How to find a therapist or psychologist in Maryland

This guide shows you how to find a therapist in Maryland, even if you have no insurance or very little money. It covers who is allowed to treat you, what sessions cost, how insurance and Medicaid work and where to find free or cheap help. Every fact comes from a page listed at the end.

How to find a therapist or psychologist in Maryland, step by step

Start with the route that matches your situation. You can work through the steps in order, and you can run two routes at the same time.

1. Decide what you can pay per session. Look at the cost table below and pick a number you can keep up for several weeks.
2. Choose your route. With no insurance, start with a university training clinic or your county behavioral health authority. With Medicaid, start with your plan or the Carelon line. With a private plan, start with the number on your insurance card.
3. Make a short list of three to five places. Do not wait for the first one to answer before you contact the next.
4. Check each license. Use the state lookups in the section on checking a license. It takes a couple of minutes.
5. Send one clear message to each place. Say that you are looking for therapy, what days suit you, and what you can pay. A sample message is further down.
6. Ask about fees before you book. Ask if there is a sliding scale, a trainee rate or a lower fee for the first weeks.
7. Book a first session and see how it feels. You can switch if it is not a fit.

Where to search for names

• Your insurer's provider finder. Use the member portal or the number on your card. This is the list to start from if you want to use your plan.
• Maryland Psychological Association Find a Psychologist. A referral service. You can reach it on 410-992-4258, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• APA Psychologist Locator. Search by ZIP code or city, and by name or specialty.

Directory listings are written by the therapists themselves. Confirm the license in the lookup below, and confirm the insurance and the openings with the therapist.

Read more about the process across the country on the find a therapist hub.

Therapist, counselor, psychologist: Who can treat you in Maryland

"Therapist" is a general word. In Maryland, the license title tells you which board oversees the person. Three Maryland Department of Health boards cover the main titles. One handles counselors and marriage and family therapists, one handles social workers and one handles psychologists.

License	What it means	Where to check
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)	A counselor license from the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.	Counselor and therapist lookup
LGPC (Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor)	A second counselor license category, with "graduate" in the title. The Board pages we read do not explain what it allows, so ask about supervision.	Counselor and therapist lookup
LCMFT (Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist)	A marriage and family therapy license from the same board.	Counselor and therapist lookup
LGMFT (Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist)	The graduate-level marriage and family therapy license. The Board page does not describe what it allows.	Counselor and therapist lookup
LCSW-C (clinical social worker)	A clinical social work license from the Board of Social Work Examiners.	Social work lookup
LMSW (licensed master social worker)	For teletherapy, an LMSW works under a Board-approved LCSW-C supervisor.	Social work lookup
Psychologist	Licensed by the Board of Examiners of Psychologists.	Psychologist lookup
Psychology associate	Registered with the Board of Examiners of Psychologists.	Psychologist lookup

Maryland law defines practicing psychology to include diagnosis of psychological problems, emotional conditions and mental conditions, and giving and interpreting tests of mental abilities and personality. If you need a formal evaluation or testing, check that the person holds a psychologist license.

If a title says graduate or associate, ask who supervises the work.

How to check a therapist's license in Maryland

Maryland has three lookups, one for each board, and all three sit on the state's licensing portal. Search by last name or license number.

• Counselors and therapists, from the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. The page says it updates daily.
• Social workers, from the Board of Social Work Examiners.
• Psychologists and psychology associates, from the Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

If you cannot find a name, ask the therapist for the exact license title and number, and check again. The boards' phone numbers are 410-764-4732 for counselors and therapists, 410-764-4788 for social work and 410-764-4787 for psychologists.

Online therapy in Maryland: Can you see a therapist from another state?

Maryland looks at where you are sitting. For psychologists, the state rule says a person needs a Maryland license, or a psychology associate registration, to provide telepsychology in Maryland if either the client or the psychologist is physically in Maryland. For social workers, the Board says it has no provisional or temporary licenses. A social worker licensed only in another state cannot treat a client who is back in Maryland.

For counselors, the Board page we found is an FAQ from the COVID period. We could not confirm a current rule, so ask any out-of-state counselor for a Maryland license number and check it.

Here is where the compacts stand.

• Psychologists. Maryland is on the PSYPACT list of states with final legislation. PSYPACT is the agreement that lets psychologists work across state lines. Maryland rules still apply.
• Professional counselors. Maryland is on the Counseling Compact member list, but the compact is not live for Maryland counselors yet. It is live in 11 states so far: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
• Social workers. Maryland has passed the Social Work Licensure Compact. The compact says multistate licenses are not yet being issued.

We found no verified information on a compact for marriage and family therapists.

How much does therapy cost in Maryland?

