Therapy sessions are $150 per hour, $175 per 75 minute session. I accept cash, checks, and major credit cards. I reserve a number of spots in my schedule for sliding scale clients, so if finances are an issue for you let’s talk.
I do not accept insurance for a number of reasons.
First, when a provider bills directly to an insurance company, the provider must prove that the client’s treatment is “medically necessary” by submitting personal information about the client. This information includes itemized lists of symptoms or issues and goals for treatment. This compromises an individual’s right to privacy which is one of my most important values as a treating clinician.
Furthermore, treatment is only considered “medically necessary” when a client’s issues are severe enough to interfere significantly with daily functioning – going to work/school, social interactions, taking care of daily activities such as bathing, eating, etc. AND a therapist must provide a diagnosis that the insurance company recognizes as billable. Most of my clients are successful, highly-functioning individuals for whom a severe diagnosis is neither applicable nor necessary. And many people prefer not to have a recorded history of “mental health” diagnoses.
I have found that seeing only self-pay clients also allows me to be a better therapist. I can spend more time seeing clients, going to trainings, reading the latest research, etc. and less time on paperwork and tracking down reimbursement from insurance companies. In the past I found that both of these tasks took significant time away from my practice and were distracting.
All of this is not to say that insurance is bad – I can attest that having insurance is an important and helpful resource! However, when considering psychotherapy services, investing in an amazing therapist with whom you connect, trust, and feel safe can make a really big difference in terms of your therapeutic outcome. How much is your overall well-being worth?