Self-Pay Counseling

If you do not have insurance, prefer not to use your insurance benefits, or your plan is not accepted, self-pay counseling is available at $150 per 53-minute session.

Choosing to self-pay allows you to access counseling without going through your insurance plan. This may be a good option if you value greater privacy around your mental health care, do not want a diagnosis or treatment information submitted to your insurance, or simply prefer not to use your insurance benefits.

Investment: $150 per 53-minute session

If you are unsure whether insurance or self-pay is the right option for you, I’m happy to help you understand your choices before getting started.

   Insurance-Based Counseling

If you have the following, you may be able to use your insurance benefits for counseling services:

• Aetna, 

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), 

• Cigna/Evernorth, or 

• UnitedHealthcare

You can set up an initial consultation through Headway to check your benefits, insurance eligibility, and get started with scheduling.

Ready to get started?
Schedule an Initial Consultation through Headway

Please note that insurance coverage and benefits vary by individual plan. Headway can help verify your coverage before your first appointment.

Out-of-Network Billing

Health insurance often provides some coverage for mental health services and I encourage use of all your resources to pay for therapy. Note that not all insurance plans are currently accepted. However, if  you have an insurance plan that offers “out of network coverage”, you can submit a "superbill" that I will provide upon request, to apply for a partial reimbursement through your insurance company. A "superbill" is a specialized invoice, which includes the procedure coding, diagnosis coding and session dates that your insurance carrier will need to reimburse you. In this arrangement, you are responsible for full payment of my fees rather than your insurance company. Please check with your insurance before beginning therapy to see what type of reimbursement you can expect.  

Effective January 1, 2022, laws regulating client care have been updated to include the “No Surprises” act, which requires a wide variety of providers to give current and potential future clients a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) on the cost of treatment. Per the law, a provider must furnish a self-pay patient with the notice and GFE prior to all scheduled services, or by request if the patient is shopping for care (and not yet at the point of scheduling). This includes, but is not limited to, office visits, therapy, diagnostic tests, infusions, and surgeries.

Who qualifies as a self-pay patient?

A provider’s duty to provide notice and a GFE applies to a self-pay patient, i.e., an individual who (1) does not have insurance benefits for an item or service under a group health plan, group or individual health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer, federal healthcare program, or a health benefits plan; or (2) chooses not to use his or her coverage benefit for the item or service.

In many ways, this regulation protects patients from discovering, after they receive care, that they owe a massive medical bill for un-covered services. This makes sense from a medical point of view – we are all aware of the struggles a patient can go through after discovering their insurance does not cover some services or providers. For example, if an out-of-network provider gives post-surgical care at an in-network hospital, the patient could end up with a big out-of-pocket expense that comes as a complete surprise.

However, therapy is a different form of service where it is often difficult to provide an estimate of how long it may take to process trauma, address anxiety, or minimize depression. There are a number of variables that make it nearly impossible to quantify what will be needed. And there is no way to give a “good faith estimate” on whether or not a client will want to return for a follow-up. In an effort to quell confusion related to cost, before the first session of each self-pay client, a Good Faith Estimate form will be provided, with details of costs for each service type. Feel free to ask questions at service@therapypeace.com

All services are being provided through telehealth, using video and audio technology, so you can have access to service from anywhere in Texas. 

Once you have scheduled an appointment, you will receive a link to enter a virtual room at your session time. The service used is confidential, free, HIPAA-compliant, and managed by an integrate tele-health system offered by our electronic records management program, Therapynotes. Please know that no video or audio components of your session are recorded or stored.