When Seeking Counseling Should You Use Insurance? 

When I was first trained in counseling Managed Care was just starting out.  The Professors at my school were adamant against using insurance for clients.  They were afraid of confidentiality getting compromised and, as a result, urged students to tell clients to “self-pay” for counseling.  This would protect confidentiality, a hallmark of the trade.  They gave an example of someone running for public office who was denied the opportunity because they had been diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder in childhood.  

However,  I have found insurance to be very useful for clients and helps clients who need counseling gain access with a manageable co-pay for sessions.  Counseling can add up and is a significant investment in yourself.  People tend to minimize the importance of such an investment because it is often difficult to see tangible results without first giving it a try.  People are very private about counseling.  Unlike seeing a good haircut and asking “who is your hairstylist?,” people don’t usually say, “Wow, your attitude is so much better, who is your therapist?”  The word doesn’t get out about good therapy because most of us are very private about it.  

Insurances are getting better at recognizing the need for counseling and some plans have good coverage.   Other plans have poor coverage for counseling and limited choices in counselors.   A diagnosis does have to be made in order to use the insurance.  Most therapists try to