[Ellahmae]

Do you pay for outside support, ie: phone calls, texts, email... etc?

[nervous puppy]

I said never, but maybe it should be "not yet"? I haven't needed that much support, at least not yet, outside of session. I would expect to be charged if I needed to have more contact than just an occasional email once every two weeks.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

No, never. I am glad my T does not charge for outside contact.

[atisketatasket]

I said no, never/sometimes, depends on length/phone calls. No, never because I never call or pay for emails. But if I did call, and I called No. 1 for more than 15 minutes and No. 2 for more than 5, I would be asked to pay. Or so it says in their contracts.

I am glad you posted this, I am curious to see the results.

[Daystrom]

Only in pride.

[Pennster]

No, I don't pay. I pay cash out of pocket, and his mode of working stresses availability. I figure he's included it in his hourly fee, as it's part of the way he works.

[vonmoxie]

Maybe it's a regional thing? I've never been asked to pay. I had both my last 2 therapists' cell numbers and email addresses, and called maybe once or twice a year about something other than scheduling, but the phone doesn't really do it for me; nor email. I might write down things I want to talk about, to sort of work out some thoughts on them, but for me I'd rather have more communication in session than out.

[AllHeart]

No. And I use a lot of it!

[junkDNA]

no.. hes never said anything about paying for it. but now i feel kinda guilty

[LonesomeTonight]

I've had a few phone calls lasting up to 30 minutes with my T and marriage counselor and was never charged for them. Last week, MC was only able to meet with us for 20 minutes due to a situation that came up shortly before the session, and he didn't charge us for that session (well, we'd already paid for it through the receptionist, but he didn't charge us for this week's). Honestly, I got as much out of that session as I would have from a full 50 minutes, because I knew we only had a short time, so I just jumped right to what I wanted to talk about, and he jumped right in to responding to that. (Not that I'd want every session to be that short!) He actually said, "I wouldn't charge you for just 20 minutes," and I appreciated the fact that he could have just canceled and given himself a little extra time, but he knew I was having a rough time, so he opted to meet with us anyway for free.

I e-mail both him and T (T much more than him), but both only send responses sometimes, and usually just a few lines. I did get some text support from T a few weeks ago when I was panicking while riding back from a vacation. She checked in with me multiple times during the trip, but no charge. (And MC didn't charge for a 3 am text that he responded to the next day...)

It really never occurred to me that T's would charge for phone/e-mail/text until I read people mentioning it on the forum. Though I could understand if I was like, calling them three times a week or frequently texting or expecting lengthy e-mail responses. I didn't do much in the way of e-mailing/calling (and no texting) for the first few years with T (been seeing her 4 years) and the first year or so with MC (2 years there), so I figure it evens out.

[ruh roh]

I've never been asked to pay for emails. We haven't talked about it, but I get the impression that my therapist considers it part of what she does. Some of the email exchanges are incredibly eye opening and insightful. I feel fortunate.

[Sarah1985]

No, thank goodness! Honestly, I wouldn't want to see a t who would. It's the territory of the job. If it's a boundary for them, then don't allow out of session contact. I would completely feel that they don't care and I'm just a paycheck.

[ThingWithFeathers]

I don't pay for t and I don't pay for out of session contact. It's a community organisation, so it is funded differently to most ts.

[ejayy78]

No. My T doesn't text or email, and I can only have phone calls that last 15 minutes or less, anything beyond that I need to schedule an additional session. My t says she doesn't like to deal with "major issues" over the phone

[ScarletPimpernel]

I put other. If a phone call goes over 15mins, she will charge me. But I haven't been charged yet.

[wotchermuggle]

I think any call over like 10 minutes, yes. Emails, no.

[Leah123]

In the online therapy model, there isn't really "out of session support." It's unique. Indeed with some of the newer services, email is the norm, although I appreciate the diversity of my own session types. Our sessions can range from from real-time online messaging to email to phone calls to Skype video sessions. It's all therapy and it's all paid for, which makes perfect sense to me- a pay as one uses model, where the therapist's time is consistently compensated.

In my case, we spend as much time if not more each week in written communication, and have also traditionally done a great deal of work through instant messaging as well.

I hear that many therapists will offer some between session contact without additional charge, they consider it included. Some also disdain regular email or phone contact as they aren't comfortable conducting therapy that way, so they don't want to create the expectation and bill for it. But my therapist has spent probably an hour per day most days for the past two and a half years with me on written communication (several thousand words per week, every week- we're writers!) or alternative session types and so I think it's really apples to oranges comparing this model to traditional 50 minute a week therapy or even 50 minute twice or thrice per week psychoanalysis.

I would not want to have five sessions a week for the price of one or two, it just wouldn't sit properly with me. In contrast, I can certainly understand where an occasional brief call or once-in-a-while email might not be worth billing for- I've had that type of therapy as well in the past.

[brillskep]

No. I only pay for sessions. All phone and email contact is free (unless I need to schedule a whole phone session but I've never done that so far; however, if I just call or need help and he has the time, my therapist will often talk to me for almost an hour free of charge. I appreciate how generous he can be with his time.

[justdesserts]

I don't pay, but I also rarely get responses to my emails. He will respond to texts when I'm in crisis.

[nottrustin]

No she doesn't charge for outside contact and I have offered multiple times and she always said no. She knows I often struggle with feeling like I am bothering her so sometimes I wish she world charge me.

Nope never.

[stopdog]

I have not been billed for contact. The second has a policy for billing for phone calls over 15 minutes - but I have only called about 5 times in 5 years (don't find calling useful) and I am more eager to get off the phone than the therapist is. I don't mind phone calls to real people, but calling a therapist has never helped. I write the first one but I do not want the woman to respond. I want to clearly say things and writing is better for that for me. Having said that, I actually think clear billing methods would help all parties. If they billed like I do, in tenths of an hour, I think it would make them less resentful and clients able to act in a more responsible fashion and less worried about bothering the therapist (I don't worry about bothering the woman but others seem to report they do).

I voted Other. The agency my T works for bills insurance. The agency pays my T for the hours she works, whether that's calling, emailing or live sessions.

I have never paid for out of session contact. I would have to pay if we did a full-length phone session, but that has yet to happen.

[Mike_J]

I can't get charged for what can't happen, I don't have her phone number or email address. Though she has called me twice when she was worried about me (three times if you could the time I was late for an appointment) and didn't get charged, I'm sure charging me for those calls never even entered her mind.