Schools

• Many universities that offer counseling degrees offer low-cost mental health services, according to Go Ask Alice, an advice column on the Columbia University Web site. Supervised graduate students perform the counseling at a discounted rate because it is part of the coursework for their degrees. The low cost makes it easier to pay for the sessions out of pocket if you do not have insurance.
  
  

Social Service Agencies

• Nonprofit social service agencies often provide cheap or free counseling for people without insurance coverage. John Grohol, Psy.D., a writer for the Psych Central mental health information Web site, explains that some of these agencies are subsidized by the government. Private charities may also run or fund counseling clinics. Some agencies require you to meet certain income level requirements to qualify for their offerings.
  
  

Sliding Scale Fees

• Many counselors offer their services on a sliding scale to clients who do not have insurance and who cannot afford to pay the full amount, the Go Ask Alice column explains. Individual mental health counselors make the choice on whether to offer reduced fees, so you may have to search before you find someone who charges rates that are affordable for you. Some counselor search databases, like "Psychology Today" magazine's therapist database, lets you search counselors in your area and sort them by their fees.
  
  

Support Groups

• You may be able to find an in-person or online support group if you do not have insurance and cannot afford one-on-one counseling. Groups often focus on a particular issue, such as dealing with grief, handling a divorce or solving parenting problems. Doctors, hospitals, clinics and social service agencies can often give referrals to appropriate in-person groups, and the Mental Health America nonprofit mental health Web site offers links to sources for local and online groups.
  
  

Church Programs

• Churches and other houses of worship may offer free or low-cost counseling by clergy members or free support services from trained lay people, according to Pastor David Martin, a guest columnist on the Christian Broadcasting Network Web site. Ministers and other church leaders are often trained in pastoral counseling to help congregation members who are going through rough times. Programs like Stephen Ministry train church members to offer supportive services, although they are not qualified to do professional counseling.