Quick answer
Therapy in Metro Detroit is typically billed per session, and what you pay depends on whether you use insurance. At Peace Of Mind Therapy in Berkley and Oak Park, private pay rates are $215 for an intake session, $165 for a 60 minute individual session, $135 for a 45 minute session, and $190 for couples or family therapy. If you use Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, or Priority Health, you pay a copay, coinsurance, or your deductible instead of the full rate.
Cost is the question most people want answered before they ever pick up the phone, and it is the one most therapy websites refuse to answer. You call, you leave a voicemail, you wait a day, and only then does anyone tell you what a session costs. That is a frustrating way to start something that already took courage to consider.
So here is the direct version, along with the parts nobody explains: how insurance actually changes the number, why some clients with perfectly good coverage decide to pay out of pocket anyway, and what legal protections you have around pricing.
Key takeaways
- Therapy is priced per session, and the first session usually costs more because it runs longer.
- With insurance, your cost is a copay, coinsurance, or your remaining deductible, not the full session rate.
- Your plan matters more than your carrier. Two people with Blue Cross can pay very different amounts.
- Some clients choose private pay on purpose, to avoid a diagnosis code in their record and to keep session frequency between them and their therapist.
- Federal law gives self-pay clients the right to a written good faith estimate before they start.
- HSA and FSA funds can usually be used for therapy.
What therapy costs at Peace Of Mind Therapy
Rather than quote a vague market range, here are our actual published rates, effective January 1, 2026. These apply at both our Berkley and Oak Park offices and for virtual sessions anywhere in Michigan.
| Session type | Length | Private pay rate |
|---|---|---|
| Intake session | Approx. 60 to 75 minutes | $215 |
| Individual therapy | Approx. 60 minutes | $165 |
| Shortened session | Approx. 45 minutes | $135 |
| Couples or family therapy | Approx. 60 minutes | $190 |
Payment is due at the time of service, and we accept cash, check, electronic payment, and credit or debit cards.
A note on the intake session, since the higher number surprises people. That first appointment is longer and does more work than a regular session. Your therapist is reviewing your history, walking through policies and payment, hearing what brought you in, and starting to shape a plan with you. It is the session everything else is built on, which is why it takes more time.
The 45 minute shortened session exists for a practical reason. Some people want weekly consistency but need the cost per session to be lower, and some just function better with a tighter, more focused hour. It is a legitimate choice, not a lesser one.
What you actually pay when you use insurance
This is where the published rate stops being the relevant number. When you use in network insurance, you are not paying the session rate. You are paying whatever your plan assigns you, which falls into one of three buckets.
Copay
A flat amount per session, often somewhere between $20 and $60 depending on your plan. Predictable and easy to budget around. If your plan works this way, therapy costs the same every week regardless of the underlying rate.
Coinsurance
A percentage of the visit rather than a flat fee. If your plan has 20 percent coinsurance, you pay 20 percent of the contracted rate and your insurer covers the rest. The contracted rate is usually lower than the private pay rate, since it is negotiated between the practice and the carrier.
Deductible
If you have not met your deductible yet, you may pay the full contracted rate until you do. This catches people off guard in January, when deductibles reset and a client who paid $30 in December suddenly owes considerably more for the same session in February. It is not a price increase. It is the calendar.
We currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, and Priority Health. You can see the full picture on our Insurances Accepted page, and if you have Blue Cross specifically, we wrote a separate guide to using BCBS or BCN for therapy that walks through the details.
Why your plan matters more than your carrier
Here is the part that trips up almost everyone. “Do you take Blue Cross?” feels like a yes or no question, and it is not really. Two clients can both hand us a Blue Cross card and owe completely different amounts, because an employer plan, an individual marketplace plan, and a high deductible plan behave differently even under the same carrier logo.
That is why we always point people toward the member services number on the back of their card. Not to pass the buck, but because your insurer is the only party with a complete picture of your specific plan. We can help verify coverage, and we do, but the authoritative answer lives with them.
When you call, these are the questions worth asking:
- Is outpatient mental health counseling covered under my plan?
- Do I have a copay for therapy sessions, and how much is it?
- Do I have coinsurance, and what percentage do I pay?
- Do I have a deductible, and has it been met this year?
- Is prior authorization required before I start?
- Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor?
- Are telehealth sessions covered the same as in person visits?
- Is there a limit on the number of sessions per year?
That last one matters more than people expect, and it leads directly into the next section.
Why some people choose private pay even when they have coverage
It sounds backwards. You pay premiums every month, so why would you skip the benefit you are already funding? A meaningful number of clients do exactly that, and their reasons are usually some version of the following three.
Insurance requires a diagnosis
To pay for therapy, an insurer needs a diagnosis code attached to your claim. That is how medical billing works. For many people this is a non-issue. For others, having a mental health diagnosis in their permanent insurance record is something they would rather avoid, whether because of a security clearance, a professional license, a future disability or life insurance application, or simply a preference for privacy. Paying privately keeps your mental health care out of that paper trail.
