Online Therapy Without Insurance

Almost 1 in 5 people in the US suffer from a mental illness. In 2019, only 44.8% of these individuals sought mental health support. 

Even though everyone needs mental health support, for some, it’s not a viable option. There are many barriers to seeking therapy: stigma, transport issues, difficulty asking for help, or fear of judgment. 

But one of the most significant barriers of all is price. Even if you have insurance, mental health support isn’t covered sometimes. So, what can you do? 

Nowadays, online therapy services like DoMental offer effective therapy at an affordable price, and you don’t need insurance.

How Does Insurance Cover Therapy?

Mental health treatment takes time. Therapy is highly effective at reducing mental health difficulties, although it is frequently foregone due to expenses.

But does insurance cover therapy? Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t. If you’ve purchased a plan with high deductibles, you will still need to pay the upfront cost, then claim the money back later. 

Other insurance companies may cover part of the cost, but not all. Therapy can cost as much as $250 for a 50-minute session. A $10–30 insurance copay won’t be enough to cover that. 

And some insurance companies don’t cover mental health treatment at all. Or they’ll cover in-person therapy, but they won’t pay for online counseling. 

Issues That Come With Insurance Coverage

To find out what your insurance covers, you need to check with your insurer. Take a look at their website first, as this will often have all of the information you need. 

Check to see if they cover any kind of therapy, and then double-check the deductibles. You need to know if you have to pay $1,500 in deductibles before your insurance starts paying you money.

Then check which modalities are covered. Do they accept online therapy? Audio? Video? Text messaging? And don’t forget to take a look at copay and what documents your insurer requires before they pay your money back. 

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information, you can start thinking about the cost of therapy. 

How Much Does Therapy Cost?

We know that mental health support is expensive, but how much does therapy cost? Below, we compare the cost of in-person and online treatment. 

For in-person therapy with no insurance, you can expect to pay $100–250 for a 50-minute session. If you’re getting weekly sessions, that could be $1,000 a month.

Prices differ depending on region, the therapist’s professional training and experience, and the area they specialize in. 

Luckily, online therapy without insurance typically offers support for a fraction of the price. Again, specific factors will determine the price. 

You can expect to pay anywhere between $35 and $80 per session for online therapy. DoMental is on the lower end of the scale, offering online counseling from $29 to $47 per week, depending on the plan you choose. 

Choosing Between In-Person and Online Therapy

It’s easy to assume that in-person therapy is better than online therapy. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each for people with no insurance.

Effectiveness

In-person therapy was previously believed to be more effective than online therapy. But times are changing. 

A literature review compiling 17 studies found that online CBT treating depression was more effective than in-person counseling. Another 2014 study found that online counseling was just as effective as in-person. 

Therapy space

Of course, some people value the ability to enter a different space – being physically present in the therapy room. In-person therapy can take you away from daily life and provide a space just for you. 

Communication

In in-person therapy, your therapist can work with your non-verbal communication, as well as your verbal communication. 

Sometimes, our mouth can be saying one thing, and our body can be saying another. Maybe you’re smiling yet anxiously fiddling with your zipper. 

Online counseling doesn’t miss non-verbal communication altogether. If you choose the video chat modality, your therapist will still be able to pick up on your non-verbal cues. 

Convenience

In-person therapy requires you to organize timings and travel. If you lead a busy life with a jam-packed schedule, attempting to fit around your therapist’s busy timetable can seem impossible. 

Online therapy solves this problem as it requires 7.8 times less of the therapist's time. With online therapy, you can access treatment whenever you want. You just contact your therapist, and they’ll respond. 

You can also engage in online counseling from any location. 

Accessibility

Online therapy is more accessible, as it’s usually cheaper and you don’t have to worry about transport. There isn’t the stress of traffic and juggling other commitments, and you don’t have the fear that someone you know will see you walking in and out. 

You may be put on a waiting list for in-person therapy. And who knows how long that could take? Online therapy offers you immediate, affordable mental health support, so you don’t have to suffer for longer. 

Initial process

Reaching out to therapists can be daunting. You may contact therapists who have no availability. When you’re suffering from mental health difficulties, it’s hard not to take this as a rejection. 

You don’t have this problem with online therapy. First, you sign up. Then, you answer some questions about yourself and your mood day-to-day. 

Once you’ve completed the initial questionnaire, a therapist will be matched to you. The therapist then contacts you, rather than the other way around.

How to Pay for Therapy Without Insurance

Are you wondering how to get therapy without insurance? If you don’t have insurance, but you’re desperate for treatment, don’t worry. It may be possible for you to use health spending accounts and flexible spending accounts to pay for online therapy. 

It’s also worth searching around. Health departments in your state could give you some guidance. Then, there are online therapy services like DoMental. 

DoMental offers affordable therapy without insurance. There are three therapy plans: monthly, quarterly, and biannual. 

As you can see, you pay less if you pay a lump sum twice a year. But, the monthly plan is the most popular. You’d pay $188 per month instead of $1,000 with in-person therapy. 

Getting Therapy Without Insurance

Therapy is essential to begin managing your mental health. First, you need to find an online therapy platform that puts you first. Then, it’s time to choose a therapist.

Finding the best online therapy platform

If you’re after online therapy without insurance, you’ll need to check therapy platform websites or contact them directly. 

But don’t sacrifice counseling quality searching for a therapy platform providing counseling for those with no insurance. Qualified and experienced therapists are still a must. 

DoMental is one platform that offers licensed and experienced mental health professionals for people like yourself with no insurance. 

Finding the best online therapist

A positive client-therapist relationship is a primary determining factor for therapeutic outcomes. So, choose a therapist you get along with. 

Like in-person therapy, finding an online therapist who fits you isn’t easy. Here are some things to consider when looking for a therapist online:

• Gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation: You may feel more comfortable with a therapist of a specific gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Online therapy platforms will often ask these questions in the initial sign-up phase. 
• Training and experience: Perhaps you’d feel more comfortable with a highly experienced therapist who has received the best training. But remember, you’ll pay more for this.
• Understanding: You want a therapist who you feel understands you. Without this, you’ll struggle to make a positive relationship.
• Shop around: You don’t need to choose the first therapist that contacts you. Have an initial consultation, and if you don’t think it’s a good fit, try someone else.  

Conclusion

Therapy should still be available for those with no insurance. And now, it is. Online therapy provides the perfect solution to getting therapy without insurance. 

It’s a more accessible, cheaper alternative to in-person counseling. And it’s just as effective as an in-person treatment.

What it lacks in non-verbal communication, it makes up for in flexibility and convenience, fitting around the busiest of schedules. 

DoMental offers affordable therapy without insurance. Its trained, experienced therapists are ready and willing to help. Just get in touch and free yourself from your mental health difficulties.