Do you take insurance?
I am not an in-network provider for any insurance plans. Many well-trained and experienced psychologists have chosen not to be on insurance plans for two main reasons. The first is that the extremely low reimbursements make it almost impossible to earn an adequate living without scheduling a large number of people every day. How does this affect you? If your psychologist is counseling fifty people every week, inevitably you become less memorable. I believe it is impossible for one psychologist to provide effective treatment to so many people.

The second reason is that I, like many psychologists, have strong ethical objections to sharing your confidential information with insurance-company representatives. These representatives may not be trained in psychology and psychotherapy yet may still be the ultimate judge in authorizing the treatment you are seeking and in determining how long that treatment will be. Many people seeking therapy are unaware of how much of their personal information has to be shared with their insurance company.

My insurance requires that I see a psychologist in its network. But when I contact psychologists on the list, I am told that they are no longer taking my insurance. It is very frustrating. Why does this happen?
Unfortunately, I hear this all the time. It is difficult enough to make that first call for help, only to find that you have to make many calls before you are able to locate a psychologist who is actually on your plan and who has time to see you. The most common explanation I've heard from my colleagues is that they have resigned from insurance plans for the reasons I described above, but their names are often not removed from the insurance company lists for years!

What is the benefit to contacting a psychologist not on my plan?
Psychological research has shown us over and over that it is the quality of the relationship between you and your psychologist that has the biggest effect on the outcome of your therapy. Choosing a psychologist should be based on his or her training, others' recommendations, and your own comfort level, rather than be limited only to those on your insurance plan. In the long run, it may turn out to be more cost-efficient and emotionally beneficial for you to make your own choice of psychologist.

In any case, it is always a good idea to check with your insurance company to clarify your coverage. Many insurance companies do offer out-of-network benefits. This allows you to see the psychologist of your choice and covers a good portion of your therapy—in some cases, up to 80 percent of the fee after you reach your deductible amount.