Are you facing post-partum depression (PPD)?

Are you stressed or anxious because of the ongoing COVID pandemic?

Though there are multiple self-help therapies available online, but sometimes, you are unable to control your thoughts and need professional help.

When you visit a clinic for getting professional help, you get a huge bill for the services.

Therefore, you tend to withdraw from the program and keep on suffering from mental health issues.

The cost is the biggest hindrance in getting professional help on mental issues.

In this article, I will discuss the cost of therapy in the USA and how you can work around to get the needed therapy to improve your mental health.

So, let’s find out.

Which Professionals Provide Mental Health Treatment?

• Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are allowed to prescribe medications to their patients. They do a proper diagnosis of the illness, prescribe medication, and also provide a range of therapies for complex and serious mental illness.
• Psychologist: A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology but cannot prescribe medications. Licensed psychologists focus on providing counseling and psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients with mental disorders.
• Licensed clinical social worker (MSW): A clinical social worker is not a doctor but has a master’s degree in social work. They are trained to evaluate and treat mental illnesses.
• Licensed mental health counselor: Mental health counselor has a master’s degree in psychology or counseling. They can also evaluate and treat patients with mental disorders.
• Psychiatric or mental health nurse: These nurses are trained to provide mental health services and can do psychotherapy too. They can work in places like this drug detox in South Florida center.

Average Cost of Therapy

In the USA, there is no set industry standard of therapy costs therefore; it may vary from doctor-to-doctor or state-to-state. Therapy cost varies from $65 per hour to $250 or more. In most of the cities, for a session of 30-45 minutes, you will be asked to pay around $75 to $150 but in New York City, the cost goes to more than $200 per session. Mostly you are asked to visit every week so the cost per year goes to a minimum of $3,600. Though web therapy is a lot cheaper, for example, Talk space, an online therapy forum charges $32 per week.

Factors that Determine the Cost of Therapy

• The therapist’s training:  A highly qualified and trained therapist with a good number of years of experience may charge more.
• The location of therapy: If a therapist is located in large metropolitan areas, they might charge more to cover up their location expenditure.
• The therapist’s reputation: A highly demanded or well-known therapist may charge more for their therapies.
• Insurance coverage: If your insurance covers your therapy then you are required to pay little or no money for therapies.
• Length of the therapy session: If you are required to have a longer session of therapy, then you may require paying more.

How much does Therapy Cost with Insurance?

With insurance, people get some coverage for therapy. The only challenge is that you are required to choose a therapist within the insurance provider network. Some insurance companies also require to have a mental health diagnosis, or to get doctor’s recommendation for treatment from a psychiatrist. Such criteria force people to opt to pay for their therapy out-of-pocket. But if you opt for insurance, mostly you are required to pay a co-payment and that is mostly more or less $50.

How to Pay for Therapy?

As you read above, that therapy is pretty expensive and most of us may tend to skip it just because it is costly. But there are workarounds to get the help you need. Following are some ways where you can opt for affordable therapy sessions: 

1.   Online Therapy

Though online therapy is debatable and it is perceived as less effective than face-to-face session. It is still affordable form of therapy. Online therapy costs around $32 per week. This is less because they don’t have high overhead costs as in-office therapist may have.

If you are looking for online therapy sessions then you can check BetterHelp. They are offering individual, couple and teenage counseling through live sessions on their platform. You can use SMS messages, live chat sessions, telephone therapy, audio therapy, and face-to-face video sessions with board-certified therapists. They are of great help in the current pandemic situation as online therapy is safer and better. The sessions with BetterHelp will cost $40-70 per week.

2.   Sliding scales

Most therapist offer sliding scales for patients who pay out of pocket or cannot afford therapy without some discounts. It is important that you ask your therapist about discounts when you meet for initial evaluation. They can offer discounts as much as 30% below the self-pay rate.

3.   Schools or Universities Often Offer Discounted or Free Therapy

If you are a student, you may get therapy sessions at discounted price. Some institutes even allows you to see a therapist twice a month for a total of ten sessions at no cost, after which you’ll be referred out to an affiliated and affordable professional in the area.

4.   Be direct about stating what you can pay

As other professionals, therapists also take pro-bono patients too. This means that the patient will not be charged for any therapy session.

5.   Look into Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Some employers offer EAPs that includes short-term counseling and therapies for staff and their families

6.   Try group therapy

If you feel comfortable to share your session with other people also looking for therapy (as this Alcohol Rehab in South Florida), then you can try group therapy sessions and pay half what you would for individual sessions.

Now, you know the workarounds to get affordable therapy to improve your mental health. So beat the fees and get the help you deserve. In this pandemic situation where staying indoors is safer, do give online therapy a try and you will definitely see the results.