Private-Pay Care and Equitable Access
Care That Belongs to You
Private psychotherapy grounded in autonomy, dignity, and shared responsibility.
Whole Wellness Counseling is a private-pay psychotherapy practice and does not submit claims to insurance companies.
Some clients choose private pay because they value greater autonomy in selecting their therapist, determining the direction of treatment, and deciding whether to involve a health plan in their care.
I also recognize that access to private psychotherapy is shaped by income, wealth, family resources, caregiving responsibilities, debt, disability, discrimination, and many other circumstances.
Privacy, choice, and high-quality trauma care should not be reserved only for those with the greatest financial access. For this reason, Whole Wellness Counseling maintains a limited, self-selected sliding-scale fee structure.
Session Fees
Standard Fee
$225
This rate reflects the full cost of providing experienced, specialized clinical care and sustaining a small private practice.
This tier may be appropriate when you:
- Can meet your basic needs consistently
- Have stable income, savings, assets, or access to a financial safety net
- Have discretionary income after meeting your responsibilities
- Can pay the standard fee without delaying healthcare or compromising essential needs
- Receive professional-development, wellness, or other financial support that may be used for care
Supported Fee
$175
This rate may be appropriate when your basic needs are generally secure, but the standard fee would create significant financial pressure or make consistent therapy difficult to sustain.
This tier may fit when you:
- Have moderate or variable income
- Carry substantial debt or caregiving responsibilities
- Support children, elders, or other dependents
- Have limited savings or family financial support
- Could pay the standard fee only by reducing important but non-emergency expenses
- Need a reduced rate to participate in consistent treatment
Community Access Fee
$125
A limited number of spaces are reserved at this rate for clients whose access to therapy would otherwise be significantly restricted.
This tier may be appropriate when paying a higher rate would compete with:
- Housing
- Food
- Healthcare or medication
- Childcare
- Transportation
- Personal safety
- Essential debt obligations
- Disability-related needs
- Other basic living expenses
Community Access spaces are limited and may not always be available.
Choosing Your Fee
You will not be asked to submit tax returns, pay stubs, or proof of hardship.
Instead, I ask each client to consider her complete financial circumstances and select the highest rate she can sustain without compromising essential needs.
This structure depends upon shared honesty and responsibility. Choosing the highest sustainable fee helps Whole Wellness Counseling preserve lower-fee openings for clients with fewer financial resources.
Income is only one part of financial access. You may also consider:
- Savings, investments, property, or inherited wealth
- Access to family assistance or another financial safety net
- Dependents and caregiving responsibilities
- Medical, disability-related, immigration, or legal expenses
- Student loans and other significant debt
- Stability or unpredictability of income
- The effects of systemic barriers and discrimination
- Your ability to sustain weekly or regularly scheduled therapy over time
The Same Care at Every Fee Level
Your fee does not determine the quality of your treatment.
- Clinical attention and preparation
- Access to appropriate therapeutic methods
- Respect for privacy and autonomy
- Thoughtful treatment planning
- Professional and ethical care
Paying a higher fee does not provide preferential scheduling, additional clinical access, or a different therapeutic relationship.
Paying a reduced fee does not make your care less valuable or your place in the practice less secure.
Fee Reviews
Sliding-scale arrangements are reviewed approximately every six months.
A review does not mean that your rate will automatically increase or that a reduced-fee arrangement will expire. It creates an opportunity for us to discuss whether your circumstances or the sustainability of the arrangement have changed.
Your fee may move upward or downward by mutual agreement. Any change will be discussed with you and confirmed in writing before it takes effect.
You are welcome to raise financial concerns at any point in treatment. Conversations about money are part of creating a transparent and respectful therapeutic relationship.
Availability of Reduced-Fee Spaces
Because Whole Wellness Counseling is a small private practice, the number of Supported and Community Access openings is limited.
I will be honest about what is currently available rather than inviting you to begin care at a rate that is not sustainable for either of us.
When reduced-fee spaces are filled, you may choose to:
- Join a waitlist
- Begin at another available fee level
- Receive referrals to lower-cost therapists or community resources
Private Pay and Insurance
Whole Wellness Counseling does not submit insurance claims.
You may request documentation for possible out-of-network reimbursement. A superbill generally includes information requested by a health plan, which may include a diagnosis, dates of service, procedure codes, and the amount you actually paid.
Submitting a superbill involves sharing information with your health plan. Reimbursement is determined by your insurer and is not guaranteed.
Choosing not to use insurance does not mean that psychotherapy is anonymous or undocumented. Whole Wellness Counseling maintains clinical records in accordance with professional and legal requirements.
Good Faith Estimates
Before beginning treatment, you will receive written information about your agreed session fee and anticipated cost of care.
Your estimate will reflect the rate that we have agreed upon and the expected frequency of therapy based on the information available at that time. It may be updated if your fee, session frequency, or treatment plan changes.
Beginning Therapy
You do not need to prove your worthiness for care or disclose your full financial or personal history during an initial inquiry.
A brief consultation gives us an opportunity to discuss what you are seeking from therapy, whether my clinical expertise appears to fit your needs, current appointment availability, your preferred fee tier, private-pay and privacy considerations, and the next steps for beginning treatment.