A free guide from Cima Find Care

Free and low-cost therapy in Houston

No insurance, not much money, or on Medicaid? You can still get help in Houston and Harris County. Here are the places to call, what each one does, who qualifies and how to get started.

Updated October 25, 2026. We checked each phone number on the organization's own website or a state or federal agency's. General information, not medical, legal or insurance advice.

If you need help now: call 911 in an emergency. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, any time. In Harris County you can also call the Harris Center's 24/7 crisis line, 713-970-7000.

Help right now

Call 911 if someone is in danger or has a medical emergency.
Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free, private and open 24/7, and you don't have to be suicidal to call. For Spanish, call and press 2. Veterans can press 1.
Call the Harris Center at 713-970-7000 (toll-free 1-866-970-7000) and press 1. It's Harris County's own 24/7 crisis line, and its Mobile Crisis Outreach Team can come to you if you're willing to accept help.
In person, any hour: the Harris Center's NeuroPsychiatric Center, 1502 Ben Taub Loop, Houston, offers psychiatric emergency care 24/7.

The Harris Center: Harris County's public mental health system

Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) names a local mental health authority for every county: the public agency that provides or arranges mental health care for people who are uninsured, have little money, or have Medicaid or Medicare. For Harris County, it's The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. (IDD means intellectual and developmental disabilities, which it also serves.)

What it does: 24/7 crisis care, outpatient care for adults, and services for children and teens ages 3 to 17: assessments, counseling, medication and case management (help getting other things you need).
Who qualifies: people who live in Harris County. Eligibility and cost are worked out at your first visit.
What it costs: the Harris Center says no one is denied services because they can't pay. Fees are based on household income and size, and its charity care policy gives uninsured people at or below 150% of the federal poverty level a 100% discount.
How to start: call 713-970-7000 and ask for an intake (a first appointment to learn what you need).

Live in Fort Bend, Montgomery or another county near Houston? Your local authority is different: look it up with HHSC's Find Your Local Mental Health or Behavioral Health Authority, or call 2-1-1.

Help with drinking or drugs

Texas pays for substance use treatment for people who can't afford it. The front door is called OSAR: Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral. An OSAR screens you for free and connects you with state-funded detox, outpatient or residential treatment. HHSC says the only requirement is that you live in Texas. State-funded treatment is for adults whose income and resources qualify, and some pay part of the cost.

The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, runs a free screening and referral team, and HHSC lists it as an OSAR for the Houston region. Call 713-942-4100 (toll-free 855-942-4100). Its Discovering Choices program is state-funded outpatient addiction treatment, free for adults who meet its income and diagnosis rules.
The Harris Center screens adults for substance use and refers them to detox and outpatient care: 713-970-7000.
HHSC's OSAR page lists every OSAR by region, or call 2-1-1 (877-541-7905) and ask for one.

SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, private and open 24/7 in English and Spanish, and can point you to state-funded and sliding-scale programs. So can FindTreatment.gov.

Sliding-scale and low-cost counseling

A sliding scale means the fee goes down when your income is lower. When you call, ask what you'd pay at your income, and have a photo ID, proof of address and proof of income ready. Low-cost clinics often have waitlists, so it's fine to call two or three. If things get worse while you wait, call or text 988.

Community health centers

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are community clinics funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). They see you with or without insurance, charge on a sliding scale by income and family size, and can't turn you away because you can't pay.

Center	Mental health care	Call
Legacy Community Health Many Houston-area clinics	Assessment, therapy, medication management and psychological testing. Sliding fee for those who qualify; takes Medicaid and CHIP.	832-548-5000
El Centro de Corazón East Houston	Individual and family therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Sliding fee; takes all Medicaid and CHIP plans.	713-660-1880
Avenue 360 Health & Wellness Several Houston clinics	Therapy, psychiatry and substance use treatment for adults and teens. Sliding fee by income and household size.	713-426-0027 (eligibility)

Find more near your ZIP code with HRSA's Find a Health Center.

University training clinics

Graduate students in psychology or counseling see clients while licensed faculty supervise them closely. Fees are low.

UH-Clear Lake Psychological Services Clinic is open to the community, with fees on a sliding scale by family income and size. The phone consultation and intake visit are free. Call 281-283-3330.
University of Houston Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston offers low-cost therapy for children, teens and adults, mainly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and sleep problems. Call 713-743-3400.

Free support: NAMI Greater Houston

NAMI Greater Houston runs free, peer-led support groups and classes for people living with a mental health condition and their families. It isn't therapy, but it's real support while you wait. Warmline: 713-970-4483.

If you also need a doctor

Harris Health's Financial Assistance Program is a discount program, not insurance, for Harris County residents with low income. Call 713-566-6509.

Medicaid and CHIP

Medicaid and CHIP cover mental health and substance use care. Texas Medicaid covers children, pregnant women, some parents and caretakers with limited income, people with disabilities and people 65 and older. Texas hasn't expanded Medicaid to most other adults, so many adults without children don't qualify. CHIP covers children in families that earn too much for Medicaid.

Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com, or call 2-1-1 (877-541-7905), pick a language and press 2. Help is free. If you don't qualify for Medicaid, the state checks your children for CHIP.
You'll pick a health plan. Most Texans with Medicaid get it through a health plan they choose (called managed care). Call the member services number on your card to find therapists in your plan. To choose or change plans, call the Texas Enrollment Broker, 800-964-2777.

Our guide to using insurance for therapy in Texas explains the programs and what to ask your plan.

How Cima Find Care can help

Cima Find Care is a free directory of Texas therapists, counselors, addiction counselors (LCDCs), recovery coaches, psychiatric prescribers and treatment programs, and we check each provider's Texas license (how listings work). We're adding providers now, so the listings are still growing. If you don't find a fit yet, the places above can help today.

Find your fit: five quick questions. Under "How will you pay?" choose "I'll pay myself" or your Medicaid plan; under "What matters to you?" tick "Sliding scale".
Search Texas providers: set Insurance to "I'll pay myself" to see providers who list a self-pay rate or sliding scale, or pick Texas Medicaid or your plan.
Video visits anywhere in Texas: a provider licensed in Texas can see you by video wherever you are in the state.
How to choose a therapist: what the letters mean, how to check a license, and what to ask on a first call.

If weekly therapy isn't enough, read IOP vs PHP vs weekly therapy. Know someone near Dallas or Fort Worth? See low-cost therapy in Dallas and in Fort Worth.

Questions people ask

Is there really free therapy in Houston?

For some people, yes. The Harris Center gives a full discount to uninsured people below its income limit, the Council on Recovery's Discovering Choices program is free for adults who qualify, and NAMI Greater Houston's groups are free for everyone. Most other options are low-cost rather than free.

What's the difference between the Harris Center and Harris Health?

The Harris Center is Harris County's public mental health and IDD agency. Harris Health is the county's public hospital and clinic system, with its own financial assistance program for medical care.

Can I get help for drinking or drug use without insurance?

Yes. Call an OSAR, such as the Council on Recovery at 713-942-4100. The screening is free, and they connect you with state-funded treatment if you qualify.