Francine D Pritt, MS, LPC, NCC

Appointment Times 

Monday through Thursday 8 AM- 4PM 

Friday 8 AM -12PM,   *Days and hours may vary *

• Anxiety/Panic symptoms
• Coaching and Consultation
• Depression
• Family Issues
• Grief/Loss
• Life Changing Events (i.e. college, moving, new job, etc...)
• Life Imbalance (workaholic, introversion, spiritual, sexual, health, self-care)
• Marriage/Relationship Dysfunction 
• Military Life (Active duty and afterward)
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• School dysfunction
• Stress Management 
• Trauma
• Licensed in PA and TX and provides Florida Telehealth. 

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The real costs of using insurance FOR Therapy

• You will have a pre-existing condition on your insurance record:

In order to bill your insurance company, a therapist needs to diagnose you with a mental illness.  This means that your insurance record will forever contain that information.

Given expected changes in health care laws, this will make buying health, disability, and life insurance harder and more expensive for you and your family.  You will only qualify for limited, high-deductible plans with high co-pays.  The first phase of these restrictions is already in place.

You may be thinking, “who cares? Everything is a pre-existing condition now.” Mental health diagnoses can be treated differently.  If you don’t believe that, just ask someone who is considered uninsurable due to a diagnosis they received after psychological testing.  I have patients who’ve been devastated by that.

 

• You lose control over the confidentiality of your information:

A mental health diagnosis goes on your permanent insurance record.  This record can be accessed by any insurance company or government agency during background checks.

If you need security clearance for work, want to join the military, are applying for jobs that require a criminal background check, or are involved in a Workman’s Comp case, all your mental health information can be accessed.

Finally, if you’re ever sued, the opposing party can subpoena your medical and mental health records to build a case against you.  This becomes a disaster quickly in divorce cases.

 

• You’re less likely to be committed to the process:

Paying $100-$120 for a therapy session, sometimes weekly for months or years, can make you nauseous.  However, there’s a lot of research showing that people value what they pay for.  The more you pay, the more invested you are in making sure you get something out of it.

Here’s a basic example.  If you’re about to pay $150 for a meal, you’re more likely to research the restaurant, get dressed up, ask the server questions, and savor each bite. How often do you do this when you pay $15 for a meal?

Therapists see the same thing all of the time.  In general, people who pay out of pocket tend to be more invested in the process, are more likely to complete challenges, and are more likely to reach their clinical goals.

It’s not personal.  It’s basic human behavior.

Are there exceptions?  You bet.  Based on what I’ve seen, it’s when people have to save and sacrifice to pay a high weekly co-pay.  Again, real skin in the game equals progress.

 

Yes, there are exceptions

If your finances are so limited that using insurance is the only way you’ll get the therapy you need, then please do it.

If your co-pay is too high, please contact community mental health centers or university training clinics that offer discounted therapy.

Getting treatment is always the priority.

             

Private pay (self-pay) and out-of-network rates 

*55 minutes session:                      $100-$120

 Options for (self pay only)

*75 minutes                                  $150 

*Additional time                            $2/Min 

* Up to 90-minute session           ($15 each additional 15 minute), appointment may have to be made in advance

Cash, Credit Cards :

Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Discover and Health Saving Cards.