Why Private Pay Therapy?

Therapy is a deeply personal experience, where progress can depend heavily on having a great connection with the right therapist. But it can be costly.

That's why many people choose to use their insurance, making therapy a more budget-friendly experience. So why would anyone choose to pay out of pocket instead?

1. No specific level of diagnosis required to justify treatment. Insurances follow a medical model that expects therapists to provide a diagnosis from the intake session onward. For some people that can feel uncomfortable, or not something they want in their medical record, so they choose to forgo involving their insurance in the therapy process.

   
   

2. Treatment tailored to your timeline and goals, not insurance company policies. Insurances often question frequency of sessions, and may even demand payment back from therapists if they find the diagnosis does not justify the session length or frequency. Some people would like to be able to meet as often as they and their therapist deem best without worrying about insurance dictates.

   
   

3. No treatment details / diagnoses shared with insurance companies / your medical record. There can be times when the issues someone would like to process or unpack are ones they don't want sitting in a medical record. While their therapist does have to document their sessions in a chart, which can be subpoenaed, they do not have to share the information with the insurance company if opting for private pay.

   
   

4. Work with an expert who has the time to stay on top of the latest, effective treatments, & can invest in advanced trainings. Insurances generally do not reimburse at the level commensurate with your clinician's education and experience. (Private practice clinicians have to have completed a Masters, gone through 2 further years of supervised experience before sitting for a licensing exam, and then they must keep up with continuing education every 2 years to remain in good standing). When clinicians take insurance's lower rates they have to schedule more clients, leaving them less time for trainings, and focused care.

   
   

5. They want to work with a very specific therapist. Sometimes someone might feel like one specific therapist speaks directly to them and their needs, and has just the right training, but they don't take their insurance. In those cases people might choose to go private pay, and submit a superbill to try to recoup some of the expense from their insurance company.

   
   

6. The power of choice in your mental health care. For some people it's simply a personal decision.

For many, finding a great therapist who takes their insurance is absolutely possible. Healthcare should be accessible for all. And for some, the decision to go private pay is the right one to make.