Where to Find Affordable Therapy or Free Counseling in Austin, TX | Just Mind

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Affordable Counseling in Austin: Your Guide to Low-Cost Therapy Options

Where can I find affordable therapy in Austin? You’re not alone in asking. Whether you’re navigating stress, trauma, relationship issues, or simply looking for personal growth, the cost of therapy can be a barrier.

This guide was built with input from over 2,000 therapists in Austin to help you find affordable counseling services near you—whether you’re looking for free therapy, sliding scale options, or low-cost licensed professionals

Start Here: Therapy One Session at a Time with Just Mind

At Just Mind, we know that the first step can be the hardest. That’s why we created One Session at a Time: a no-pressure way to try therapy, see how it feels, and decide what you need—without committing to ongoing appointments upfront.

We’re a private practice of over 50 licensed therapists who specialize in a wide range of mental health concerns, including:

  • Anxiety, depression, and trauma
  • Grief and life transitions
  • Couples and relationship therapy (Gottman, PACT, EFT)
  • Child and teen therapy (including play therapy)
  • EMDR and Somatic Experiencing for trauma recovery

Flexible Rates & Select Insurance Accepted

Our session rates range from $100–$200, depending on the experience level of the therapist. If you’re looking for affordable therapy without insurance, we have early-career therapists offering lower-cost sessions with the same dedication and support. We also accept select insurance plans and can walk you through your options for out-of-network reimbursement.

What to Expect from Affordable Therapy

  • In-Network vs Out-of-Network: If you have insurance, check your benefits to understand your options. In-network providers have contracted rates with insurance companies—usually lower than cash pay—but low reimbursement rates mean many therapists limit how many insurance clients they accept. Out-of-network therapists charge their full rate, but your insurance may reimburse a portion after you meet your deductible.

  • Time Commitment: Therapy is a process, not a quick fix. Depending on your concern, treatment may require several months or more of regular weekly sessions. Be patient with yourself—healing takes time.

  • Therapist Experience: More experienced or specialized therapists often charge higher rates. Many affordable options come from early-career therapists or nonprofit settings with grant funding.

  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): If you have access to an EAP through your job, check your benefits—some services may be entirely free.

Nonprofits & Training Clinics: Many affordable services are offered by agencies or nonprofits, where therapists begin their careers. These options are budget-friendly and accessible, with rates ranging from free to $100 depending on the provider and funding. However, high demand often leads to long wait times. You may be assigned a therapist based on availability, and some services are telehealth-only, which may not be ideal if you’re seeking in-person care

Where to Find Free or Affordable Counseling in Austin

Are there any free counseling services available in Austin? Yes—especially for youth, survivors of violence, veterans, musicians, and low-income families. Below is a curated list of affordable therapy options, categorized for easy browsing.

This is a comprehensive guide that was put together with the input of over 2,000 therapists in Austin. If you’re looking for a “therapist near me” or even “family counseling near me“, use this guide to help you find the right counselor for your unique needs.(Click here to update or add your listing info)

Free Counseling in Austin or Low-Cost Therapy (Under $50 per session)

