How Much Does Therapy Cost in Hyderabad in 2026?

Private therapy in Hyderabad costs roughly ₹800 to ₹3,000 a session (2026). The public alternative is unusually clear-cut here: the Institute of Mental Health at Erragadda states that it collects no service charges at all.

The private range here is a grounded estimate from advertised prices; it is not an official rate. Therapists set their own fees.

Who you see	A session, privately
Psychiatrist	the upper end, ₹2,000 and above
Clinical psychologist, experienced	₹2,000 to ₹3,000
Newly qualified psychologist or counsellor	from about ₹800
Online sessions	usually less than in person
Government hospital outpatients	a nominal registration fee

The public route in Hyderabad, and what it costs

Most Indian cities leave you guessing about public charges. Hyderabad does not. The Institute of Mental Health at Erragadda says it in its own words: "No service charges collected from patients of institute", and "All the patients are given diet and drugs free of cost". It is a 600-bed hospital. New outpatient registration runs Monday to Saturday, opening at 8.30am and closing at 10.30am, so arrive in the morning. Emergency cover is 24 hours.

That is an unusually plain cost statement from a government psychiatric hospital, and it is worth knowing before you assume private care is the only route.

Hyderabad's general teaching hospitals also run psychiatry departments, but Osmania, Gandhi and NIMS publish nothing reachable about access or charges, so this page does not guess at them.

What the public institutions actually publish

India's flagship public institutions publish their own patient instructions, and the figures are startling next to private fees. At NIMHANS in Bengaluru, the national mental health institute, a first visit means a screening slip costing ₹100. At AIIMS Delhi, "OPD Card costing Rs. 10/- can be purchased from main counter, OPD ground floor". Your local government hospital sets its own registration fee, and it is typically of that nominal order rather than a private one.

Why the price moves

Fees track qualification and experience. A counsellor or a newly qualified psychologist charges least; an experienced clinical psychologist more; a psychiatrist, as a medical specialist and the only one who can prescribe, the most. Two practitioners in the same city can charge very differently, so ask directly rather than assuming a market rate.

Qualification is something you can check, and it is what the fee is really buying. Under India's Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, a clinical psychologist is someone whose qualification comes from an institution recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India, and practitioners hold an RCI registration number you can ask for. "Counsellor" is not defined in the same way, which is part of why counselling sits lower on the price scale.

Frequency turns a session fee into a budget. Weekly therapy at ₹1,500 is ₹6,000 a month; fortnightly is half that. If cost is the constraint, say so at the first appointment. Many practices hold a small number of reduced-fee places and do not advertise them.

If you need someone now

Tele-MANAS, the national helpline run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, answers free on 14416, 24 hours, in English and 20 regional languages.

Locally, the Roshni Trust offers "free, confidential and unconditional emotional support" on +91 8142020033 and +91 8142020044, 11am to 9pm daily. The Vandrevala Foundation runs a free 24-hour line on +91 9999 666 555, by call or WhatsApp, from anywhere in India.

Sources

• Institute of Mental Health, Hyderabad, Services: the no-service-charges statement, free diet and drugs, registration hours.
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Psychiatry OPD: the ₹100 registration fee for a new patient.
• AIIMS New Delhi, Out Patient Services: the Rs. 10 OPD card.
• Roshni Trust, Free services: the helpline numbers and hours.
• Vandrevala Foundation, Free counselling: the 24-hour national line.

Reviewed August 2026. Government, university and scheme figures are quoted from those bodies' own published pages. The private band is a grounded estimate from advertised prices; we do not cite private clinics as authorities.