Why Many Clients Choose to Invest in Private Pay Therapy
When it comes to therapy, one of the biggest decisions is often about payment. Should you go through insurance, or choose private pay? While both are valid options, many clients decide that private pay therapy is the right fit for them — and it’s about more than just about the money.
More choice, more flexibility
When you use insurance, your options for therapists are limited to those within your network. With private pay, you get to choose the therapist who feels like the best fit for you, rather than the one your insurance company approves. You also have more flexibility in scheduling and length of treatment. Instead of worrying about session limits or requirements set by insurance, your therapy can move at your pace.
Privacy matters
Insurance companies typically require a diagnosis and access to certain clinical information in order to cover therapy. For some people, that feels invasive or unnecessary. With private pay, your information stays between you and your therapist. It allows for more privacy and more freedom to explore what you’re going through — without labels or limitations.
Therapy tailored to you
When therapy isn’t dictated by insurance requirements, you call the shots, and you can focus on what matters most to you. That might mean a mix of structured work and open exploration, or it might mean working on several areas of life at once — not just what fits neatly into a diagnosis. Private pay therapy gives you and your therapist the freedom to create a process that feels personal, holistic, and supportive.
An investment in your well-being
Yes, therapy is a financial investment. But for many clients, it’s also one of the most valuable investments they’ll ever make. Instead of spending years stuck in the same cycles, therapy can help you find relief, clarity, and new ways of approaching life. It’s not about paying for sessions — it’s about choosing to prioritize your mental and emotional health in a lasting way.
Other options
Let’s be real — private pay therapy isn’t always financially accessible, and that doesn’t mean your healing journey is any less important. If the full fee feels out of reach, many therapists (myself included) offer a sliding scale for a limited number of clients. This means your session rate can be adjusted based on your financial situation. It’s one way to make therapy more accessible while still honoring the value of the work.
Many therapists (myself included) can also provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company, which may reimburse you for part (or all) of the cost of your sessions. There are some limitations to opting for a subperbill, such as:
Out of network benefits. Clients must have out of network mental health benefits as a part of their health insurance plan.
Sliding scale isn’t an option. Due to requirements set by insurance companies, clients who utilize their out of network benefits must pay the full session fee in order to receive fair reimbursement for services.
Less flexibility, less privacy. Submission of a superbill to your insurance company puts clients back into a position of being required to follow the standards of care determined by their insurance company in order to receive reimbursement. This includes obtaining (and maintaining) a diagnosis, and potentially having the frequency of your sessions and the overall duration of your treatment limited.
Have more questions about superbills? Check out my other blog post: “All About Superbills: What You Need to Know”
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, the decision about which therapist you work with (and how you pay them) is about what feels right for you — and you deserve the freedom to choose the care that truly supports your healing.
💡 Choosing private pay therapy can feel like a big decision, and it’s a huge an investment in your mental health and well-being. You deserve consistent, personalized support — find it here, at Morrow Therapeutics.