How Much Should You Charge? Rate Calculator for Private Practice Therapists
Find the session rate you need to reach your income goal, or see what you will really take home at your current rate. The calculator accounts for vacation, cancellations, expenses, income tax, CPP or QPP contributions and GST/HST or QST, for every province.
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Estimate for a self-employed sole proprietor with no other income, based on 2026 federal and provincial rates, the basic personal amount and CPP or QPP contributions. It does not include other tax credits or deductions (RRSP, home office, dependants), the Quebec prescription drug insurance premium, instalments or incorporation. It does not constitute tax advice: check with your accountant.
How to Set Your Rate in Private Practice
Most therapists set their rate by looking at what colleagues charge. Start instead from what you need to earn, then work back to the rate.
1. Set a Take-Home Goal
Think in net income: what you need after taxes to cover your personal budget, savings and retirement, since no employer contributes for you.
2. Count Your Real Billable Sessions
Remove vacation, statutory holidays, sick days and training, then unpaid cancellations. A 20-session week rarely means 1,040 billed sessions a year.
3. Add Every Expense
Office, professional dues, liability insurance, software, supervision, continuing education, accounting. They are deductible, but they still have to be paid by your sessions.
4. Plan for Taxes and Contributions
As a self-employed worker, you pay both the employee and employer shares of CPP or QPP, on top of income tax. Set money aside with every payment.
GST/HST and QST: Are Your Services Exempt?
Most regulated health services are exempt from GST/HST, and from QST in Quebec, when they are provided by a practitioner authorized to practise in the province. Other services are taxable once your taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters.
| Profession | GST/HST and QST |
|---|---|
| Psychologist | Exempt |
| Psychotherapist or counselling therapist | Exempt |
| Sexologist, psychoeducator or guidance counsellor (therapeutic counselling, Quebec) | Exempt |
| Social worker | Exempt |
| Occupational therapist | Exempt |
| Physiotherapist | Exempt |
| Speech-language pathologist or audiologist | Exempt |
| Dietitian | Exempt |
| Naturopath or acupuncturist | Exempt |
| Massage therapist | Taxable |
| Kinesiologist | Taxable |
| Osteopath (non-physician) | Taxable |
| Coach or other taxable service | Taxable |
Services that are not provided for a health purpose remain taxable even for an exempt profession, for example a report prepared for a lawyer or for legal proceedings, or a purely cosmetic service. Check your situation with the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec.
Raise Your Real Hourly Income Without Raising Your Rate
Admin time and no-shows weigh heavily on your real hourly income. Try it in the calculator: remove two admin hours a week and lower cancellations by a few points.
Fewer No-Shows
Automatic email and text reminders, and online booking that fills cancelled slots from your waitlist.
Less Admin Time
Invoices, insurance receipts, online payment and AI-assisted clinical notes in the same software.
A Cost That Follows Your Activity
No fixed subscription: $3 per appointment with a $9/month minimum. See our pricing.
Setting your rate in private practice -- frequently asked questions
How much should a private practice psychotherapist charge?
It depends on your income goal, your caseload and your expenses rather than on a market average. Enter your numbers in the calculator above: it gives you the minimum rate that reaches your take-home goal once vacation, cancellations, taxes and contributions are accounted for.
Do psychotherapists charge GST or QST?
No. Since June 20, 2024, psychotherapy and counselling therapy services provided by a practitioner authorized to practise in the province are exempt from GST/HST, and from QST in Quebec, like psychology services.
What rates do psychologists' associations recommend?
The BC Psychological Association recommends $245 per hour for 2025-2026, and the Psychologists' Association of Alberta recommends $235 per 50-minute session (in effect since January 2025, with no increase in 2026). In Quebec, the Ordre des psychologues does not publish a recommended rate. These are reference points: your own rate should cover your income goal and your costs.
When do I have to register for GST/HST?
Only if you provide taxable services and your taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters. Exempt health services are not counted toward that threshold.
How many sessions per week is realistic?
It varies by profession and by the intensity of your caseload. Remember to count the time spent on notes, billing and coordination: the calculator shows your real hourly income once that admin time is included.
Why are CPP and QPP contributions so high when self-employed?
An employee and their employer each pay half of the contribution. A self-employed worker pays both halves. Part of the amount is deductible from income and the rest gives a tax credit, which the calculator takes into account.
Is this calculator tax advice?
No. It is an estimate for a sole proprietor with no other income. Your actual tax depends on your other income, credits and deductions. Check with your accountant, especially before incorporating.
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