Equity Pricing Model
Money can be an activating/ awkward conversation - so why I am bringing it into therapy?
Well... I am a self-employed therapist, which means:
1) I want to provide accessible care for people without having to capitulate to the demands of the mental health industrial complex. This means inviting people into a collaborative, reciprocal relationship based in choice and trust. This is why I ask clients to consider their intersecting identities, their budgets, and the frequency in which they would like to be seen.
2) I have to cover all my living expenses and pay self-employment taxes (which means I get taxed twice - since employers cover 1/2 of the tax burden for their employees).
3) I don't have access to employer or spousal health insurance. I don't get sick time or paid time off. I don't have anyone paying into a 401k or retirement.
4) Individual therapy might have us believe that our issues are personal and disconnected from wider systems. I don't move that way. I believe we're all connected - ecologically as well as financially. So, when people who can afford it, select a rate towards the top of my pricing range, they are supporting the folks who are able to select a rate towards the middle or lower end of my range.
My rates are $150 – $70, though I have 2 spots left for pro-bono folks (who are experiencing the fourth jar). While I do not accept insurance, I can accept HSA and FSA as well as all major credit cards. If You have out-of-network benefits, I can generate reimbursement documentation (called "super bills") that You can submit to Your insurance.
With that, You may:
Consider investing less if You…
Are supporting dependents, have medical expenses not covered by insurance or will be uninsured, have immigration-related expenses, are an elder with limited financial support, are an unpaid community organizer, have experienced incarceration, have limited ability to work due to chronic illness or are descended from enslaved people or Native American First Nation people.
Consider investing more if You…
Have investments, retirement accounts or inherited money, have access to savings, family money, and resources in times of need, have out-of-network insurance reimbursement for medical expenses, work part-time or are unemployed by choice, have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education, regularly travel, engage in recreation activities, or subscribe to streaming services, arts or sports events.
You’re welcome to adjust anytime You experience a life-circumstance changes as well. If You’d like to talk this through and/or do any work around this in our sessions, that is welcome.