Treatment fees/accessibility: Statement and Policy

Like many mental health providers, I’m often faced with the decision of charging full fee versus siding scale with clients. Over my career lifetime, I’ve given extensive years of free services and sliding scale and unfortunately no longer can do this. I do offer ad hoc scheduling, scheduling at your comfortable financial frequency and payment plans. 

I make two exceptions for sliding scale:

A) Working wages or salary under $60,000 USD per year, no other household income, and BIPOC. 

B) Active community global leadership that makes a large impact in our world and also a salary under $60,000 per year, and no other household income. 

I offer two pro bono daylong intensives to two members of the community per year with evidence of a financial need and no access to other financial resources, including other family members that can support you. The criteria are:

1. A wage or salary making under $60,000 per year with no other household income
2. A letter from another community provider and/or therapist identifying your need of the services and your limited resources
3. A letter from you yourself explaining your intention for healing  

I am strongly committed to providing services to the underserved and I do this by volunteering, offering services in Thailand, and providing group workshops, and pro bono cases. I continue to consistently learn and expand my knowledge of how to support those with limited access and donate to community services that help these populations when I can a few times a year.  I also offer group workshops and classes, and sometimes these can be offered on a sliding scale basis.  

My commitment is for services to be accessible to our community and also have reasonable expectations of myself. 

With this, these are the following examples of what would not qualify for reduced fees. 

• -present low paying job but have a substantial savings account or life partner that can support your low paying job.
• -expensive rent or cost of living expenses 
• -having to ‘tap into savings’
• -‘need to budget’ to afford the sessions
• -presently unemployed, but have other family members in the household that bring in above $60,000 USD
• -A student receiving living loans
• -being retired and have yearly retirement income, Social Security or savings that is above $60,000 per year

All of the above are examples of statements I hear time and time again, but unfortunately, these do not qualify for sliding scale. 

Philosophy of the Collective

As a mental health professional in the community, I’m holding the larger community in perspective. I have to think about truly low income and underserved populations to offer sliding scale to. Individuals that do not have a savings account, retirement plan, a budget, or another family member that can support them.

*I acknowledge that I live and work on unceded occupied Ohlone Territory and pay Shuumi Land Tax at https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/about/

There are many therapists in the area who charge sliding scale and may be more affordable for you and I encourage you to seek their services out. You can try openpathcollective.org or other community organizations. 

My fees are based on 30 years of experience, certifications and being the only therapist in East Bay that I know of that is certified in all of the following modalities: EMDR, Brainspotting (BSP), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Internal Family Systems (IFS L2), Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and HeartMath. 

Donate:

If you have means and resources, you can always donate for an underserved community member to have access to services, an intensive, and/or workshop. There is a gift certificate on my website and you can email me with any amount you would like to donate. Since I am not a nonprofit this would not qualify as a nonprofit deduction. If the client is willing, you will receive a letter or email from them, honoring and thanking you for your donation. Or you can request to remain anonymous. 

I’m hoping you too recognize that paying full fee for mental health services is an honor to not only yourself, to myself, but also those that cannot even think about affording therapy. I hope this clarifies any questions you may have about fees. 

In healing, healing our community, healing our world,

Karen