Prices are on the high end of the range in major metropolitan areas like New York and San Francisco. Plans on the lower end of the price range are typically limited to support via text or email messaging only, while plans at the higher end of the range include scheduled video sessions with a licensed counselor or therapist. You can only use your HSA or FSA for counseling if you have a billable diagnosisโsuch as depression or bipolar disorderโand the therapy is deemed medically necessary.
Counselors have a master's degree in psychology and are trained and licensed to practice psychotherapy. A counselor may be licensed or certified in a specific area:.
A counselor can help you navigate challenging life situations, understand your emotions, strengthen your self-esteem, and improve your communication and coping skills. They provide support through difficult times and guide you in making the necessary changes in thinking and behavior to improve your mental and emotional health.
Counselors are licensed psychologists but not medical doctors, and in most parts of the U. Only Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico allow counselors to prescribe medication, and counselors in these states must complete additional psychopharmacology training and certification.
In the rest of the U. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medication, but they typically do not provide talk therapy or counseling services. A licensed counselor can give a mental health diagnosis in all states except Indiana and Maine.
