[sarahxxkristine]

The co pay feels weird...on Saturday....it was 8am and noone else was in the building beside my T and i....so i had to hand her my copay....ive done a co pay for a doctor for a physical problem....and that felt fine....but handing the 15 bucks to my T and having her give me a receipt...just feels odd...like..paying a friend for 50 minutes of their time....idk....its hard to get emotional attached to someone u have to hand 15 dollars to everytime u see them......its easier when the receptionist is there....it just feels strange....ive been in therapy for almost 1.5 years now...and it hasnt gotten any easier...i havent gotten anymore comfortable with the idea....

[sw628]

(((sara kristine)))
I know the feeling. I will have a deep session with T, then at the end hand her 35.00. When that happens the relationship seems so fake and disingenuous. I have been in therapy for a year now and I am still getting use to the idea. Hope you continue on in your journey

[theave]

As a recent transplant to the US I find the whole system quite hard to get used to, never having paid for any healthcare before. It's interesting to hear that others find it somewhat awkward too.

[ECHOES]

I had to get used to this.
There have been times that I'm already bothered by it before the session begins, so I hand her my check when I go in. Other times we've talked up to the end and I've left without paying, then paid the next time.

Now it is routine and I like those moments at the end of the session, too. They have their own intimacy about them

This is like everything else... something to talk about with your T.

[googley]

I have always felt awkward about this too. I always have paid with check so I fold it in half when I write it (at home) so I don't have to see the money part of it when i pay T. I've always paid my T directly and found this to be the easiest way to go about it because then I don't have to look at it when I was paying.

[moonrise]

I have the opposite problem. I hate paying the receptionist, because I feel so naked and raw after a session. Much easier to hand T the $ than having someone else see me.

And for me, giving her the money makes it seem less close, which feels good right now.

I remember my first therapy experience was when I was in college and the therapy was free. So when I started having to pay for the therapy in later years, it felt odd. Over the years it's gotten to where it doesn't bother me anymore. I pay the receptionist most of the time (and I'm so glad my insurance pays well that I'm happy to pay it). On occasion, I have the last appointment, the receptionist is gone and I pay my t directly. I'm okay with it now. It's just another business transaction to me now.

Years back, my pastor counseled me. I didn't pay him. But, he was going through the pastoral counseling training, and when he started his internship, they required that he be paid for all of his counseling services. It was an awkward adjustment to go from not paying him at all, to having to pay him. I remember being angry about it.

It has helped that this t has always been a paid service. And we've talked about how much he really gets off of his fee. Where the money goes, etc. It was quite interesting to learn how little he actually makes off of a session after all of his expenses are paid, etc. It gave me a profound respect for his services as a business.

[sunrise]

After 3 years of therapy, I don't mind the money exchange. My therapist has his clients pay at the beginning of the session so that the transaction doesn't come at what may be a difficult emotional time at the session's end. I think having to write that check each session is a good reminder to me that T is a professional, an expert, has loads of skills and training, and I am compensating him for that. By writing that check I am saying I respect his training and want to take advantage of it. It is not like a friend, who may lend a sympathetic ear but does not have the professional skills. I think it can be awkward at first, but every T I have ever been with has been very professional when dealing with the money exchange part of the frame and not made me feel awkward at all. Therapists like to discuss "the frame", so I bet your T would be more than willing to discuss your thoughts and feelings about paying, SarahK.

[BlueMoon6]

SarahK- I have mixed feelings about this. My insurance pays for therapy, yet I have to sign a reciept after the session. It is strange to talk money because on the one hand, I feel like I am paying for someone to care about me, on the other hand, it reinforces the fact that I am paying for the treatment of a professional and that I need to take full advantage of every session, as I would a visit to my primary care doc or any professional. That I am there for profesional help and a theraputic relationship- I didnt meet her at a party or to just chat. When I come into Ts office, I am very, very aware of that.

I think if you bring up the money aspect of your relationship with T, you could get to deeper places from there. Its a really good therapy topic.

[jexa]

In the past I have felt really really awkward about the money part. My last therapist had a receptionist but I always hated it when she walked out with me and saw me hand the money over. There's a weird sort of shame there that's hard to explain.

Now that I work in mental health, it does not feel so weird. I started seeing my current T when I was already working at a clinic.. in fact, I noticed that she was actually pretty uncomfortable talking about the money, whereas I was okay and acted fine about it!

Talk to your T about it if you can work up the courage. I know it would have been hard for me to bring up.

[splitimage]

I don't mind paying T (well ok - I really wish insurance covered it, but it doesn't so oh well.) But I agree it is a little awkward. My T invoices me about every 2 months for sessions up to that point, and I bring in a cheque the next week. I just kind of put the cheque on the table that's between us, she picks it up and shuffles it into her daytimer mumbling thanks. It is a bit awkward. Also my T is not the best at keeping track of things financial, so I sometimes have to remind her that I haven't paid in a while and so should be invoiced.

--splitimage

[sarahxxkristine]

=D u guys are gr8. I feel a lot steadier about it knowing other ppl hav had the same feelings towards the Co-Pay....Hopefully, i shall get used to it sooner or l8r. Guess i am not fully okay with the whole idea of Therapy yet