Cost stops more people from starting counselling than almost anything else, and a good portion of that is not the actual price but the uncertainty around it. People assume they cannot afford it without ever finding out what they would actually pay.
Here is how the funding picture works in Alberta, including several sources people routinely overlook.
Alberta Health Care does not cover psychological services delivered in private practice. There is no provincial billing code for a session with a psychologist in a community clinic the way there is for seeing your family doctor.
Publicly funded mental health services do exist through Alberta Health Services, and they are free at point of access, but they are prioritised and waits can be substantial depending on where you are and what you need.
That is the reason private practice exists, and it is also why the rest of this page matters.
This is where most people's coverage actually comes from, usually through an employer or a spouse's employer.
Two details are worth checking rather than assuming. First, the annual maximum, which varies enormously between plans and is often a fixed dollar amount rather than a number of sessions. Second, and this catches a lot of people, which professions your plan recognises. Some plans cover registered psychologists only. Others include social workers, counsellors or psychotherapists. Others cover a broader list but at different rates.
Call the number on your benefits card and ask two questions: what is my annual maximum for psychological services, and which designations are eligible. That five-minute call decides a lot.
Frequently forgotten. Many benefit packages include a health spending account alongside the standard plan, and these can generally be applied to psychological services.
They also usually expire annually. If you have one sitting unused, it is worth checking the balance and the deadline.
A lot of employers provide an assistance program offering a set number of counselling sessions at no cost, and a striking number of employees either do not know it exists or assume their employer will be told they used it. They are not told, beyond aggregate usage statistics.
The number of sessions is usually small, so these work best for a specific short-term issue, or as a way to begin while arranging longer-term support.
Several routes exist that fall entirely outside employer benefits.
Veterans Affairs Canada funds mental health treatment for eligible veterans, and the VAC Assistance Service at 1-800-268-7708 is free and available around the clock to veterans, former RCMP members, their families and caregivers. Our page on veterans and military counselling covers this further.
The Non-Insured Health Benefits program includes mental health counselling for eligible First Nations and Inuit clients. See Indigenous counselling.
Where a mental health condition arose from a workplace injury or incident, a WCB claim may fund treatment. Where counselling follows a motor vehicle collision, automobile insurance may cover it. Both are worth asking about rather than assuming otherwise.
Fees paid to a registered psychologist are generally eligible under the medical expense tax credit. So is the portion of any other eligible expense you paid out of pocket after benefits.
This does not make therapy free, but it reduces the net cost and it applies to money you have already spent. Keep your receipts, and mention it to whoever prepares your return.
Where a clinic can bill your insurer directly, you pay only the portion your plan does not cover rather than paying the full fee and waiting for reimbursement. For anyone attending weekly, that difference in cash flow is the thing that makes it sustainable.
Our direct billing and insurance page sets out what we can bill directly and what to bring to a first appointment.
Reduced-fee options exist. Many clinics offer some sliding scale capacity, and sessions with provisional psychologists working under supervision are typically offered at a lower rate while still being properly overseen. We hold reduced-fee options in Calgary, Red Deer and Cold Lake.
Online sessions also remove travel cost and time off work, which for people outside the major centres is often the larger share of the real expense.
Ask about cost directly when you call. It is a normal question and it should get a straight answer.
Supporting Wellness has locations in Calgary, Red Deer and Cold Lake. If cost is the thing holding you back, say so when you contact us, and we will tell you what your options actually are before you commit to anything.
Free support is available now: the Alberta Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642, the Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322, and the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988, all 24/7.
Related reading: What culturally safe counselling means, Psychoeducational assessments at school and When to see a psychologist.
