Fees & Insurance

Rates + Why I Do Things Differently

Pricing As Praxis

At Side Quest Psychotherapy, pricing reflects my values of equity, sustainability, and trust. I use a tiered pricing model instead of a sliding scale so you can choose the rate that fits your situation while I maintain a low caseload and stay fully present with you. Rates reflect the true cost of high-quality, neuroaffirming care, including the time, training, consultation, and secure systems that protect your privacy.

Payment is accepted through IvyPay using any major credit card, HSA, or FSA card.

Equity-Based Tiered Model

Money can be complicated, and everyone’s situation is different. This three-tiered model lets you select the rate that best fits your current capacity—no paperwork or proof required.

Accessible Rate – for when paying the full rate would create financial strain; this option helps make therapy possible while still honoring the value of the work
Standard Rate – reflects the full cost of care and helps sustain the practice so I can continue offering high-quality, neuroaffirming services
Pay-It-Forward Rate – for when you have financial flexibility and want to help make therapy more accessible for others

Each tier offers the same quality of care. You choose what’s right for you based on your resources and comfort.

If you’re unsure where to start, The Green Bottle Method can help you figure it out. If you plan to submit superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, you can factor that potential reimbursement into your decision.

The Accessible Rate isn’t a discount—it’s a community-based way to keep therapy reachable while valuing the work that goes into it. If you rely on SSDI, Medicaid, or similar benefits, reach out so we can explore payment plans or other supportive options together.

Accessible

Adult Psychotherapy (55 min): $185
Child & Adolescent Therapy (45 min): $175
Focused Session (30 min): $135
Intensive Session (70–90 min): $290
Parent Consultation/Caregiver Support (50 min): $185
Family/Couples Therapy (50 min): $195
Initial Intake (60–75 min): $250

Standard

Adult Psychotherapy (55 min): $255
Child & Adolescent Therapy (45 min): $245
Focused Session (30 min): $170
Intensive Session (70–90 min): $395
Parent Consultation/Caregiver Support (50 min): $255
Family/Couples Therapy (50 min): $275
Initial Intake (60–75 min): $325

Pay-It-Forward

Adult Psychotherapy (55 min): $295
Child & Adolescent Therapy (45 min): $285
Focused Session (30 min): $205
Intensive Session (70–90 min): $470
Parent Consultation/Caregiver Support (50 min): $295
Family/Couples Therapy (50 min): $345
Initial Intake (60–75 min): $400

Autism & ADHD Evaluation Fees

I know an evaluation is a big investment financially, mentally, and emotionally. My goal is to make the process thorough, affirming, and genuinely worth it, with payment options that keep it accessible and sustainable.

Each evaluation includes 8–12 hours of dedicated evaluator time, including clinical interviews, standardized assessment tools, review of relevant records, optional collateral interviews, and report writing.

You may pay in three monthly installments with no interest, additional fees, or credit check.
Please note that evaluations are not eligible for insurance reimbursement, and superbills cannot be provided.

Autism Evaluation — $2,000
ADHD Evaluation — $2,000
Autism + ADHD Evaluation — $2,500
Additional Diagnostic Exploration — $300/hour

A limited number of pay-what-you-can spots are available each quarter for those who need financial flexibility. I do not review personal financial details, but the rate we agree on should feel accessible to you and sustainable to me.

You Are Worth the Investment

Whether you’re seeking therapy, an evaluation, or support for your child or teen, this is more than a financial choice. It’s an investment of time, energy, trust, and hope. You’re not just paying for someone to listen. You’re choosing care that protects your privacy, honors your autonomy, and adapts to your real life.

Private pay can feel like a leap, especially if you’re used to small copays. That hesitation is real. Still, your clarity, healing, and ability to move through the world with more ease and self-trust are worth it. You and your child are worth it.

When you work with me, you’re not entering a system. You’re entering a relationship built on respect, collaboration, and pacing that follows you, not an insurance company’s timeline.

Financial Transparency Without the Fine Print

When we work together, your care is guided by what’s clinically appropriate and collaboratively determined, not by what’s most billable or convenient for an insurance company. I hold clear boundaries around what supports real progress. I won’t water down the work or stretch sessions too far apart because consistency matters. When sessions are too infrequent, it can slow growth and reinforce stuck patterns.

I know therapy is a financial investment, and you deserve clear, upfront information so you can make empowered choices.

Superbills for Out-of-Network Reimbursement

If your insurance plan includes out-of-network benefits, you may be eligible for partial reimbursement of session costs. I can provide a superbill (a detailed receipt you submit to your insurer). Insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis for reimbursement, and I’m happy to explain what that means before we begin.

