READ THIS FIRST. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, please get help now. Visit a nearby emergency service, hospital, or mental health clinic immediately. If you are in crisis, consider these helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide.
Crisis numbers in Zimbabwe
- Childline Zimbabwe, 116, for children: Tel: 116 | WhatsApp: +263 719 116 116 | WhatsApp: +263 732 116 116 | Tel: +263 242 252000 — head office landline. | Tel: (0292) 880052 — Bulawayo.
- Youth Advocates, 393, for young people: Tel: 393 — the organisation's call widget labels this "393 CALL FREE". | Tel: 0777 469 107 | WhatsApp: +2630777469107 — this is the number exactly as Youth Advocates publishes it, and it keeps the national trunk zero after the country code. In that form it will not connect from outside Zimbabwe. We have not altered it, because it is what the organisation prints on its own page. If you are calling from abroad and the WhatsApp number does not work, the local number above is the one to try.
- Musasa, for women and girls facing violence: Tel: 08080074 — Econet. | Tel: 08010074 — NetOne. | Tel: 0731080074 — Telecel. | Tel: (0242) 706284 — office line.
- Adult Rape Clinic, for survivors of sexual violence: Tel: 08080472 — the clinic labels this "24-Hour Toll Free Line", and prints it as "Free for Econet". | Tel: 0775 672 770 — the clinic marks this one as working on all networks. It publishes nothing about what a call to it costs. | Tel: +263 242 793572 | Tel: +263 775 672 770 | Tel: +263 733 406 292
- All crisis lines in Zimbabwe
Harare has 12 therapists listed on TherapyRoute, including family therapists, clinical psychologists and professional counsellors.
At a glance
- Languages
- English 100%, Shona 55%, isiNdebele 18%, isiZulu 9%.
- Gender balance
- Female 60%, Male 40%.
- Common concerns
- Family Issues, Grief, Loss & Bereavement, Abuse, Depression, Relationship Issues, Addiction, Anxiety.
- Who they work with
- Families, All ages, Couples, Individuals, Parents, Adolescents, Organisations.
The summary above sets out how they differ from one another. It is usually quicker to start from what you need than to read the list in order. Where the filters do not settle it, two or three enquiries is normal, and a first conversation is where most people decide.
The Zimbabwe page lists every city we cover, and the accordion below answers what the professional titles mean and how fees usually work.
What a session costs varies with training, setting and where the practice is. See how to think about the cost of therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find a therapist in Harare?
The profiles listed above are practitioners who consult in Harare, or who name Harare as an area they work in. You can narrow the list by profession, by the difficulties someone works with, by language, by client group and by identity. That matters when the fit of the person counts for as much as the method.
You can also filter for people who work online. That opens up the list without changing what you are looking for. Choosing well is a question of its own, and we have written about what to weigh.
Is this a list of registered and licensed therapists in Harare?
In Zimbabwe, psychologists, clinical social workers and family therapists are registered by the Allied Health Professions Council of Zimbabwe, the statutory regulator that checks a practitioner against the training standard the law requires. Psychiatrists are doctors, and they answer to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe instead. The two councils keep separate registers, so start from the title you have been given rather than from the profession you assume.
For a psychiatrist, open the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe. Verify with Allied Health Professions Council of Zimbabwe (AHPCZ) or Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ). Everyone listed must be qualified for the work they offer.
Whether that qualification is also a licence depends on the profession. A tick beside a registration, qualification or membership means we have seen evidence for that entry, not that we endorse the practitioner. The Verified mark means we have run a closer check on that practitioner's documents.
It is paid for by the practitioner, and it fails if the documents do not pass. Of the 12 practitioners listed in Harare, 10 carry the Verified mark. Where a profession is registered, that register is the check worth making before you book.
Should I see a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a therapist or a counsellor?
Therapist is a colloquial word rather than a protected title. It covers everyone who offers talk-based help for emotional and relationship difficulties, and it tells you nothing on its own about training. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health.
Psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, which is the main practical difference between them and the other three. A psychologist is trained in the study of the mind and behaviour, and works by assessment and talk therapy. Where the title is protected, it usually takes a postgraduate qualification in psychology and registration with the body that governs the profession.
Counsellors and psychotherapists work by talk therapy as well, and their training runs from a short course to years of supervised practice. The titles that carry legal weight are the registered ones. Where a title is not registered, anyone may use it, so the register is what tells you what training sits behind the word.
How much does therapy cost in Harare?
What a particular practitioner charges is set by them, not by any figure on this page. Their profile lists a fee where they have given one, and asking them is the way to be sure.
