Free therapy near you.
Find how to get free therapy, either in person near you or online. There are a number of clinics, volunteer therapists or psychologists and other places to get free mental health care services. There is help for low-income families, first responders, couples, minorities including black woman and people with no money or health insurance. Find where to get free therapy near you below or mental health counseling either online or over an app.
Approximately 20% of adults and 25% of teens in experience some form of mental health challenge annually. There are government programs, free medical clinics near you, behavioral counseling services and charity programs. Many therapists, counselors and psychologists also volunteer, or work on a pro-bono basis, to help the low-income and poor.
Or get free counseling from health centers, colleges, or employee benefit plans. Government programs including Medicaid and Medicare also offer free therapy sessions as well as mental health wellness checks. The free or affordable counseling will cover anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, bullying, bereavement, couple therapy and many other issues.
Free therapy near you from health clinics
Free Community Mental Health Centers, that are located in all communities and will be near you, generally provide access to support groups, individual counseling and other resources at low or no cost. Medical clinics often have counselors, doctors and volunteers therapists that give free mental health services to the low-income and people with no insurance plans.
Mental health professionals are located at charitable, free health clinics. While staffed by licensed professionals, the centers may operate in cooperation with local universities or social service offices. Staff members are typically trained to treat various conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, teen bullying, and schizophrenia. Find a free health or income based health clinic for therapy sessions near you below.
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Free mental health services from colleges, social services, volunteers and charities
Free mental and behavioral therapy is located in most cities.. Many low-income families can’t afford the cost of a therapist or psychiatrists, and many insurance plans do not pay for it or limit the sessions. Free therapy from social services, clinics and other non-profits near you will help people suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, suicidal tendencies and other conditions. There is also counselors for people who experience difficulties at work and with family or social relationships. For specialty care, find a free psychiatrists near you.
Some Salvation Army locations near you offer mental health programs, in addition to traditional alcohol and drug rehab services. For example, the Salvation Army often operates a Community Counseling Center that provides free individual and group therapy to people with very low incomes or who are homeless or uninsured. It also provides a residential care program and community support mental health services. There are other financial assistance programs too. Find a Salvation Army.
Other resources include the following. They can help low-income families, students, the elderly or disabled among other.
- National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Their website can help locate mental health providers in your area near you (nafcclinics.org).
- You can also contact your county's health department and ask about resources that offer free or low-cost mental health services. The counseling can often be combined with other benefit programs, such as medications.
- If you have a child enrolled in a K-12 school, the school counselor may be able to provide sessions for a child dealing with mental health issues. These will help students, teens and kids deal with the pressure they often face. School counselors with proper training provide one more resource that should not be overlooked.
- The YMCA offers low-cost , cheap and sliding-scale mental health services at many locations. They address spiritual, health, and physical (as well as mental) wellness. More on the YMCA programs.
- First responders can normally access free mental counseling and self-care. Nurses, police offices, and others can contact (1) their union representative; (2) Employee Assistance Plan; or employers.
Social Service organizations often provide referral services or low-cost counseling programs. For example, Jewish Family Services is recognized as a leader in mental health care in the community. JFS provides services for free or at a reduced cost for people dealing with anxiety, stress, end-of-life grief, trauma, and other mental health issues. Find a Jewish Family Services near you.
Catholic Charities operates a free mental health counseling clinic that assists families of all income levels. There is also free therapy programs for women who faced violence, trafficking victims and even immigrants. Or Black woman, couples going through challenges and teens or kids facing difficulty, such as bulling, can get free help. Read more on Catholic Charities.
Veterans and their families can obtain free counseling, access to therapists and mental health support. There is a wide variety of assistance programs for veterans, ranging from medical to financial help, prescription drugs, job programs and more. They helps with any needs, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, trauma and so much more. The VA Mental Health Services can be contacted at 877-222-8387.
Free government assistance for therapy
Medicare and Medicaid provide varying degrees of coverage for free therapy and assistance for mental health services. New Medicare enrollees are entitled to a free one-time "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit that includes free screening for depression, ADHD as well as anxiety. Medicare also provides a free annual "wellness" visit during which a doctor or psychologist can be consulted about mental health issues.
If mental health treatment is deemed necessary due to these visits, the doctor can refer persons to a free psychologist, therapist and mental health professionals who accept Medicare assignments. As with other types of health care services, including government plans, you may have to make a co-payment and meet a deductible amount.
But there are also free medications offered, such as for ADHD, anxiety or other treatment. Once the deductible has been met for the low cost therapy session, Medicare will pay for 80% of many outpatient mental health care services. Get more details help paying for medications.
