M More Client Playbook
Free practice tool

Therapy fee calculator for private practice.

Work backward from your target income. Given your sessions per week and your insurance / private-pay mix, what private-pay rate do you actually need to hit your number?

Run the math Open therapy playbook
Built for: Solo private practice Cash-pay Insurance mix Group practice owners
Calculator

Calculate your required private-pay rate.

Adjust the five inputs to see how target income, session capacity, and insurance mix combine into a real per-session rate.

$
Gross practice revenue, before business expenses and taxes.
sessions
Most solo clinicians cap sustainable capacity at 18–25 weekly sessions.
weeks
Subtract vacation, holidays, sick days. 44–48 is realistic for most therapists.
%
0% if you are fully private pay. 100% if you only see in-network clients.
$
Net per session after contracted rate. Look at your last 3 months of EOBs.
Required private-pay rate $0

Adjust the inputs to see your required rate.

Annual sessions at this capacity 0

Sessions per week × weeks per year. The hard ceiling on revenue at any rate.

Monthly gross income $0

Pre-expense, pre-tax monthly target. Plan business costs and self-employment tax against this.

How to use the result

Three honest reads on this number.

The calculator output is a starting conversation, not the final answer. Use it to decide what to change.

  • Rate is too high for your market. Lower the target income, or raise the % of sessions from insurance, or build capacity to 22–25 weekly sessions over time.
  • Rate looks fine but capacity is unrealistic. 20 sessions a week sustained year-round is hard. Plan vacation weeks and a buffer.
  • Insurance net is suspiciously high. Average reimbursement after deductibles and write-offs is usually lower than the contracted rate. Check 3 months of real EOBs.

Next step: use the playbook to design the niche positioning that supports the rate.

Open therapy playbook
Context

What therapists actually charge in 2026.

Rough U.S. ranges. Real rates depend heavily on city, niche, and years in practice. Use the calculator to back into your number; use these to sanity-check it.

Setting Typical session rate Notes
Insurance (in-network reimbursement) $70 – $130 net Varies by payer, state, and credentialing. Out-of-network often pays higher.
Private pay — LCSW / LPC / LMFT $120 – $200 Generalist rates in mid-size cities.
Private pay — PhD / PsyD $180 – $300 Doctoral-level pricing premium in most markets.
Specialized niche (trauma, couples, eating disorders) $200 – $400+ Strong niche, established reputation, dense metro.

The number is one input. The playbook turns it into bookings.

Use the therapy playbook to design positioning, referral relationships, and a Psychology Today profile that supports the rate.

Open therapy playbook