Therapy Fees & Policies
Online Therapy in Ohio
Fees
Payment via credit card or ACH account
I only work with adult clients residing in Ohio due to licensing laws.
I offer 100% telehealth (no in-person sessions at this time).
Intake session (psychotherapy/diagnostic assessment): $200
Ongoing sessions:
$165 - 60 minutes
$123.75 - 45 minutes
$82.50 - 30 minutes
Extended session charges (cost per additional 15 minutes of time): $41.25
Policies
Flexible Financial Solutions Policy
I offer a range of flexible financial solutions to help make therapy with Liberation Pathways more accessible and affordable for clients who demonstrate financial hardship or agree to specific terms and conditions. These options include sliding scale adjusted fee tiers, limited-time discounts, commitment-based discounts, and diverse payment plans.
Clients must request these options and may need to provide proof of financial need. Adjustments are based on individual circumstances and require agreement to specific terms and conditions. Even if higher discounts cannot be offered, no client will be billed more than their current fee arrangement unless a new fee agreement is completed. For more detailed information on these options, please refer to the "Flexible Financial Solutions" page on my website or contact me directly.
Dynamic Fee Arrangement Policy: To support accessibility and affordability in therapy, I offer a dynamic fee arrangement based on monthly revenue assessments. This arrangement allows for temporary discounted fee adjustments for ALL active clients when my income meets or exceeds target goals.
Each month, I will review my revenue to determine the availability and extent of additional discounted rates for the following month. These temporary discounts will be applied to sessions completed during the specified month and will not roll over if unused.
Clients will be notified at least 30 days in advance of any fee adjustments. Regardless of discount availability, no client will be billed more than their current fee arrangement unless a new fee agreement is completed. This policy aims to provide financial flexibility while maintaining transparency and ensuring the sustainability of my practice.
For more detailed information on the dynamic fee arrangement, including the criteria for discounts and how they are applied, please refer to the "Flexible Financial Solutions" page on my website or contact me directly.
Mutual Cancellation Policy
Your time is just as valuable as my time. I have a 24-hour cancellation policy, with the exception of sudden, serious illness or emergency. You will be charged 50% of the session fee for late cancellations (cancelling between 2 and 24 hours before the appointment). You will be charged 100% of session fee for any cancellation less than 2 hours or missed appointments “no-show” with no notice. If I cancel within 24-hours and it’s not due to serious illness or emergency, your next session is waived/free. Because I do understand and experience myself that situations can occur beyond our control or someone could just be having an “off” day, I offer a one-time per year “forgiveness waiver” for late cancellations or missed appointments.
*PLEASE NOTE: Any late request to shorten the duration of a scheduled visit (i.e., changing from a 1-hour session to a 45-minute or 30-minute session) within 2 to 24 hours before the visit will still be billed for the rate of the original appointment duration. You MUST make changes with more than 24 hours’ notice for rate adjustments to apply.
Late Arrivals: Please note that late arrivals will not be prorated, meaning the full session fee applies regardless of the time spent in the session, except in cases where I am late and we are unable to extend the session time to a full session. Refer to your consent agreement paperwork to review more details.
Here are other resources that offer more affordable therapy services and/or accept insurance, including possible mental health funds and/or scholarships options:
Mental Health of America of Ohio - https://mhaohio.org/get-help/pro-bono-counseling/ (Offers short-term counseling (12 sessions or less) at no cost to Franklin County residents, and connects those who do not qualify to other community resources.)
OpenCounseing - https://blog.opencounseling.com/public-mental-health-oh/
Local ADAMH Board - https://mha.ohio.gov/community-partners/adamh-boards
Ohio Care Line - https://mha.ohio.gov/get-help/get-help-now/ohio-careline
Ohio Mental Health Resource Guides (By County) - https://u.osu.edu/cphp/ohio-mental-health-resource-guides/#:~:text=The%20Center%20for%20Public%20Health,Mental%20Health%20Awareness%20Training%20grant
The following organizations offer short-term funds for therapy at least once a year for individuals holding marginalized identities:
The Loveland Foundations - https://thelovelandfoundation.org/therapy-fund/
Mental Health Liberation BIPOC Fund - https://mentalhealthliberation.org/bipoc-therapy-fund/
NQTTCN Mental Health Fund - https://nqttcn.com/en/mental-health-fund/
DMHS Free Therapy & Wellness - https://dmhsus.org/dmhs-free-therapy/
Asian Mental Health Collective Lotus Fund - https://www.asianmhc.org/lotus-therapy-fund/#
Asian Mental Health Project Mental Health Access Fund - https://www.asianmentalhealthproject.com/grants
Free Black Therapy - https://www.freeblacktherapy.org/home (I am planning to join as a therapist to open up 1-2 additional spots for my services)
Insurance Policy
Liberation Pathways Therapy is considered a “self or private pay” practice, and I do not currently accept or work with insurance or EAP companies directly but can provide a monthly receipt (known as a “superbill”) for you to submit to insurance if you have eligible out-of-network (OON) benefits. It is your responsibility to verify your insurance benefits, including coverage for out-of-network providers & treatment options. Payment of deductibles and co-payments are your responsibility whether your insurance company reimburses you for our services through your OON benefits.
