The advantages of self-pay include:
1) You and your therapist, together, determine your treatment plan and length of treatment, rather than the insurance company determining number of sessions, frequency, length of treatment, length of sessions & other limitations based on the policies of the insurance company rather than the expertise and discretion of the therapist who is directly providing the service(s).
2) You and your therapist, together, determine the interventions, complementary therapies, and services best-suited to your individual issues and that will most effectively facilitate healing, growth, and wellness, allowing for a more seamless application of the appropriate interventions and treatment. With insurance, complementary services such as reiki and yoga, are not covered by insurance and this may serve as a barrier to treatment.
3) You determine if, when, and what information regarding your mental health treatment is disclosed to third parties, rather than the insurance company, through its policies, determining if, when, and what information is disclosed.
Self-pay allows you to be more empowered and engaged in creating a healing plan with your therapist that meets your individual needs and preferences.