Counseling is often an involved process and can require a significant investment of time, which usually also means a significant investment of money. Rates for hourly services of all kinds can vary widely. Legal services can often cost $600/hour, and Physical Therapy can cost $250/hour. In the Atlanta area, counseling services can run as high as $300/hour, though many therapists charge less than that. I consider several factors in determining my rate, including the training and experience I bring to the equation, the desire to keep my services affordable, and the costs involved in providing services, such as rent, insurance, and materials. In addition, counseling often involves thinking, research, and preparation for client work, which is not typically billable time.
My current approach is to charge a base hourly rate for each session. This session rate includes the time I spend writing notes, scheduling sessions, planning for sessions, and engaging in certain kinds of background research or other preparation.
I will also charge additionally for certain kinds of non-session work, but only when you have specifically agreed to it. This work includes communicating with other professionals, school observations, parent/caregiver sessions, and other related work. In these cases, I will always check with you before engaging in these kinds of charged services, and these will typically be billed in half-hour increments.
Billing Approach
I typically send out a payment request through my Square account at the end of each month. I can also generate a monthly Superbill, which is an invoice that provides the information that a health insurance company typically requires. I will not do this unless you request it, since it includes specific diagnostic and treatment codes. If you prefer to pay for each session at the time of service, please let me know, as that is easily accommodated.
In addition to cash and paper checks, I can accept payments through my Square account, which allows for payment by credit card (with an in-person tap or online payment), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more. Square, like all online payment systems, charges a processing fee, and I have built the cost of this processing fee into my rate. If you choose to pay with a method that avoids the processing fee, such as a check, your bank’s Bill Pay system, or an ACH payment (outside of Square), then I’m happy to reduce the hourly rate by roughly 3% (e.g., $5 off for a single session). To make an ACH payment, you will need my bank account and routing numbers, which I am happy to provide.
Please reach out if you have any questions about this process. I'm happy to help in whatever way I can.