Are you struggling to get the mental health support you need while juggling to pay other bills and expenses? It shouldn’t be so hard to pay for therapy, but there can be times when you feel stuck and need to think creatively about paying the bills.
Focus on what you can control and make an effort to never miss a therapy appointment due to not being able to pay for it.
Here are the top tips on ways to pay for your therapist:
Talk with your therapist
One of the first things to do is to discuss your financial situation with your therapist. He or she may have some payment options in place to help you through a rough patch.
Many therapists have a portion of their client work reserved for working with patients who are unable to pay the full amount. Even if your therapist does not have this, most professionals are happy to discuss options for payment.
These may include the off-setting cost of treatments with a work exchange. For instance, if you are a graphic artist, writer, or marketer you may be able to offer valuable skills to help promote their practice.
If your therapist does not have a sliding scale, deferred payment plan, or another way to reduce the cost of sessions, they can refer you to a clinic that offers reduced payments.
Make a budget
One of the best ways to find money is to make a budget. It may sound a little difficult if you’re used to living without tracking your spending. However, you can often find the money for therapy sessions just by making a budget.
You can ask yourself different questions when you have a fixed amount that you are pulling together. For example, if your therapy costs $175, where can you cut back that amount in your spending?
Perhaps you can cut things such as a daily coffee habit, unread subscriptions, or trendy handbags. With a little investigation, you may discover that you already have the funds; you just need to send them a little differently.
Get a side hustle
If you find out that the money truly isn’t on hand, get a side hustle. Explore ways to make extra money in your spare time. This could be as simple as asking friends, neighbours, and family if they have spare jobs that you could do. Perhaps you could be a virtual assistant, house manager, or errand-runner for a busy professional.
Use your imagination and creativity. Check out the local jobs on job boards, Craigslist, and your community center. Ask friends and colleagues to find side hustles such as catering, dog walking, and yard work.
If you aren’t making the money in your full-time work or school, look at part-time and freelance jobs you can do remotely.
Use Your credit
Your counseling session is important. And if you’re strapped for cash, consider putting some or all of your sessions on credit. Make sure you have a repayment plan and budget accordingly.
If you put therapy on credit, create a plan for paying this back promptly.
Get an emergency loan
As you’re committed to therapy, investigate every option. One of the options is to get an emergency personal loan. This is usually not too difficult if you have stellar credit.
However, if your credit is non-existent, bad, or poor, you may have to look more closely. Fortunately, some companies help people get an emergency loan, even if your credit score is not ideal.
The fastest way to find an emergency loan that may work for you is to do an internet search. Simply type in: Where can I get an emergency loan with bad credit?’ You’ll find specific locations, instructions, and requirements for where you can get the help you need.
If you are struggling with paying your therapy bills, take heart. Many people have solved this problem in the past, and are finding innovative solutions today. You can too. Don’t give up hope.
You’ve got a caring and compassionate therapist on your side. And, you have options to pay for the help you deserve. Keep exploring the issue and finding your best solutions.
David Tobin did his degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He is interested in psychology, mental health, and wellness.
