CPT code reference for therapists
CPT 90832: 30-minute psychotherapy
90832 is the shortest individual psychotherapy code: a session of about 30 minutes with the client, and family members if they join. It’s common for check-ins, school-based sessions, younger children and clients who can’t tolerate a longer session.
Psychiatrists and other prescribers who do psychotherapy in the same visit as an E/M service bill the add-on 90833 instead.
Updated October 5, 2026
- What it is
- Individual psychotherapy, about 30 minutes
- Time
- 16 to 37 minutes
- Under 16 minutes
- Not billable as psychotherapy
- With an E/M visit
- 90833 (prescribers)
When to use 90832
- A psychotherapy session where you spent 16 to 37 minutes with the client.
- A shorter family-involved session where the focus is still the client’s own treatment and the client is there for at least part of it.
Time rules
- Count face-to-face (or live video) psychotherapy time with the client and any family members present. Time spent writing notes, scheduling or on the phone with other providers doesn’t count.
- Use the actual time, not the scheduled slot: 37 minutes is 90832, 38 minutes is 90834.
- Below 16 minutes, no psychotherapy code applies.
What to document
- Start and stop times, or the total time, of the psychotherapy.
- The interventions you used (for example CBT, DBT skills, motivational interviewing) and how the client responded.
- Progress toward the goals in the treatment plan, current symptoms and mental status.
- Risk assessment when indicated, and the plan for the next session.
Billing rules and common denials
- Don’t bill 90832 with 90791 on the same day for the same client.
- If the session was a crisis (urgent assessment and de-escalation of at least 30 minutes), 90839 is the right code instead.
- Add-on 90785 can go with 90832 when interactive complexity applied.
- For telehealth, payers differ: Medicare uses place of service 10 or 02, while many commercial plans want the in-person place of service (usually 11) with modifier 95. Check each payer’s telehealth policy.
Telehealth modifiers
- 95
- Live (synchronous) video visit. The modifier most commercial plans and Medicaid programs ask for.
- GT
- Older “via interactive audio and video” modifier. A few payers and some institutional claims still want it instead of 95.
- 93
- Audio-only (phone) visit, where the payer covers it. Some payers ask for FQ instead.
Add-on 90785 (interactive complexity) can be billed with this code when communication was made harder by something like an interpreter, a third party or caregivers in conflict.
Typical place of service codes
- 11
- Office. The usual in-person place of service for private practice.
- 10
- Telehealth with the client in their home.
- 02
- Telehealth with the client somewhere other than home (work, car, a clinic).
- 12
- In person at the client’s home.
- 03
- School.
- 53
- Community mental health center.
Common questions
- How many minutes is 90832?
- 16 to 37 minutes of psychotherapy. From 38 minutes, bill 90834; under 16 minutes, there is no psychotherapy code to bill.
- Can family members be in a 90832 session?
- Yes. The individual psychotherapy codes allow family members to take part as long as the client is present for all or part of the session and the focus is the client’s treatment.
- Does 90832 work for telehealth?
- Yes, for payers that cover telehealth psychotherapy. Add modifier 95 (or GT where required) and the place of service code the payer asks for, usually 10 or 02 for Medicare.
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. This page summarizes common billing practice in plain language and isn’t billing or legal advice; payer policies vary, so check each payer’s current rules.