Paying for Therapy
Last time I wrote about the benefits of choosing teletherapy or virtual therapy over traditional in-person therapy. In this post, I want provide reasons you may want to pay for therapy out of pocket instead of through your health insurance. This can seem overwhelming when considering the cost of therapy, but the inconsistencies and restrictions that come with health insurance make the cost worth it in many cases. Therapists give lots of thought and consideration before making this decision for their practice. Ultimately, I decided to not accept insurance because I want my client’s to have complete control over their therapy options.
Our heathcare sytem is broken
In many cases, your employer is the one who determines which insurance options are available to you, and you are then subjected to limited options for in-network providers (such as therapists or primary care physicians) and limited coverage that you have very little control over. Every year during open enrollment you learn whether your employer has decided to keep the same insurance options or to change them. Or maybe you’re faced with a whole new insurance plan because you’ve made a change in employment. These changes in plans are often inconsistent with the healthcare providers and coverage you’ve gotten used to working with, so you find yourself searching for new providers and figuring out new treatment options. This can be frustrating and even detrimental to progress when you’ve been working with the same therapist for several months and have to stop seeing them because of a change in insurance coverage.
It’s expensive.
You’re also responsible for paying the monthly premiums for these healthcare plans and other out-of-pocket expenses like co-pays and deductibles. (It seems like one of my milestones of reaching adulthood was finally understanding concepts like “premiums” and “deductibles.”) Sometimes you’re fortunate enough to have an insurance plan where you can make your monthly payments AND meet your deductible without creating any financial hardship. Often, folx find themselves paying a good portion of their paychecks toward health insurance then unable afford the co-pay to see the doctor or therapist, especially if they have multiple dependents on their healthcare plan. Having a high monthly premium or copay can keep people from utilizing therapy services.
It’s restrictive.
You’re also limited to the treatments and services approved by your health insurance plan. In theory this would protect the consumer from inappropriate or ineffective medications and treatments, but in reality it restricts a provider’s ability to meet the consumer’s needs. Health insurance puts restrictions on what type of mental health problems they cover, what types of treatments they cover, and time frames for those treatments. These kinds of limitations cannot meet the complex needs of people who do not fit into neat little boxes. When you pay for therapy yourself, you don’t have to worry about all these restrictions.
It’s inconvenient.
So what happens when the insurance plan your employer offers is too expensive or does not provide the access to care that meets your personal needs? It’s very difficult to obtain health insurance through other means when your company offers it to its employees. I once had a job that was based in another state so the closest in-network provider was 90 minutes away, and the out of network costs were outrageous. I declined the health insurance thinking I could be added to my spouse’s insurance through their job… Nope. It wasn’t an option since my employer OFFERED health insurance. I thought I could enroll through the healthcare marketplace… Nope. Again, I was not eligible due to my company OFFERING health insurance. I ended up having to pay a fine for not having healthcare coverage that year. It is important to be able to make your own choices about what kind of treatment you’d like to receive.
What if you’re uninsured or underinsured?
What if you’re unemployed? Working part-time? Working as a contractor or another job that doesn’t provide insurance (like cleaning houses or babysitting)? Again, it seems like people in these situations have very few options. Many people in these situations simply go uninsured and *hope* they don’t need to go to the doctor. In 2018, the percentage of uninsured non-elderly individuals in Mississippi was 14.5% (compared to the national average of 10.4%). That’s 351,794 individuals in Mississippi without healthcare coverage. https://www.kff.org/statedata/election-state-fact-sheets/mississippi
Pay for therapy yourself.
My goal is simply to provide quality therapy services in a way that gives my clients the power to prioritize mental health. I believe that every person has the right to make their own choices about their mental health care, including what problems they want to address, whether they want a formal diagnosis on their health records, and what treatment options may be right for them. I am able to give my clients this power by choosing to not work with insurance companies.
You have the power to prioritize your mental health.
Many of the issues with health insurance are related to affordability. A $70 co-pay is much more affordable than a $140 therapy session. When that is your only option, you have to do what you have to do. There are many excellent therapists in-network with major insurance companies in the state of Mississippi. If you choose to go this route, contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers. However, if you want control over your mental health care (and can afford it) then paying for therapy services yourself may be the best option for you.
*If you do not have health insurance and want to pay for therapy out of pocket at a sliding-fee rate, you can apply to become a member of Open Path Collective at https://openpathcollective.org/
**Most therapists have a limited number of sliding-fee rate clients and you may have to go on a waitlist or spend more time looking for a therapist who can accept you as a sliding-fee client.
Ready to get started?
If teletherapy sounds like it might be right for you, please reach out to schedule your free fifteen-minute consultation by calling 662-200-4210 or clicking the “schedule an appointment” button.
