A free guide from Cima Find Care
Teen counseling in Texas: how to find a counselor near you or online
To find a counselor for your teen, start with your insurance plan, your teen's doctor or the school counselor, and check the counselor's Texas license. In Texas, a parent usually consents to a teen's counseling, but teens can agree on their own to counseling for suicide prevention, addiction or abuse. Medicaid and CHIP cover counseling for children, and there are free options. Here's how it works.
Updated October 27, 2026. 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. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open 24/7 for treatment referrals. Texas teens and parents can also call the Texas Youth Helpline, 1-800-989-6884, free and confidential, 24/7.
The short version
- Make a short list from your insurance plan's directory, your teen's doctor, the school counselor, or a directory.
- Check the license on the state board's free lookup. It takes a minute.
- Call two or three. Ask if they see teens, take your insurance, and have openings.
- Agree on privacy up front: what the counselor will tell you, and what stays between them and your teen.
- Let your teen help choose. A good fit matters, and it's okay to switch.
Finding teen counseling near you
| Where to look | What to know |
|---|---|
| Your insurance plan | Call the member services or behavioral health number on your teen's card, or use the plan's online directory. Ask for counselors who see teens and are taking new clients. With Medicaid or CHIP, use your plan's network. |
| Your teen's pediatrician | Can screen for depression and anxiety and refer you to counselors they trust. |
| The school counselor | Knows local resources, and can tell you whether your school offers free telehealth counseling (see counseling at school). |
| Your local mental health authority | The public mental health center for your county. Serves children 3 to 17 with serious mental health needs, with fees set by what your family can pay. Call 2-1-1 to find yours. |
| A directory | Cima Find Care lists Texas providers and checks each listed provider's license. If drinking, drugs or vaping are part of the picture, our Texas directory lists addiction counselors, psychologists and programs by city, for example in Dallas, Katy, Houston and Austin. |
In Dallas, Katy, Houston or another big city? Our free and low-cost guides list the public mental health system and sliding-scale clinics in Dallas, Houston (Katy is in the Houston area), Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso.
Who can counsel a teen in Texas
Several kinds of licensed professionals provide counseling. Their experience with teens, and how well your teen connects with them, matter as much as the letters.
| Credential | What it means |
|---|---|
| LPC, Licensed Professional Counselor | A graduate degree in counseling, supervised experience and a national exam. An LPC Associate is licensed and works under an approved supervisor. |
| LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker | A master's or doctorate in social work and supervised clinical experience. Provides therapy on their own. |
| LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | Sees families, couples and individuals, with a focus on relationships. |
| Psychologist | A doctoral degree. Provides therapy and psychological testing, which can help when the question is what's going on. |
| LCDC, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor | Focuses on substance use. See teen drug and alcohol treatment in Texas. |
| Psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner | Diagnoses and prescribes medication. Counselors, social workers, LMFTs and psychologists don't prescribe in Texas. |
Our guide to choosing a therapist in Texas explains each license in more detail.
Checking a Texas license
- LPC, LCSW, LMFT, psychologist and their associates: the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council's "Verify a License" at bhec.texas.gov.
- LCDC: HHSC's online license search, from HHSC's LCDC page.
- Psychiatrist: the Texas Medical Board's Look Up a License. Nurse practitioner: the Texas Board of Nursing's Verify License.
Look for an active license, a matching name, and any disciplinary actions. If the counselor is an associate, look up the supervisor too.
Who can consent to counseling for a minor in Texas
In Texas, anyone under 18 is a minor. Most of the time a parent or legal guardian signs. Texas law has a few exceptions.
| The rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| A parent's right (Family Code 151.001) | A parent has the right to consent to a child's psychiatric and psychological treatment, along with medical and dental care. |
| Divorced or separated parents (Family Code chapter 153) | A custody order can give one parent the right to consent to psychological treatment, or set how parents share it. Give the counselor a copy of your order. |
| A teen's own consent (Family Code 32.004) | A minor can consent on their own to counseling for suicide prevention, chemical addiction or dependency, or sexual, physical or emotional abuse, from a licensed or certified physician, psychologist, counselor or social worker. A parent who didn't consent doesn't have to pay for it. It doesn't apply if a court order forbids it. |
| Independent teens (Family Code 32.003) | A minor can consent to their own medical, dental, psychological and surgical treatment if, for example, they're on active military duty, or they're 16 or older, live apart from their parents and manage their own money. |
Outside those exceptions, a counselor will usually need a parent's consent before seeing a teen. At 18, your child consents for themselves.
What parents hear, and what stays private
Teens tend to open up more when they know what will be shared. A good teen counselor explains the rules to both of you at the first visit. Ask for them in writing.
- Counseling a teen agreed to on their own (suicide prevention, addiction or abuse): Family Code 32.004 lets the counselor tell you about the treatment given or needed, with or without your teen's consent. Many addiction programs also follow a federal privacy rule that can limit what they share; see our teen treatment guide.
- Counseling you consented to: ask the counselor how much they'll share. For example, you might agree to hear about goals, progress and any safety concerns, but not every detail of what your teen says.
- What a counselor can't keep secret: Texas law requires licensed professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect, within 48 hours. Ask what the counselor will do, and tell you, if your teen's safety is at risk.
- Insurance paperwork: the plan may mail an explanation of benefits to the policyholder, which shows that a visit happened.
Online teen counseling in Texas
Video counseling can make it easier to fit sessions around school, especially outside big cities. What to check:
- A Texas license. The counselor must be licensed, or otherwise allowed to practice, in the state where your teen is during the session. For a teen in Texas, that means Texas. Check the license the same way, even on an app.
