therapy is expensive
/ˈθɛrəpi ɪz ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/
CommonA phrase used to acknowledge that mental health care is inaccessible for many people.
Often used as a caption or punchline, but carries real frustration about healthcare access inequality.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | therapy is expensive so i journal, run, and overshare with my friends. | The speaker is substituting free or low-cost alternatives for therapy. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | therapy is expensive so this tiktok is my therapy. | Using content creation or social media as emotional processing. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 03 | therapy is $200/session without insurance. i cannot. i simply cannot. | Direct frustration at the cost barrier to mental health care. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | therapy is expensive so i'm going to process my childhood in a notes app. | Journaling or writing as a free substitute for professional therapy. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Explaining why you're processing something publicly instead of with a therapist.
- Joking about an unconventional coping strategy.
- Making a point about mental healthcare access.
- Acknowledging you need more support than you can afford.
Do not use it when
- You just mean you personally don't want to go to therapy.
Origin and context
Organic phrase that grew from real financial frustration around mental health access in the US. Became a recurring format on Twitter and TikTok from around 2021.
- First seen
- early-2020s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/therapy-is-expensiveUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0