herapy in Austin runs from $0 on a sliding scale to $280 for a full cash-pay session with a Ph.D. The median is $175. Insurance-covered therapy, if you have it, can land anywhere from $20 copay to "out of network, please submit for reimbursement." The decision tree here is about fit more than money, but money shapes which tree you can actually walk.
Sliding scale clinics first
Austin has several nonprofit clinics with licensed therapists on sliding-scale fees, among them Capital Area Counseling, Austin Travis County Integral Care, and the Samaritan Center. Intake fees run $0-$40. Ongoing sessions run $20-$90 depending on income. Waits for intake are typically two to six weeks.
Grad-student clinics
UT Austin and St. Edward's both run therapy training clinics staffed by supervised Ph.D. or Psy.D. candidates. Fees run $20-$60 per session. The therapist is not yet licensed but is under direct supervision of a licensed clinician. Quality is variable but can be excellent.
Cash-pay licensed therapists
Cash-pay at a fully licensed therapist (LCSW, LPC, Ph.D.) runs $90-$175 for LCSW/LPC, $175-$280 for Ph.D. Fit is the largest single variable in outcomes; expect to try two or three before one works. Most therapists offer a free fifteen-minute consult.