- Consent still applies. An app or online company follows the same Texas consent rules as an office. Ask how they confirm a parent's consent.
- A safety plan. Ask what happens if the call drops or your teen is in crisis during a session, and make sure the counselor knows where your teen is.
- Coverage. Ask your plan whether video visits cost the same as office visits. Since September 2022, Texas Medicaid has covered many behavioral health services by video, and by phone when the member agrees.
- Price. Ask how an online service charges (per session or by subscription), whether it takes your insurance, and how to cancel.
Counseling at school
- School counselors can meet with students, help with school stress, and connect families to outside care.
- Parent consent: under Texas Education Code 26.009, a school employee needs a parent's written consent before giving a child a psychological exam, test or treatment, with some exceptions, such as evaluations required for special education.
- TCHATT: the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine program, run by the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, gives students in participating districts short-term telehealth mental health care at no cost to families, with a parent's consent. The school's counselor or liaison makes the referral. It isn't a crisis service, and not every district takes part, so ask.
- Special education and 504 plans: if a mental health condition is affecting school, you can ask the school in writing for an evaluation. See when your teen refuses to go to school.
Does teen counseling take insurance? Medicaid, CHIP and private plans
- Medicaid: Texas Medicaid covers mental health care for children and teens, through Texas Health Steps for everyone under 21. Find counselors in your plan's network by calling the number on the card. Medicaid also covers rides to appointments if you have no other way to get there.
- CHIP: covers mental health care for children. Since July 1, 2022, CHIP has charged no co-pays for mental health office visits. The yearly enrollment fee is $50 or less per family.
- Private insurance: under the federal parity law, if a plan covers mental health care, its copays and limits can't be stricter than for medical care. Ask what you'll pay per session, whether the deductible applies, and whether video visits are covered.
- Not enrolled? Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com or call 2-1-1 (how to apply). See also STAR, STAR Kids and CHIP explained and how to use insurance for therapy.
Paying yourself? How much therapy costs in Texas covers sliding scales and your right to a written estimate.
Free teen counseling in Texas
- Family and Youth Success (FAYS): a state program that funds local groups to offer free, confidential counseling or coaching for families dealing with conflict or everyday struggles, youth under 18 (some areas serve ages 6 to 17). Find your county's provider on the Texas HHS FAYS page.
- TCHATT at participating schools, at no cost to families.
- Your local mental health authority, which sets fees by what your family can pay. HHSC says a family's inability to pay shouldn't keep a child from care.
- Community health centers see patients with or without insurance, with fees based on income. Find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
- The Texas Youth Helpline, 1-800-989-6884, for teens and parents: free, confidential support any time, and help finding a counselor.
Questions to ask a teen counselor
- How many teens do you see, and what ages?
- What's your Texas license? If you're an associate, who's your supervisor?
- What will you share with me, and what stays private? What would make you break confidentiality?
- How will you involve parents or the family?
- What approach do you use, and how will we know it's working?
- Do you take our insurance, Medicaid or CHIP? What's your fee, and do you have a sliding scale?
- Do you see teens after school, in person, by video or both?
- What should we do in a crisis between sessions?
Questions parents ask
Can my teen get counseling in Texas without my permission?
Only in some cases. Texas Family Code 32.004 lets a minor consent to counseling for suicide prevention, chemical addiction or dependency, or sexual, physical or emotional abuse. The counselor may tell you about it. Otherwise, a parent or guardian usually needs to consent until your teen turns 18, unless your teen is 16 or older, lives apart and manages their own money, or another exception in Family Code 32.003 applies.
Does teen counseling take insurance?
Many counselors do, and Texas Medicaid and CHIP cover counseling for children. Some online services and private practices are self-pay only. Ask the counselor and your plan before the first session.
Where can I find teen counseling near me that accepts Medicaid?
Call the behavioral health or member services number on your teen's Medicaid card and ask for in-network counselors who see teens and have openings. Your local mental health authority also takes Medicaid. Call 2-1-1 to find it.
Is there free teen counseling online?
TCHATT offers free telehealth counseling to students in participating Texas school districts; ask the school counselor. FAYS offers free family counseling. For someone to talk to right now, teens can call or text 988, or call the Texas Youth Helpline.
Will the counselor tell me what my teen says?
It depends on the kind of counseling and what you agree to. Ask at the first visit. Counselors must report suspected abuse, and in counseling a teen agreed to under Family Code 32.004, they may tell you about the treatment.
We're divorced. Can one parent start counseling alone?
It depends on your custody order, which can say which parent may consent to psychological treatment. Give the counselor a copy.
Sources
- Texas Family Code chapter 32 (sections 32.003 and 32.004)
- Texas Family Code chapter 151 (section 151.001) and chapter 153 (conservatorship)
- Texas Family Code chapter 261 (section 261.101, reporting abuse)
- Texas Education Code chapter 26 (section 26.009)
- 42 CFR 2.14: Minor patients
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC) and Virtual Practice and Mobility FAQs
- Texas HHSC: Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor program
- Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium: TCHATT
- Texas HHS: Family and Youth Success (FAYS)
- Texas HHSC: Children's mental health and Family guide to children's mental health services
- Texas HHSC: Texas Medicaid and CHIP Reference Guide, 15th edition
- Texas Works Handbook: CHIP enrollment fees
- Texas HHSC: Summary of Texas parity findings (CHIP co-pays ended July 1, 2022)
- Texas HHSC: Nonemergency Medical Transportation Program
- TMHP: HB 4, behavioral health services delivered by telemedicine or telehealth, effective September 1, 2022
- HealthCare.gov: Mental health and substance abuse coverage
- HRSA: Get health care at a health center
- Texas DFPS: Texas Youth Helpline
- SAMHSA: National Helpline and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline