How Much Does EMDR Therapy Cost in Ohio?
Takeaway: EMDR therapy in Ohio varies depending on things like where you live and who you’re working with. It’s not cheap, but many people find that EMDR helps them make real progress in a shorter amount of time, so the investment is often worth it.
You might have heard from friends, family, colleagues, or people on the internet (let's be real) who have found relief from distressing memories, reprocessed childhood trauma and other traumatic memories, reported symptom reduction, or even talked about the transformative power of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
EMDR therapy might sound like a mental health treatment to explore. However, before you can embark on your healing journey towards trauma recovery, you need to know the important question: how much does an EMDR therapist cost?
My name is Brianna Halasa, and I'm a licensed psychotherapist based in Cleveland, Ohio. I received my degree in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and I received additional specialized trainings to incorporate EMDR therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Intuitive Eating, and Internal Family Systems therapy in my practice.
What’s the average cost for an EMDR therapy session in Ohio?
The cost of EMDR therapy ranges between $90 to $220 per session in Ohio, with the average cost of EMDR listed in the table below, broken down by the top five largest cities in Ohio. The cities of Columbus, Cleveland, and Toledo averaged around $140 per session length, while Cincinnati and Akron averaged around $130 per session length. EMDR cost varies based on therapist experience and number of sessions needed, as multiple sessions are required to complete the eight phases of the EMDR treatment plan. EMDR therapy can be done via online therapy or in-person sessions, depending on you and your provider's preference. Studies show that online therapy is just as an effective treatment option as in-person EMDR sessions (McGowan et al., 2021).
| City in Ohio | Average Cost of an EMDR Therapy Session |
|---|---|
| Columbus | $140 |
| Cleveland | $140 |
| Cincinnati | $130 |
| Toledo | $140 |
| Akron | $130 |
Is EMDR covered by insurance?
Yes, EMDR therapy is typically covered by insurance. However, this varies between EMDR therapy providers. First, check with your insurance provider to determine your coverage and what the average EMDR cost would be. You can do this by calling your insurance and asking the following:
“Do I have benefits for mental health? If so, what does my insurance coverage look like?”
“Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it?”
"After my deductible is met, what will the therapy cost be?"
Ask these three questions for both in network and out of network benefits to determine if you have one or both options when looking for providers. Once you have a better idea of your insurance coverage, you have a few options depending on your insurance plan and budget:
In Network Benefits
Many therapist directories, such as Inclusive Therapists or TherapyTribe, will let you filter based on the modality, in this case EMDR, and the insurance plans they work with in network. You can then reach out to a therapist whose profile stands out to you and get started on your EMDR treatment.
Out of Network Benefits
Many EMDR therapists work with out of network benefits and will provide you with a superbill to get reimbursed by your insurance. This typically means that you front the entire cost of a session, submit a superbill to your insurance indicating that you received treatment, and your insurance company will reimburse you a percentage of the cost. You may first need to work towards a deductible before these reimbursements begin, depending on your out of network benefits. Inquire with your therapist to see if they provide superbills for reimbursement.
Sliding Scale Options
If you see a therapist that you'd like to work with who doesn't take your insurance or if you don't have out of network benefits, you can ask if they offer a sliding scale fee or other payment options. Typically therapists will reserve a handful of sliding scale spots for uninsured folks or people without solid insurance benefits.
Full Fee Costs
If paying for a therapist's full fee feels obtainable to you, more power to you!
I'm an out of network provider. This means that I work with out of network insurance benefits if your plan incorporates them. If you're unsure whether you have out of network benefits, I'm able to check and give you an estimate of your deductible and co-pay. If you end up having out of network benefits and moving forward with therapy together, I partner with a company called Thrizer that sends claims after our sessions to your insurance company on your behalf. This eliminates the extra paperwork and the hassle of dealing with insurance companies, since therapy can be taxing enough!
Other options for paying for EMDR therapy
If the options mentioned above do not work for your situation, there are other ways that you can access affordable EMDR therapy options, such as through community health agencies or nonprofit organizations.
Community Health Clinics
Many of the agencies below accept Ohio Medicaid and/or uninsured folks. Be sure to check before scheduling an appointment.
Pathways Counseling & Growth Center: Provides EMDR therapy and other psychological counseling services.
Restore Compassionate Care: Provides holistic treatment, including EMDR therapy, for various mental health concerns.
Signature Health: A non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that provides a range of healthcare services, counseling, EMDR therapy, and other services in multiple counties.
MetroHealth: Provides a wide range of behavioral health services, including EMDR therapy.
Mental Health Nonprofits
Harbor: A not-for-profit mental health and substance use disorder treatment provider serving a wide range of ages and populations.
Concord Counseling Services: A highly-acclaimed, non-profit mental health center in central Ohio offering a range of specialized services.
