[elisewin]

Hi,
I am just curious, how much is your T's fee? And do you pay it yourself or do you have some kind of an insurance that covers it partly/all?

If you pay yourself, is it easy for you or do you make big sacrifices to afford it?

If you have sometimes paid yourself and sometimes not, do you feel differently about therapy. Like if you pay for it fully there is more pressure on yourself to have it just right and not waste time or money?

My T charges around $95 and I pay less than half myself. And I am more relaxed with it when I used to pay it all

[anais_anais]

I have two therapists. They both charge me $100 which is a 50% discount for one and 30% for the other. I see them each 2-3x per month and I jump through flaming hoops financially to make that happen. They are out of my insurance network and the in-network options are not good. If I didn't go, I could live fairly comfortably. But then again I am quite unwell and really need this team behind me while I am working on recovery. I do sometimes wonder if my overall stress level would go down if I stopped going to therapy because I wouldn't have to work as hard. But then I would remain sick....

Back when I was under my parents' jurisdiction and they paid, I just sort of showed up. Now I am much more active- I prepare, work hard to apply what we talk about each week, etc.

[ScarletPimpernel]

My T charges $150. I used to pay sliding scale of $100, but now that I see her once a month, I pay her the full rate. I pay out of pocket. She doesn't accept any insurance.

My ex-T accepted my insurance. I paid $0 with her. Long story short, my ex-T ruined my ability to have insurance pay for a T after she abandoned me. It's complicated.

I would prefer my insurance to pay, but it's worth it to pay for current T. I personally cannot afford my T. My fiance pays for my therapy. I don't think either method makes me more accountable. I don't feel I waste sessions.

[lucozader]

I pay mine £30 (about $40) a session. I get a cheaper rate for being a student of psychotherapy myself.

That is (obviously) a total bargain, but I still struggle to pay it sometimes. I am... really poor.

[atisketatasket]

I don't know about the current therapist or psychiatrist (using insurance, $15 copay), but the others have charged $190, $160, $150, $180 for the hour. Former psychiatrist charged $200.

If I have to make a big sacrifice to pay for therapy, I am not doing it. There are more important and useful things. E.g., I chose to pay my divorce lawyer's retainer than keep on with the $160 therapist.

The idea that clients who pay some money, like a copay or coinsurance, for therapy and that clients who pay full fee are more invested in the process and "work" harder is a common one, but I don't see the argument myself.

[DodgersMom]

His regular sessions are 150 a session.... and I am so confused about the rest. Ha. We thought the insurance was covering it, even got a letter saying I was covered for 32 sessions but then they are trying to tell me he is out of network, be he insists he is in..... and they want me to pay 120.... I don't mind, I'll pay, its just frustrating right now because I'm unsure of whats going on. He is supposed to call them and get things sorted on his end too. Hopefully soon

When I started seeing XT my co-pay was 25 bucks and insurance payed the rest. A couple years in I had to change insurance and my co pay then became 80 bucks and the rest covered by insurance. When I couldn't afford it-I just didn't go. I wouldn't ever make any kind of major sacrifice for therapy. I also didn't see a difference in the work myself or the therapist put into our sessions based on the amounts paid out. I haven't had a therapist since September and honestly I'm finding as time passes that I'm better off without a therapist because I was able to let a lot of stufff go and not be in my head so much. That's just me though. I can't speak for others.

[junkDNA]

T charges $100 I think. He gives me a 75% reduction so I pay $25 out of pocket

[junkDNA]

I go twice a week

T charges $95 a session, but he is in my insurance network, so I pay a $25 copay. I had no issues paying when I was going every 2 weeks, but now that I'm going weekly it's a little tight financially. I am blessed that I don't have to make any major sacrifices to go weekly though. The financial part doesn't influence how much work I'm putting into my therapy.

Also financially related, when I say that T is "retiring" in December, he isn't really. Just that he is no longer going to accept insurance as a way to "ease into retirement." Its working. I will not be able to to pay his full rate, so we will terminate at the end of the year.

I live in an expensive area of the US. One therapist charged me $180 and the other $200, both of them are reduced fees somewhat. I wanted to work with quite experienced Ts so this is what I can get here. I don't really have financial problems but there is only a certain amount I am willing to spend on therapy, more is simply not worth the cost in my system, and this is how I've agreed on reduced fee with both of them - either they accept it or I won't go. I have insurance but have only seen out-of-network therapists. My insurance reimburses theoretically 60% but in reality it's much less because the cutoff from which the reimbursement is calculated is around $120/session. There is also the deducible, which with my current insurance is $1200, so before my spending reaches that level each year, I pay the full fee myself (e.g. this year as I only go to sessions sporadically).

