At our practice, we believe deeply that mental health care should be accessible.

What Clients Rarely See Behind the Scenes

When people hear that a therapist or practice doesn’t take insurance, the assumption is often that providers are being greedy or inflexible. The reality is far more complicated.

Insurance companies can:

• Change policies with little notice

• Retroactively take back payments for sessions that happened months or even over a year ago

• Admit billing errors were their fault—and still delay returning funds

• Reduce reimbursement rates with no negotiation

• Deny care that was previously authorized

• Create administrative requirements that increase costs while reducing access

Meanwhile, premiums and deductibles continue to rise for clients, while reimbursement for mental health clinicians continues to shrink.

Why We Stay In-Network Anyway

Despite all of this, we continue to fight to accept insurance because we believe our clients deserve to use the benefits they work hard to pay for.

As a practice, we:

• Spend countless unpaid hours dealing with claims, audits, denials, and appeals

• Monitor policy changes that could affect your care

• Advocate directly with insurance companies when access is threatened

• Absorb rising overhead costs—rent, payroll, training, licensing, compliance, technology

• Offer reduced rates and flexibility when we can

• Push back when changes would harm clients or clinicians

We do this not because it’s easy or profitable—but because access matters.

When Insurance Denies Care or Requests Payment

When insurance companies deny claims or retroactively take money back, it can sometimes result in a balance owed by the client. We know this is frustrating and confusing—especially when you’ve done everything “right.”

We ask for grace in these moments.

Please know:

• These situations are rarely due to clinician error

   

• We advocate whenever possible

   

• Denials are often the result of opaque, shifting insurance rules

   

• We are navigating the same system you are—just from the provider side

   

We will always communicate transparently, work with you when possible, and treat these situations with care and respect.

How Clients Can Advocate for Their Mental Health Benefits

One of the most powerful forces for change is insured members speaking up. Insurance companies respond far more quickly to pressure from clients than from providers.

You can help by:

• Calling your insurance company when care is denied and asking why

• Requesting written explanations of policy changes

• Filing formal complaints with your state insurance regulator

• Contacting elected officials about how these decisions affect real people

• Asking insurers to explain how mental health parity laws are being upheld

• Sharing accurate information when clinicians are blamed for systemic failures

Your insurance is not a favor—it’s something you pay for. Mental health care is not optional or expendable.