What Is a Sliding Scale Fee — and Should You Ask for One?

My standard session fee is $200 but I reserve a certain number of slots for sliding scale fees because I believe that therapy should be available to those who need it, not just those who can afford it.

The work doesn't change based on what you're paying. A session is a session — the same attention, the same effort, the same hour.

And because I live in the real world and pay for training, supervision, professional fees, insurance, taxes, etc., there's a floor below which I genuinely can't go. Within that range, I have some flexibility.

How do we figure out what you pay?

It's a conversation. I'll ask about your income and situation — not to audit you, but to understand what's genuinely sustainable. A fee that feels like a strain every week creates its own kind of stress. One that feels manageable means one less thing standing between you and showing up consistently, which matters more than most people realize.

Is it awkward to ask?

It can feel that way. People worry they'll seem like they're trying to get away with something, or that asking will change how their therapist sees them. It won't — not in my practice.

Because there’s alimited number of spots for sliding scale clients, I may or may not be able to offer a reduced fee depending on how many other clients are currently using one. If I can't, it's not a judgment — it's just capacity. It's always worth asking, and if the timing isn't right, I'll help you find another option.

What if even the lowest rate is too much?

I'd rather know that honestly than have you stretch beyond what's workable. There are other options — training institutes where supervised post-graduate students see clients at very low cost, online directories that match people to therapists based on what they can pay and community mental health clinics.

The bottom line

Therapy is expensive, and a sliding scale is only a partial solution. But if cost has been the thing keeping you from reaching out, it's worth asking. The worst that happens is someone says no. The best is that you find your way into a room where you can start working on whatever brought you here.

Reach out if you're curious. We'll figure out the numbers, and then we can get to the real stuff.