How to find a therapist or psychologist in Minnesota

This guide shows you how to find a therapist in Minnesota, even if you have no insurance or very little money. It covers who is allowed to treat you, what sessions cost, how insurance and Medical Assistance 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 Minnesota, 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. With Medical Assistance, start with your health plan or the state provider directory. 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 board 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.
• Minnesota Psychological Association Find a Psychologist. Filters include name, whether they accept health insurance, patient age range, services and languages.
• 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 Minnesota

"Therapist" is a general word. In Minnesota, the license title tells you what the person is allowed to do. Four boards license these professions. The Board of Psychology licenses psychologists. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy licenses counselors. The Board of Social Work licenses social workers. The Board of Marriage and Family Therapy licenses marriage and family therapists.

License	What it means	Where to check
Licensed psychologist (LP)	The title used by the Board of Psychology for licensed psychologists.	Board of Psychology lookup
Licensed professional counselor (LPC)	Needs a master's or doctoral degree, at least 700 hours of supervised field experience and the National Counseling Exam. A plan for supervision of the first 2,000 hours of practice is also required.	Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy
Licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC)	A second counselor license that Minnesota issues. We could not open the rules for it.	Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy
Social worker (LSW, LGSW, LISW, LICSW)	The Board of Social Work lists these four license types. LICSW stands for licensed independent clinical social worker.	Board of Social Work lookup
Licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT)	Must be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.	Board of Marriage and Family Therapy

"Licensed professional counselor" is a protected title. A student in an accredited counseling program may practice under supervision, but only as a "counselor intern". Minnesota law defines the practice of psychology to include psychological testing, the evaluation or assessment of personal characteristics, and the diagnosis, treatment and management of mental or emotional disorders. If you need a formal evaluation or testing, check that the person holds a psychologist license. We found no verified page on what the other licenses may diagnose, so ask the therapist which license they hold and what it covers.

How to check a therapist's license in Minnesota

Each board runs its own lookup, so use the one that matches the title. For a psychologist, use the Board of Psychology lookup. For a social worker, use the Board of Social Work license search.

For a counselor, go to the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy and use the Online License Verification link on its homepage. For a marriage and family therapist, search for the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy and use its lookup. We could not open that board's pages, so we have no link for its lookup.

If you cannot find a name, ask the therapist for the exact license title and number, and check again.

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

We could not open a Minnesota page on telehealth or temporary practice for out-of-state providers. We therefore cannot say what the state allows without a Minnesota license. If you want to see an out-of-state therapist, ask for their Minnesota license number and check it with the board.

Here is where the compacts stand.

• Psychologists. Minnesota was on the list of states with final PSYPACT legislation when we checked on 21 October 2026.
• Professional counselors. The Counseling Compact is live for Minnesota licensees. It is live in 11 states so far: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
• Social workers. Minnesota is on the list of jurisdictions that 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 Minnesota?

We found no sourced statewide average for Minnesota. LifeStance, a large provider chain, says its typical self-pay range for a therapy visit in Minnesota is $225 to $334. That is one company's range, not a state average.

PayerPrice, a price tracker, compiled rates that four insurers published for Minnesota between June and August 2026. For a 60-minute session the rates run from $155.17 (United) to $221.15 (Cigna). These are rates the insurers published, not what patients are billed.

Route	What it costs	Notes
Private pay, one provider chain	$225 to $334 per visit	LifeStance's own typical range
Private insurance	Varies, ask your plan	Insurers publish rates of $155.17 to $221.15 for 60 minutes, per PayerPrice
Medical Assistance	No monthly cost	Ask what your plan covers
University of St. Thomas Interprofessional Center	Free	Students provide the sessions under supervision
Minnesota State University Moorhead outreach center	Free	Counselors-in-training provide the sessions
Minnesota State University, Mankato Rural Behavioral Health Clinic	Ask for the rate	Says it does not turn anyone away for inability to pay
County mental health services	Varies, ask	See the free and low-cost section

Ask for the fee in your first message.

Does Medical Assistance cover therapy in Minnesota?

Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota's Medicaid program. It has no monthly cost. The Department of Human Services says MA, MA-EPD and MinnesotaCare all cover mental health care. MinnesotaCare is for people who do not qualify for MA or Medicare, or who cannot get affordable insurance through an employer. Most MinnesotaCare members pay a monthly premium.

Minnesota adopted the Medicaid expansion, and it took effect on 1 January 2014. Federal data from December 2023 puts the limit for parents and caretakers at 133 percent of the poverty line. Adults above that line, up to 200 percent, are covered through the Basic Health Program. Check the current limits when you apply, because the figures are more than two years old. You can apply online at mn.gov/dhs/apply or through your county or Tribal agency.

For children, the same federal table lists no separate CHIP income limit. Children are covered through Medicaid, up to 275 percent of the poverty line for ages 1 to 18.

To find a therapist who takes MA, you have two routes.

• If you get care through a health plan, call the number on your plan ID card or use the directory your plan sent you.
• If you have fee-for-service coverage, use the MHCP Provider Directory and pick the Mental Health category.

Call the therapist before your visit to confirm they take MA, since providers change. Health Care Consumer Support can also help, on 651-297-3862 or 800-657-3672.

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.
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.

