• Contact a community health center and/or community mental health center. Find one here.
• Contact a free clinic to inquire about services. Find a free/low cost clinic here. 

• See if private therapists are willing to work on a sliding scale (especially those who don’t take insurance).
• OpenPathCollective – a non-profit nationwide network of mental health professionals dedicated to providing in-office mental health care—at a steeply reduced rate.

• See about clinics where you can get reduced cost treatment from psychiatry residents and/or clinical psychology students. Call the psychology, psychiatry, or behavioral health department & inquire about sessions with graduate students, who are supervised and can provide services at a lower cost as they gain counseling experience.

• See if you qualify for Medicaid.

• NAMI HelpLine can be helpful for your treatment-related questions (M-F 10a-6p or email info@nami.org). Can also consult local NAMI affiliate here.

• SAMHSA is a government organization that maintains a database of low-cost treatment facilities across the U.S. and is a “go-to” resource for locating affordable mental health care nationwide. Contact SAMHSA at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or online at their Treatment Locator.

• Aunt Bertha, HelpWhenYouNeedIt, 211– databases for free/reduced cost medical/social services.

• Local place of worship (if applicable) may offer counseling from a trained minister, rabbi, priest, imam, etc., which is usually free. Most are members of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. If your place of worship doesn’t have counseling, they may have a fund available to help you pay for treatment.

• If employed, you may want to see whether or not your employer offers an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). An EAP is an employer-paid benefit that is separate from your medical plan. It’s designed to help employees through difficult situations.
  • Employees usually can access counseling through an EAP for no cost, however there is usually a limit to the number of free sessions.
  • To check if you have an EAP, call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card or call your HR department.

• Online/App-Based therapy can be helpful and more affordable for some people. Some options are:
  • BetterHelp, TalkSpace or 7 Cups of Tea, which charge a fee per week.
  • Real is a new online therapy platform for under $30/month that offers self-directed therapy pathways and virtual groups
  • Sesh offers online group support led by therapists.
  • Cerebral is an all-inclusive platform that includes psychiatry, care counseling/therapy, and medication delivery for one fixed monthly fee. Cost depends on how much care you need and can get a bit pricey, however if you have insurance it may be more affordable than typical psychiatry & therapy visits.

The To Write Love On Her Arms organization provides treatment & recovery scholarships to those facing financial barriers to treatment. Fill out a scholarship application here.