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Welcome to Online Therapy
We use technology for everything- why not therapy?
Technology has led to more and more online options during the past twenty years. We transitioned away from cable television and video rental stores and utilized online streaming services. Many colleges and universities began to offer online classes or programs. Online shopping and food/grocery delivery became more prevalent. The transition to virtual services was in full swing even before the COVID 19 pandemic, but social distancing mandates certainly accelerated the transition. Very quickly, virtual services became the only option for many people.
It’s not surprising to learn that telehealth has been around for decades. It seems like people have always been able to call the doctor’s office or a nurse line to ask for medical advice remotely in non-emergency situations. Now we’re able to see the doctor on our cell phones. So why should therapy be any different?
What is online therapy?
Online therapy has many names: telehealth, teletherapy, telemental health, virtual therapy, distance therapy, video therapy, e-therapy, and cyber therapy (to name a few). *Please note that “therapy” and “counseling” are used interchangeably in these contexts- they both mean “providing mental health services.” Likewise, there are many types of online therapy: synchronous and asynchronous text-based, voice-based, and video-based therapy. *Synchronous means “in real time,” such as instant messaging or live video chatting. *Asynchronous means “not existing or happening at the same time,” such as email messaging or leaving a voicemail that someone later responds to.
So online therapy can have many different modalities- can we use them all? The answer (like so many answers in the mental health field) is: it depends. Each state, licensing board, code of ethics, and therapist’s scope of practice has its own rules about what is allowed and what isn’t- and the rules are constantly changing as research, needs, and options change. The good news is that the therapist is responsible for keeping up with all the rules and regulations that apply to them and their specific services. The bad news is that you may have your heart set on a certain service and find out that the therapist you want to work with does not offer that service. Just ask!
I personally utilize live video therapy sessions for my therapy practice because it provides the most personal experience. The client(s) and I can see each other’s facial expressions and body language (to a certain extent) and respond accordingly. Plus, using live video therapy sessions helps to hold myself and my client(s) responsible for limiting outside distractions. It’s just like the video chats we’ve used to communicate with family members and colleagues during social distancing, except that we have to use a platform that offers more security and privacy protection than things like Zoom (free version), FaceTime, Portal, and Duo. Your online therapist will walk you through how to use their chosen platform.
Why should you choose online therapy?
Our lives are busy. We’re all juggling some combination of school, work, community commitments, social activities, and family obligations. Over the years I’ve been a full-time college student with 3 part time jobs, a single and childless college graduate working two jobs just to make ends meet, and a working, married parent with a side job. I understand what it’s like to feel like you don’t have time for therapy. It’s especially hard when the therapist’s office closes right when you get off work, when the therapist’s office is 30 minutes or more away, or when bad weather or illness keeps you from being able to make it to a physical appointment. I’ve seen some people sacrifice the act of eating lunch just to squeeze an appointment into their lunch hour (that’s IF you even get an hour for lunch!). Online therapy gives you the power to prioritize your mental health.
Online therapy is not for everyone. Many online therapists and practices are not equipped to handle crisis or emergency situations. Depending on the therapist’s schedule, it could take a few days for them to respond to messages. For this reason, online therapy should not be used for crisis situations unless your provider has a designated on-call crisis number available 24/7. As always, emergency situations should be handled immediately by calling local emergency management services or going to the nearest emergency department.
What should you look for in an online therapist?
One of the greatest factors contributing to therapy success is the relationship between the client and the therapist, also known as “therapeutic relationship.” Every therapist has their own set of conditions and types of clients they work with, their own ideas about what type of therapy works best with specific people, and their own personality traits. It is important that you find a therapist that you can have a good connection with. Online therapy provides the freedom to look outside your immediate geographical area to find the best therapist available for your specific needs.
How do you want to pay for therapy? What characteristics do you look for in a therapist? What values are important for your therapist to possess? What kind of mental health concerns do you want to address in therapy? What kind of therapy do you want to participate in? How long do you want be seeing a therapist?
You can often find these answers on a therapist’s website. Therapists make it as easy as possible for their ideal clients to find them by how they market themselves. Many will list their areas of expertise and the populations they work with, as well as clearly explain the type of therapies they offer. Most therapists offer free consultations where you can ask any additional questions that you might have to ensure you’re working with a therapist who is right for you.
Why choose Janet Hardy Counseling?
I specialize in working with individuals experiencing transitions in life, such as young adults starting college or entering the workforce; couples, children, and families navigating changes in their family structure; and individuals exploring their gender identity or sexual identity. I am currently licensed in Mississippi and can only see individuals who are physically within the state at the time of services rendered.
Ready to get started?
If teletherapy sounds like it might be right for you, please reach out to schedule your free fifteen-minute consultation by calling 662-200-4210 or clicking the “schedule an appointment” button.
Learn More