[scythe]

The trouble is that talk therapy is already too expensive for most patients, and unless you plan to have people tripping with a therapist who is a complete stranger (not advised!) you're going to need to charge for some preliminary sessions. If a typical therapist charges $100 per hour -- and that's optimistic, in fact I've never paid less than $125 -- then the cost of treatment quickly runs into four figures.

That's already more expensive than a year on SSRIs, as crazy as that might sound. Human interaction is shockingly expensive.

[jvandyke]

The cost is something to consider, but let that not dissuade us from exploring the opportunity. There are many therapies that are covered by insurance due to their medical backing. Insurance companies would rather pay for life-saving procedures that are hundreds of dollars rather than trauma, end of life care, or life insurance payouts. The evidence needs to be persuasive, though.

[aurbano]

I've always been curious about talk therapy, and as someone who hasn't tried it - or knows someone who has - what would you say are the perceived benefits?

How does it compare to an intelligent friend/partner?

[pmoriarty]

"The trouble is that talk therapy is already too expensive for most patients"

Not necessarily. Under some insurance plans under Medi-Cal (the California Medicaid program), you get unlimited therapy (once a week) for free.

I strongly recommend that anyone who qualifies for Medi-Cal (ie. if your income is low enough) investigate this option, if you are looking for therapy. You actually get your own choice of therapists, as long as they accept your insurance plan.

Also, when choosing health insurance plans, make sure to take a look at how much therapy they cover. You might be surprised. Some plans definitely cover much more than others.

[eip]

It would be much cheaper and much more effective to talk to trees.