Therapy Covered by Student Insurance - Beyond UWaterloo Health & Wellness

All full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Waterloo (excluding graduate programs designated as fully online) are automatically enrolled in the WUSA health & dental plan or the GSA health & dental plan.

Undergraduate and graduate students on the WUSA or GSA health & dental plans are covered at 80% per visit, up to a combined annual maximum of $800 per policy year (Sept. 1–Aug. 31 for students starting in the fall term).

Coverage applies to Licensed Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and practitioners with a Master's degree in Social Work. If you have questions about whether a therapist is covered by your insurance, you can ask them directly. All First Session therapists offer a free initial consultation to gauge fit and answer questions like these.

Private therapy sessions in Waterloo typically run $150–$220 per session. University of Waterloo students can reduce out-of-pocket costs by using their supplementary health & dental plan. First Session lists every therapist's session cost upfront (taxes included) so you can check your budget first. You can also filter for therapists offering sliding scale rates and mention your student status and coverage limit when reaching out.

Counselling Services offers free single-session, brief, and crisis counselling in person or by video, with no waitlist for intake. Call 519-888-4096 or email counselling@uwaterloo.ca to get started. There's also MATES, a peer support program pairing students with trained upper-year students for academic, social, and lower-level mental health concerns, and Be You Wellness Programs. 

Counselling Services is free, but sessions are single-session, brief, or crisis-focused rather than ongoing. Private therapy involves out-of-pocket fees, which can be partially subsidized by your University of Waterloo supplementary health & dental plan. It's ongoing, open-ended, and customized to your long-term mental health goals, with no session cap and access to a wider pool of therapists.

Yes, University of Waterloo students can get online therapy. For insurance purposes, it doesn't matter whether the session is online or in person as long as the provider is covered. Many therapists on First Session offer online therapy sessions, which can make it easy to fit around a busy schedule.