Therapy in Singapore ranges from completely free to over SGD 300 a session. The price is not a measure of quality. It reflects which pathway you are in, and each pathway trades cost against waiting time, choice of practitioner, and continuity.
This page puts them side by side so you can pick deliberately.
The five pathways at a glance
1. Free services — helplines, CHAT, some NGO counselling
Cost: nothing. Wait: immediate to a few weeks. Trade-off: usually limited sessions, no choice of practitioner.
2. Polyclinic and public specialist — subsidised, means-tested
Cost: roughly $5 to $19.50 for a polyclinic visit with CHAS; roughly $20 to $80 per session at subsidised specialist outpatient rates. Wait: commonly 4 to 8 weeks for a first specialist appointment. Trade-off: cheapest structured care, but you do not choose your clinician and appointments can be spaced far apart.
3. Community health centres and NGOs — low cost, sliding scale
Cost: often free to around $80, frequently income-assessed. Wait: shorter than the hospital system. Trade-off: excellent value, but availability varies by organisation and some have eligibility criteria.
4. Private practice — full fee, no subsidy
Cost: broadly SGD 120 to 250 per individual session, more for couples. Wait: usually days. Trade-off: you choose your therapist, you keep the same one, and you set the pace. You pay for all of it.
5. Online and app-based — variable
Cost: from subscription apps at the low end to full private rates for video sessions with a Singapore-registered practitioner. Trade-off: convenience and privacy, but quality and credentials vary enormously.
Who qualifies for the subsidised routes
This is the single biggest factor in what you will pay, and it is worth being precise about.
Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents can access means-tested subsidies through polyclinics, restructured hospitals and IMH. Subsidy levels commonly run from 50 to 80 percent depending on assessed household income, and CHAS cardholders receive additional support.
Pass holders — Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant Pass, Student Pass are generally not eligible for these subsidies and will pay private or unsubsidised rates. If you are on a pass, our guide to therapy in Singapore as an expat covers what does apply to you, particularly around international insurance.
Everyone in Singapore, regardless of status, can use the free helplines. The full list is here.
Our guide to subsidised services explains how to enter each pathway and what to say to get there faster.
What actually drives a private fee
Private rates vary by more than double across Singapore. The differences are usually explained by four things.
Qualification and registration. A practitioner with a Master's degree, SAC certification and years of supervised practice costs more than someone with a short certification. Neither title — "therapist" or "counsellor" — is legally protected in Singapore, so the credential is what you are actually paying for. Our explainer on the difference covers how to verify it.
Discipline. Psychiatrists (medical doctors who can prescribe) sit at the top of the range. Clinical psychologists typically cost more than counsellors. For most common presentations — anxiety, low mood, burnout, relationship difficulty, life transitions — a qualified counsellor is appropriate and effective.
Session length. A 50-minute hour and a 90-minute couples session are not comparable prices. Always ask what you are actually buying.
Setting. Central clinic space in Singapore is expensive and that cost is in the fee. Online sessions sometimes cost less for exactly this reason.
The questions that change your real cost
Ask any practice these before you book. The answers move the total more than the headline rate does.
1. How long is a session, in minutes?
2. Is the first consultation free, and is it a real session or a short intake call?
3. Are packages available, and what is the per-session rate inside one?
4. Do you offer a sliding scale, and what is the process for asking?
5. What is the cancellation policy, and what counts as short notice?
6. Can you issue invoices in the format my insurer or employer requires?
Question four is the one people skip. Many private practitioners in Singapore hold a small number of reduced-fee slots and do not advertise them. Asking costs nothing.
Insurance, honestly
MediSave generally cannot be used for outpatient counselling with a private counsellor. MediShield Life does not cover it. This is true for Singaporeans as well as foreigners, and it surprises most people.
Corporate and international plans are where cover actually lives. Group employee plans and expat international health policies frequently include outpatient mental health benefits. Check whether your policy requires a specific credential — some reimburse only clinical psychologists or psychiatrists — and whether a GP referral is needed first.
Employee Assistance Programmes are worth checking before anything else. If your employer funds one, you may have a set number of fully paid sessions available immediately.
Choosing well rather than cheaply
The cheapest option that you actually attend is better than the ideal option you never start. But cost is not the only variable worth optimising.
If money is the binding constraint, start with the free helplines today, and begin the polyclinic route in parallel if you are a Citizen or PR — the wait runs in the background while you use other support.
If waiting is the binding constraint, private practice is the fastest route into consistent care, and many practices offer a free first consultation so you can test the fit before committing money.
If continuity matters most — and for most longer pieces of work it does — the ability to keep the same practitioner is the strongest argument for private practice. Public pathways can rotate clinicians between appointments.
What this costs at Heal
Individual sessions start from SGD 150 and couples sessions from SGD 180, with packages that reduce the per-session rate. The full fee list is published rather than quoted on request, and the first 30-minute consultation is free.
If cost is a genuine barrier, say so at that consultation. Sliding-scale slots exist.
*Figures on this page are indicative and change. Subsidy levels, CHAS rates and hospital fees are set by the relevant institutions — check current rates directly with the polyclinic, hospital or practice before making a decision based on price.*
If you want a clinical reference point before spending anything, the free Clarity Check takes 5 to 10 minutes and returns validated anxiety, depression and wellbeing scores.