Can therapy sessions be 2 hours?
Asked by: Miss Adah Hammes | Last update: June 25, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (36 votes)
Can I have a 2 hour therapy session?
Some therapists provide 1 hour and 15 minute sessions and many do 1 hour and 45 minute sessions for families and couples. Longer sessions will, of course, cost more. Over time, the 50 minute session has been found to be appropriate for most people and creates a decent balance between value and cost.
How long should a therapy session be?
If you're going for individual counseling, then your session will last approximately 50-55 minutes. This 50-55 minutes is referred to as a “therapeutic hour.” This is standard practice, although some clinicians will offer 45-minute sessions or 60-minute sessions.
How do you bill a 2 hour therapy session?
How do you bill a 2-hour therapy session? For a 2-hour therapy session, you can use 90837 CPT code for the first 60 minutes and 90838 CPT code for each additional 30 minutes. This method adheres to standard therapy billing units and ensures appropriate compensation for extended sessions.
Why are therapy sessions only 1 hour?
It's mostly for logistical reasons. People tend to schedule appointments on the hour. And, most therapists provide 50 minute sessions so that they can take a 10-minute break between sessions to use the bathroom, grab something to drink and review notes before the next session.
BigXthaPlug - Therapy Session (Official Visualizer)
What is the average length of therapy?
Studies have found that, on average, around 50% of clients experience improvements after 15 to 20 sessions. Some clients choose to continue therapy even after they feel better to work on new goals or to make sure that they can maintain their progress. Several factors can play a role in how long therapy typically lasts.
What is the minimum number of therapy sessions?
So how long does it typically take for treatment to work? Recent research indicates that on average 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures.
How long is a 90837 session?
Code 90837 is for 60-minute therapy sessions, defined as 53 minutes or longer. Anything less than 53 minutes would use code 90834 (45-minute session). For 90837, the actual session time must be documented in your notes. Rounding up or down is not allowed.
How long does a therapist have to bill you?
Some insurers require claims to be filed very soon after services – 90 days is often a rule among private insurers. Others are more lenient with their time limits. For example, Medicare usually allows providers to file claims within a year to 18 months after services are provided.
How long does trauma therapy take?
The length of time trauma therapy takes can range from a few months to a few years. It's important to note that certain types of trauma, such as family trauma or religious trauma, often involve toxic environments that are difficult to escape.
How many hours does a therapist need?
Full-time work is typically seen as 40 hours per week, but you may work 35 or so hours and still be full-time. For example, in a report from the American Psychological Association, full-time clinical psychologists reported working an average of 36 hours a week (with most time spent on direct clinical care).
How long does therapy take for anxiety?
The duration of therapy can vary depending on the severity of your anxiety. If you have mild anxiety then 8-12 sessions may be effective as you learn coping skills and develop strategies to manage anxious thoughts and feelings. Patients with moderate anxiety may need 15 to 20 sessions to see lasting improvement.
How long is a typical therapy session?
Most therapists offer weekly 45- to 50-minute therapy sessions. The rationale behind the “50-minute hour” is that it provides the right amount of time to do the therapeutic work. At the same time, it leaves time for the therapist and client to wind down at the end.
What is an intensive in therapy?
Unlike regular therapy, which might occur weekly, intensive therapy involves multiple sessions per week or even daily meetings. This approach aims to provide comprehensive support and rapid progress for people facing severe emotional or psychological challenges.
Is therapy 2 times a week too much?
Ultimately, therapy should be tailored to each client's unique circumstances and requirements. While weekly sessions remain the conventional approach, some types of treatment now recommend more frequent sessions. for example, many evidence-based PTSD treatments recommend at least twice per week sessions.
Can you have 2 hour therapy sessions?
Can a therapy session be 2 hours? Yes, it's possible for therapy sessions to last this long. Individuals in intensive therapy programs, such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) or Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment (SACOT) might meet with a therapist for longer periods.
What is the 8 minute rule in mental health?
Detailed Explanation of the 8-Minute Rule
It requires that services be billed in 8-minute increments. This method helps ensure consistent and accurate billing across therapy sessions. For example, a therapy session lasting 42 minutes should be billed as six units according to the 8-minute rule.
What is the standard duration of therapy?
“The average individual therapy session is about 30-60 minutes in length. Sessions for couple/family therapy are typically 45-60 minutes depending how many members in the family. The larger the family, the longer are the sessions. For group therapy, the sessions usually are from 60-90 minutes in length.”
How to bill for a 2 hour therapy session?
You'll want to use your typical 90837 CPT code. Then you'll also want to use the Add On CPT code 99354 which declares an additional 30 to 74 minutes of therapy. So any time you do 90 to 2 hours and 14 minutes of therapy, make sure to use the combination of CPT Codes 90837 and +99354.
Why do therapists do 50 minute sessions?
Sigmund Freud started the weekly 50-minute therapy session over a hundred years ago, for pretty good reasons. Some are obvious, such as the hour being a convenient unit of time, clients needing to get back to their activities, and therapists needing to write notes and get ready for the next client.
How long is a psychiatric session?
While therapy sessions are normally 30-45 minutes long, your conversation with a psychiatric provider may only be about 15! The goal during your psychiatric appointment is to check in and see how you're feeling in relation to your medications.
How long are most people in therapy?
The length of therapy is quite variable, and the final decision regarding the length of therapy rests jointly with the patient and therapist. Some patients stay for as short a time as two or three sessions, while others are in therapy for two or three years or more as they continue to pursue goals and practice skills.
Can one therapy session be enough?
Previous investigations of the dose-effect relationship in psychotherapy suggest that therapeutic benefits occur early in treatment. Approximately 25% of patients have been estimated to improve after 1 session, and 50% improve by 8 sessions.
How many clients should a therapist see in a day?
On average, therapists see between 15-30 clients per week, with daily numbers ranging from 3-8 clients. “Typically seeing 6 to 8 clients a day is most comfortable. Some therapists may also put aside days of the week to dedicate to documentation, paperwork, and coordinating care for their clients,” Guarino explains.