Billing Reference

CPT Codes for Therapists,in plain English.

The 17 psychotherapy codes most practices actually use: intake, individual, couples, family, group, crisis, and add-ons. Every description is written in plain English and verified against public CMS billing guidance, with the source linked on each row.

Verified Against CMS GuidanceTime Rules on Every CodeBuilt by a Registered Psychotherapist

What CPT code do therapists use for therapy?

Individual psychotherapy is billed under 90832, 90834, or 90837 depending on session time: 16 to 37 minutes, 38 to 52 minutes, or 53 minutes and up. The intake assessment is 90791, and couples therapy is usually 90847. The full picture has about 17 codes: diagnostic evaluations, time-banded individual sessions, crisis codes, family codes split by whether the client is in the room, group codes, and add-ons like interactive complexity. The table below covers each one with CMS-sourced time and documentation rules. This page lists no reimbursement amounts: rates vary by payer, locality, and year, so verify yours against your payer contracts.

The Lookup Table

Psychotherapy CPT codes by service type

Diagnostic evaluation (intake)

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90791	Psychiatric diagnostic evaluationThe intake assessment, without medical services. The first-visit evaluation most therapists bill for a new client.	May span more than one visit when clinically necessary; the record must support why. CMS notes that certain patients, especially children, may require more than one visit to complete the evaluation. Reportable once per day. Not reportable on the same day as an evaluation and management service performed by the same clinician for the same patient. Medicare covers the diagnostic evaluation once at the outset of an illness or suspected illness. It may be covered again for a new episode of illness after a hiatus, or on admission or readmission to inpatient status due to complications of the underlying condition. Never billed alongside the crisis psychotherapy codes 90839 or 90840. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS MLN booklet · CMS A56937
90792	Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation with medical assessmentThe intake evaluation that includes a medical assessment, used by prescribers.	CMS notes that a physician or other qualified practitioner may use 90792 or an evaluation and management code when a medical assessment is performed. Never billed alongside the crisis psychotherapy codes 90839 or 90840. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS MLN booklet

Individual psychotherapy

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90832	Individual psychotherapy, 16 to 37 minutesThe shorter individual psychotherapy session.	CMS time rule: 16 to 37 minutes of psychotherapy. Document start and stop times or the total time spent. Psychotherapy under 16 minutes is not billable. Time is counted face to face with the patient, and the patient is present for all or some of the service. Beyond the clock, the record shows the therapeutic techniques used and a periodic summary of goals, progress, and the updated treatment plan. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS A56937
90834	Individual psychotherapy, 38 to 52 minutesThe standard individual psychotherapy session.	CMS time rule: 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy. Document start and stop times or the total time spent. Time is counted face to face with the patient, and the patient is present for all or some of the service. Beyond the clock, the record shows the therapeutic techniques used and a periodic summary of goals, progress, and the updated treatment plan. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS A56937
90837	Individual psychotherapy, 53 minutes or moreThe extended individual psychotherapy session.	CMS time rule: 53 minutes or more of psychotherapy. Document start and stop times or the total time spent. A prolonged-service code may be reportable at 90 minutes or more when the visit is not billed with an evaluation and management service. Source: CMS A57520

Psychotherapy with a medical visit (add-on codes)

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90833Add-on	Psychotherapy add-on, 16 to 37 minutes, with a medical visitPsychotherapy billed alongside an evaluation and management (medical) service in the same visit.	Same 16 to 37 minute mapping as 90832. Psychotherapy time does not need to be continuous, but the total time is documented. Prolonged services are not reportable with the psychotherapy add-on codes. Source: CMS A57520
90836Add-on	Psychotherapy add-on, 38 to 52 minutes, with a medical visitPsychotherapy billed alongside an evaluation and management (medical) service in the same visit.	Same 38 to 52 minute mapping as 90834. Psychotherapy time does not need to be continuous, but the total time is documented. Prolonged services are not reportable with the psychotherapy add-on codes. Source: CMS A57520
90838Add-on	Psychotherapy add-on, 53 minutes or more, with a medical visitPsychotherapy billed alongside an evaluation and management (medical) service in the same visit.	Same 53 minutes or more mapping as 90837. Psychotherapy time does not need to be continuous, but the total time is documented. Prolonged services are not reportable with the psychotherapy add-on codes. Source: CMS A57520

Crisis psychotherapy

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90839	Psychotherapy for crisisUrgent crisis psychotherapy. A time-based service.	Report the total face-to-face time with the patient and or family, even if that time is not continuous. Per the short descriptors in the CMS Physician Fee Schedule look-up tool, 90839 covers the initial 60 minutes of crisis psychotherapy and the add-on 90840 covers each additional 30 minutes. The clinician must devote full attention to the patient and cannot provide services to any other patient during the same period. The patient must be present for all or some of the service. The record must show the total face-to-face time and that the crisis guidelines in the related coverage policy were followed. Never billed with 90791 or 90792. CMS lists separate HCPCS codes, G0017 and G0018, for crisis psychotherapy furnished in non-facility places of service other than the office. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS A56937 · CMS MLN booklet · CMS PFS look-up tool
90840Add-on	Psychotherapy for crisis, additional time (add-on)The time-based add-on to 90839 for additional crisis psychotherapy time.	Follows the same crisis rules as 90839: total face-to-face time, full attention, patient present for all or some of the service. Never billed with 90791 or 90792. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS MLN booklet

