Why don’t any therapists accept insurance?

GREED!

Not really, but that's what I thought when I was looking for a therapist in my early 20s. It's unfortunately much more complicated than that. 

If you have ever tried to file a medical claim with your insurance, you probably already know insurance companies are fraught with problems and appear to place your health and sanity very low on the priority list, and instead appear to be trying to pay as little as possible. They treat providers (therapists) the same way. When therapists are paid very little by insurance panels (or sometimes, paid late, or not at all) they need to take on more clients in order to do things like pay rent and sustain a practice. Taking on more clients means there is simply less space in your head to hold each client, and means you are more prone to burning out or slipping in the quality of services you can provide.

Insurances also limit what they will cover by judging what they deem “medically necessary” and sometimes limit the number of sessions they are willing to pay for. As a provider, I have an ethical obligation to prioritize what is best for you, the client– not what is least expensive for insurances. 

The bottom line is therapy has value, and therefore has a cost. This is the way that I have set up my practice so that I can be sure I'm giving every client I see the best of me as a clinician and as a person. You will always have the right to decide if this service is worth it to you, and can also decide it isn't right for you at any time. I’m happy to talk more about how I set my fees on a consultation call.