KEEP IN MIND: If you choose to use your eligible OON benefits to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider, it will likely require us to complete a full psychiatric/diagnostic evaluation to assess for and identify any relevant diagnoses for your services. This is typically needed so that any billing receipts or superbills that I provide to you will require specific clinical information in order to be considered for reimbursement. Please refer to the consent agreements to review expanded details & guidance.
Insurance Out of Network Benefits
If you have Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) insurance that offers OON benefits, you may receive reimbursement after meeting your deductible (not guaranteed). In most cases, to receive reimbursement for out-of-network services by a provider requires that you have a PPO insurance plan. Every plan has different levels of deductible and reimbursement rates, and the amount of money you get back will depend upon your individual plan. To learn exactly what your benefits are, you can check the online portal of your insurance company or call them directly. Alternatively, if you get your insurance through your work, you can reach out to your HR representative, who may be able to provide benefit info.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans typically do not offer OON benefits. It is your responsibility to verify your insurance benefits. Click on the “Use Your Insurance” button to verify your OON benefits with Reimbursify.
Resources For OON Benefits
Reimbursify will submit the insurance reimbursement paperwork for you. If you have private health insurance make sure to file your claims using the Reimbursify app.
Check out this resource for guidance on “out-of-network” benefits https://www.thesuperbill.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-out-of-network-reimbursement
DID YOU KNOW…
…that you may be able to claim tax deductions for non-reimbursed, out-of-pocket expenses for psychotherapy? Medical expenses are tax deductible, and the IRS considers therapy that is used for the treatment of “disease”, (which would require a mental health or psychiatric diagnosis) as tax deductible. See the below resources and/or consult with a tax professional for more information, guidance, and assistance.
https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/health-care/can-i-claim-medical-expenses-on-my-taxes/L1htkVqq9
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc502
Some Reasons Why I Don’t Accept Insurance
This difficult decision was made primarily based on my personal and professional values to work towards challenging and dismantling oppressive systems while making it possible for me to provide personalized care and support to my clients while supporting my own living, health and wellness needs. My goal with my fees and insurance policy is for any person seeking my service to feel that the care and support they are receiving is an investment in themselves and truly valuable. Both you as a client and myself will feel more freedom and choice in what we do with your time and treatment because there are fewer people saying what is and is not allowed. No one should get to decide whether you are deserving of receiving the kind of support, care, and healing you are looking for if you cannot get it anywhere else. I welcome all questions and concerns during consultation.
Listed below are a few of the reasons why I do not accept insurance:
Session Limits
Insurance companies can limit the number of sessions you are allowed. Because you are not using insurance, you are not limited to a certain duration of treatment.
Confidentiality Exceptions
Insurance companies can request access to your treatment plan, progress, and therapy notes. Sometimes having a mental health diagnosis can impact life insurance or future employment.
Diagnosing
To bill your insurance company, a therapist needs to diagnose you with a mental illness. Any documented mental health treatment filed through your insurance company will go on your medical record. Because you are not using insurance, a therapist does not have to give you a formal diagnosis. Also, most insurance providers will only cover mental health treatment with a valid diagnosis; this means if you do not meet the symptom criteria under the most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), your provider could deny coverage completely or deny coverage for specific treatment or therapeutic options. For example, if you do not meet the criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), certain trauma-based therapeutic treatment options, i.e., EMDR, may not be covered by your insurance provider.
Reasons Some Clients Don’t Use Insurance
To protect your confidentiality
No limit to how many sessions you can attend
No restriction for online therapy /telehealth
No clinical diagnosis on your medical record (privacy)
Choosing a therapist who is the best fit for you and your needs (e.g. a relationship or trauma specialist)
Ability to continue with your current therapist even if you lose insurance or change insurance or job
Wanting to see a therapist as soon as possible without waiting several weeks or months (access and immediacy)
More choice around therapy length, type, treatment, and approaches
Individualized attention, thought, and care. I have more time to prepare for sessions (supervision, consultation, reviewing notes, attending workshops, reading books).
No Surprise Act & Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Beginning January 1, 2022, federal law requires health care practitioners to provide current and potential clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) on the cost of treatment.
This new law is designed to provide transparency to clients regarding their expected medical expenses and to protect them from surprises when they receive their medical bills.
At my current rates, if you’re seeking weekly therapy, you can expect to pay from $660 to $715 per month. If you’re seeking bi-weekly therapy, you can expect to pay about $330 per month. Annual estimates: $1980 - $8,580
You may prefer finding a therapist who accepts insurance rather than paying out of pocket.
"This information (regarding my schedule of fees above) is required by the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, which regulates the practices of professional counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in this state."
CSWMFT Board Contact Info:
Address: 77 S High St 24th Floor, Room 2468, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-0912