If one or both of you have Sun Life benefits, it's natural to check your coverage before booking sessions together. Does Sun Life cover couples therapy? There isn't one answer for everyone, because every plan is set up differently. This guide shows where Sun Life tells members to look, which details usually matter most, how claims work when you both have benefits and how direct billing works with us.
This post is general information about how benefit plans tend to work. It isn't advice about your plan, and only Sun Life or your plan documents can confirm what's covered.
It depends on your plan and your therapist's credential
Sun Life group plans are designed by each employer or plan sponsor, so two people with Sun Life can have very different coverage. In practice, the questions that usually decide whether sessions for the two of you can be claimed are:
Does your plan include the type of practitioner you'd see?
How much is your annual maximum, and how much is left?
Are there limits, such as a cap on visits?
Is the person you'd claim for covered on the plan?
Your coverage details answer all four. The sections below show where to find them.
Where Sun Life lists mental health practitioners
Sun Life explains that paramedical expenses are services from a licensed professional who is not a medical doctor or a nurse, and that you'll find your paramedical coverage under the "Paramedical Services" list in the "Medical" section of your coverage details. That's usually where practitioners like psychologists, social workers or psychotherapists appear, if your plan includes them.
Sun Life also notes that limits, such as a maximum number of visits, appear under the "Limits" section of your coverage details. It's worth checking both.
How to check your Sun Life couples counselling coverage
Sun Life's own steps are short. On the website:
sign in to my Sun Life
select "Coverage search"
choose your coverage plan, and the person you're looking up if you have dependants
search for the service or practitioner type
In the Sun Life mobile app, select "Health," then search under "Coverages & balances."
When you search, try each practitioner type you might see, such as social worker, psychotherapist and psychologist. Plans can treat them differently, which is exactly why Sun Life couples counselling coverage can vary so much from one person to the next.
Is a session for two treated differently?
In the Sun Life pages we read, we didn't find sessions for couples described as their own separate benefit. That means the practitioner type and your plan's rules are usually what matter. Still, plans can have their own wording, so ask Sun Life directly: "If my partner attends a session with me, can I claim it under my coverage for this practitioner type?"
The same logic applies whether you'd attend sessions alone or together: the practitioner type and your plan's rules usually decide it. Write down the answer you get, along with the date, so you have it handy when you book. The answer for your plan is the one that counts.
RP, RSW and RP (Qualifying)
At our clinic, Registered Social Workers (RSWs) and Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) provide the same kind of therapy. As our page on RPs vs RSWs explains, the designation mostly matters for insurance, since some plans list one and not the other. Psychologists diagnose and can also provide therapy.
A Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), or RP (Qualifying), is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario in the qualifying class. Whether a Sun Life plan covers sessions with an RP (Qualifying) depends on the plan, so ask about that practitioner type specifically.
When you each have a plan
If you both have benefits, coordination of benefits can help. Sun Life explains the usual order: if you're covered under your own employer's plan and also under your spouse's plan, you submit your claim to your own plan first, then claim any balance through your spouse's plan. The second plan looks at what the first plan paid and considers the remaining balance.
Sun Life's administration guide adds that the plan covering a person as an employee pays first, and that when both spouses' plans are administered by Sun Life, the member can ask Sun Life to pay from both plans as part of the same claim process. Check that each of you is listed on the other's plan as a spouse.
Direct billing with us
Sun Life Financial is on our direct billing list. We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), but your coverage always depends on your plan, so we can't promise what Sun Life will pay.
Direct billing means we submit the claim for you, and you pay any amount your plan doesn't cover. If a session can't be direct billed, you can pay and submit the receipt yourself.
If your plan doesn't cover it all
If your coverage runs out, or doesn't include the practitioner type you'd see, you still have options. We accept Health Spending Accounts, which some plans include alongside extended health coverage. Ask Sun Life or your plan administrator whether you have one.
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
Depending on your plan, insurance may cover some or all of the cost. Coverage varies, so check your plan.
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Desjardins is the exception: through TELUS eClaims, we can direct bill Desjardins for sessions with an RSW, RP or psychologist, but not for an RP (Qualifying).
A quick checklist before you book
Before your first session, it helps to know:
which practitioner types appear under Paramedical Services in your plan
whether an RP (Qualifying) is covered
your annual maximum and what's left this year
any limits on the number of visits
whose plan you'll claim under first, if you both have benefits
whether a session your partner attends can be claimed under your coverage
Bring these answers to your free consultation and we'll help you choose a therapist whose designation fits your plan. If you're missing an answer, that's okay. We can talk through what to ask.
Coverage is one part of the choice
It's easy to let benefits decide everything, but fit matters too. Couples counselling tends to work best when both partners feel comfortable with the therapist and their approach. During your free consultation, you can share what's going on, what you're hoping for and any preferences you have, along with your plan details. Our admin team can then suggest therapists whose experience and designation fit both your needs and your coverage. If your first choice of therapist isn't covered by your plan, there may be another good fit who is.
If you don't feel safe with your partner
Couples counselling is meant for partners who both feel safe to speak openly. If you're afraid of your partner, or there's violence or control in the relationship, joint sessions are generally not recommended. Individual counselling is a safer place to start. If you're in danger, call 911.
Starting couples counselling at our offices or online
Our couples counselling helps partners communicate, work through conflict and reconnect. We offer it at every office, in person in Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and Ottawa, and online anywhere in Ontario on a secure, encrypted video platform.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. We can talk through fit, designations and billing before you book.
If you're in crisis: if anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about suicide or self-harm, call or text 9-8-8 any time. More options are on our crisis lines page.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Guidance for Recognizing and Responding Safely to Intimate Partner Violence (PDF), McMaster University VEGA Project