The Unknown Cons of Insurance
We are often asked why we don’t bill insurance directly. We understand that using insurance can seem like the easiest way to access care, but we’ve chosen a private pay model for a few important reasons: to provide the most flexible, personalized, and supportive experience for your child and family.
Why We Don’t Work with Insurance
Most insurance companies require a formal mental health diagnosis before they will approve or reimburse therapy sessions. For young children, this can feel unnecessary—and even harmful. Once given, a diagnosis becomes part of your child’s permanent medical record and may affect their future insurance coverage, access to services, or even career opportunities.
Insurance also places restrictions on care that don’t always align with your child’s needs, including:
A limited number of sessions
Restrictions on session frequency or length
Delays in getting started due to pre-authorization
Little or no coverage for play therapy services
These limitations can make it harder to offer therapy that moves at a child’s pace and focuses on long-term healing instead of short-term compliance.
The Benefits of Private Pay
As a private pay practice, we’re able to put your child’s emotional health and developmental needs first. This approach offers:
Greater privacy and confidentiality
No need for a formal diagnosis
Freedom to choose the most appropriate therapeutic methods
Flexible scheduling and frequency of sessions
Therapists' time is freed up to maximize clinical skills rather than billing insurance, coding, and bill collection
Without the constraints of insurance, we can co-create a plan that best supports your child’s emotional growth and healing.
When Insurance Can Be Helpful
We understand that private pay isn’t the right fit for every family. Insurance can be incredibly valuable, especially when:
A diagnosis is needed to access school accommodations or other specialized services
Financial constraints make therapy otherwise inaccessible
Families are seeking more traditional mental health services that are covered under their plan
A diagnosis can also bring clarity and validation for some families. It may provide language to better understand what a child is experiencing and help inform the right treatment path. When used thoughtfully and with context, a diagnosis can be a helpful tool.
Why Avoiding a Diagnosis Can Matter
That said, not every child benefits from having a diagnosis early on. In some cases, avoiding a formal label can:
Protect your child’s long-term privacy
Prevent mislabeling or overgeneralization
Support a strengths-based, whole-child approach to healing
The American Psychological Association notes that early or unnecessary diagnoses can lead to overgeneralization or stigma, especially in children (APA, 2020).
Play Therapy Is Still Eligible for Reimbursement
If you have out-of-network benefits through your insurance provider, we can support you in seeking reimbursement. We’re happy to provide Superbills, CMS 1500 forms, and receipts for HSA or FSA use.
Additionally, we accept the following forms of reimbursement support:
Second Wind Fund Grant: Lindsay Stenzel and Ashley Sutherland are partnered providers with Second Wind Fund, a Colorado-based nonprofit that fully covers 12–20 sessions for youth considered at risk for suicide. If your child qualifies, services are provided at no cost to you. Reach out to us to learn more.
Victim Compensation: Our therapists are approved providers for metro-area victim compensation boards and can accept payment from any victim compensation board as payment in full for services.
Our Priority: What’s Best for Your Child
We believe there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to your child’s mental health. Our decision to operate as a private pay practice reflects our commitment to flexibility, privacy, and relationship-based care—but we fully support families in doing what’s best for them.
If you have questions about how private pay works or whether your insurance might still help cover costs, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to walk alongside you every step of the way.