Why there is no single price
There is no standard price for therapy in Michigan. Each psychologist, counselor or social worker in private practice sets a fee, and what you end up paying depends on how you pay that fee: out of pocket, through an insurance plan the therapist is in network with, through out-of-network benefits, or with a tax-advantaged account. Clinic and community programs may set fees differently again.
That is why online "average cost" figures are of limited use. The number that matters is your own: the clinician's fee, run through your plan's rules. The steps below show how to find it.
Paying privately
Private pay is the simplest arrangement. You pay the clinician's rate for each session, and nothing depends on an insurer's rules. As of November 2026, Dr. Lehmann's private-pay rate is $220 per clinical hour. Reduced-fee spots are available on a limited basis, so it is worth asking if the full fee is a barrier. Listed payment methods are cash, check, HSA cards, Mastercard and Visa. The current details are on the fees and insurance page.
If you are paying without insurance, federal rules give you a right to a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges. The CMS page on good faith estimates says providers usually must give one if you ask, or if you schedule at least 3 business days ahead. Good Faith Estimates: Your Right to Know Therapy Costs covers how that works for ongoing therapy.
Paying with insurance: the three numbers that matter
When a therapist is in network with your plan, the insurer has agreed on an allowed amount for each service, and you pay a share of that amount. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan explains the pieces this way:
- Deductible: what you pay for covered care before the plan starts to pay. If your deductible is $1,500, you pay the full allowed amount for covered visits until you have spent $1,500.
- Coinsurance: your percentage of the allowed amount after the deductible, for example 30% while the plan pays 70%.
- Copay: a fixed dollar amount per visit. Depending on the plan, a copay can apply before or after the deductible.
The same fee can cost two people very different amounts. Someone early in the year with a high deductible may pay the full allowed amount for the first several sessions. Someone who has already met the deductible may owe only a copay or a percentage. Your member ID card, online account or app usually shows the copay for an office visit, and the plan documents explain the rest.
Dr. Lehmann is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, the only plan listed for the practice. If you have a different plan, call the office to ask before you book. Using Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for Therapy walks through what to check on a BCBS card.
Rules that keep mental health costs in line
Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, copays, coinsurance and visit limits for mental health care in most large-employer and individual plans cannot be more restrictive than the ones for comparable medical care. Michigan also has its own parity law for state-regulated insurance policies. Parity does not make therapy free, but it means a plan generally should not charge you more for a therapy visit simply because it is mental health care.
Michigan's Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) encourages people to check their coverage and out-of-pocket costs before starting mental health care, and to contact DIFS at 877-999-6442 if a mental health claim cannot be resolved with the insurer.
Costs that are easy to miss
- Session length: a fee per clinical hour is different from a fee per 45-minute session, so compare like with like.
- Frequency: weekly sessions cost roughly four times as much per month as monthly ones. Ask what pace the clinician expects at the start and how that may change.
- Late cancellations: many practices charge for missed sessions, and insurance does not pay for them. Dr. Lehmann's practice charges $90 for a cancellation without 24 hours' notice, except for illness or an emergency (see the cancellation policy).
- The new plan year: deductibles usually reset, so a session that cost a copay in December may cost more in January.
How to estimate your own cost in 15 minutes
Before the first appointment, a few questions usually get you a workable number. Write the answers down, with the date and the name of the person you spoke with.
Ask your insurer (the number is on the back of your card):
- Is this provider in network for my plan, for outpatient mental health office visits?
- What is my deductible, and how much have I met this year?
- After the deductible, what is my copay or coinsurance for an outpatient psychotherapy visit?
- Is there a visit limit, or is prior authorization needed?
- Are telehealth sessions covered the same way as office visits?
Ask the therapist's office: what is the fee, how long is a session, what payment methods are accepted, and what is the cancellation policy?
Then do the arithmetic for a month: expected sessions times your share per session. If the total is more than you can manage, say so. Clinicians are used to that conversation, and the options may include a different pace, a reduced fee where one is offered, or a referral to a lower-cost program.
If cost is the main barrier
Lower-cost options exist. People with Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan have mental health coverage through the state program, and Medicare.gov notes that Medicare Part B covers outpatient psychotherapy. Paying with an HSA or FSA can lower the after-tax cost. The articles in this section explain each one.
Cost is a reasonable thing to weigh, and it is also worth weighing what anxiety or depression is already costing you in sleep, work and relationships. If you are deciding whether to start therapy for anxiety or low mood, a quick call to compare options is usually free.