Is OCD Therapy Covered by OHIP?
By Justin La Rose, RP, M.Psy · Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) · Clinical Director, The OCD Clinic
Evidence last reviewed: October 2026
No, OCD therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist, psychologist or social worker in private practice isn’t covered by OHIP. OHIP pays for family doctors, psychiatrists, and eligible hospital or Ontario Structured Psychotherapy programs. Many extended health plans through work or school do cover Registered Psychotherapists, though, and you don’t need a doctor’s referral to start private therapy.
The short answer
- Group or one to one: Individual and group CBT for OCD produced similar outcomes across 37 randomized trials, according to a meta-analysis by Öst et al. (2015).
- Online counts: Across 22 trials, remote CBT for OCD showed no significant difference from face-to-face care, though people with more severe symptoms may do better in person, according to Salazar de Pablo et al. (2023).
- A low-cost first step: For mild OCD, the NICE guideline (CG31) recommends low-intensity CBT including ERP, such as guided self-help.
- Our fees: At The OCD Clinic, a 50-minute session is $250 with a senior clinician or $225 with an associate clinician, and the 20-minute consultation is free.
What does OHIP actually pay for?
OHIP pays for physician care and public programs, not private psychotherapy. Here’s how the routes compare:
| Care | Cost to you | Referral |
|---|---|---|
| Family doctor | OHIP | No |
| Psychiatrist | OHIP | Usually a physician referral |
| Ontario Structured Psychotherapy | Free | Self or provider |
| Hospital OCD program | OHIP | Referral plus eligibility |
| Private RP, psychologist or social worker | You pay; benefits may cover some or all | No |
Public programs can involve long waits and may not offer ERP for OCD specifically, so ask at intake how ERP is delivered. Every route is laid out in the Ontario OCD treatment guide.
How do people pay for private ERP?
Mostly through extended health benefits. Check your plan for Registered Psychotherapist coverage and your annual maximum. At The OCD Clinic, receipts are issued after each session for you to submit to your insurer, and sliding scale spots are available on request. The details are on our fees page, and whether ERP is covered by insurance in Ontario goes deeper. If you’re weighing an app against a local clinician, see NOCD vs BetterHelp.
Does it matter if therapy is online?
Not for OHIP. Private therapy is self-pay or benefits either way, and online vs in-person ERP in Ontario compares the two. If you live in the US, UK or Ireland, OHIP doesn’t apply, and our OCD coaching isn’t covered by insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a doctor’s referral for OCD therapy?
Not for private therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist. Public hospital programs usually need a physician referral, and Ontario Structured Psychotherapy accepts self-referral.
Does OHIP cover a psychiatrist for OCD?
Yes. Psychiatrist services are covered by OHIP, usually with a physician referral. Psychiatrists diagnose and manage medication, and most don’t deliver ERP themselves, so many people pair a psychiatrist with an ERP therapist.
Can I use a health spending account?
Usually. Health spending accounts are flexible dollars that usually cover Registered Psychotherapist services, but check your own plan.
Is HST charged on psychotherapy in Ontario?
No. HST is not charged on psychotherapy services in Ontario.
What should you read next?
Wondering what treatment would cost with your benefits plan? Book a free 20-minute consultation and we'll walk through it together. No referral needed.
Book a Free ConsultationHow we researched this page
This page draws on the public program and fee information in our Ontario OCD treatment guide (last verified September 2026), our own published fees, the NICE guideline for OCD (CG31), a meta-analysis of 37 CBT trials (Öst et al., 2015) and a meta-analysis of remote CBT (Salazar de Pablo et al., 2023). Coverage rules, programs and benefit plans change and differ from person to person, so check your own plan and each program directly before you rely on any of this.
A note on my perspective
I run a private clinic that treats OCD with ERP, and I'm paid when people book with us. Read what I write with that in mind. Public and lower-cost routes exist too, and the Ontario OCD treatment guide lays them out next to ours.
About the author
Justin La Rose, RP, M.Psy is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and Clinical Director of The OCD Clinic in Toronto. He has worked in mental health for more than 25 years and treats OCD with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). You can confirm his registration on the CRPO public register.
Client stories on this site are composites, with names and identifying details changed. How we write client stories
How to cite this page
La Rose, J. (2026). Is OCD Therapy Covered by OHIP?. The OCD Clinic. https://theocdclinic.ca/ocd-faq/is-ocd-therapy-covered-by-ohip