“I’d go to therapy but my insurance won’t cover it.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this. Or how many times clients stopped coming because they lost insurance or deductibles were reset. Or how many times people have told me my coaching services sound great, “but I need to use my insurance.” 

Insurance companies shouldn’t dictate your wellness!

I understand that insurance  is the system we’ve established here in the United States. We’ve normalized a structure that is completely screwed up. Insurance companies are for profit enterprises. They don’t care about your health. They don’t care about the provider’s expertise or income. They care about profit. Which often comes at a dire cost.

I’m sure you probably know this. I’m guessing you feel helpless to do anything about it. I’d like to invite you to re-examine your mindset on the matter.

I get that it’s difficult to pay out of pocket. I understand that some people have very real financial barriers that make it impossible to pay out of pocket. However, sometimes people can afford to pay for therapy. They simply don’t consider it or don’t want to.
In the United States, we’ve been programed to participate in a broken system.

I’d like to normalize NOT hinging mental health care on insurance status.

Of course, I have my personal, selfish reasons. Dealing with insurance companies as a provider stinks. They pay me a lower rate, fail to compensate for increased training/education/experience, they stop paying without any warning or reason, they decrease rates without any warning or reason, they sometimes retract reimbursements, accessing provider support is a colossal headache, it feels gross to participate in a system that goes against my personal values, and I don’t like losing clients (or pay) due to insurance issues.

I dislike diagnosing people who are not legitimately mentally ill.  In my experience “mental illness” is an overused term that often refers to the inevitable struggles of being human. My clients are not sick. They’re everyday people enduring difficult transitions, recovering from traumatic experiences, or grappling with severe stressors. Insurance companies require diagnoses for reimbursement. They also reserve the right to audit case files, meaning they have access to confidential information (you’ll likely notice this clause in your provider’s Professional Disclosure Statement). If you utilize your insurance, you’re consenting to being diagnosed with some sort of disorder and granting your carrier permission to review notes about your status and care. This is done to ensure services are necessary and the provider is delivering care appropriately. Still, your private information may be exposed in the process.

It’s incredibly frustrating to see people who want care go without support because a third party complicates matters. I can’t stand witnessing the disempowerment of vulnerable people. I disagree with perpetuating scarcity fears, feelings of inadequacy and capitalistic abuses. I know that investing in yourself builds self esteem and self love.

I beg you to consider how fear is affecting your resistance to participating in counseling if you have to pay for it. Is it really about your budget or is something else getting in the way?

Consider what you DO pay for that’s not essential–a brand new phone, dining out, streaming subscriptions, video games, designer clothes, hair styling, cosmetic procedures, tattoos, fitness equipment you don’t use, alcohol or other substances… you get the picture. What makes paying out of pocket for these kinds of things ok but not your mental health? For one, it’s because we’re conditioned to operate within the system that says health care must be covered by insurance. Consider as well if you’re afraid of doing the work, or if you don’t believe your mental health is actually worth the expense. Maybe you don’t believe you’re actually worth the expense. Maybe a part of you is afraid to get better. Maybe being emotionally unsettled is a core part of your identity. Maybe you’re scared to disrupt capitalist systems because somewhere along the line you were taught doing so makes you foolish or bad.

This is shadow work.

If you resist paying for your mental health care, take that as an invitation to go deeper into your psyche, to better understand yourself and the ways you may be out of alignment with yourself.

Of course, there’s no shame in utilizing insurance. However, there’s no shame in NOT utilizing insurance either.

All I ask is that you think about it.

With Love & Compassion,