  • Asian Family Support Services of Austin — Provides counseling support specifically for Asian/Asian-American/Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Also offers case management and legal support services.
  • Capital Area Counseling — A training agency where many therapists start as interns and some continue after graduation. Offers exceptional low-cost counseling with rates from $15-$60 per session based on your ability to pay. (Central/East Austin)
  • Central Austin Psychotherapy — Located on West Koenig Lane, serves children, teens, families, couples, and adults with sliding scale fees as low as $50 per hour. Specializes in relationship issues, developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, family communication, and adoption-related concerns.
  • Discovery Counseling — Run by Sara Weber, specializing in eating disorders and mindfulness-based therapy. Sessions range from $35-$60. (Central Austin)
  • Doable Recovery Institute — RJ Garcia provides comprehensive care as therapist and case manager, coordinating with physicians/psychiatrists for continuity of care. $85-100 per hour.
  • Flourish Psychotherapy and Nutrition — Takes a mindful, holistic approach to mental health, viewing difficulties as whole-body challenges needing empathy and nourishment. Master’s level counseling intern offers sliding scale $30-50 (fully licensed practitioners $140-160). (South Austin)
  • Frontline Strong — Provides completely free counseling for first responders including veterans, active/reserve military, police, fire, EMS, and healthcare workers. Professional support at no cost to qualifying individuals.
  • Luminary Counseling — Private practice clinic offering flat $50 rate for individuals, couples, and families who need affordable long-term counseling with immediate availability. Cannot afford higher rates welcome. (NE Austin)
  • Mike and Sherry Project — Specialized affordable counseling for restaurant industry workers, with sliding scale starting at $15/session for food service workers only. Services provided through Capital Area Counseling.
  • Mindful Wellness Center of Austin — Offers 50-minute individual sessions on sliding scale $30-$50 based on income, provided by LPC Associates. Focus on mindful, holistic mental health approaches. (South Austin)
  • NAMI Central Texas — Provides education classes on mental illness and volunteer-run support groups for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. Free community resources and peer support. (Central Austin)
  • Open Path Collective — National network requiring all therapists to commit to sessions between $30-$60. Provides affordable therapy access with licensed professionals nationwide.
  • Out Youth — Offers individual and group counseling for LGBTQ youth ages 12-23, plus adult support groups for trans and queer-identifying adults. Also provides family support for parents of LGBTQ youth.
  • Pregnancy Postpartum Health Alliance — Provides therapy voucher program offering low-income women experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, and/or OCD up to 8 discounted therapy sessions. Specialized maternal mental health support.
  • SAFE (formerly SafePlace) — Offers free counseling for all survivors of interpersonal violence including domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Serves people with disabilities, Spanish speakers, and Deaf community members. (East Austin)
  • St. Edward’s Community Clinic — Community clinic staffed by St. Edward’s counseling students providing individual, family, and relationship counseling for $0-20 per session. General focus with supervised student therapists. (Central Austin)
  • Texas State Community Counseling Clinic — Operated by Texas State’s Professional Counseling Program at San Marcos and Round Rock campuses. Serves individuals, couples, families, children, and adolescents for $0-$20 (no one turned away for inability to pay).
  • Texas State University Assessment Clinic & CARES Clinic — Provides comprehensive assessments for children, adolescents, and adults, with CARES specializing in autism evaluations and ABA services. Sliding scale fees available based on financial need.
  • Therapy Austin — Has locations in central and north Austin with intern therapists who cannot take insurance but offer affordable rates. Sessions range $75-$125 with quality supervised care. (Central and North Austin)
  • Waterloo Counseling — Provides affordable, culturally sensitive mental health services to all people regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or HIV status. LGBTQ-affirming and inclusive care approach. (Central Austin)
  • YWCA — Offers individual, couples, and family counseling with standard fees $35-$100 per hour on sliding scale. Subsidized fees $10-$75 for qualifying clients, with free services for women veterans and crime victims. (Central Austin)

 

Affordable Counseling Options ($50–$100 per session)

If you don’t qualify for free services but still need something affordable, these clinics and group practices offer licensed therapists or supervised associates at accessible rates:

  • Austin DBT Associates — Specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy with sliding scale starting at $60 for individual sessions and $45 for DBT skills groups. Effective for managing emotional intensity and impulsive behaviors that disrupt daily life. (North and South Austin)
  • Austin Family Institute — Offers individual, couples, and family therapy on competitive sliding scale comparable to insurance copays. Lower costs available with less experienced clinicians who receive ongoing training and supervision. (Westlake)
  • Austin Relational Counseling — Specializes in relationships and how people relate to the world through individual, premarital, marital, and couples therapy. Helps renegotiate relationships so clients and loved ones can step closer to their preferred lives. $75-115 (Online only)
  • Autonomy Therapy — Committed to supporting healing in relationships with self and others, specializing in eating disorders, body image issues, compulsive exercise, anxiety, trauma, and depression. Evidence-based treatment approaches. $50 (North Austin, Online/In-person)
  • Center for Relationships — Expert relationship-focused counseling for individuals, couples, families, and groups with multicultural, spiritual, LGBTQ and non-monogamy sensitivity. All associates trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and other current relational models. $50-$150
  • David Wachsman Counseling — Creates a warm, welcoming environment to explore life obstacles and find solutions for personal, professional, and relational success. Specializes in career counseling, couples counseling, and anxiety treatment. $50-$100 (Online only)
  • Enhancing Intimacy Austin — Focuses on relationship and sexual health, helping couples, individuals, and families strengthen relationships and increase intimacy. Sliding scale $45-$150 with fully licensed professionals or supervised interns/associates. (West Austin)
  • GT Therapy — Interdisciplinary team of social workers, LPCs, and LMFTs offering systemic and integrative therapy across the lifespan. Special focus on teens, college students, parents, and families with post-graduate therapists offering $75-125 sliding scale. (Central/University area)
  • JC Shakespeare — LPC-S with over 15 years experience working with adolescents and adults on trauma, substance use, recovery, grief, and depression. Integrates somatic psychotherapy (EMDR, Natural Processing) with mindfulness and Internal Family Systems. $100-150 (South/Central Austin)
  • Jewish Family Services — Doesn’t typically turn clients away for inability to pay, accepting Medicare, Aetna, Humana, BCBS, Magellan, United Healthcare. Two fully licensed clinicians available, one providing EMDR and one with LCDC credentials for substance abuse. (2-3 week wait typical)
  • Liz Watts Counseling — Individual adult therapy focusing on anxiety, mood disorders, life transitions, stress coping, and grief/loss. Provides safe, judgment-free environment for honest exploration of concerns. $50-80 (West Austin, Online & In-person)
  • Plumeria Counseling Center — Committed to exceptional counseling at affordable rates with fees reflecting therapist experience: $80+ (1st year associates), $95+ (senior associates), $135+ (fully licensed). Accepts major insurance including Aetna, Cigna, Humana, United, BCBS, Medicare. (South Austin, mostly telehealth)
  • Relational Counseling Services — Private practice providing affordable individual adult and marriage counseling with sliding scale appointments $45-$95 per hour based on client’s financial need. Focus on relationship and individual growth. (Hutto)
  • Taylor Group Counseling — Provides affordable counseling for adults and teenagers 16+ through individual, couples, and family therapy. Each therapist has unique specializations with $90 private pay rate and accepts multiple insurance plans. (NW Austin – Cedar Park)

