One of the most common questions I get as a sex therapist is: “Do you take insurance?” And I understand why. Therapy is an investment—emotionally, energetically, and financially. For many people, using insurance is a way to make mental health care more accessible. So when I say I don’t take insurance, it’s not something I say lightly.
I want to share a bit about why I made that decision—so you understand the care and intention behind it.
Insurance Isn’t Built for Holistic, Specialized Care
Most insurance companies operate from a medical model. That means they require a mental health diagnosis for reimbursement and focus on short-term, symptom-based treatment. While that can be helpful in some contexts, it doesn’t always align with the depth, nuance, and privacy needed for sex therapy and relational work.
In my practice, we talk about things like:
Intimacy and sexual health
Trauma and attachment patterns
Gender identity, desire, cultural shame, religious wounding
Communication, emotional safety, power dynamics
These are deeply personal and often culturally layered experiences. Many clients come to therapy not because they have a clinical disorder, but because they want to heal, grow, and reconnect—with themselves, their bodies, and their relationships. And for that kind of work, the medical model can feel limiting and even pathologizing.
Protecting Your Privacy and Autonomy
When you use insurance, your diagnosis, session notes, and treatment plans may be reviewed by the insurance company to determine "medical necessity." That means a third party—who’s never met you—is involved in decisions about your care. For many of my clients, especially those exploring sex therapy, that lack of privacy doesn’t feel safe.
Choosing not to involve insurance helps protect your confidentiality. You get to decide what we work on, how we work on it, and how long we stay in the process—without someone outside our therapeutic relationship setting the terms.
Cultural and Relational Work Often Falls Outside Insurance Coverage
The work I do is deeply rooted in cultural awareness, identity development, intergenerational trauma, and relational healing. It doesn’t always fit into a “diagnosable” box. And sex therapy—while incredibly meaningful and healing—is still misunderstood or excluded entirely by many insurance providers.
By not billing insurance, I’m able to prioritize care that’s holistic, trauma-informed, and client-centered, rather than limited by codes and systems that don’t always honor the full complexity of your experience.
Making Therapy More Accessible—Without Insurance
I’m committed to keeping this work accessible. I offer an equity-based fee scale for clients from historically marginalized communities and those navigating financial hardship. I also provide referrals to trusted colleagues, group options, and community-based resources when needed. My goal is never to create barriers—it’s to offer care that’s ethical, sustainable, and rooted in integrity.
Final Thoughts
Deciding not to take insurance wasn’t about making therapy exclusive. It was about creating a space where healing can happen on your terms—without diagnosis-driven treatment, external surveillance, or the pressure to “justify” your reasons for wanting to feel more whole.
You deserve care that’s affirming, private, and centered around your lived experience. Whether you’re navigating trauma, exploring your sexuality, or seeking to deepen connection, my commitment is to offer a space where your story is honored with the depth, dignity, and compassion it deserves.