Pricing
How Saalvio pricing works
Your first 30 minutes is a free consultation: The CANADAHEALS commitment
$0 CAD
Free 30-minute consultation, no prepayment, ever.
Most people searching for a free therapy session in Canada under CANADAHEALS expect a catch. There is none. Your first 30-minute consultation costs nothing, full stop. We ask for your name, your contact details, and a short intake form. Our virtual mental health platform never prepays or pre-authorizes anything. You do not need a credit card to book. You meet your licensed therapist, talk through what brought you here, and decide whether the fit is right. If it is not, you walk away. There is nothing to charge.
Therapy pricing in Canada that starts with a conversation
The collaborative range, $100 to $150 per session
After your free consultation, our regular rate is a collaborative range from $100 to $150 CAD per session. The exact number is something you and your therapist agree on together, openly, before your first paid session. Understanding therapy pricing in Canada means understanding that a single fixed price assumes everyone arrives in the same financial situation, with the same insurance, doing the same kind of work. They do not. A collaborative range lets you and your therapist set a rate that is honest about all three.
What you and your therapist talk about
- Your situation right now. Are you between jobs, supporting family, or paying for school? Honest financial reality is part of the conversation, not a reason to feel embarrassed. The cost of mental health therapy should never be a wall you run into alone.
- How often you want to meet. Weekly sessions add up faster than biweekly. Your therapist can suggest a pace and a rate that work together over the long run. This is part of keeping affordable online therapy in Canada something more than a tagline.
- What insurance you have. Most extended health plans in Canada reimburse part of registered psychotherapy and registered social work fees. See our insurance page for how that works.
- The clinical work itself. Complex work with trauma, OCD, or eating concerns sometimes asks for extended sessions or supervision time. If that is the picture, your therapist will be clear with you. The mental health therapy cost should never surprise you.
If a year from now your circumstances have changed, you can revisit the rate together. The conversation does not happen once.
What every Saalvio session includes
Every session at Saalvio includes the same things, whether you are paying $100 or $150 or nothing at all for your first one.
- Free pre-booking messaging with any therapist.
- Free under CANADAHEALS, before any commitment. Write to any therapist on our roster with fee, scope, or fit questions; you will hear back, usually within one to two business days.This is your free consultation psychotherapy step. Free under CANADAHEALS, before any commitment Write to any therapist on our roster with fee, scope, or fit questions before you commit to anything. . You will hear back within one to two business days.
- 50 minutes with your therapist
- The actual session. You and your therapist meet on our secure video platform from anywhere in Ontario.
- Clinical notes for your file.
- Kept under PHIPA. Your therapist writes them. You can request a copy at any time.
- A receipt you can submit.
- Emailed right after your card is billed, which happens once your session is complete. It includes your therapist name, registration body, registration number, and session date so insurers accept it for reimbursement.
- Between-session messaging with your therapist.
- Brief clarifications between scheduled sessions: a quick question about an exercise, a short note about something that came up. Not therapy by text and not crisis support. Clinical work belongs in session.
- A 24-hour cancellation window
- Cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your session at no charge. Inside 24 hours, the session is billed at the agreed rate.
- No membership, no booking fees
- You pay for sessions you attend. That is it.
When the regular rate is out of reach
For some people, paying for therapy at our regular rate is not workable, and we will not pretend otherwise. The cost of counselling in Canada is a real barrier for real Canadians, and we take that seriously.
Note: A dedicated sliding scale therapy in Canada pathway below our regular collaborative range is something Saalvio is actively working on. It is not in place today. We have not set a launch date because we would rather build it properly than announce it early.
If affordability is the gating issue for you right now, please write to [email protected] with one or two lines about your situation. We cannot promise a reduced rate today, but we can tell you honestly where we are and whether anything has changed.
Pricing questions, answered
Is the 30-minute consultation really free in Canada? Is there a catch?
Yes, free. There is no catch. Your first 30 minutes is a free consultation under CANADAHEALS, the standing Saalvio public health commitment. You do not need a credit card to book. If you decide to keep going after the consultation, your therapist will set up a card on file for ongoing billing. Saalvio never prepays or pre-authorizes anything. Your card is only billed after each session is complete.
Can I ask a therapist about fees before booking a session?
Yes. Open any therapist's profile and use the Message button to ask about pricing, scope, fit, languages, or scheduling. Pre-booking messaging is free under CANADAHEALS. It is asynchronous and has no commitment. Most therapists reply within one to two business days.
What are the psychotherapy fees in Ontario at Saalvio?
Our psychotherapy fees in Ontario run from $100 to $150 CAD per session after your free consultation. The exact rate is set collaboratively between you and your therapist before your first paid session. There are no membership fees, no booking fees, and no surprise charges.
What is the cost of psychotherapy in Ontario compared to the average?
The average cost of psychotherapy in Ontario in private practice typically ranges from $150 to $250 per session. Saalvio's collaborative range of $100 to $150 sits meaningfully below that, and your first 30 minutes is a free consultation under CANADAHEALS.
Do I pay upfront, or after the session?
After. Our online emotional wellness platform never prepays or pre-authorizes anything. Your card on file is only billed once your session is complete. Your receipt is emailed to you right after the payment is processed. You are only ever charged for sessions you have actually attended.
What payment methods do you accept?
Understanding your therapy payment options matters. We accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) and Interac e-Transfer. We do not currently accept cash or cheque because our practice is fully virtual.
What about insurance coverage for psychotherapy?
Insurance coverage for psychotherapy depends on your plan, but most extended health plans in Canada reimburse part of the cost of seeing a registered psychotherapist or a registered social worker. We are not currently set up for direct billing. You pay us, and submit the receipt for reimbursement.
What about HSA, EAP, or employer benefits?
Most Health Spending Accounts (HSAs) accept psychotherapy and social-work receipts. Many Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) cover a fixed number of sessions per year. Saalvio is not currently in-network with major EAPs, so if your EAP requires an in-network provider, our sessions are typically paid out of pocket and submitted to your HSA or extended health plan. If your employer has set up a custom benefits arrangement with Saalvio, you will see it noted on your intake.
What is the therapist pricing in Ontario if I need to cancel?
Our therapist pricing in Ontario includes a clear cancellation policy: cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your session at no charge. Inside 24 hours, the session is billed at the agreed rate so your therapist's time is honoured. Genuine emergencies are handled case by case. Just tell us what is going on.
Is there low-cost online therapy in Canada through Saalvio?
Saalvio is designed to be low-cost online therapy in Canada at every step. Your first 30 minutes is a free consultation under CANADAHEALS. After that, the collaborative range of $100 to $150 sits below most private-practice rates in Ontario. A dedicated sliding-scale pathway for clients who cannot meet the regular range is in development.
I am not in Ontario. Can I still get a free 30-minute consultation?
Our psychotherapy service is live in Ontario today. We are expanding to other Canadian provinces and to the United States in stages. Join the waitlist and we will email you the moment we open in your area. Thrive AI (our CBT companion) plus guided CBT self-help tools, calming music, and cognitive games are already available across Canada and the US.