An online session is usually not much cheaper than one in a consulting room. Practitioners commonly charge the same rate either way, so what you save is the travelling and the time around the appointment.
What are more affordable or low-cost therapy options in Harare?
Cost stops many people before they start, and there is usually more than one rung below the full private fee. In Harare the list includes counsellors, social workers and occupational therapists, who generally charge less than clinical psychologists. Many practitioners keep a few reduced-fee places.
They set the reduction themselves after asking about your income, so it is worth asking rather than assuming the answer. Group therapy costs less per session, and for a number of difficulties it works as well as individual work. Publicly funded clinics and non-profit services exist in many countries, and will often see someone without a referral.
Is online therapy a good option?
For most common difficulties the research puts video sessions close to in-person work. That holds on the same condition that governs the rest of therapy: the working relationship between the two of you has to be a good one. It suits people who live far from a practitioner, who have little room in a week, or who want a choice their own town cannot offer.
It suits some situations less well, and a practitioner should say so. Immediate risk to safety, and having nowhere private to talk, are the usual reasons a practitioner suggests meeting in person. Text-based and on-demand app services do cost less, and they are a different product rather than a cheaper version of the same one.
The evidence behind them is thinner than for regular psychotherapy. What is being sold is often messaging rather than a scheduled hour with one practitioner who knows your history.
Of the practitioners listed in Harare, 9 offer online sessions and 3 work in person only. Filtering the list above for online availability shows who offers it here.
Are therapy sessions confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is the condition that makes the rest of therapy possible. A registered practitioner works inside an ethical code that requires them to keep what you say private.
Someone who belongs to a professional body is bound by that body's code as well. The limits are narrow. They commonly include a serious and immediate danger to you or to another person, and abuse of a child or of a vulnerable adult.
A court order or a subpoena can also compel disclosure. A claim to an insurer usually carries some information with it.
A practitioner should set those limits out in the first session. You are entitled to ask where the line sits before you say anything you would rather keep private.
What should I expect in the first session?
The first session is an orientation and a brief assessment, usually 50 to 60 minutes. The therapist will ask what brings you, say how they work, and go through confidentiality, fees and practical arrangements. It is also your chance to ask about their approach and experience. You do not need to prepare anything; come as you are.
Whether it is a good fit matters more than any technique. People do better in therapy when the working relationship is strong,3 and that relationship usually takes a few sessions to settle, so give it a little time before deciding.
To learn more, read our guide on What is Therapy?
Which type of therapy should I look for in Harare?
There is no single answer, and the honest version is that the match between you and the practitioner matters at least as much as the school they trained in. The names you will come across include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, family therapy and couples therapy. What shapes the choice is the nature of the difficulty, and whether you want something short and focused or something open-ended.
It also depends on how much of the past you want to work with, and what you can sustain in time and money. A first consultation is partly for settling this. Someone trained will ask what brought you there, say what they think would suit, and say so when they are not the right person.
Is therapy for me?
You do not need a diagnosis to benefit from therapy.1 Many people come because something is not working and they want to think it through with someone. If you want change, support, or clarity, therapy is likely for you.
Common reasons people seek therapy:
- Personal growth to build confidence, self-understanding, and emotional maturity2
- Low mood, worry, emptiness, or irritability
- Relationship strain and conflict
- Support for your child or teenager
- Big changes like job loss, bereavement, relocation, or divorce
About 1 in 8 people lives with a mental health condition, and many more face stress or want more from life.1 You do not need to wait for a crisis.
To learn more, read our guide on Who Needs Therapy?
Why choose an independent therapist?
In Harare you choose your own therapist and approach them directly. Nobody is assigned to you, and the two of you agree the goals and the way of working together. An independent practitioner can adjust the approach, the pace and the session length to what you need, rather than working to somebody else's protocol. Fewer parties are involved in your care, and you can see the same clinician over time, which supports deeper work.
Nearby and related
Real choice. Authentic, independent, clinician-led care.
TherapyRoute is a clinician-led directory that champions independent practitioners who answer to you and their professional ethics, not to investors or corporate interests. We don't take commissions, sell your data, or assign therapists by algorithm. You browse, compare, and choose.
Vincenzo (Enzo) Sinisi, Clinical Psychologist (HPCSA), Psychoanalyst (IPA/SAPA), Group Analyst (IGA)
References
TherapyRoute is not for emergencies and does not provide medical advice. All of our content is informational and cannot replace professional healthcare. In an emergency, contact a local emergency service. For immediate support, consider a local helpline.
