Therapy is a confidential process which supports clients’ ability to trust, and open up, allowing for effective intervention, unlike speaking to a friend or relative who is not bound by the ethical laws of the profession.  Your therapist is required to keep EVERYTHING confidential except information regarding suicide and homicide ( which of course you can understand your therapist’s commitment to keeping you safe as well as others ).

When you use insurance to pay for therapy, your therapist is required to assign a mental health diagnosis which is then sent along with treatment notes to your insurance company in order to get paid. This puts your confidentiality at risk allowing whatever private matters you shared in therapy to be shared with others. If you read the HIPAA document regarding Privacy you will be able to confirm this.

Therapists who accept insurance are required to use treatment methods that are covered by the insurance company, and, specifically what your plan covers. So, for example, if a therapist utilizes a holistic approach, which takes into account several other factors impacting your presenting issue, your individual needs are not met because of restrictions from your insurance company.

People who seek therapy for their own personal growth, improved relationship with their partner/spouse do not have a mental illness, so this makes it challenging to access therapy through insurance.

Insurance companies do not cover fees for couples or individuals who are not mentally ill who seek to either enhance their quality of life by working on personal goals, improved communication, or resolving couples conflict; these are common reasons for people to come into a therapist’s office. 

If you do not have a mental health diagnosis, insurance companies will not pay for your therapy sessions.

Some people are not bothered by their information being shared with their insurance company, so confidentiality is a non-issue for them, however, sharing this information with the insurance company can impact you in the future as it remains on your record. 

Your therapist is required to provide your records to your insurance company, as previously indicated,  your therapist has to provide your insurance company with your diagnosis to get paid.

If in the event you happen to fall into the category of a diagnosis of depression or anxiety for example as a result of some personal life challenges, and a therapist is able to justify a mental health diagnosis, keep in mind this is now documented on your medical records and stays on record.

In the future when you are in the process of changing jobs or insurance companies, this information is now accessible and can impact your insurance premium as a pre-existing condition, also your new job having access to your mental health diagnosis.

A therapist who is highly skilled and provides quality care sometimes accept a few insurance clients, however, it is not without some negative impact on the client when the therapist has to adhere to restrictions, and time consuming paperwork required by the insurance company.

The average rate for a quality therapist ranges between $150-$350 per session. Insurance companies only pay therapists between $40-$90 per session. Most often therapists have to hire a billing professional to help them manage insurance claims and make sure they actually get paid; this certainly cuts into the time spent with clients as therapists end up having to focus more on quantity, seeing more clients to cover the cost of paying another staff in the practice, therefore sacrificing quality of time spent with clients.