One of the questions I get asked by many new clients is, “What exactly is the benefit of self-pay.” So, I will take some time in this article to outline some of the often-overlooked benefits of self pay therapist.
The benefits of seeing a self-pay therapist might surprise you. Often, seeing a self-pay therapist is more private and confidential; a diagnosis is not required, the therapeutic process can be more tailored to what you need from therapy, and appointment scheduling and appointment lengths can be much more flexible than what insurance would allow. Sometimes the out-of-pocket cost is actually less for the client.
Keep reading for a deeper dive into these advantages of self-pay therapy and to see if a self-pay therapist is best for you.
Benefits of Self Pay Therapy: It Provides Greater Confidentiality/Privacy
One of the unfortunate parts of seeking therapy through insurance is that we, as therapists, need to provide some of your personal information to insurance companies. If you use insurance, your therapist must share your diagnosis and treatment plan with your insurance company. Unfortunately, a mental health diagnosis is something that will often follow you around in your medical records.
Depending on what you do for work or what you are starting therapy for, that may not be something you are okay with. If you are in the military, police, or even upper-level management, you may want to consider the benefits of self pay therapy carefully. The extra levels of privacy and a lack of diagnosis can make sure you get the help you need without people knowing your personal business.
If you pay for counseling out-of-pocket, you have more control over who knows about your sessions and diagnoses.
For the people that I see who use the benefits self-pay, I always let them know that I do not need to provide a diagnosis to them if they do not want one. Despite the best efforts of us counselors, there continues to be a stigma that comes with diagnoses. There is another way to get the help and support you need without feeling like you are being labeled.
Self-Pay Therapy Gives You More Control Over the Counseling Process
When you pay for mental health therapy yourself, you have more control over the type and frequency of the counseling sessions you receive. Unfortunately, there are times when an insurance company will dictate what types of therapy a mental health therapist can provide to their client. As you can imagine, this can be pretty frustrating when an outside party tells you what will be most helpful for YOUR LIFE.
One of the benefits of Self pay therapy is that it can allow you to control what you are getting for treatment. You can work with your therapist to create a treatment plan that meets your needs and goals without worrying about insurance restrictions or limitations.
Much like the first section, having someone tell you how your therapy should go or feeling like someone else has their nose in your business doesn’t always feel good. A big benefit of self pay therapy is the therapust can let you take some of that control back.
Out-of-Pocket Therapy Allows For More Flexibility
Many times, cash-based clinicians can be more flexible with their therapy services when it comes to meeting your needs. Want to meet more than one time a week? No problem! Want to meet for more than an hour, because that is what you need? No problem!
Some insurance providers still do not cover online therapy and other remote mental health care services. If access to telehealth therapy is something you value, this may be something to consider.
Insurance companies are the ones that decided therapy can only be one session a week and can only last for 30, 45, or 60 minutes. If you would like the flexibility to have something a bit outside of that box, cash may be the best way to go.
There are self-paying counselors out there who are willing to see you more frequently, or maybe even for longer appointments. I have heard of some people doing 2-hour sessions! It never hurts to ask! With the people I see through New Perspectives Counseling Services LLC, my priority is meeting clients where they are. If they feel like they want less frequent but longer sessions, we find a way to make that happen.
Out-of-Pocket Therapy Has, Potentially, Lower Overall Costs
The deductible is one of the most annoying parts of any insurance. With almost every insurance plan, there is an amount you need to pay yourself before your insurance plan will begin to cover services. This is the deductible. If you have not met your deductible when you start therapy, you will be responsible for paying the full rate for your session. This can come as a surprise to a lot of people.
If you are using health insurance and your deductible is not met, as therapists, our hands are tied. Insurance companies require that we MUST charge that amount.
One of the ways many self-pay therapists will try to help is by providing a sliding scale that will lower how much you might need to pay per session based on your financial situation. If you are reaching out to a self-pay therapist on Psychology Today to begin sessions, it never hurts to ask about a sliding scale.
In some cases, for people that have insurance with a high deductible, paying out of pocket may actually mean you pay less in the long run. Read this article to learn more about the average cost of therapy.
When Is It Better To Find A Therapist That is In-Network With Your Insurance?
There are many benefits of self pay therapy, but it will not be the best option for everyone. There are some insurance plans out there that do not have a deductible for therapy, or the deductible is very low. If that is your insurance, then it probably makes sense to be looking for a therapist that is in-network because your insurance will cover the expenses.
Usually, what I will tell people is this:
At the end of the day, if you have insurance benefits that help you out, I want you to be able to use those! You need to make the decision that is best for you. Sometimes, that will be finding a clinician that accepts your insurance. If it makes sense, use your insurance!
How I Aim To Serve Out-of-Pocket Clients
For the clients I work with here at New Perspectives Counseling Services LLC, my number one goal is adapting to people’s needs no matter what they might be and helping them take the steps they need to get to the life that they want. I primarily work with people on an out-of-pocket basis because that is how I feel I can best meet the needs of my clients.
For many, I have found that the additional privacy of information, the fact that no diagnosis is required for treatment, and the additional flexibility have helped many clients to achieve the life that they have wanted for themselves.
Can an Out-of-Network Therapist Help?
In addition to self-pay, we have also worked with clients on an “Out of Network” basis. It is a bit confusing, but this is how it works:
There are some insurance companies that allow you to see a therapist of your choice that is not in their network. If you are wondering if this is possible for you, go ahead and contact your insurance. When you see an out-of-network therapist, you need to pay for the service upfront, but the clinician will provide you with what is called a superbill.
You would then bring that superbill to your insurance (if they allow you to see an out-of-network provider), and then they will reimburse you a certain amount. Depending on your insurance, they may reimburse as low as half of the costs, but in most cases they will reimburse it all.
This does have more privacy than in-network counseling, because no treatment plans are sent to the insurance company (unless that insurance company requests this). However, something to keep in mind is they will still require a diagnosis for their billing purposes. So, this option has a bit more privacy than in-network, but not as much as out-of-pocket.
If your insurance allows it, an out-of-network provider can be a great way to get the care you want and deserve with some of the additional benefits discussed above.
Final Thoughts
Paying for therapy out-of-pocket comes with a surprising amount of benefits that are worth considering. It can be more private, no diagnosis is needed, you can be more in control of what type of therapy you would like to receive, there can be more flexibility with scheduling and length of sessions, and it can sometimes even be more cost-effective.
Depending on the type of insurance you have, you may be able to get some of the self-pay benefits while still using some of your insurance benefits by seeing an out-of-network provider. If you have questions about which option would be right for you, I would be more than happy to talk with you and help you ultimately find what is going to suit your situation best.
If you live in Maine and are interested in starting therapy, I would love to hear from you and get you scheduled for a free 15-minute phone call where we can discuss what you are hoping to get from therapy and if I am the right guy to help you with that.
Until next time,