Insurers can decide how much therapy you need
Coverage is tied to medical necessity, and insurers can review your progress and determine whether continued sessions are justified. They may cap sessions per year or require authorization to keep going. That means a third party who has never met you has input on the pace of your care.
With private pay, that conversation stays between you and your therapist. You decide together how often to meet, what the goals are, and when it makes sense to taper off or finish. For someone working through trauma, where progress is not linear and the timeline is genuinely unpredictable, that flexibility can matter a great deal.
The math sometimes favors it
If you have a high deductible plan and you are nowhere near meeting it, you may be paying close to full price through insurance anyway, with the added paperwork and the diagnosis code. In that situation private pay can be roughly cost neutral while giving you more control.
None of this is an argument against using your benefits. If you have a $30 copay, use it. The point is that private pay is a deliberate choice for some people rather than a fallback for people without coverage.
Your right to a good faith estimate
If you are paying out of pocket, federal law is on your side here. Under the No Surprises Act, providers must give uninsured or self-pay patients a written good faith estimate of expected charges before services begin, and they must provide one on request even if you have not scheduled anything yet.
The protection has teeth. CMS operates a patient-provider dispute resolution process for self-pay patients who receive a bill at least $400 above the estimate they were given. Note that a “self-pay” patient includes someone who has insurance but chooses not to use it for a particular service.
Practically speaking, this means you should never be guessing at what therapy will cost. Ask for the estimate in writing. Any practice worth your time will hand it over without hesitation.
Ways to reduce what you pay out of pocket
Use HSA or FSA funds. Therapy is generally an eligible expense, which effectively pays for sessions with pre-tax dollars. Rules vary by administrator, so confirm what documentation yours requires.
Ask about the shorter session. A 45 minute session at $135 versus 60 minutes at $165 is a real difference over the course of a year, and for plenty of people the shorter format works fine.
Pay attention to the calendar. If you are close to meeting your deductible in the fall, starting therapy before January means more of your care lands in the year where your deductible is already satisfied.
Ask about reimbursement. Some plans reimburse a portion of out of network care after the fact. If yours does, paying privately and submitting for partial reimbursement is worth exploring.
Talk to your therapist about it. Money is a normal thing to raise in therapy, not an awkward one. If cost is affecting whether you can keep coming, say so. That conversation has practical options on the other side of it far more often than people assume.
What to weigh against the cost
It would be easy to end with a line about therapy being an investment in yourself, which is true and also a little hollow when you are looking at a real number on a real budget.
So consider it more concretely. The American Institute of Stress reports that three out of four healthcare visits are stress related. Unmanaged stress does not stay in the mental column. It shows up as sleep problems, blood pressure, digestive issues, and the appointments that come with them. It shows up in strained marriages, in work performance, and in decisions made while depleted.
The question is rarely whether you can afford therapy in isolation. It is what the alternative is already costing you in places you have not connected to the source yet.
Frequently asked questions
How much does therapy cost without insurance in Metro Detroit?
At Peace Of Mind Therapy, private pay rates are $215 for an intake session, $165 for a 60 minute individual session, $135 for a 45 minute session, and $190 for couples or family therapy. Rates vary between practices based on clinician credentials and session length, so ask any practice you contact for their rates in writing.
Is therapy covered by insurance in Michigan?
Outpatient mental health counseling is a covered benefit under most plans, but what you pay depends on your specific plan’s copay, coinsurance, deductible, and any session limits. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, and Priority Health.
Why is the first therapy session more expensive?
The intake session runs longer, approximately 60 to 75 minutes, and covers paperwork, history, policies, and initial goal setting. It is the foundation for everything that follows, which is why it takes more time than a standard session.
Can I use my HSA or FSA to pay for therapy?
In most cases yes. Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts can generally be used for counseling, which lowers your effective cost by paying with pre-tax dollars. Check with your plan administrator about required documentation.
Do you offer therapy for children or teens?
Peace Of Mind Therapy works with adults. We do not currently provide therapy for children or adolescents, and we are glad to point families toward providers who specialize in that care.
How do I find out exactly what I will pay?
Call us at (248) 397-4705 or request an appointment online. Tell us your plan and we will help you verify your benefits, and if you are paying privately we will give you a written good faith estimate before you start.
Getting started
We see clients at 2301 12 Mile Rd in Berkley and 8750 W Nine Mile Rd in Oak Park, and we offer virtual sessions to anyone located in Michigan. Both offices accept the same insurance plans, so you can book at whichever is the easier drive. You can see everywhere we serve on our Communities Served page.
If you are still deciding whether it is time to start, our post on therapy versus self help might be the more useful read first. If you already know you want to begin, call (248) 397-4705 and we will walk you through the rest.
If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, call 911 or contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline right away. This article is general information about therapy costs and is not financial, insurance, or clinical advice for your specific situation.