What Does Self-Pay Therapy Cover?

Our standard self-pay rate is $200 per standard 53-minute individual session. Other individual-session lengths are billed in proportion to that rate; couples, family, and group sessions are priced separately. Self-pay clients receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.

With self-pay therapy, the fee can support more than the scheduled psychotherapy hour. Depending on the client’s needs and the clinician’s practice, it may also account for professional work that happens before, after, and between sessions — such as reviewing prior sessions, treatment planning, preparing individualized materials, coordinating care, reviewing information a client shares between visits, and considering how treatment should adapt over time.

A self-pay therapy fee reflects the full cost of providing psychotherapy — not simply the minutes spent in the appointment. Depending on the practice and the client’s needs, that may include clinical preparation, documentation, treatment planning, consultation, care coordination, individualized resources, secure technology, administrative support, and the clinician’s professional expertise.

When clinically appropriate, work between sessions may involve reviewing information the client has been asked to provide, coordinating with other professionals with authorization, preparing individualized materials, or responding to limited clinically relevant communication. What occurs outside sessions depends on clinical need, clinician judgment, and consent. Self-pay does not mean unlimited texting, on-demand clinician availability, or unlimited between-session work.

Before the session, clinically thoughtful psychotherapy may involve reviewing previous themes, considering treatment goals, reviewing relevant assessment information, preparing interventions or resources, and thinking through what should be prioritized next. After the session, it may involve documenting the encounter, updating the treatment formulation, identifying emerging patterns, selecting resources or exercises, and determining how the next session should build on the previous one.