Question

Is seeing a licensed professional counselor count as a medical expense?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 1, 2019
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Employee

Yes, so long as the counseling is intended to prevent or treat an actual mental defect or illness, and is not for general wellbeing.

The IRS provides the following guidance in IRS Pub. 502 Medical and Dental Expenses:

"Medical care expenses must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness. They don't include expenses that are merely beneficial to general health, such as vitamins or a vacation."

The above-reference Pub. 502 includes the broad categories of psychiatric care, psychoanalysis, psychologist, and therapy as deductible medical expenses.