Reduced Fee Options
Reduced Fee Options
I care deeply about making therapy accessible, and I also believe accessibility has to be sustainable. To honor both values, I reserve at least 25% of my caseload for reduced fee spaces while also maintaining a practice that allows me to offer thoughtful, consistent care over the long term for all of my clients.
You’ll often see this referred to as a “sliding scale,” including on therapist directories. In my practice, I think of it more as a limited number of reduced fee spaces. Rather than using a rigid income formula, I try to look at the bigger picture and work collaboratively with clients when the standard fee would make consistent therapy financially unrealistic.
My standard fee is $200 for individual therapy and $225 for relationship therapy per 50-minute session. When reduced-fee space is available, I can currently offer rates as low as $150 per session at any appointment frequency. For clients who are able to commit to weekly therapy, I may be able to offer a more substantially reduced rate, beginning at $100 for individuals and $125 for relationship therapy.
These are the lowest rates I’m currently able to offer sustainably, and reduced-fee availability changes as my caseload changes. Maintaining a sustainable practice allows me to keep my caseload manageable, continue investing in training and consultation, care for my own wellbeing, and have the time and energy to be fully present in the work.
The Green Bottle framework below can be a helpful way of thinking about where you fall financially. Reduced-fee care isn’t about proving that you are struggling “enough.” It’s about honestly considering your overall access to resources, whether the standard fee would require sacrificing necessities or create meaningful financial strain, and what rate would allow you to participate in therapy consistently.
It’s also worth considering the difference between financial hardship and the normal tradeoffs that come with choosing to invest in something important to you. If the standard fee is affordable but would require prioritizing therapy over some discretionary spending, paying the full fee helps preserve reduced-fee spaces for people with less financial flexibility.
If the standard fee genuinely isn’t workable for you, please ask. I can’t guarantee that I’ll have a reduced-fee opening available, but I would much rather have an honest conversation about what is workable than have uncertainty about cost prevent you from reaching out.
What About Insurance?
I am a private-pay provider, which allows decisions about your therapy to remain as much as possible between you and me rather than being shaped by a third-party insurer’s requirements around diagnosis, medical necessity, or treatment. It also means your clinical information is not routinely submitted to an insurance company unless you choose to use your out-of-network benefits.
If your plan includes out-of-network mental health coverage, you may be eligible for partial reimbursement. I can provide a Superbill for you to submit to your insurer, and I’m also exploring services that may make accessing those benefits easier. Please note that this does require me to issue you an official diagnosis.