The only way to know your number is to look at your plan document or call your insurer.
A note on direct billing: most major Canadian insurers do not offer direct billing for therapy, meaning the clinician cannot submit the claim on your behalf. You pay after the session and submit the receipt yourself for reimbursement. Reimbursement typically takes five to ten business days. Keep every receipt.
| Insurer | Eligible designations (typical) | Annual max | Billing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manulife | RP, RSW, C.Psych; plan-dependent | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
| Sun Life | RP, RSW, C.Psych, Clinical Counsellor | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
| Canada Life | RP, RSW, C.Psych; plan-dependent | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
| Green Shield | RP, RSW, C.Psych; plan-dependent | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
| Medavie Blue Cross | RP, RSW, C.Psych; plan-dependent | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
| Equitable Life | RP, RSW, C.Psych; plan-dependent | Varies by plan | Reimbursement |
How do I find out whether my plan covers therapy?
Four things to do before your first session:
Step one: find your benefits booklet
Your employer's HR department can tell you where to access your plan documents. Most major insurers also have a member portal where you can log in and search your coverage. Look under "paramedical services," "health professionals," or "mental health benefits." Therapy is frequently grouped with massage, chiropractic, and physiotherapy under a single paramedical allowance, which means sessions from all of those services draw from the same annual pool.
Step two: find your annual maximum and any per-session caps
The annual maximum tells you how much your plan will reimburse across all qualifying sessions in a plan year. The per-session cap tells you how much of each session the plan will pay. If your plan reimburses 80% of each session up to a per-session limit of $150, and your therapist charges $165, you pay $33 per session out of pocket (the 20% co-payment plus any amount above the cap). Knowing this before you start lets you plan how many sessions your coverage will stretch to.
Step three: confirm the designation
Search your plan document for your therapist's exact designation: registered psychotherapist, registered social worker, or registered psychologist. If you find a vague phrase like "mental health professional" or "counsellor," call your insurer and read them your therapist's designation and regulatory college. Ask whether that designation qualifies. Get the name of the person you spoke with and make a note of the date. This matters if a claim is disputed later.
Step four: check your plan year reset date
Most extended health plans reset on January 1. Some employer plans reset on a different date (for example, the anniversary of your employment or a fiscal year start). If you have used most of your benefit and your reset is coming up, timing your sessions around the reset can effectively double the sessions your coverage supports.
How does therapy reimbursement work in Canada?
The process is the same across most Canadian insurers. You pay for the session at the time of service. Your therapist issues a receipt. You submit the receipt to your insurer for reimbursement.
For a receipt to be accepted, it typically needs to include:
- The clinician's full name
- Their regulatory designation (for example, registered psychotherapist)
- Their regulatory college (for example, CRPO or OCSWSSW)
- Their registration number
- The date of service
- The session duration and fee paid
Saalvio generates a compliant receipt automatically after each session. You receive it by email and can submit it directly to your insurer's online portal or app. Most major insurers process reimbursements within five to ten business days.
A 2024 change worth knowing: as of June 20, 2024, sessions with a registered psychotherapist in Ontario are exempt from HST. The CRA's guidance on the GST/HST exemption for psychotherapy services confirms this applies to CRPO-regulated clinicians. Your receipts should show no HST. If they do, ask your clinician about the change.
What if I have no insurance coverage for therapy?
According to the CIHI 2025 mental health services report, 41% of Canadian adults with a diagnosed mental health condition said their needs were partially or completely unmet in 2024. Cost is a meaningful part of that picture. If you do not have extended health coverage, or your coverage does not stretch far enough, there are real options.
- CANADAHEALS: your first Saalvio session is free. Every Canadian's first session is free, regardless of insurance. This is not a promotion or a time-limited offer. It is how Saalvio operates. Deciding whether to start therapy should not cost you anything. If the fit is not right, you have not spent anything.
- Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP). A publicly funded program providing free, short-term CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and related approaches to Ontario adults 18 and over with depression and anxiety-related conditions. Self-referrals are accepted. No health card required.