Family and couples psychotherapy

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90846	Family psychotherapy without the client presentA family therapy session where the identified client is not in the room.	CMS: code 90846 is used when the patient is not present. Minimum of 26 minutes. Not for consultation with facility staff. Covered with or without the patient present when medically reasonable and necessary, with treatment of the patient as the primary purpose. Source: CMS A56937 · CMS MLN booklet
90847	Family psychotherapy with the client presentA family therapy session with the identified client in the room. The code most couples therapy is billed under.	CMS: code 90847 is used when the patient is present. Minimum of 26 minutes. Not for consultation with facility staff. Covered with or without the patient present when medically reasonable and necessary, with treatment of the patient as the primary purpose. Source: CMS A56937 · CMS MLN booklet

Group psychotherapy

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90853	Group psychotherapyGroup psychotherapy, other than a multiple-family group.	Source: CMS MLN booklet
90849	Multiple-family group psychotherapyGroup psychotherapy delivered to multiple families together.	CMS: Medicare approves this code only on individual consideration. Source: CMS A56937 · CMS MLN booklet

Add-on, screening, and other codes

Code	What it covers	Time and documentation notes
90785Add-on	Interactive complexity add-onAn add-on for sessions where communication barriers complicate the work, for example when non-verbal techniques or an interpreter are required.	Used with 90791, 90792, the individual psychotherapy codes, psychotherapy billed with a medical visit, and 90853. Applies when ordinary verbal communication is not possible. Not billable if the patient cannot communicate by any means. With time-based codes, document the time spent on the interactive-complexity work. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS A56937
96127	Brief emotional or behavioral screening instrument, scoredA brief standardized emotional or behavioral screening instrument, administered and scored.	Coverage varies. Verify with your payer before billing this code. Source: CMS A57481
90845	PsychoanalysisA psychoanalysis session.	CMS: not time-defined, usually 45 to 50 minutes, billed once per daily session. Source: CMS A57520 · CMS A56937

Before you bill from this page

This is an informational tool, not billing, legal, or clinical advice. You are responsible for selecting the correct codes for your services and for verifying coverage, code definitions, and documentation requirements against your payer contracts and the current code set.

CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. This page does not reproduce the CPT code set or its official descriptors. Every description here is a plain-English summary written by Reframe Practice and checked against the CMS public billing documents linked on each row.

Common Questions

CPT code questions therapists actually ask

What is the CPT code for couples therapy?

Most couples therapy is billed under 90847, family psychotherapy with the client present, because the identified client is in the room with their partner. Use 90846 when you meet with a partner or family member without the identified client present. CMS guidance draws the line on exactly that distinction: 90847 is used when the patient is present, 90846 when the patient is not present. Both carry a minimum of 26 minutes.

What is the CPT code for individual therapy?

Individual psychotherapy uses three codes based on session time: 90832 for 16 to 37 minutes, 90834 for 38 to 52 minutes, and 90837 for 53 minutes or more. A typical 45-minute session is 90834 and a typical 60-minute session is 90837. Document start and stop times or the total time spent.

What is the difference between 90834 and 90837?

Session time. 90834 covers 38 to 52 minutes of psychotherapy and 90837 covers 53 minutes or more. The code follows the documented psychotherapy time, not the scheduled slot, so record start and stop times or total time for every session.

What is the difference between 90846 and 90847?

Whether the identified client is in the room. CMS guidance states that 90847 is used when the patient is present and 90846 is used when the patient is not present. Both require a minimum of 26 minutes, and 90846 is not for consultations with facility staff.

What CPT code is used for a therapy intake?

The intake assessment is 90791, psychiatric diagnostic evaluation without medical services. Prescribers who include a medical assessment use 90792. CMS guidance allows the evaluation to span more than one visit when clinically necessary, as long as the record supports why.

What is CPT code 90785?

An interactive complexity add-on, reported alongside an evaluation, individual psychotherapy, psychotherapy with a medical visit, or group psychotherapy when communication barriers complicate the session, for example when non-verbal techniques or an interpreter are required. Per CMS guidance it is not billable when the patient cannot communicate by any means.

Is there a minimum session length to bill psychotherapy?

Yes. Under CMS guidance, psychotherapy of less than 16 minutes is not billable. The shortest individual psychotherapy code, 90832, starts at 16 minutes.

Why are there no reimbursement rates on this page?

Reimbursement varies by payer, locality, and year, so a single national number would be wrong for most readers. Check your payer contracts for your actual rates, or the CMS Physician Fee Schedule lookup tool for Medicare amounts in your locality.

Are these the official CPT descriptions?

No. Every description on this page is a plain-English summary written by Reframe Practice and verified against public CMS billing guidance, with the CMS source linked on each row. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association, and this page does not reproduce the CPT code set. Always confirm code selection against your payer contracts.

The code is the easy part. The note has to hold up too.

Time-based codes only survive an audit when the documentation behind them does. Generate a structured progress note in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, or Narrative format from a short session summary. Free, no account required.

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Related tools and guides

90834 vs 90837The one code choice therapists look up most, decided by documented session time.90846 vs 90847The family and couples therapy codes, split by whether the identified client is in the room.Free Progress Note GeneratorThe documentation that backs up the code: generate a structured note in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, or Narrative format. No account required.Progress Notes for TherapistsAll six note formats explained, with examples and format-by-format guidance.SOAP Note GeneratorThe most requested note format, generated from a free-text session summary.DAP Note GeneratorA faster documentation format that combines client report and observation.Superbill GeneratorTurn these codes into a client-ready statement for reimbursement, printed straight from your browser.Caseload Break-Even CalculatorThe money side of the same session math: how many clients cover your overhead.Insurance vs. Private Pay for TherapistsHow panel reimbursement changes the economics behind these codes.