COUNSELING TAKES A COMMITMENT OF TIME AND FINANCES
But it’s also a place to find healing and hope.
I work with people to laser-focus on what they need and where they’re going, so we don’t intend on spending years together tip-toeing around looking for solutions.
If you’ve made the decision to work with me, you’re ready to get down to business. And I am too. Most of my clients benefit from a short-term treatment approach (typically around 18-20 sessions, spread between weekly, bi-weekly, and eventually monthly appointments).
We maximize our short time together by:
Coming up with objective and measurable goals at your first appointment.
Using questionnaires, assessments, and sometimes “homework” assignments between appointments to keep you on track.
Learning from those assignments outside the session to look at real results.
Simple, transparent pricing.
Counseling shouldn’t come with surprises about what you’re going to pay.
$125 per session.
Revive Christian Counseling operates on a private-pay basis and does not bill insurance.
Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flex Spending Account (FSA) payments are accepted.
The Pitfalls of Using Insurance
A lot of people use their insurance benefits to pay for counseling services because it provides an economical way to get the help you need. And if you have health insurance, you may have never even considered paying out of pocket for counseling services. However, I believe in transparency and feel there are some things you should know about when using insurance and what you’ve giving up for the cost of that co-pay.
1. If you use insurance, I have to give you a diagnosis.
It’s not exactly common knowledge outside of mental health providers, but insurance companies require a diagnosis so they can decide if they’ll pay for your counseling services or not. You read that right. Your insurance company gets to pick and choose if they’ll pay based on what I tell them about you. This means I have to give you a diagnosis, whether you really need it or not. Coming in because you’re dealing with Grif over losing a loved one? You may get diagnosed with “major depressive disorder”. Struggling in a new relationship? You could get an “adjustment disorder” diagnosis.
2. Your diagnosis can follow you.
If diagnosed, as mentioned above, this diagnosis may follow you. There may be times on job applications or membership forms where you’re asked: “Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental health condition”?
Counseling isn’t a bad thing, but there’s still some stigma around it, even with potential employers. In many cases, there is no statute of limitations for mental health disorder diagnoses, meaning they could follow you forever as a “pre-existing condition”. Paying out of pocket doesn’t require such a diagnosis.
3. Health insurance companies can choose your provider for you.
If you’re using insurance, you’ll likely only be able to see providers who have a contract with your insurance company. If your plan is with a major insurance company, this may not be a problem if there’s a vast network of providers available. However, things change. Life and job situations change. If you’re working with a provider who is In-Network with your insurance provider, and then you get a new job and switch insurance mid-treatment to a new company that your counselor is not contracted with, you’ll be stuck deciding if you should find a new provider in your network, or paying out of pocket anyway.
4. Your time and treatment can be controlled by the insurance company.
Insurance companies get to determine the time intervals they'll cover and the treatment models they’ll accept. This isn’t a big deal if what you’re going through isn’t too severe and can be wrapped up in twelve sessions or less. Sometimes, that’s the case. But what if you need a longer treatment period? What if it lasts six months? Again, you’ll be paying privately.
For some, paying with insurance is unavoidable, whether financially or for other reasons. However, paying privately allows you to keep your own information secure. No diagnosis or label is required, and the only person dictating your level of care and length of counseling is you.
While the idea of paying a full rate for insurance can certainly seem daunting, I work to make services as affordable as possible. My rate is $125 per session. This rate falls well below the regional average for services.