Minnesota law (statute 62Q.47) bars health plans from applying non-quantitative limits to mental health benefits more strictly than to medical benefits. It also requires all health plans to meet the federal parity laws. We could not open the insurance regulator's complaint page, so ask your insurer how to file a complaint or an appeal.

Free and low-cost therapy in Minnesota

University training clinics are one low-cost route. Graduate students provide the therapy under licensed supervision.

• University of St. Thomas Interprofessional Center. Services are free. Graduate psychology and social work students provide the counseling under licensed supervision. A short phone screening decides eligibility, and people without insurance or with too little coverage come first. Call (651) 962-4820. The center is at 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul.
• Minnesota State University Moorhead Counseling Community Outreach Center. Counseling is free for the Fargo-Moorhead community. Master's-level counselors-in-training provide it under supervision. The page lists no number for the center, so call the university on 218.477.2161.
• Minnesota State University, Mankato Rural Behavioral Health Clinic. This is a training clinic where students work under licensed professionals. It says it does not turn anyone away for inability to pay. It takes private and public insurance, so ask if it takes Medical Assistance. It offers sessions in person and by telehealth. Call 507-389-1443.

Your county is the other route. State law requires each county board to develop and coordinate an adult mental health system that includes outpatient and emergency services. Call your county health and human services office and ask about adult mental health services. Dakota County, for example, has a list of low-cost services and a 24-hour crisis line. We could not read the fee rules for county services, so ask when you call.

Augsburg University keeps an off-campus list of low-cost options. It lists Hennepin County Mental Health on 612-596-9438, which mainly serves uninsured or underinsured adults, and the Community-University Health Care Center on 612-301-3433. We did not open the pages of those two services, so confirm their fees when you call.

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

A listing may be out of date, or the therapist may have no openings. A long message can also get lost. A short, specific message is easier to answer than a vague one.

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, you can call or text 988 at any hour, and you can call the Minnesota Warm Line on 1-651-288-0400 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

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, you can stop and look elsewhere. You can switch therapists.

Crisis help in Minnesota

Call or text 988, or chat at chat.988lifeline.org, at any hour. Spanish text and chat are available. In an emergency, call 911.

Clay County's page lists these options.

• Crisis Text Line. Text "MN" to 741741, at any hour.
• Help Line. Call 2-1-1, at any hour.
• Minnesota Warm Line. This is peer support, not a crisis line. It is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 1-651-288-0400 or 855-WARMLINE, or text "Support" to 85511.

Clay County's mobile crisis number covers that county only. We could not open the state directory, so ask your county for its own number. If you need help at once, call 988.

Sources30

• Minnesota Board of Psychology, https://mn.gov/boards/psychology/
• Board of Social Work, https://mn.gov/boards/social-work/
• Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT), Board of / Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, https://mn.gov/boards/behavioral-health/
• Licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) Enrollment Criteria and Forms (Minnesota DHS), https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=ENROLL-25
• 148B.53 Minnesota Statutes (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148B.53
• 148B.592 Minnesota Statutes, https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148B.592
• Final PSYPACT Legislation, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), https://psypact.gov/page/statelegislation
• Counseling Compact, https://counselingcompact.gov/
• Compact Map, Counseling Compact, https://counselingcompact.org/map/
• Compact Jurisdictions, Social Work Licensure Compact, https://swcompact.org/compact-jurisdictions/
• Social Work Licensure Compact, https://swcompact.org/
• Therapists & Psychiatrists Accepting Insurance in Minnesota (LifeStance), https://lifestance.com/insurance/mn/humana/
• PayerPrice Local Rates, Minnesota, https://payerprice.com/specialties/mental-health-therapy/minnesota
• Minnesota Health Care Programs Overview (DHS-3182-ENG 7-26), https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3182-ENG
• 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/
• Medicaid, CHIP and BHP Eligibility Levels, https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/national-medicaid-chip-program-information/medicaid-childrens-health-insurance-program-basic-health-program-eligibility-levels
• Home page - DHS.MHCP, https://mhcpproviderdirectory.dhs.state.mn.us/
• 62Q.47 Minnesota Statutes, https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.47
• Counseling Services, University of St. Thomas - Minnesota, https://www.stthomas.edu/interprofessional-center/counseling-services/
• Mental Health Services at MSUM, https://www.mnstate.edu/student-life/health-wellness/counseling-services/mental-health
• Rural Behavioral Health Clinic, Minnesota State University, Mankato, https://ahn.mnsu.edu/services-and-centers/center-for-rural-behavioral-health/rural-behavioral-health-clinic/
• 245.466 Minnesota Statutes, https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/245.466
• Low-Cost Mental Health Services (Dakota County), https://dakotacountymn.gov/residents/support/adult-mental-health/low-cost-services
• Off-Campus Counseling, Center for Wellness & Counseling (Augsburg University), https://www.augsburg.edu/cwc/counseling/counseling-low-cost/
• 988 Lifeline, https://988lifeline.org/
• Find a Psychologist (Minnesota Psychological Association), https://www.mnpsych.org/MPA/MPA/Resources/Find-a-Psychologist.aspx
• Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association), https://locator.apa.org/
• Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses (IRS), https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502
• Minnesota Statutes 148.89 (Office of the Revisor of Statutes), https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.89
• Mental Health Services, Clay County, MN Official Website, https://claycountymn.gov/1202