Let’s face it – counselling therapy can be expensive. If you don’t have benefits that cover the financial cost, it can be challenging to access counselling services. On top of the financial cost, there is the time-cost, and the energy-cost of committing to therapy. It takes both time and energy to find a counsellor who suits your needs, and once you do find a counsellor that you feel comfortable working with, it takes time and energy to attend sessions. It is totally reasonable to wonder – is counselling worth the effort? And if it is worth the effort, then how do I afford it?
As with most things in life, counselling is worth it if the benefits outweigh the cost. If your relationships are strained, stuck in unhealthy patterns that perpetuate stress in your life, then it is worthwhile to change those patterns and breathe health into your relationships. If you are highly stressed more often than not, and cannot get your body to relax, then it is worthwhile to regain peace through the work that you do when you attend therapy. Perhaps you have had an adverse experience that seems to haunt you. It is worthwhile to attend therapy to bring healing to the inner wound that was created by the adverse experience. If you are hiding parts of yourself from others, and feel overcome with shame, then therapy can help you come to a place of self-acceptance where you live free of debilitating shame.
In short, if you are living with an issue that negatively impacts your mental health, and by extension, your day-to-day life, then it is worth it to try therapy.
The next challenge is how to afford therapy. If you have extended health benefits, then check to see if counselling is covered. Counselling is usually listed under “Professional Services.” You may have coverage for a Clinical Counsellor, a Psychologist, or a Registered Social Worker (RSW). All three designations provide individual counselling that can help with issues impacting your mental health.
If you do not have coverage for counselling services, then there are other ways to find affordable counselling:
- Look for an affordable counselling centre, online or in your community. These centres tend to offer lower-rate counselling based on your yearly income, or they offer reduced-fee counselling from practicum students or interns. Students are often fantastic counsellors. They are eagerly studying new approaches, and they undergo regular supervision from a more experienced counsellor. Having a compassionate, unbiased person to talk to about what’s going on in life can help shift patterns and create much needed change.
- Look for a counsellor who offers a sliding scale. Many counsellors offer a sliding scale, and are willing to give lower rates for people who are struggling to afford the full counselling fee. Some will indicate on their webpage that they offer a sliding scale, or you can email a counsellor before you do a consultation with them to ask if they are willing to offer a reduced fee.
- Consider how often you see a counsellor. If you can’t afford to see a counsellor weekly, consider seeing someone every two or three weeks, or even monthly. Even if you would benefit from more frequent counselling, some counselling is often better than no counselling, so seeing your therapist on a reduced schedule can still be helpful.
- Look for group counselling. Group counselling has many benefits. It is cheaper than individual therapy, and you connect with peers who have similar issues as you are experiencing. You might be feeling quite alone, only to discover that there are others who are having the same struggles.
If you are considering seeing a counsellor, I encourage you to reach out. Many counsellors, including myself, offer online therapy sessions, which helps reduce the time-cost and energy-cost of attending counselling. Counselling helps people create positive changes in their life so that they can leave negative patterns behind, and live happier, healthier lives. Is it worth it? I would say, yes.
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