Dawn Ascanio
Therapist + Therapeutic Coach
Therapy Fees & Insurance
Options for Paying for Therapy
I am not on insurance panels, but there are several ways to make therapy affordable with an out-of-network therapist. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to use out-of-network insurance benefits, HSA/FSA funds, or my reduced-fee weekly therapy plan. Before deciding whether therapy with me fits your budget, it's worth finding out what you'd actually pay. Your out-of-network benefits might make therapy more affordable than you think.
If figuring out insurance coverage and payment options is at all stressful or confusing for you, please reach out. I'm happy to help you understand your benefits, explore your payment options, and figure out what therapy would cost per session and what that means for your monthly budget. Set up a free phone consult and we can sort it out together.
Out-of-Network Coverage
Depending on your out-of-network coverage, you may be eligible for up to 80% reimbursement. I can help you understand your benefits and get reimbursed through a company called Thrizer. We can use this service to submit claims after sessions, track them, and help manage the reimbursement process, making it much easier to utilize your out-of-network benefits.
Want to check your benefits now? Visit my Thrizer Benefits Checker page to check your out-of-network coverage and deductible, and get an estimate of what you'd pay per session.
Fees
I offer a few different therapy options based on session length, frequency, and the anticipated length of time we'll work together. The traditional 'therapy hour' is typically about 50 minutes long, but I do things a little differently by offering both longer and shorter sessions at different price points. Together, we can consider your goals, preferences, and budget to find an arrangement that works for you. The 3 options I offer are described below.
1
Extended Sessions
60 minutes @ $150/session
Longer sessions that allow for more detailed conversations at a slightly more relaxed pace.
May be eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.
You have flexibility with this option in terms of session frequency. There's no commitment to a particular schedule or length of time working together, although I generally recommend meeting at least twice a month over a period of 2 to 4 months. Some people find this is all they need to reach their therapy goals, as my work tends to be focused, goal-oriented, and intensive. This option also works well for people who have worked with me before and want occasional or as-needed sessions. Your monthly cost will depend on how frequently you attend and whether you have out-of-network insurance benefits. Depending on your coverage, you may be eligible for up to 80% reimbursement. We can explore your benefits during our consultation so you have a clearer idea of what you'd actually pay per session.
2
Highly-Focused Sessions
45 minutes @ $120/session
Shorter, more concentrated sessions that move at a slightly quicker pace and make efficient use of our time together.
May be eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.
You have flexibility with this option in terms of session frequency. There's no commitment to a particular schedule or length of time working together, although I generally recommend meeting at least every other week over a period of 2 to 4 months. Some people find this is all they need to reach their therapy goals, as my work tends to be focused, goal-oriented, and intensive. At 2 sessions per month, your cost would be $240 monthly, before any insurance reimbursement. Depending on your out-of-network benefits, you may be eligible for up to 80% reimbursement. We can explore your coverage during our consultation so you have a clearer idea of what you'd actually pay per session.
3
Weekly Therapy Plan
45-minute sessions @ $90/session
Consistent weekly therapy sessions for an agreed-upon period, usually 2–3 months.
Self-pay only.
(Reduced per-session fees are not eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.)
This plan may be a good fit for you if you:
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don't have health insurance or out-of-network mental health benefits.
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have out-of-network benefits, but a high deductible or limited reimbursement would leave you with high out-of-pocket costs.
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find that paying the full fee for weekly sessions would put a strain on your monthly budget or make therapy difficult to sustain.
With this plan, we agree to work together weekly for an agreed-upon period of time at the reduced fee of $90 per session. This is usually at least 2 months, and less than 3 months, but we will discuss your needs at our initial phone call. This provides consistency, helps therapy make a difference in your life quickly, and gives you a predictable therapy expense to work into your monthly budget. At four sessions per month, your cost would be $360/month. At the end of the agreed-upon period, we'll review your progress and decide together whether additional sessions would be helpful and what fee arrangement makes sense moving forward.
RE: Trauma Therapy
Please note: Written Exposure Therapy (WET) sessions are 45 minutes long, so either option 2 or 3 above would apply. WET is a trauma-focused therapy that is 7-9 sessions. We can discuss whether this is an appropriate therapy for you on our phone consultation, and which payment option would work best.
What If These Options Are Still Too Expensive?
If you'd like to work with me but the options above would be financially difficult, please reach out. I may consider other payment arrangements, such as the reduced fee rate ($90/session) for every-other-week sessions for 4 months, reducing the cost to ~$180/month. I'm happy to discuss your circumstances and explore whether we can find an arrangement that works for both of us. I do my best to make therapy affordable, while still sustainable for my practice/business. If we find that, after going through all the options, it still doesn’t make sense financially for us to work together, I'm happy to help point you toward other options. You might be better served by a therapist who is paneled with your insurance, an agency or group practice offering lower fees or interns, or a therapist through Open Path Collective, where the sliding fee scale is $40-$70/session.
RE: Medicare & MaineCare
Please note: I am not currently enrolled as a provider with Medicare or MaineCare and am unable to provide therapy services to individuals who have coverage through either program.