The three reasons I accept insurance in my private practice
I will be honest here, I get a bit frustrated when I read blogs from therapist that encourage other therapist to ditch their insurance panels and just accept cash pay clients, as if it’s just about making money and not complicating oneself with paperwork. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting compensated for my work and strive to have a balanced life and all, but not at the expense of the community that I am here to serve. I am also troubled when I read blogs that state: “The “Really Good” therapists are those that accept cash pay only” I find this offensive and elitist to say the least. As a psychotherapist that specializes in maternal mental health with advanced training in this area, I often treat women from all walks of life that need this specialized level of care and I feel good about providing excellent treatment for mothers going through these challenges. So often I hear stories of mothers struggling, giving up finding support, or cutting their treatment short, because they simply cannot afford to pay the $$$ to see a Mental Health Provider that specialized in Maternal Mental Health. I hope one day we are able to change that. In the meantime, I will continue to be part of insurance panels and provide excellent treatment and services to women in need of support during pregnancy and postpartum.
Here are my 3 reasons why I accept insurance in my psychotherapy practice:
1) It is the right thing to do- As a bilingual/bi-cultural psychotherapist it is my ethical and moral obligation to provide my service and expertise to Spanish Speaking Latina mothers going through a perinatal mood disorder. Especially when there are very few of us who speak the language and have a specialization in treating PPD/PPA. In addition, I want to offer my expertise and services to mothers from all socioeconomic backgrounds. And accepting insurance is one way that I am able to do so, a win- win situation, in my opinion.
2) It takes the financial burden off my clients- I work and live in Southern California and no….. not (Beverly Hills or Orange County) I live and work in the Inland Empire, a working class area, where families work really hard to earn a living…… paycheck to paycheck. Where mothers already in distress don’t need the added burden of paying high fees for therapy, at a time when they most need the support. If I could help eliminate just one more hurdle/obstacle to ensure this mama gets the help she needs, then accepting insurance is well worth it for me.
3) Makes my work more fulfilling – I love to hear clients say: “thank you so much for accepting my insurance, I don’t know what I would have done otherwise” or “it was a blessing finding you on my insurance provider list”. I am blessed with a thriving and fruitful practice and my heart fills with joy when I am able to do my hearts mission from a genuine place that is fair and balanced for both client and myself. I feel the blessings and abundance of my work every day when I walk into my humble little office on 5790 Magnolia Ave in Riverside, California!