We found no sourced statewide average for Maryland, so we are not giving one. One clinic gives a useful comparison. The Loyola Clinical Centers in Baltimore list individual therapy at $80 a session. Their chart puts the average community rate at $125, and sliding scale fees are available.

Route	What it costs	Notes
Private pay	Ask each practice	We found no sourced statewide figure
Loyola Clinical Centers, Baltimore	$80 per individual session	The clinic's chart gives $125 as the average community rate
University of Maryland Center for Healthy Families	$15 to $120 per session	Sliding scale by family income. No insurance accepted
UMBC Psychology Training Clinic	Sliding scale by income	Ask the clinic for the fee. No insurance accepted
University of Maryland CLIN Psychology Clinic	Sliding fee scale	The page lists no dollar amounts
County behavioral health authority	Varies, ask	See the free and low-cost section
Private insurance	Varies, ask your plan	Depends on your plan
Medicaid	Varies, ask your plan	Ask what your plan charges

Ask for the fee in your first message.

Does Maryland Medicaid cover therapy?

Maryland's program is called Medicaid, and locally some people call it Medical Assistance. HealthChoice is the managed care system. The children's program is the Maryland Children's Health Program, or MCHP.

Maryland adopted the Medicaid expansion, and it took effect on 1 January 2014. We could not open a page with the current adult income limits, so check them when you apply.

The state's HealthChoice page says Maryland Medicaid specialty behavioral health providers include licensed counselors, social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists and psychologists. It also lists licensed treatment programs. Specialists are paid through Carelon. Primary care providers bill your managed care plan for primary behavioral health services.

These numbers come from the state.

• Maryland Health Connection, to enroll, 855-642-8572, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• HealthChoice Helpline, 800-284-4510, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Carelon, for behavioral health needs, 800-888-1965, listed as available 24 hours a day

The state's contact guide lists the Carelon number for all behavioral health needs. We could not confirm how the line helps you pick a therapist, so ask it to name providers near you who take your plan. The guide says that in a behavioral health crisis, you should go to the nearest emergency room or call 988.

Using private insurance: How to find a therapist in your network

In-network means the therapist has a contract with your insurer. Out-of-network means they do not, and you may pay more or the whole fee. A directory listing does not prove a therapist takes your plan, so check with the insurer.

1. Call the number on your insurance card and ask for the behavioral health line.
2. Ask for a list of in-network therapists near you.
3. Ask what you pay per session, and if a deductible applies first.
4. Call the therapist and confirm they still take that exact plan.

If your therapist is out of network. Ask the therapist for a superbill, which is an itemized receipt for your session. Call your insurer and ask what your out-of-network mental health benefits are, and whether the deductible applies first. Ask whether they reimburse you after you submit the superbill. If you have a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), ask your plan if therapy fees are eligible. IRS Publication 502 treats amounts paid to a psychologist for medical care as medical expenses, but your plan decides what it pays.

We could not open the Maryland Insurance Administration pages, so we have no verified complaint line or appeal rules for Maryland. If your insurer denies care, ask it in writing how to appeal.

Free and low-cost therapy in Maryland

University training clinics are one low-cost route. The first and second clinics below say they do not take insurance. The third and fourth did not say, so ask before you book.

• Center for Healthy Families, University of Maryland, College Park. Fees run from $15 to $120 per session on a sliding scale based on family income. The clinic does not take insurance. Call 301-405-2273. Clients using teletherapy must be physically in Maryland.
• UMBC Psychology Training Clinic. It serves adults 18 and older from UMBC and the community. Fees follow a sliding scale, and you fill in a short application with supporting documents to get a reduced fee. It does not accept insurance. Call 410-455-5530.
• CLIN Psychology Clinic, University of Maryland. It offers sliding-fee scale services to children, teenagers and adults. Call 301-405-5862.
• Loyola Clinical Centers, Belvedere Square, Baltimore. Individual therapy is $80 a session, and sliding scale fees are available for people with financial need. Call 410-617-1200.

Your county is another route. Maryland counties run Local Behavioral Health Authorities, Core Service Agencies or Local Addiction Authorities. They work with the state to manage the public behavioral health system at county level. The directory of county authorities was updated on 9 January 2024. It lists Baltimore City at 410-637-1900 and Montgomery County at 240-777-1400. We could not read the fee rules for county services, so ask when you call.

The state is building a provider search called Maryland Behavioral Health Connect. The state page says it is still under development.

Why therapists don't call back, and what to send instead

Some therapists have no openings, and some listings are out of date. A short, specific message is easier to answer than a vague one, and email lets someone reply when they have a gap.

Send the same message to several places. Keep it short, and ask one question at a time.

Hello, I am looking for a therapist and found your practice online. I am free on weekday evenings. Are you taking new clients, and what is your fee per session? If you have a sliding scale or a trainee rate, I would like to hear about it. Thank you.

