How long is a therapy session?

A: The standard session is 45–53 minutes — the "therapeutic hour." The missing minutes aren't stolen: therapists use them for notes and reset between clients. On billing paperwork this is CPT 90834 (38–52 min) or 90837 (53+ min). Intakes (90791) often run a full hour. Longer formats exist by design: couples sessions frequently run 75–90 minutes, and EMDR intensives can run half-days.

Worked example: a "$180 session" at 50 minutes = $3.60/minute; the same therapist's 80-minute couples session at $260 = $3.25/minute — longer formats often price gentler per minute.

Do this: ask two questions when booking: "How long are your sessions, and what does that cost?" Both numbers appear on every profile here → browse the directory.

Source: AMA CPT code set (psychotherapy session codes).