Medicare may also cover at least a portion for partial hospitalization for a mental illness, which provides a level of care greater than what an individual receives from a doctor's office but less than in-patient treatment. Medicare Part A covers mental health as well as online or in-person therapy services delivered to individuals who must be hospitalized. After the deductible is met, Medicare will cover all hospital costs and 80% of Psychologist, Psychiatrist or therapists services and medical supplies or medications for up to 60 days. Use the online treatment locator at Medicare.gov to find mental health providers who accept Medicare in your area, or dial the hotline at 1-800-633-4227.
Medicaid provides cheap or free therapy sessions as part of the government health insurance coverage. The benefit program includes behavioral health care, medications and therapy to low-income Americans. The government health insurance program helps eligible single moms, low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, teenagers, Black woman and people with disabilities. Medicaid is the single largest payer for mental health services in the United States. Federal law requires Medicaid to provide many mental health services, and state governments may require additional free online or in-patient behavioral counseling services.
While funded by federal and state governments, coverage is administered by the states. The type and amount of therepuatic mental health services vary by state. There are also different coverage options for children. To see if you qualify for free therapy for low-income or people with no money as part of Medicaid coverage, contact your state's department of health and welfare. Or find more details here about government benefits near you.
Free corporate and online mental health wellness programs
Employee Assistance Plans (EAP) offer access to therapy. They are employer-paid, confidential and are typically provided in addition to healthcare coverage. Programs are designed to provide short-term assistance to help employees deal with mental and emotional issues that may impact work performance. Most first responder agencies, such as nurses, fire-fighters and police offers get free mental health counseling from EAP plans. Plans may offer free assessments, counseling sessions, and referrals. If you are employed, check with your employer's human resources coordinator to see if you have an EAP available.
Online therapy is free or cheap. The mental health counseling has become much more popular and easy to find for both physical and mental health needs. A variety of low-cost/affordable therapy apps are available to which you can subscribe. For a monthly fee, you get regular access to a licensed therapist via audio, text messaging, or live video chat. Fees typically range from $60 to $150 per week.
- Other free or low cost therapy apps include Talkspace.com and Betterhelp.com. Advantages of therapy apps include accessing professional help from any location and at a time that works around work and family obligations. Find online therapy apps that are free.
Therapy collectives, such as Open Path, offer low-cost counseling to people in financial need. Open Path is a nationwide network of mental health professionals. There is a one-time $59 initiation fee. Counseling can then be obtained for between $30 and $80 per session. Open Path lets you search for therapists in your local area or speak with someone online. Open Path only includes sliding-scale therapists in its searchable database. For more information, go online to openpathcollective.org.
Free therapy services from support groups near you and national hotlines
University psychology departments often operate behavioral and therapy counseling centers in local communities that offer services for free or at a very low cost. The centers are usually staffed by graduate students who are closely supervised by licensed professionals.
For example, many colleges (including community colleges or technical schools) have clinical programs in which student clinicians as well as counselors conduct 45-minute therapy sessions for clients aged 18-90 for free or at most $30 per session. The sessions can cover a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, and situational stress caused by work or life transitions.
Licensed professionals closely monitor each session from a nearby room. Clients usually work with the same student clinician for up to 20 weeks. To find free college therapy programs near you, call the psychology department at your local universities or search online at the Association of Psychology Training Clinics (www.aptc.org).
Self-help and support groups bring people together to discuss and work on various issues, including depression, family dynamics, and relationships. Participation is usually free, and groups are available for in-person attendance or online.
Support groups connect people going through similar experiences. Participants can generally ask one another for advice and opinions. Some groups allow participants to share at any time, while others are more structured and may have a set topic to cover each week. Mental Health America has a list of local specialized support groups and free counseling, and look here for referrals at mhanational.org.
Hotlines for free therapy & Helplines. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a national helpline providing free round-the-clock referral and information services, including to people with no health insurance. The service provides referrals to treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. You may be referred to your state office for state-funded treatment programs while also receiving information on facilities that charge on a sliding scale or that accept Medicare or Medicaid. The Helpline number is 1-800-662-4357.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) operates a free Helpline that provides information about symptoms, treatments, and resources, including locations of free community mental health centers in your area. Call 800-950-6264.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a link to a national suicide prevention network of more than 200 crisis centers, one of which will be near you, that provide free 24/7 service to therapist, counselors, and emergency mental health services. The Lifeline is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
Bottom line on free therapy for mental health and wellness
Taking care of your mental health is essential. In addition to the mental health therapy programs above, sliding-scale or negotiated fees may be available from some psychotherapy providers and counselors, some that often volunteer at hospitals or income based community clinics near you.
It never hurts to ask your preferred counselors if they will reduce fees based on your income. Nothing prevents a counselor from negotiating payment plans or lowering rates, and some therapists may be willing to negotiate a lower fee, particularly if a portion of it can be paid upfront. If the provider won't reduce rates for individual counseling, ask if they conduct group sessions at a lower cost. Whatever your income level, free or affordable help is available when you need it.
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