A Look into Psychological Therapy and its Costs

The long term solution is, in my opinion, searching in the core of the problem, trying to manage and learn to live with whatever puts us in the ‘fight or flight’ state. Fight anxiety with the help of therapy from BetterHelp.

Don’t let money stand in your way

Some people think that psychological therapy is a fraud. Maybe their mental state allows them to think that. But, don’t kid yourself: a lot of them end up in therapy. It’s just a defense mechanism that helps them feel they have power over themselves. They feel it’s weak to get psychological counseling. And it’s the other way around: it takes a lot of guts to admit you can’t do it alone, that you need help. Most of the patients get into therapy when they can’t do it by themselves anymore.

And there comes the money problem and it goes both ways. The patient might feel he’s in the middle, between the therapist and the insurance company. Most of the times the patient has to pay for his/her sessions. So, you can’t avoid this frustrating problem.

But you can find a way to do it as painless as possible. And once you’re in therapy, you’ll feel you’ve already achieved something. You fought for something and you won. Betterhelp is a platform that might come in handy. They provide help with answering this kind of issue.

“Making professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient – so, anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere,” is their intention. A good reason to help you find the power to overcome the money related problem when it comes to therapy is to understand that they are money invested in you. You don’t pay someone you honor a contract with yourself. It’s your mental health we’re talking about.

In therapy, you learn that most of the time you struggle because you can’t adjust your wishes to the reality you live in. And this triggers a lot of psychological self-harm. And yes, you have to negotiate for it. Nothing comes for free. This is the reality and it needs to be confronted.

Start with finding the best form of therapy that you can get for the income you have. Analyze your income and estimate what amount you can spare for therapy. Read the laws that protect your interests. Talk to your insurance and get the best offer from them. Get information about the types of therapies available and also about the therapist.

The most expensive form of therapy is the individual in-person therapy: $75-$150 per session. This means you go to the therapist’s cabinet and it is just the two of you. You can get the next best thing by doing it online. It is still a one-on-one form of therapy and the price ranges between $35 to $50. For Couples therapy, you might pay $50 to $250 per hour. For Therapy for children $45 to $200.

If these forms are way out of your budget, don’t despair. Don’t give yourself another reason to feel guilty, unaccomplished, angry, or rejected. It’s your reality and you can make it better. Find the therapy you can afford. Group therapies give you the chance to meet people just like you, people that understand you because they experience a similar struggle and a therapist that can guide you. In Support therapies, you can also get the chance to help others, as this form allows its participants to actively help others, not just the therapist. These two forms are usually free, and when they aren’t, they are low-cost.

And they are several forms of therapies and techniques. Talk-therapy, Anger management therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Art therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy. Learn about them and find your way out.

Therapy is like a contract that you respect because you don’t sign it, you choose it

Both a contract and a relationship, as we’ve described the patient-therapist equation, have two equal sides. The two of them have needs and responsibilities. Some might not feel very comfortable form the patient’s point of view.

You both choose one another. When you meet your therapist, you start building a relationship with someone that can help you and he starts a relationship with someone that he can help. He might feel that he can’t help you, or you might feel that he isn’t the therapist for you. You can both end the relationship. Your therapist isn’t obliged to you. He is your chance to learn to create, build, and maintain a relationship.

If you engage in a program, you have to respect it. if you schedule a session you have to show up. If not, you still have to pay for it. it might feel outrageous. But it isn’t. you have to respect your therapist’s time and person. Without it, the therapy won’t work.

There’s the trick: you have to also respect your time and person. Showing up on time means you value your time and the one you’ve spent earning the money you have to pay. Therapy is a lesson about yourself and your place in the world. It’s a safe space where you face your inner reality and help it adjust to the outside reality.