Rates & Insurance for Therapy in Chicago
I’m in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare (Optum). If you have one of these plans, using your insurance can make therapy significantly more affordable, sometimes reducing your out-of-pocket cost to just a copay per session instead of the full fee.
If you’re not sure which plan you have, or whether it’s one of these four, that’s completely fine. We can figure that out together before your first session.Â
What This Actually Costs
If you’re self-pay, or your plan isn’t in-network, sessions are $135. There’s no confusing tier system or hidden add-on fees, that’s the rate for a standard session, every time.
If you’re using insurance, your actual cost depends on your specific plan: your copay, your deductible, and whether you’ve met it yet for the year. Some clients pay very little per session once insurance is applied. Others pay closer to the full rate until their deductible is met, and then it drops. I know this can feel confusing, and I’m glad to walk through it with you if it helps.
A Note on Coverage
Being in-network with a plan doesn’t automatically mean every version of that plan covers therapy the same way. Insurance companies offer dozens of different plan types under the same name, and coverage can vary depending on your specific policy, your deductible, and your copay.
I’d recommend verifying your specific benefits with your insurance company before your first session, so you know exactly what to expect financially. If you’re not sure what questions to even ask, I’m happy to walk you through it, most people aren’t insurance experts, and there’s no reason you should have to become one just to start therapy.
Your Accepted Plans
Each insurance company handles mental health coverage a little differently. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect with each plan I’m in-network with, plus a dedicated page for each one with more specific detail.
Blue corss is one of the most common plans in Illinois, and one I'm regularly in-network with.
See BCBS coverage details →
Aetna accepted for most plan types, including HMO, POS, and PPO.
See Aetna coverage details →
Cigna coverage can vary more by specific plan than the others. I can help you check whether your specific Cigna plan covers therapy sessions.
See Cigna coverage details →
Optum accepted, with coverage details that can vary by plan type.
See Optum coverage details →
Getting Started!
Not sure what your plan actually covers? That’s a completely normal thing to be unsure about, insurance isn’t exactly designed to be simple, and most people don’t fully understand their own benefits until they need to use them. I’m happy to help you check your specific benefits before your first session, so there are no surprises once we start working together.
The first step is a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk through what’s going on, and I can help you figure out the insurance and cost side of things before you commit to anything.