Answer:
There are a lot of things going on in the profession! Years ago health insurance did not even cover mental health. Now health insurance pays, but counselors get extremely low reimbursements.
Sometimes your insurance copay will be unaffordable. Sometimes you can be reimbursed for an out of network provider but thats "iffy". Sometimes it's so much easier to just pay cash for your sessions. These are all things we can work out if you ask.
Some counselors choose to be in private practice working alone. This means they have to be their own receptionist, billing manager, office manager, and tax accountant. I'm in this category and I try to limit myself to 20 clients per week.
You've probably noticed a lot of online counseling platforms. I believe this is a response to counselors need for help. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, much of this help is automated. That means you will get an answering machine and a call back, and be frustrated when automation cannot answer to your issue. These platforms however, decrease work for counselors who can then focus on your actual treatment.
I've heard that counselors have wait lists, but there are more than enough of us to go around, if you know where to look and understand your options.
If you've read this far you've already found me, and I'm accepting new patients. You can trust the online agencies that I'm involved with. You can trust putting your personal information into the forms. Once you get used to it it is very easy. Just be sure that your insurance is on the list, or opt to pat cash. Autopay is highly recommended!
Just click on the booking link, visit any of the agencies directories, or call directly. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
For more information on Insurance and why it makes counseling so difficult, read here:
https://therathink.com/insurance-reimbursement-rates-for-psychotherapy/#private-insurance