Mental Health America of Ohio (MHAOhio): A 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on transforming how people think about mental illness, making help more accessible, and providing support for recovery.
The P.E.E.R. Center: A free drop-in recovery center in Columbus, offering support for individuals working through mental illness, trauma, and addiction.
Ohio Guidestone: A non-profit organization dedicated to the development, physical, and mental health of individuals and families.
Prevention Action Alliance: A statewide non-profit working to prevent substance misuse and promote mental health wellness.
Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA): A non-profit that assists those overcoming substance use disorders and mental illness.
P.A.L.S. for Healing: A non-profit organization that seeks to empower individuals and families who have suffered trauma or loss.
Maryhaven: Central Ohio's largest and oldest nonprofit addiction treatment center.
Netcare Access: A non-profit organization that provides behavioral healthcare services and promotes emotional well-being.
The Village Network: A non-profit behavioral health agency that works with children and families.
Beech Brook: A non-profit mental health agency providing services to vulnerable children and families in Northeast Ohio.
NAMI Ohio: A non-profit organization that provides mutual support, education, and advocacy for individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Is EMDR therapy worth it?
If you move forward with EMDR therapy, not only is valuable time and money involved, but there is also a significant emotional investment. Therefore, you might be wondering if EMDR therapy is worth it. Research has shown EMDR therapy to be a powerful tool in treating post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, among other mental health concerns. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Defense have labeled it as an effective treatment for trauma survivors. It differs from traditional talk therapy in that you use bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or sounds, to reprocess past traumatic experiences. This activates more areas of the brain, including areas involved in emotion regulation and memory processing, which could make it a potentially more effective treatment than traditional talk therapy. EMDR therapy is guided by the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, which posits that current life experiences are connected to past memory networks. Therefore, we become activated by present experiences, because it triggers unprocessed emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs from past instances (Shapiro, 2014). Basically, our past informs our present, which makes a lot of sense even without all of the empirical studies to back it up. Below are a list of benefits from continued EMDR sessions:
Alleviate distress
In starting EMDR therapy, you might have a memory that causes an intense emotional or physical response for you. After EMDR treatment, the memory and associated negative cognition should feel significantly less intense. Ideally, you won't believe the negative cognition associated with the memory (i.e. I am unsafe) and align with the positive cognition you set for yourself (i.e. I am safe around trusted people).
Improve confidence
Some cases of trauma, such as emotional abuse or bullying, can cause you to feel poorly about yourself. Reprocessing memories such as these can improve self-worth and self-esteem, since it aims to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain.
Reduce mental health symptoms
Research has shown that EMDR therapy can minimize PTSD symptoms, such as flashbacks, nightmares, and intense anxiety. It can also reduce symptoms associated with anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, and grief.
How many sessions of EMDR are typical?
On average, people notice results in 6-12 sessions of EMDR. Single incident traumatic events may take fewer sessions than those with complex PTSD or an extensive trauma history. It's important to remember to work at your own pace, especially since your experiences are unique from those of others. Therefore, your treatment plan might be a bit different.
Phases of EMDR
EMDR therapy includes eight different stages, as described below:
Phase 1: Background, assessment, and history-taking. The therapist and client will work together to understand past memories and the impact they've had on the client, current triggers, and future goals.
Phase 2: Preparing the client. The therapist thoroughly explains the treatment plan and procedures, allows the client to pick the most comfortable form of bilateral stimulation, and builds coping skills and resources for the client to use.
Phase 3: Assessing the target memory. In this phase, the memory will be activated, along with the image, affect, cognition, and body sensations. The effectiveness of EMDR is assessed through the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUDs) scale and the Validity of Cognition (VOC).
Phases 4-7: Reprocessing the memory. In this stage of reprocessing therapy, the client engages the memory using bilateral stimulation in sets. Between sets, the therapist will ask the client what they are noticing and use the information the client reports to inform the reprocessing for the next set. This process continues until no new material comes up and the client states that the memory is no longer distressing. Once this resolution occurs, the positive cognition is installed, a body scan is performed to ensure there are no remaining somatic symptoms.
Phase 8: Evaluating treatment results. This final stage marks conclusion EMDR therapy!
Final thoughts
Overall, EMDR can address traumatic experiences and mental health conditions at a quicker and more effective pace than traditional talk therapy. However, EMDR therapy costs time, money, and a significant emotional investment. Therefore, it's incredibly important to find the right EMDR therapist for your unique needs, goals, and preferences. While the therapy modality is important, the level of rapport and safety you feel with your therapist can be even more beneficial for positive outcomes. If you're curious about exploring EMDR, please don't hesitate to reach out to book a free clarity call or to move forward with your first session. I look forward to hearing from you!
