Only one-third of Americans with a behavioral health condition received treatment within a year of their diagnosis. That’s based on a new analysis of 2021
— Read on bhbusiness.com/2023/12/15/out-of-pocket-therapy-visits-average-nearly-175-an-hour/

—– $170 an hour out of pocket to get one hour of mental health Psychotherapy.

If that is an elitist, then it is at least insane.

I think there is a presumption that if something costs more then it’s better. And, I think that’s true to an extent. Beyond that extent is just someone has money they have to spend, so there has to be expensive things. And that’s all about marketing.

True mental health therapy does not have to do with price. Having been in the industry now for almost 7 years, it has become evident to me that there are two reasons account why therapy cost a lot of money.

And I think they were legitimate, again to a certain extent .

1) The therapist is just trying to make a good living. It cost a fair amount for education and get your masters degree if not a higher degree. And there’s a certain amount of overhead that you have to spend it as a therapist. You have to have insurance. You have to have a lawyer. You might want to have office space. The furniture. The computer system. And probably other things add up.

1a) Pom

I think this goes into our capitalistic ideal:

2) that if something costs more than it’s worth more, whether it be a service or an item.

To the second point, the thing about mental health is, it is not the same as physical health. If I am really skilled at rebuilding knees, yeah, you might wanna pay a little bit more money to get the more skilled physician.

Mental health treatment does not follow that kind of tracking entirely. It’s kind of hit or miss. That’s why it’s well known in the mental health world that it almost doesn’t matter what kind of training they have or how long Therapist has been doing their job so far as results. What matters is the relationship that you have with the therapist.

And this has been studied. But no one really wants to tell anyone.

So far is better training and better education, that is kind of subjective. Because it really comes down to how you are as a person in order to be a good therapist. But also, there’s a certain amount of ability to synthesize your person, and work it into what these skills mean for you, as a therapist, and that translates into a good therapy session, and good rapport with a client. Just because someone charges a lot of money and might have a doctorate in psychology, it does not mean that you’re gonna get better because you go see them.

And so, yes it’s Therapist. We are trying to make a decent living. But the fact of the matter nowadays is that you can make a pretty decent living and not charge $170 an hour.

In the state of Colorado the average cost for therapy is about $130 an hour. But still, this is out of the range of even many people who are making a decent living and have a decent life. Think about spending $130 a week on treatment! That’s not in the range for many people who are suffering.

And so here’s my plug.

There are 3 things that are making this a better world for the demand of your mental health:

1) There is online, video, telehealth, availability for therapy sessions.

While this is probably not the best way to do therapy, it’s better than nothing. It opens access. And people who might not otherwise she got a therapist, might try telehealth and see how it goes.

Personally, I think in person therapy sessions are the best and more effective. Even clients that I met only through telehealth and perhaps have been working with them for months online video, when they finally came to come in person, they never went back to video. So there’s that.

1a). Pompousness. There is a tendency for certain psychotherapists to believe they are all that. Maybe some of that have to do with what school they go to, perhaps it Hass to do with the letters they get to put after their name. Maybe have to do with the environment in which they practice.

But I want you to know, that there is no study, there is no statistics, and no proof anywhere that says that one psychotherapist is better than any other psychotherapist in the domain of how much money they charge.

2) Knowledge.

You are the person who has the expertise to solve your own mental health problem. And knowing that, what you’re really looking for is a good therapeutic relationship with someone who understands themselves, understands how mental health therapies, interventions, skills actually function to help someone. , This is your ticket to getting to the life you want to live.

Just because a therapist says they do know DBT and have been trained in DBT, say, does not mean that you’re going to get better if you go pay them $150 an hour and see them every week. The equation is not so linear.

3) The interstate compact.

Coming in 2024 in the United States, there is this interstate compact for counselors. Historically every state has its own criteria for licensing for mental health counselors. And this is made it difficult for people in one state to council people in another state, see if the Therapist moves then they have to file for the board in the new state, and it’s been a real hassle.

So, the American Counseling Association (ACA) has figured out legislation and negotiated between states so that in 2024 counselors will be able to see clients out of their home state. Presently, I believe there’s nine states that are involved in the interstate compact. And what this means for you if you have more choice. Do you have a greater opportunity to find someone who fits you.

So here’s my capitalistic plug for me:

I don’t need to make $175 an hour off of you. I feel there’s something slightly unethical in that as a Mental Health Counselor.

agencymatters.org

I will meet you where you were at, financially, mentally, personally, and even possibly physically, since we could do telehealth, or we could do it in person, depending on how close we live.

Check out my website. Get to know me.

And whether it’s you, or friend, or someone you know who needs help.

I’ll be here.

Happy Holidays!

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