For clients looking to work with me, please know that I do not accept insurance.
I want to explain why here.
First and foremost, one of my favorite quotes sums up my feelings about therapy, “If you want to impress someone, make it complicated. If you want to help someone, make it simple.” said by an online business coach, James Wedmore, on his podcast . My goal in my work is to simply help my clients reach empowerment, connection and alignment in their lives. I believe that this takes an even energy exchange of money, time and dedication on both of our parts in this relationship. It is a simple relationship and an even energy exchange. As many clients may not know, insurance grossly complicates the relationship between client and practitioner.
Here are my reasons for not taking insurance below.
- Time
In my experience, the world of insurance is complicated and limiting. The work required on the therapist’s end to meet the strict criteria of insurance demands hours and hours of the therapist’s time. I would need another employee dedicated to dealing with insurance alone, or to be backed by an agency to help with the added burden of managing insurance. I do not have the desire to work in that system.
2. Intervention approval
Another example of the limitations of insurance is the type of interventions they will approve, based on the notes written by the therapist. This means that I would not be able to serve my clients with many interventions that would not be covered by insurance that I find to be healing, such as Reiki, meditation and mindfulness practice, spirituality and more. I don’t want to be in a box professionally, and I want to offer the best of me and my clinical and intuitive healing skills in the therapeutic relationship.
3. Diagnosing after 1 session
Your insurance company will only approve a certain number of sessions, based on your diagnosis. There are strengths and limitations of new laws governing insurance companies and mental health diagnoses. I think it is important for people to be aware of mental health diagnoses and the strengths or stigma they can provide. For some, a diagnosis can be very freeing and give direction to treatment, and ultimately be healing. For others, a diagnosis is limiting and damaging. Did you know that your diagnosis code is in your insurance provider’s software, up near your name and DOB? Those codes follow you around everywhere. If you receive a diagnosis, you should be aware of its meaning and implications. The type of insurance-approved interventions are also dependent upon your mental health diagnosis. I don’t think any person fits in a box as determined by insurance, and I don’t want to have to pick my interventions based on your diagnosis and wonder if your insurance will reimburse for each intervention.
The way in which the diagnoses in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition) have been considered is less than hopeful. In short, the diagnoses of DSM’s past have been reworked into a new model that attempt to make them easier to understand, but have in fact undermined much of the work done by generations before. And this is important, because insurance currently accepts these codes in their reimbursement for services.
All in all, insurance is a very difficult system for mental health professionals to navigate and manage. I want to be working with clients, helping you see your potential, working out issues that arise in your life. I want to be embodying my authentic self. I want to provide the best intervention for each individual. I do not operate in a box. I am free, and so are you. Insurance takes away the free flow of treatment for both therapist and client. For these reasons, I am deciding that I want to pursue my work without the hindrance of insurance. I hope that all of my clients are excited about the prospect of our work together, and understand and respect my decision.
I look forward to continuing on my path toward helping my clients feel more empowered, connected, and aligned every day.