If you hear nothing in a week, send a short follow-up or move to the next name on your list. You can also ask for a waitlist spot and keep looking.

While you wait. Book the first opening you are offered, even if it is weeks away. You can cancel later. Ask to join the cancellation list. Keep contacting two or three other places. In the meantime, you can talk to a primary care doctor, and you can call or text 988 at any hour.

How to tell if a therapist is a good fit

You will not know in the first minute. Give it two or three sessions, and use the first call to ask a few plain questions. Ask whether they offer a free short phone call before you book. If they do, use it to decide.

• What do you usually help people with?
• How do sessions usually go?
• How often would you suggest we meet?
• What is the fee, and can it change if my budget changes?
• What happens if I need to cancel?

Watch for red flags. The person dismisses your concerns. They will not tell you their license details. They pressure you to book many sessions up front. If you see any of these, stop and look elsewhere.

Crisis help in Maryland

Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, at any hour. The Maryland Department of Health page says to press 2 after dialing for Spanish and to press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Deaf and hard of hearing callers can use the 988 Videophone through ASL Now.

For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911. The Maryland Department of Health's main number, (410) 767-6500, is an administrative line and not a crisis line. We could not confirm the details of any other Maryland crisis hotline, so call 988 if you need help at once.

Sources34

• Maryland Department of Health Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/index.aspx
• Marriage & Family (Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists), https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/Marriage-and-Family-Therapists.aspx
• Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists annual report 2022, https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/pdfs/bopct22annualreport.pdf
• Frequently Asked Questions COVID-19 (Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists), https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Documents/faqcovid19.pdf
• Board of Social Work Examiners, https://health.maryland.gov/bswe/Pages/default.aspx
• Teletherapy FAQs (Board of Social Work Examiners), https://health.maryland.gov/bswe/Pages/Teletherapy_Faq.aspx
• Board of Examiners of Psychologists, https://health.maryland.gov/psych/Pages/home.aspx
• Maryland Department of Health licensing boards list, https://health.maryland.gov/board
• License Verification (Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists), https://mdbnc.health.maryland.gov/pctverification/default.aspx
• License verification (Board of Social Work Examiners), https://mdbnc.health.maryland.gov/bsweVerification/
• Psychologist License Verification, https://mdbnc.health.maryland.gov/psychverification/
• 10.36.10 Telepsychology, https://health.maryland.gov/regs/Pages/10-36-10-Telepsychology.aspx
• Final PSYPACT Legislation, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), https://psypact.gov/page/statelegislation
• Compact Map, Counseling Compact, https://counselingcompact.org/map/
• Counseling Compact, https://counselingcompact.gov/
• Compact Jurisdictions, Social Work Licensure Compact, https://swcompact.org/compact-jurisdictions/
• Social Work Licensure Compact, https://swcompact.org/
• Psychology (Loyola Clinical Centers), https://www.loyola.edu/department/clinical-centers/services/psychology.html
• Maryland Medicaid (Maryland Department of Health), https://health.maryland.gov/mmcp/Pages/home.aspx
• Status of State Action on the Medicaid Expansion Decision, KFF State Health Facts, https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/
• Welcome to HealthChoice, https://health.maryland.gov/mmcp/healthchoice/pages/home.aspx
• How to Reach Maryland Medicaid, https://health.maryland.gov/mmcp/Documents/2505_MMA_HowtoReachMDMedicaid.pdf.pdf
• FAQ (Center for Healthy Families), https://sph.umd.edu/research-impact/research-centers/center-healthy-families-ms-couple-and-family-therapy/faq
• UMBC Psychology Training Clinic, https://psychology.umbc.edu/hsp/clinical/psychology-training-clinic/
• CLIN Psychology Clinic, https://psyc.umd.edu/clin-psychology-clinic
• Home (Maryland Association of Behavioral Health Authorities), https://mabha.org/home/
• Maryland Local Behavioral Health Authorities Directory, https://mabha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/6aced40d-d955-4b4f-b8ea-1b2e3b43fc00_Directory-MABHA-1-9-24.pdf
• Maryland Behavioral Health Connect, https://health.maryland.gov/bha/Pages/Maryland-Behavioral-Health-Connect-.aspx
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Maryland Behavioral Health Administration), https://health.maryland.gov/bha/Pages/988md.aspx
• 988 Lifeline, https://988lifeline.org/
• Find a Psychologist (Maryland Psychological Association), https://www.marylandpsychology.org/referral-service
• Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association), https://locator.apa.org/
• Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses (IRS), https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502
• Md. Code, Health Occupations 18-101 (Maryland General Assembly), https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gho&section=18-101&enactments=false