 

Insurance-Friendly Options

Some practices accept a wide range of insurance plans and offer a range of rates:

  • Just Mind — Private practice with 50+ therapists offering services $100-$200 based on experience level. Serves children (play therapy), teens, adults, couples (Gottman, PACT, EFT trained), with 20+ EMDR and Somatic Experiencing specialists. Accepts select insurance. (Westlake & Spicewood/360)
  • Austin Travis County Integral Care — Low-cost option requiring proof of income and insurance at intake, with fees determined by income and coverage. Accepts most major commercial insurance with sliding scale fees and specialized groups for crisis support. (Central Austin)
  • Brittany Neece and Associates — Provides affordable counseling for adults, couples, and families with highly trained associates and senior clinicians. Specializes in grief/loss, couples/families, anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain, life transitions. $50-$150, accepts BlueCross BlueShield, UnitedHealthCare, Optum, Oscar, Cigna, Tricare, MultiPlan, Humana. (NW Austin)
  • Center for Relational Care — Christian counseling offering low rates $30-130 based on experience, with counselors trained in Intimacy Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, TBRI, TFCBT, Positive Discipline. Multiple locations serving families and individuals. (South, North, Georgetown)
  • Charles Gee at Cardinal Collective — Serves individuals 18-45, specifically people of color, men, queer individuals, or those at intersecting identities. Focuses on anxiety/stress, coping skills, college concerns, depression, family conflict, trauma, relationships, racial identity. $100 per session (Online)
  • Jamie LaFevers and Associates — High-quality, collaborative psychotherapy at affordable rates helping clients go from “surviving” to succeeding. LGBTQ-affirming, specializes in anxiety, relationships, family concerns, dysmorphia, adolescents. $70-$150, accepts BCBS, United Healthcare (Telehealth only)
  • Louis Laves-Webb Counseling & Associates — Two Austin locations with nearly a dozen therapists offering individual, group, and couples therapy. Group therapy sessions $30-$60, individual sessions $100, couples therapy $120. Virtual appointments available.
  • Moonstone Counseling — Group practice serving clients across lifespan with high-quality care for trauma, grief, aging, depression, anxiety, relationships. Serves children, adults, couples, families online or in two Austin offices. Accepts Aetna, United, Oscar, Optum, Medicare, BCBS, Cigna. (North, Southwest Austin)
  • New Life Counseling Center — Christian spiritual counseling agency with two locations offering services for children, teens, adults, families. Provides EMDR for trauma work with rates $65 (Round Rock) to $145 (Austin) per session. (Round Rock and South Austin)
  • Samaritan Counseling Center — Spiritual-focused counseling for veterans, individuals, couples, and families with sliding fee scale and special programs for low-income and under-insured. Hope for Heroes program for military families with highest fee $125 and grants available. (Multiple NW locations, San Marcos)
  • Viesca Therapeutic Services — Small group practice focusing on adult mental health including trauma, grief/loss, life transitions, anger management, mood disorders, anxiety. Experienced clinicians with EMDR and CBT backgrounds, accepts Optum, Traditional Medicare, Oscar, United. $65-$150 (Round Rock – Online Only)

Looking Online? Try These Therapy Directories

Still wondering how can I find an affordable therapist near me? These directories help match you with therapists based on your budget, identity, and therapy preferences:

  • Psychology Today — Most comprehensive and well-known database of Austin therapists with extensive search filters and provider information.

  • Mental Health Match — Allows detailed demographic information input and specific search filters (atheist non-binary therapists under 35, white Christian male therapists over 45). Best feature is filtering by price you can pay per session.

  • Inclusive Therapists — National directory of therapists committed to culturally-responsive therapy acknowledging intersection between mental health and systemic inequality. Specifically geared toward people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and marginalized groups.

  • Therapy Den — Alternative directory to Psychology Today offering different search options and therapist profiles.

 

Culturally-Specific Directories

  • LatinxTherapists
  • Therapy for Black Girls / Therapy for Black Men
  • Asian Mental Health Collective

You’ve Got Options

Affordable counseling is available in Austin—whether you have insurance or not. If you want expert care with no pressure to commit, Just Mind’s One Session at a Time is a great place to start.

If you’re looking for free counseling near you, or need sliding scale therapy, this guide includes dozens of resources to explore.

The post Where to Find Affordable Therapy or Free Counseling in Austin, TX | Just Mind appeared first on Just Mind.