Reimbursement rates vary by plan and usually cover 50–80% of session fees depending on your deductible and mental health benefits. Ask your insurance provider whether they cover these CPT codes:

90791 – Initial diagnostic evaluation
90837 – Psychotherapy, 60 minutes
90834 – Psychotherapy, 45 minutes
90832 – Psychotherapy, 30 minutes
90846 – Family therapy (without the client present)
90847 – Family therapy (with the client present)

Some clients prefer to pay privately to avoid having a diagnosis in their medical record, which is worth considering if confidentiality is a priority.

If you’d like superbills, please let me know in advance and choose whether you’d like them monthly or quarterly. I’m unable to generate them retroactively.

Good Faith Estimate

As part of the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) outlining the expected cost of services. I’ll provide this estimate at intake and update it if your needs change. It’s not a contract—it’s a transparency tool to help you plan and avoid surprises.

If continuing therapy at my current rate becomes difficult, there’s no shame in that. I’m always happy to discuss options or provide referrals to trusted colleagues who might better fit your financial situation. My priority is that you get the support you need in a way that truly works for you.

I Used to Take Insurance. I Stopped for A Reason.

Insurance companies decide what counts as “medically necessary,” how long we can work together, and what language I must use to justify your care. That language rarely reflects real experiences, especially for those who are neurodivergent, in larger bodies, or navigating trauma. It flattens your story into codes, undermines care, and erodes trust.

“Values-based care” sounds good on paper, but it’s not about your values. It’s about theirs. It often means chasing metrics that reward quick fixes instead of lasting change.

I track progress in ways that make sense for you. Progress might look like fewer shutdowns, more self-compassion, or being able to say no without spiraling. It might mean unmasking safely, grieving losses, or reconnecting with food, rest, and joy. These things can’t be reduced to checkboxes.

For clients with eating disorders, the stakes are even higher. Insurance often denies care based on weight or BMI, reinforcing harm instead of healing.

The work we do is slow, relational, and intentional. It’s rooted in evidence and grounded in humanity. I choose to practice in ways that center rest, boundaries, presence, and relationship over productivity and regulation.

What Venture-Backed Therapy Doesn’t Want You to Know

Venture-funded platforms like BetterHelp, Talkspace, and Cerebral promise fast matches and lower costs, but those conveniences come with trade-offs. They prioritize speed and volume over depth and connection. Many people are left feeling unseen, unsupported, or stuck on the surface.

My practice is different. Think of it as your neighborhood therapy space: intentional, relational, and grounded in care that restores. I work deeply with a small number of clients so the work stays personal and sustainable.

When you choose a therapy app, here’s what you may be trading:

Privacy: Data can be stored or shared in unclear ways, and some platforms use AI to monitor sessions.
Consistency: Matches are based on availability, not fit, and high turnover often means starting over.
Depth of care: Sessions are short, protocols are rigid, and therapists follow scripts or quotas.
Therapist sustainability: Many providers are overbooked and underpaid, which affects quality of care.

Choosing Side Quest Psychotherapy means choosing the opposite of algorithmic care. You’re choosing presence, trust, and partnership instead of performance metrics.

What You Get When You Work With Me

I’ve built my practice to prioritize real care, not volume or bureaucracy. When you work with me, you get therapy that’s thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in both clinical expertise and lived experience.

Specialized care: I work with neurodivergent adults, teens, and families navigating ADHD, Autism, OCD, ARFID, BFRBs, and complex, layered experiences.
Lived experience: I bring both training and personal understanding of the systems and identities many of my clients move through, approaching our work with nuance, humility, and deep respect.
Weight-inclusive care: Rooted in Health at Every Size® and body liberation. I do not moralize food or pathologize bodies, and I hold space for healing around embodiment and body image.
Advocacy and collaboration: I will speak up when bias or misunderstanding arise, and with your consent, coordinate care securely with your team.
Presence and sustainability: I keep a low caseload so I can show up well-resourced and attuned. My pricing reflects the time and emotional labor this requires.
Accountability: I continually examine my own intersections and biases and welcome feedback as part of an ongoing commitment to growth.
Privacy and data safety: I use encrypted, HIPAA-compliant systems. Your records are never shared, sold, or used to train AI.

It’s Time to Show Up for Yourself

If someone you love were struggling, you’d do whatever it takes to get them help. So why hesitate to do the same for yourself? Healing isn’t extra; it’s essential.

At Side Quest Psychotherapy, you’re investing in evidence-based, neuroaffirming care that’s built around how your brain works — not a one-size-fits-all model. Each session draws from research-backed approaches and adapts them to your sensory, cognitive, and emotional needs.

Staying out of network protects your privacy and keeps our work focused on you, not on checkboxes or billing codes. It allows the flexibility to blend structure and creativity, to slow down when you need to, and to build the kind of change that lasts. This is care that values depth over volume, sustainability over speed, and authenticity over algorithms. You’re not just paying for therapy. You’re investing in healing that lasts.