In an ideal world, everyone would have easy access to the therapy they need, regardless of their financial situation. But in real life, therapy can be expensive, and many assume that it’s simply too costly to be an option. What people often don’t know, however, is that many therapists and practices, including Self Space, offer a range of therapy options to help make high quality therapy more accessible. But what exactly is low cost therapy? How does it work? Does low cost therapy correspond to low quality therapy? In this post, we’ll guide you through the journey of finding a therapist on a tight budget, how low cost therapy works, why you can trust that you'll receive exceptional care, and what to do if your financial circumstances change mid-therapy.

What is low cost therapy and how does it work?

At Self Space, we have multiple pricing tiers based on the experience of our therapists. We also offer a specific low cost therapy program, which provides therapy at our absolute lowest fee. This program is run via our clinical internship which trains advanced graduate students. The intern therapists are able to provide services at a lower cost and are closely supervised both by a licensed clinical supervisor as well as through their school’s faculty.

Working with an intern therapist

While intern therapists are still in training, they can offer a powerful combination of fresh perspectives, passion, and dedication along with the wisdom and guidance from their experienced supervisors and teachers. Our intern therapists are carefully selected and receive ongoing supervision and training to ensure that they provide effective and compassionate care.

Intern therapists range considerably in age and life experience—unlike in many other fields, it is common for people to become therapists in mid-career or even much later in life, and it may be easier than expected to find a good fit. While training is, of course, deeply valuable, research consistently shows that the most significant factor in successful therapy is actually that “right fit” feeling — the sense that your therapist is someone you can safe and comfortable with.

What about insurance?

Many insurance plans include mental healthcare coverage, and some people may choose to try to find a therapist who is paneled with their insurance. This can be an amazing solution for many people, though a significant number can struggle to find either the expertise or availability they’re looking for. A recent California lawsuit, for example, found that under half of people seeking in-network care were actually able to meet with a clinician. Many insurance companies do also reimburse for out-of-network clinicians. While these reimbursements are typically at a lower rate than in-network clinicians, they can still cover a substantial percentage of the cost of therapy.

What if your financial circumstances change in the middle of therapy?

If you experience a change in your financial circumstances in the middle of therapy, sometimes a therapist will agree to shift to a sliding scale fee structure. This allows established therapy to continue uninterrupted and provides space and time for someone to get back on their feet after an event - job loss, unexpected expenses, or other circumstances - impacts their ability to continue their therapeutic work. In other cases, you and the therapist may decide to reduce the frequency of sessions to spread out the cost and decrease the overall expense.