Private-Pay vs. Insurance for Christian Counseling: Which Option Is Best for You?

If you're here, you’re probably carrying quite a bit. You might be the woman who keeps showing up for everyone else—your kids, your husband, your church—but quietly wondering how long you can keep it up. You’re tired. Not just physically, but the kind of tired that aches deep-in-your-bones. And as you start looking for help, you’re wondering if Christian therapy might be the lifeline you need.

And then a practical question brings you to a halt: How will I pay for therapy? Should I use insurance? Is it better to pay privately?

Let’s take this slowly and gently. I want to help you understand the differences, not just from a financial angle—but from a perspective that honors your heart, your healing, and your walk with the Lord.

When You’re Standing at the Crossroads

Maybe you’re here because something inside you whispered, “I can’t keep doing this.” Not in the same way. Not with the same weight on your chest, the same pressure to be everything for everyone while quietly falling apart inside.

You’re trying to love your family well. You want to raise your children differently than you were raised. You want a marriage that reflects Christ. You’re praying through your pain—but even prayer feels hard when your nervous system is constantly on edge.

And now, you’re doing something brave: You’re considering help.

Whether you use insurance or choose private-pay, the bigger question is this: What kind of healing space do you need right now? Do you need to go deep without explaining yourself to a system? Do you need spiritual freedom in your sessions? Do you want someone who understands trauma and Jesus—without minimizing either?

This decision isn’t just financial. It’s emotional. It’s spiritual. And it’s okay if you need help sorting through it.

You don’t have to feel ashamed for asking these questions.

What you do need is a space that’s safe, consistent, and anchored in both clinical wisdom and the presence of God.

That’s what Christian counseling can offer. And whether insurance or private-pay ends up being your best fit, we can talk it through—together.

You’re not weak for needing help. You’re wise for reaching out.
And if your soul is weary, there is healing available.

Let’s explore it—one gentle, Christ-led step at a time.

What Is Christian Counseling?

Christian counseling isn’t about sugar-coating pain with Biblical knowledge or pushing your feelings aside to "just trust God." It’s about walking through the hard parts of your story—with Jesus present in every step. It's sitting with someone who doesn't flinch at your brokenness and doesn’t minimize your faith. A therapist who won’t tell you to leave God out of the conversation—and who also understands trauma, anxiety, and how emotional wounds affect everything from parenting to marriage and to how you relate to God.

You’re not a diagnosis. You're a woman with a past, processing her present, and preparing for her future, with a deep desire to honor God as you raise your children and try to hold everything together in spite of your struggles. Christian therapy holds space for that level of complexity.

As a licensed Christian Counselor who serves women online in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, and Florida, I offer both faith-based and clinically grounded support. That includes options for insurance or private-pay. Both are valid. The right fit depends on what you need—not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually.

Insurance vs. Private-Pay: What’s the Difference?

Here’s the simplest way to explain it:

Insurance:

• You use your health insurance benefits.

• You pay a copay or an agreed upon amount told to you by your insurance carrier.

• A mental health diagnosis is required.

• Insurance companies set certain rules about your care

Private-Pay:

• You pay for therapy directly.

• You don’t need a diagnosis on your permanent medical file.

• You have full privacy and more flexibility in your care.

Let’s walk through each in more detail, with compassion and honesty.

Why Some Women Choose to Use Insurance

Using insurance can be a blessing. It helps reduce the financial burden, and for some women, it’s the only way to make therapy possible. You might consider using insurance if:

• You're already paying high premiums and want to use the benefits available to you.

• You're comfortable with receiving a diagnosis like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, or Major Depressive Disorder.

• You want to begin therapy and finances are your biggest obstacle.

Many clients start here. It's a reasonable choice—especially if your plan has solid mental health coverage and you’ve met your deductible.

Insurance can be a bridge. It gets you started. And that’s valuable. But it’s not always the best long-term fit for every woman—especially for those looking for deeply integrated Christian trauma work.

What You Should Know About Using Insurance

In order for therapy to be covered, you must be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. That means putting something like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depression, or PTSD in your file. For some women, that feels okay. For others—especially those in ministry or visible roles—it feels exposing or uncomfortable.

Also, insurance limits how we do therapy:

• It requires that your care be "medically necessary," a subjective assessment.

• It may limit how many sessions you can have, how long they can be, or what types of therapy is allowed per your diagnosis.

• Some of the work that truly changes lives—like deep EMDR processing or spiritual integration—may not be covered.

• Insurance companies can request access to your treatment records, reading the intimate details of the work you are doing in your counseling sessions.

You deserve to know all of that before you decide. This is your life. Your healing. Your story.

Why Private-Pay Christian Counseling Offers More Than Privacy

When women pay privately for therapy, they often say things like:

• "I wanted to be able to talk freely without worrying about what goes on my record."

