Affordable Counseling in Austin - Is it possible to find?

You are at the point where you are ready for counseling, but you have called a few providers and they are either not taking new clients, they do not take insurance, or they seem way out of your prices range.  In this article, we will talk about how you can get access to more affordable counseling in Austin.

Counseling Insurance Options
Let's start with insurance options.  Most insurance companies carry panels of providers who accept your insurance.  When choosing this route, you can use in-network benefits to use.  The ugly truth is that many of the best therapists choose not to work with insurance providers for a variety of reasons.  This includes the limits on treatment plans including number of sessions or treatment modalities.  

The other option with insurance is to use your out-of-network benefits.  This allows you to use any therapist with a "National Provider Identifier."  These clinicians typically provide you with the proper documentation for you to file with your insurance company separately.  Always check with your insurance provider as to what your out-of-network benefits are.

Employee Assistance Program
Many employers offer Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits which include counseling sessions that are typically free of charge.  These programs typically limit the number of sessions that you can use for a particular program per year.  In order to access these benefits, you will need to call your Human Resources (HR) department for more information.  You EAP company will help you find a therapist who participates in your program.  When using your EAP benefits, ask your HR department or the EAP provider about confidentiality and your company.  Some clients like to know this information so that they can make an informed decision of whether to use the benefits or not if certain information is shared with their employer.

Sliding Scale Counseling
Many counselors offer sliding scale rates for counseling.  Call the provider that you are interested in and ask them if they offer these rates.  Sliding scale rates are rates that are based on a client's ability to pay.  If counselors do not offer sliding scale rates, they can often offer reduced rates or discounts.

Free Counseling
It is possible to find free counseling services depending on your need.  Most free counseling services are offered by non-profit community agencies.  However, there are some counselors that offer pro-bono services as well.  

Where To Find Resources in Austin
Seeds of change offers sliding scale and reduced fee counseling.  We do not want cost to be a prohibitive barrier to the help that you need.  Call us at 512-676-5813 to discuss your options and schedule a free therapy consultation or online https://10to8.com/book/oppdjsgfnxxuyvjbcd/.

You can also find Austin area counseling resource for reduced, sliding scale, or free counseling services by following this link.