Paying for this isn’t selfish.

Here’s how, if you want to. Out of network means your plan doesn’t pay me. You pay, and then you claim some of it back.

If you ask, I give you a receipt called a superbill, with the codes insurance companies look for. You send it to your plan, usually on their website or app, and your plan decides whether to pay some of it back. How much? Only your plan knows.

Before you count on it, check two things with them, online or by phone: do they cover out-of-network counseling, and does a deductible come first. If you have an HSA or FSA, counseling can count as a medical expense too.

Through January 2027 a few Aetna, United Healthcare or Optum plans can still be billed directly. From February 1, they can’t. If you’re on one of those and want to start before then, tell me, and we’ll see which way costs you less.

I don’t have a sliding scale. What I do have is a few spaces through Open Path Collective, a nonprofit for people who can’t pay full price. Open Path decides who qualifies, on their site, so you don’t have to explain anything to me. Start there. If they take you, write to me and say so. Sessions through them cost $40 to $70, and I’ll tell you the exact number before your first one. Open Path has its own one-time membership fee of $65. It’s on their site.

You pay one session at a time, and the first one costs the same as every other one. There’s no package, no contract and no notice period for stopping. If you want to stop, tell me, and we stop. You don’t owe me a reason, and the same goes for taking a break. Want it all in writing before you start? Ask for a good faith estimate. It’s just a written estimate of what sessions will cost, and anyone paying out of pocket can ask for one.