A TalkSpace Blog (edited for Private Counseling):
Therapy is about as affordable as the Mercedes that cut you off on the freeway the other day. This is unfortunate for people who have looked past the stigma of therapy and committed to living happier lives but can’t afford the therapist’s rates. The average therapy session costs $75-150 an hour, and good luck if you live in a place like New York where the range jumps to $200-300.
People who rail against therapy accuse therapists of being greedy, but therapists actually have valid reasons for their high prices. Nonetheless, don’t believe you are stuck paying for therapy you can’t afford. Learning why it is expensive is the first step towards searching for alternatives and paths towards affordable therapy.
Becoming a Therapist Costs a Ton of MoneyThink about how expensive it is to hire a lawyer. Clients are hiring someone with years of schooling on the subject in which they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s the same deal for a therapist — most therapists have postgraduate education and many have a Ph.D. — but misconceptions about therapy prevent people from seeing it this way. Remember, you are not paying to chat with a friend. You are hiring a mental health professional.
Therapists Don’t Get Paid for Every Hour They Work. When people work a typical 40-hour week, their company pays them for every hour they work. Therapists, on the other hand, can only bill for the time they see clients.
Therapy is about as affordable as the Mercedes that cut you off on the freeway the other day. This is unfortunate for people who have looked past the stigma of therapy and committed to living happier lives but can’t afford the therapist’s rates. The average therapy session costs $75-150 an hour, and good luck if you live in a place like New York where the range jumps to $200-300.
People who rail against therapy accuse therapists of being greedy, but therapists actually have valid reasons for their high prices. Nonetheless, don’t believe you are stuck paying for therapy you can’t afford. Learning why it is expensive is the first step towards searching for alternatives and paths towards affordable therapy.
Becoming a Therapist Costs a Ton of MoneyThink about how expensive it is to hire a lawyer. Clients are hiring someone with years of schooling on the subject in which they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s the same deal for a therapist — most therapists have postgraduate education and many have a Ph.D. — but misconceptions about therapy prevent people from seeing it this way. Remember, you are not paying to chat with a friend. You are hiring a mental health professional.
Therapists Don’t Get Paid for Every Hour They Work. When people work a typical 40-hour week, their company pays them for every hour they work. Therapists, on the other hand, can only bill for the time they see clients.
Most therapists cannot manage 40 clients a week, said therapist Sarah Lee. If they fill up all their time with sessions, they would not be able to organize their clients’ information, market themselves and perform administrative duties such as negotiating rates with insurance companies.
Imagine if your company only paid you for 25 of the 40 hours you worked each week. You would need to increase your hourly rate to break even.
Then there are the cancellations, the many cancellations.
When therapist Angela Essary worked as a community mental health counselor, she booked 12 sessions a day but only saw five of those people.
“It’s a big commitment for clients and there can be lots of no shows,” she said.
Therapists Pay More Insurance Too. Getting sued and not having any protection set up in advance is terrifying. Therapists use liability insurance to avoid tread water during lawsuits in case a client sues them. It also helps them maintain their licenses. It’s yet another cost they can’t use a company to buffer.
Therapist Bradley Foster told Talkspace he pays roughly $600 a year for insurance premiums and dues for therapist organizations.
That’s only one kind of insurance. They may have insurance for their office in the same way people buy renters or homeowners insurance.
Those Certificates on Their Walls Have a Sort of Interest to Pay
Therapists don’t stop their education once they receive those fancy degrees you see framed on their office walls. Maintaining a license or certification means investing in annual training such as continuing education fees [CEUs]. Therapists need to keep up with advances in their field the same way doctors need training on new medical technology and treatments.
Some therapists are able to have companies or firms cover their CEUs while others spend more than $1,000 a year on them, said Talkspace therapist Jennifer Fuller Gerhart. Here are some other training and certification maintenance expenses she and Foster mentioned:
But Don’t Despair — Here’s How to Receive Affordable TherapyWe want to defend great therapists from accusations of being greedy or unreasonable with their prices, but we do agree therapy is too expensive on average. The overpricing is a systemic issue, but there are ways to beat the system.
Online Therapy (SKYPE with Bree Winkler LPC)
Online therapy has the same efficacy as in-office therapy and is generally more affordable (it can cost as little as $25 per week). Part of this is because online therapists don’t have as many overhead costs as therapists who only work in an office. You can use an online therapy network like TalkSpace (and ask for Bree Winkler) to start a subscription or contact therapist directly to receive online therapy.
Ask the Therapist for a Discount or Look for Therapists With Sliding Scales
Most therapists are not in it for the money. If you tell them you can only afford a discounted rate, they might oblige.
“There are a few [clients] I give very low rates to because it’s part of our ethical code to extend a helping hand from time to time,” Essary said.
Then there are therapists who use sliding scales for all payments. Before sessions begin, check for this information on their website, therapy network or profile.
Schools or Universities Often Offer Discounted or Free Therapy
If you’re a student and want free or discounted therapy, ask your student health center for more information. Centers often provide this for a semester or quarter. It is a good temporary solution to have until you can find a long-term therapist online or in your area.
