PAYING OUT-OF-POCKET

Some of the benefits to paying out-of-pocket for services are:

MORE ChOICE

Sometimes, people are referred to certain therapists by close friends (or someone they trust), but only to find out that therapist does not take their insurance. Often times, when you use your insurance to cover therapy, you are restricted to "in network providers."  Some insurance plans also limit the type of service you can receive and limit the number of sessions you can attend in a calendar year. Simply, paying for services out-of-pocket allows you to choose the therapist that you would like to see, with no added hassles of figuring out co-pays or in some cases getting pre-authorization for treatment.   A good Client-Therapist relationship is known to increase positive treatment outcomes. 

Greater CONFIDENTIALITY

Therapy often includes sensitive information that you may or may not want to be shared with others. In order to provide therapy services using insurance, at minimum, a therapist must submit a claim with a mental health diagnosis to ensure that services are "medically necessary." Many clients choose to pay out-of-pocket to keep their information private rather than have it recorded in their permanent health record.

NO CRITERIA

Some  families seek therapy due to poor communication or when relational difficulties come up.  Adults seeking Christian counseling are often wrestling with inner conflict. Some folks seek therapy as a preventative measure in order to learn new skills or prevent problems from getting worse. For these reasons and many others, individuals may not meet criteria for a mental health diagnosis. Paying out-of-pocket allows you seek therapy for personal growth.