- Sliding-scale fees. Many private clinicians in Ontario hold a small number of reduced-rate spots for clients who cannot afford full fees. These spots are not always advertised. Ask directly when you contact a therapist.
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Many workplaces offer an EAP alongside their group benefits plan. EAPs typically provide three to eight free short-term counselling sessions, usually through a separate provider. These sessions are free and confidential. Your employer does not receive information about your individual use. Check with your HR department.
- Medical Expense Tax Credit. Fees paid to a registered psychotherapist may qualify for the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit on your personal income tax return. Speak to a tax professional about your situation, and keep all receipts. Read more about how much therapy costs in Ontario for more detail on this.
Does my Employee Assistance Program (EAP) count as insurance coverage?
Not exactly. An EAP is a separate benefit from your extended health plan. It typically provides a small number of free short-term counselling sessions (usually three to eight) through a contracted provider network. EAP sessions are free to you and confidential. Your employer receives aggregated, anonymized data about program usage, not information about individual employees.
EAP counselling is a useful first step, particularly if you are not yet sure whether ongoing therapy is right for you. But EAP sessions are generally short-term and not designed to replace ongoing therapy for complex or longer-term mental health concerns. If you exhaust your EAP sessions and want to continue with a therapist, your extended health benefit (if you have one) is what picks up from there.
One important distinction: your EAP and your extended health benefit draw from separate pools. Using your EAP sessions does not reduce your extended health annual maximum for therapy. They are independent benefits.
Common questions
Do I need a doctor's referral to use my therapy benefits?
For most Canadian extended health benefit plans, no. You can book directly with a registered psychotherapist or registered social worker without a physician referral and your sessions will still be reimbursable. A small number of older plans include a referral requirement, so confirming this in your plan document is worth doing. Psychiatry through OHIP does require a referral.
Does insurance cover online therapy in Canada?
Yes, in most cases. Major Canadian group benefit insurers now cover online therapy in Ontario and across Canada on the same terms as in-person sessions, as long as the clinician holds a recognized regulated designation. The receipt requirements are identical. Confirm with your plan to be certain, but a plan explicitly excluding virtual therapy delivered by a regulated clinician is now unusual.
Can I use my benefits for couples therapy?
It depends on your plan. Many extended health plans cover couples therapy when billed through a registered psychotherapist or registered social worker. Some plans have a separate couples benefit; others apply the same annual maximum as individual therapy. Check your plan wording. Some insurers require the claim to be submitted under one partner's benefits.
What happens if my annual maximum runs out mid-year?
Sessions after your maximum is exhausted are out of pocket until your plan year resets, usually January 1. Some people time their sessions to manage this: seeing a therapist bi-weekly rather than weekly, for example, to stretch coverage across more months. A clinician can work with you to find a cadence that fits both your clinical needs and your budget.
What is a compliant therapy receipt for insurance in Canada?
A receipt that most Canadian insurers will accept includes the clinician's full name, their regulatory designation, their regulatory college, their registration number, the session date, the session duration, and the fee paid. Saalvio generates this receipt automatically after every session. If your insurer requests additional documentation, such as a diagnosis code or a clinician's letter, let us know, and we can help.
Does Saalvio bill insurance directly?
No. Saalvio does not bill insurers directly. You pay at the time of service and submit your receipt for reimbursement. Sessions with Saalvio's registered psychotherapists and registered social workers are typically reimbursable under most Canadian extended health benefit plans. Visit our page on how to find a therapist for practical guidance on the full process of getting started.
Related on the Saalvio site
- Message a Saalvio therapist Free, no commitment. Use it to ask a reimbursement or fee question before you book.
- Insurance and reimbursement guide Full list of major Canadian carriers, employer plan structures, and how to claim.
- How much does therapy cost in Ontario? A breakdown of private fees, public programs, and lower-cost options.
- See full pricing details Saalvio pricing in detail, including CANADAHEALS and the collaborative range.
Other resources you may find useful
Ready to talk to someone?
The first session at Saalvio is free, with no card on file and no obligation to continue. If you are not sure where to start, our clinical team can help you figure out the right next step.