Why Private Pay?

Insurance companies are a key contributor to our broken mental health system. They require clinicians to make a diagnosis on day one, essentially forcing you into a box, permanently labeling you, and deciding what is “medically necessary” based upon one interaction. Audits allow insurers to sift through your notes and access sensitive details. This can be especially problematic when gender-affirming care is being targeted, many diagnoses carry stigma, and our government ignores decades of research while rampantly spreading misinformation.

When clinicians are beholden to rules driven by profit, they are burdened by excessive administrative tasks and poor compensation. This necessitates taking on high caseloads just to get by, making burnout nearly inevitable and threatening ethical care. This system also relies on therapists who are commonly expected to treat people for things beyond the scope of their training and who are not left with enough time and energy for the self-care necessary to provide competent treatment.

While I would love to provide more financially-accessible care, I found it is no longer possible to do so while adequately accommodating my needs. After working in community mental health for four years, systemic issues became an ever-present threat to my justice sensitivity and authenticity. Most work days exceeded my capacity, regularly snowballing into burnout and forcing activities of daily living to be rationed. Physically and emotionally, I could no longer keep up.

I started this practice out of self-respect; to live in alignment with my values and to honor my limitations. This model allows me to work as my best self and leaves capacity to show up in ways that were previously impossible. It’s hard to rage against the machine when it’s crushing you.