For me, therapy is not something I consider essential for my survival and well-being and I have many other priorities to spend money on. I also would not pay therapists this kind of money for many years, I went regularly for ~2 years and am not interested in doing that again right now. For me therapy is more some kind of hobby, exploration out of curiosity that I try to turn useful for specific purposes when I can, rather than an essential form of treatment. Hence the limits I set for myself around it.

[elisewin]

Thank you for your input. To me $200 sounds huge sum of money for a session. I am quite amazed. I thought my $95 was a lot! I do pay around $40 out of the pocket. Used to pay it all and then it meant sacrifices. Although I am in a situation it is a choice. I have some things I want to go through but it is not essential. Just makes me happier. I do have an amazing T!

[rainboots87]

I pay out of pocket $55 for 45 min or $70 for the hour. My deductible is like $5000 or $6000, so i don't bother using it for anything.

Previously, I paid $40 or $50 for someone on a sliding scale for almost the full hour, down from her usual $80. Started seeing her in college for free through university services.

Another T charged $125 for almost the full hour, but she was kind enough the start accepting insurance again (she used to be on my insurance's panel, so it was less work for her the get back in with them) so I could afford therapy. After my $500 deductible, I only paid $15 per session and she got barely half of her usual fee from insurance. I am so grateful that the worked with me even though she had to mess around with my stupid insurance company.

I'd like to think I work just as hard in therapy regardless of how much I'm paying. Right now, paying for therapy is a big sacrifice, but it's 100% worth it to me. I am trying to pay off student loans and save up to get my master's degree and also just afford life, but I make it work.

[toomanycats]

I pay $120 a session out of pocket but then file with my insurance to get reimbursed for some of it.

[stopdog]

I pay out of pocket. I don't like involving insurance companies in my choices. It has no bearing on how I approach therapy/therapists. It is not a financial sacrifice for me.

[skysblue]

My T charges $80.00 for a 50 minute session. I go weekly and sometimes have an extra session. So, sometimes $400.00 per month. But I only had to pay that for 2 years at the beginning. Then my insurance kicked in about 4 1/2 years ago and I pay nothing out of pocket now. I am very grateful for my 'free' therapy now.

How hard I work in therapy has had nothing to do with how much I pay. And I've always felt she deserved more than what I could pay her. Luckily, though, she didn't charge more because it would have prohibited my ability to access therapy.

Insurance pays the T organization. T receives wages from the organization.
Parents pay my insurance fees and deductible.

[ruh roh]

I pay out of pocket $150 hr and yes, it is tight, but I don't suffer from it financially. I do know that she offers a discount to others who pay out of pocket, but she has not offered this to me, so it does feel kind of bad.

[Sarmas]

I pay the way it makes sense to me. I pay $90 whochbis what she charges me. I take my therapy sessions seriously. I took it seriously when I paid $15 and now that I pay $90. I wouldn't be paying for it if I didn't need it. I'm somewhat more controlled when in therapy.

[nottrustin]

T bills $160 a session however, she receives $61 between my $20 copay and $41 from my insurance company. My copay is not an issue for me. I could probably pay the $61 but full price would be a sacrifice...i know t would not charge me that though.

[Amyjay]

My therapist charges $165 per session, but insurance pays for some.

I pay $70 after a 50% subsidy gained through being referred from the public healthcare system. I can afford it okay (in addition to all my other living expenses and bills) but I know people who've difficulty.

Due to it being public healthcare, I can only see T once a month due to her heavy caseload. There's also pressures against keeping patients in "long term" therapy. I am considered long term since I've had about 50 sessions. I'm lucky I was referred to this hospital outpatient psych clinic because some hospitals only do 8 - 10 sessions.

Before I was referred up, I had 4 sessions of solution-focused-brief-counselling in a clinic and it cost $30 a session but the price was some years back and it could have changed.

I pay $260 / session for my younger brother's private psychologist. I'll soon be seeing a counsellor (hopefully briefly) for LGBT-affirmative counselling and the fee will be $80/session.

[captgut]

My T's charge is about $30.
But I'm helping clinic's owner with SMM, so she doesn't charge me.
Sometimes i feel really guilty :/

I am honestly amazed at the low cost options described on this thread. I live in New York City in the US (for those that know what costs are meant here) and I never used therapy, or any mental health services, before moving here (I've lived in different places around the world before). Just saying this because, location is so important when considering all this.

[waterlogged]

My T charges $110, I pay in full and then I submit to insurance which covers 70%. But I go 4x/week so it adds up. I'm fortunate that it's not a financial hardship, and that my spouse is so supportive.