Too Much Money

The psychologist says we (marriage counseling) need a lot of work. We have to pay $200 per. Hour out of pocket. I just can't bear to shell out the kind of money it's going to take and don't really believe he is going to help anyway.

Is therapy taking you broke?

I live in the UK and despite paying in NI contributions for public healthcare- they won't help with my PTSD.

So I have to pay privately, which I shouldn't have to do as we have the NHS.

I am however lucky that my T has a reduced rate for carers (I am my daughter's Carer), and so it isn't making me as broke as it would do- but still, paying more than I can probably afford to be spending on me

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm in exactly the same boat- the NHS won't help with my PTSD at all so I'm paying for help myself. My T is very kind and put me on a reduced rate, but I'm still struggling financially and am not sure how much more I can afford

It's an absolute disgrace...
Sometimes I feel they make people go private and then when people are so used to doing it to get decent healthcare they will scrap the NHS... Meaning the poorest and most in need won't get the care they need sad times

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Therapy wouldn't happen for me without insurance.

We'll have to find another therapist that takes insurance. This out of pocket cr** is BS. Thanks

I don't know if couples therapy would be covered by insurance.

I could either do reduced rate or insurance not full price. Too much

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our insurance covered it. Insurance didn't specify individual vs. couple vs. family vs. group.

My T takes insurance, and I don't think I'd be able to see her if she didn't. I saw one T like two times who I paid $50 out of pocket, and even just that was hard for me. My copay now is $30, and I like that much better.

Yup. My most recent therapist was not in any insurance networks, and was really, really expensive. My insurance paid a little bit (out of pocket), but it was a huge stress. I make a good income, and without therapy, I don't really worry about money (I can cover my bills and have money left over to save, easily). With therapy, I felt like I was living paycheck-to-paycheck.

In the end, there were things that he did well... but he wasn't helpful enough to justify the high cost.

My insurance pays everything - there's not even a copay. On the flip side, it isn't unusual for T's and pdocs to have an 8 month waiting list.

I have insurance and pay a $25 copay for each visit. I also pay $215 a month just for the insurance, but it covers all medical. If I had to pay out of pocket for sessions ($125), there's no way I could ever afford it. Even if I had a reduced rate, I'd have to just have twice monthly sessions if that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mine covers too I think but specifies different rate for group therapy. Overall in order for insurance to cover there has to be some medical diagnosis even if bogus (those that t use for insurance policy). I am not sure how would couples be diagnosed

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My t doesn't take insurance. She could write me receipts and I could submit for out of network reimbursement (which I did for the first year I saw her) but since I work for a division of the insurance company now, I don't particularly want them knowing about it. So I pay out of pocket. I have an HSA account that I put money out of each paycheck into and my company matches it up to a certain point, so that helps. But yeah, therapy is expensive, but to me it's worth it.

That's a good insurance plan. Hope you can keep it!
BTW-There is no correlation between the fees a therapist of any kind charges and the outcomes the therapy produces. Just because a therapist charges $200/hr, don't assume that the therapy will be helpful. There may be other options in your area and it might pay to shop around a bit. I've had my best therapy with a psychology resident who was working towards his doctoral degree and good couples therapy with a couples therapist who had a Master's in divinity and whose fee was much more affordable than other local Ts.

All insurance is BS. I still have to pay $150 with insurance every week until i meet my deductible which my insurance just restarted and I'm almost halfway there already. It's so f'd up that when some actually who needs help finally finds the strength and courage they are abused and manipulated by the system. F the system down with government! They are of no help to us in the US and from what I've read of other countries it's even worse and harder for MI help.the government is full of nothing but criminals white collar felons who get away with everything from embezzlement to rape to probably even murder. We're all screwed.

A couple questions. Do you have insurance? If so, do you have out-of-network mental health benefits? (I think one of the changes with Obamacare/Affordable Care Act was to require mental health benefits in plans be in line with physical health benefits.) Because if you do, you should be able to get some money back, though you'll likely have to file the paperwork yourself (I'm lucky in that my T and marriage counselor's practice submit info to the insurance company themselves, even though they're out of network. Our insurance pays 60% and we pay 40%.)

If you do, then see if you can get the counselor to bill you as "family therapy" rather than "marriage counseling." That's what ours does. Marriage counseling generally isn't covered by insurance, while "family therapy" is.

Hope this helps!

We also have a HSA with a really high deductible. There are in-network providers. I guess my husband was thinking this one specialized in sexual issues. Maybe we'll find another one. I always get fed up with therapy quickly. I just don't get it. I can't stand telling these people my whole story. I don't understand how therapy works, and frankly, I am terrified.