• "I didn’t want a label. I just wanted to heal."

• "I wanted the freedom to integrate faith into every part of the process."

Private-pay therapy gives you the space to heal without restrictions. It allows us to:

• Work on your parenting stress—even if it’s not a diagnosable issue.

• Use EMDR for old childhood trauma without needing to prove it to an insurance company.

• Explore your faith and emotions without a filter.

• Move at a pace that honors your nervous system, not someone else's deadline.

• Keep your information private, between you and your counselor.

When you're paying privately, there’s no need to fit your pain into a box. We can work on what you need—not what an insurance code dictates.

The Emotional Cost of a Diagnosis

Some women worry about how a diagnosis might affect future life insurance, security clearances, or life decisions. Others feel uneasy knowing their struggles are recorded and shared within a system they can’t control.

This is especially true for women who:

• Are in leadership at church or work.

• Have experienced spiritual trauma or church hurt.

• Don’t want anyone to question their faith based on what they’re walking through.

Private-pay gives you room to be human—without fear of being labeled.

And in Christian therapy, that matters. Because healing isn’t linear. Some weeks you're raw and broken. Others, you’re brave and ready. With private-pay, we honor that rhythm without explaining it to an outside party.

What Does Private-Pay Therapy Cost?

Let’s talk honestly about finances.

In my practice, sessions typically cost $200 for the initial session and $165 for follow up appointments, depending on the length and the services used (EMDR intensives are longer and therefore cost more). That investment includes more than time—it includes:

• A trusted relationship where you’re seen, heard, and safe.

• Space for your faith and your feelings.

• Customized care, based on your actual needs—not what insurance approves.

• A therapist who knows how to help you regulate your emotions, heal from trauma, and parent from a place of peace.

I offer one pro bono session per week for a woman in ministry or a pastor’s wife who does not have insurance. This is provided on a scholarship basis for a six-month period. Currently, this spot is full.

In addition, some insurance plans allow for out-of-network reimbursement. If that’s an option for you, I can provide a document called a “superbill” to submit. You may be reimbursed for part of the cost depending on your individual insurance contract.

Private-Pay Is Not About Having Money—It’s About Having Freedom

Paying privately for therapy isn’t about being wealthy or having it all figured out. It’s about quietly, courageously saying, “My healing matters.” It’s about recognizing that the version of you who keeps holding everyone else up deserves to be held, too.

It’s a decision to honor the woman God created you to be—peaceful, whole, steady, and rooted in Him—even if you don’t feel like her just yet.

And if this is the first time you’ve ever made space for this kind of care, it may feel unfamiliar. Maybe even uncomfortable. That’s okay. Most worthwhile things do at first. Stretching into healing takes faith. Investing in your emotional and spiritual well-being takes trust. You're not being selfish—you're being faithful to the restoration God wants to do in you.

Many women I work with have said this was the very first time they spent money on themselves. Not for their kids. Not for the house. Not for anything “productive.” And you know what? It wasn’t indulgent. It was sacred.

This kind of care changes more than your week—it changes your legacy.

How to Decide What’s Best for You

Here are a few questions to guide you:

• Do I feel comfortable sharing personal information with an insurance company?

• Is the kind of therapy I need likely to be covered?

• Do I want full freedom to integrate my faith without constraint?

• Do I feel overwhelmed by the thought of navigating insurance forms?

• Am I ready to invest in therapy that aligns with both my values and my emotional needs?

You don’t need to have all the answers today. But starting the conversation is a meaningful first step.

Let’s Talk About It Together

If you’re unsure which path to take—insurance or private-pay—reach out. We can walk through your options together, exploring which options are best for you and your needs. I want you to feel confident in your decision, not confused.

There’s no pressure, no judgment—just clarity.

You matter. Your healing matters. And whether you come through insurance or private-pay, my desire is to walk with you through the messy, beautiful, redemptive process of becoming whole and healed.

Worthy of Healing

Christian counseling is more than just counseling with a Bible verse. It’s a sacred space where your story is safe, your faith is welcomed, and your healing is real and a space where you don’t have to shrink, filter your pain, or pretend everything is okay.

Whether you use insurance or choose to pay privately, here’s what I want you to know:

You are not too far gone.
You are not too complicated.
You are not too late.

You are a daughter of the King—deeply loved, wholly seen, and fully worthy of peace, healing, and hope.

We can figure out the payment piece together. Don’t let that be what keeps you stuck.

You’ve already done something brave by searching for help. That matters. Now let’s take the next small step toward the healing God wants for you.

Contact me to schedule a consultation or ask any questions. You are worth taking care of—and your family is worth healing for. You don’t have to keep holding it all together alone.