Does OHIP Cover Therapy? What Ontario Pays For, and What It Doesn't

OHIP pays for psychotherapy only when a physician provides it, such as your family doctor or a psychiatrist you are referred to. Publicly funded programs, including hospital clinics, Family Health Teams and the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, also offer some therapy at no cost. Sessions with a psychotherapist, psychologist or social worker in private practice are not covered.

The province's page on what OHIP covers (updated April 2026) says OHIP pays the full cost of medically necessary visits with a doctor, and that includes virtual visits over video or telephone. Its list of covered services runs from doctors and hospital stays to optometry, podiatry and ambulance services; psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors are not on it.

So the real question is who is providing the therapy, and where. TEO is a private practice offering online therapy in Ontario, which puts our sessions in the last row of the table below, alongside every other therapist in private practice.

Who pays, at a glance:

Does OHIP Cover a Psychologist, Psychotherapist or Social Worker?

Not in private practice. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) explains that psychotherapy from a psychiatrist or any other medical doctor is covered by the provincial plan. The services of psychologists and social workers can be free when offered in a government-funded hospital, clinic or agency, but in private practice they charge their own fees. The Ontario Psychological Association is direct about it: OHIP does not pay for psychological services. CMHA Ontario adds that a psychologist's services in the community are usually covered by an extended health plan, if you have one through work.

The same applies to Registered Psychotherapists, whether they are fully registered or in the Qualifying category, which the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) requires to practise psychotherapy with clinical supervision. Registration with a college is about who may practise and how; it does not make the sessions OHIP-billable. Private sessions with any of these professionals are paid by you or an extended health plan.

Is EMDR Covered by OHIP?

Not when it is delivered in private practice: like other psychotherapy, EMDR is paid for publicly only when a physician provides it or a publicly funded program offers it. If you are looking for it privately, see EMDR therapy online in Ontario.

Is Grief Counselling Covered by OHIP?

Not in private practice, though some Ontario hospices offer bereavement support at no cost, so ask the hospice or palliative care team nearest you. At TEO, grief work is led by Rola Shbib, RSW (Ontario), who is not on direct billing, so her sessions are paid at the time with a receipt. More is on our page about grief counselling online in Ontario.

Can I Get Therapy for Free in Ontario?

Yes, for some needs. Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) is free, publicly funded cognitive behavioural therapy for adults 18 and older with symptoms of depression or an anxiety-related disorder, according to Ontario Health. It offers self-led resources guided by a coach or therapist, such as BounceBack phone coaching, clinician-assisted bibliotherapy and internet-based CBT, as well as individual or group sessions with a therapist. You can ask your doctor or health care team to refer you, or refer yourself. Ontario Health notes that some people have complex needs, or conditions the program does not treat, so it will not suit everyone.

Other free routes:

• →BounceBack Ontario: free coaching based on cognitive behavioural therapy, from trained coaches, for people aged 15 and older. No referral is needed.
• →Your family doctor or nurse practitioner: according to Ontario.ca, they can talk through treatment options and refer you to a community mental health and addictions service. Without a family doctor, call Health811 at 811 to reach a registered nurse.
• →Your local CMHA branch, which can point you to free programs in your area.
• →Hospital and community programs, usually reached through a referral or an intake assessment.
• →A workplace employee assistance program (EAP), if your employer has one, which pays for a set number of sessions.
• →Good2Talk, free support from counsellors and crisis responders for post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7.

Each program's eligibility, cost and first step are listed in our guide to free and low-cost counselling in Ontario.

What Does a Therapy Session Cost in Ontario?

Psychologists in Ontario set their own fees. In the Ontario Psychological Association's 2024 fee survey of 718 psychologists and psychological associates, the most common charge for treatment was $250 an hour, and two-thirds charged between $211 and $275. For Registered Psychotherapists and social workers there is no published Ontario figure to compare against, so ask for the fee and the session length before you book. Ways to bring the cost down are in our guide to what therapy costs in Ontario and how people pay.

Public vs Private Therapy in Ontario

The trade-off is mostly time and choice. Public routes cost nothing at the point of use, but they usually begin with a referral or an intake, there can be a wait, and the program decides the format and the number of sessions. To see a psychiatrist, for example, CMHA Ontario notes that you usually need a referral from your family doctor, and CAMH asks for a referral form from a physician or nurse practitioner for most of its mental health services. Private therapy costs money, but you book directly, without a referral, and you choose the clinician and the approach.

How Do People Pay for Private Therapy in Ontario?

• →Extended health benefits. Check whether your plan names "Registered Psychotherapist" and, if so, whether the Qualifying category is included, or whether it names "Registered Social Worker". Plans word this differently, so ask about the Qualifying category by name, along with the yearly maximum and any limit per session.
• →A spouse's or partner's plan. You may be covered as a dependant; if you both have plans, ask how they coordinate.
• →A health spending account, if your employer offers one, depending on what its rules allow.
• →Receipts. Keep every one: you need them for claims and for the tax credit below.
• →WSIB. If your symptoms follow a workplace accident, stressor or incident, the Ontario Psychological Association notes that you may qualify for psychological treatment through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
• →Direct billing. At TEO, direct billing is available with Mohamad (and Alison, for clients in British Columbia only) for Pacific Blue Cross and plans on the TELUS eClaims network, where the plan allows it. Rola is not on direct billing. How it works is on our direct billing page.

Before a first private session, it helps to ask the clinician three things: their exact registration title, the fee and the session length, and whether the receipt shows the registration number your plan asks for.

Can I Claim Psychotherapy on My Taxes?

Possibly, through the medical expense tax credit. For Ontario, the Canada Revenue Agency's list of authorized medical practitioners for the medical expense tax credit names psychotherapists, psychologists and social workers, among others. Before you claim, check the designation on your receipt against that list, or ask your tax preparer. According to the CRA's guide to medical expenses (RC4065), you can claim only the part of an expense that has not been and will not be reimbursed, so a session your plan paid in full does not count, and you can combine expenses for a spouse or common-law partner with your own. The CRA sets the rest of the rules on which expenses qualify and how much can be claimed.

What Therapy Costs at TEO in Ontario

TEO is a private practice, so its sessions are not covered by OHIP. For clients in Ontario, Mohamad Shabib, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO, sees individuals at $150 per 60 minutes and couples at $175 per 60 minutes; in Ontario, couples work is with Mohamad only. Rola Shbib, RSW (Ontario), sees individuals at $150 per 60 minutes.

Sessions are online only, between 3 pm and midnight Eastern, seven days a week, with no office to visit and no referral needed. Before any paid session comes a free 15-minute consultation, on a video call or a scheduled phone call. Payment and receipts are explained on our fees page.