Therapy Practices Tend to Be More Affordable
Therapy practices — sometimes called agencies or firms — are usually more affordable because more than one person is chipping in for the extra rent. These practices often have interns who charge even less. If you prefer in-office therapy but want to save money, try Google searching for the relevant keywords and be sure to include your area (unfortunately, there isn’t a directory yet).
Not Using Insurance Might Save You Money
It is popular for people to use insurance for therapy because they assume it will lower the overall cost. Actually, circumventing insurance is cheaper on average, especially if you use online therapy networks. Many therapists choose not to use insurance because they feel the cost of doing business with the opaque insurance companies is not worth it.
Federally-Funded Health Centers Often Have Mental Health Resources
Federally qualified health centers [FQHCs] usually have mental health resources and the law requires they offer a sliding payment scale. You can search for one in your area using this resource.
Beat the Fees and Get the Help You DeservePeople should perceive living a happier and mentally healthier as an affordable option for everyone, not a privilege for the wealthy. It costs a little more than your Netflix subscription, but the happiness it brings will be priceless.
** Visit www.PrivateCounselingGA.com for more information **
Imagine if your company only paid you for 25 of the 40 hours you worked each week. You would need to increase your hourly rate to break even.
Then there are the cancellations, the many cancellations.
When therapist Angela Essary worked as a community mental health counselor, she booked 12 sessions a day but only saw five of those people.
“It’s a big commitment for clients and there can be lots of no shows,” she said.
Therapists Pay More Insurance Too. Getting sued and not having any protection set up in advance is terrifying. Therapists use liability insurance to avoid tread water during lawsuits in case a client sues them. It also helps them maintain their licenses. It’s yet another cost they can’t use a company to buffer.
Therapist Bradley Foster told Talkspace he pays roughly $600 a year for insurance premiums and dues for therapist organizations.
That’s only one kind of insurance. They may have insurance for their office in the same way people buy renters or homeowners insurance.
Those Certificates on Their Walls Have a Sort of Interest to Pay
Therapists don’t stop their education once they receive those fancy degrees you see framed on their office walls. Maintaining a license or certification means investing in annual training such as continuing education fees [CEUs]. Therapists need to keep up with advances in their field the same way doctors need training on new medical technology and treatments.
Some therapists are able to have companies or firms cover their CEUs while others spend more than $1,000 a year on them, said Talkspace therapist Jennifer Fuller Gerhart. Here are some other training and certification maintenance expenses she and Foster mentioned:
- professional development courses (not necessarily part of the CEU and can cost around $400 per course, according to Foster)
- therapy-related books for self-study or homework for clients
- state-licensure fees of up to several hundred dollars a year, varying depending on the state
- fees for additional credentials tend to cost several hundred dollars a year
- fees for professional association memberships
- insurance billing services or payments to an assistant or billing specialist ($500 to $1,000 or more)
But Don’t Despair — Here’s How to Receive Affordable TherapyWe want to defend great therapists from accusations of being greedy or unreasonable with their prices, but we do agree therapy is too expensive on average. The overpricing is a systemic issue, but there are ways to beat the system.
Online Therapy (SKYPE with Bree Winkler LPC)
Online therapy has the same efficacy as in-office therapy and is generally more affordable (it can cost as little as $25 per week). Part of this is because online therapists don’t have as many overhead costs as therapists who only work in an office. You can use an online therapy network like TalkSpace (and ask for Bree Winkler) to start a subscription or contact therapist directly to receive online therapy.
Ask the Therapist for a Discount or Look for Therapists With Sliding Scales
Most therapists are not in it for the money. If you tell them you can only afford a discounted rate, they might oblige.
“There are a few [clients] I give very low rates to because it’s part of our ethical code to extend a helping hand from time to time,” Essary said.
Then there are therapists who use sliding scales for all payments. Before sessions begin, check for this information on their website, therapy network or profile.
Schools or Universities Often Offer Discounted or Free Therapy
If you’re a student and want free or discounted therapy, ask your student health center for more information. Centers often provide this for a semester or quarter. It is a good temporary solution to have until you can find a long-term therapist online or in your area.
Therapy Practices Tend to Be More Affordable
Therapy practices — sometimes called agencies or firms — are usually more affordable because more than one person is chipping in for the extra rent. These practices often have interns who charge even less. If you prefer in-office therapy but want to save money, try Google searching for the relevant keywords and be sure to include your area (unfortunately, there isn’t a directory yet).
Not Using Insurance Might Save You Money
It is popular for people to use insurance for therapy because they assume it will lower the overall cost. Actually, circumventing insurance is cheaper on average, especially if you use online therapy networks. Many therapists choose not to use insurance because they feel the cost of doing business with the opaque insurance companies is not worth it.
Federally-Funded Health Centers Often Have Mental Health Resources
Federally qualified health centers [FQHCs] usually have mental health resources and the law requires they offer a sliding payment scale. You can search for one in your area using this resource.
Beat the Fees and Get the Help You DeservePeople should perceive living a happier and mentally healthier as an affordable option for everyone, not a privilege for the wealthy. It costs a little more than your Netflix subscription, but the happiness it brings will be priceless.
** Visit www.PrivateCounselingGA.com for more information **
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