When I walked into my therapist office the first time and many times since there is a 5-10 minute period of time for whatever reason before things get going. I blink and I see my therapist watching the clock behind me. Nothing against her because she has someone sitting outside. After a few months I'd walk in, get comfortable, pay and try to shorten the period to where we are getting somewhere. Since I started almost 3 years ago the cost is $90 billed to my insurance company which happens to be the only company therapists here take because few pay that well but my copay has gone from $20 to $45 while my premiums rise to cover the expense of me covering more of the cost of my health care.
I asked my therapist about going to 2 hour sessions and was met with a resounding no because the insurance companies will not cover it. There's other reasons I think 2 hours would be more beneficial. It takes 40 minutes round trip so a 2 hour session would save 40 minutes of driving time. There's also the anxious days coming before a session. If I went to 1 2 hour appt vs 2 1 hour appt.'s I'd have less anxiety. It makes no sense to me if I want x amount of treatment why am I limited to being told I have to do 1 hour sessions that are supposed to be cut off after 50 minutes for notes and preparing for the next client. I just find it annoying. I'm thinking of calling my insurance company and threatening them with one of those 4-6 week $20-30k intensive therapy programs if they don't work around what I feel like what works best for me. If you are going to have effective therapy how the hell do you come up with a 1 size fits all 1 hour session that isn't even an hour? It just makes no sense to me.
I asked my therapist about going to 2 hour sessions and was met with a resounding no because the insurance companies will not cover it. There's other reasons I think 2 hours would be more beneficial. It takes 40 minutes round trip so a 2 hour session would save 40 minutes of driving time. There's also the anxious days coming before a session. If I went to 1 2 hour appt vs 2 1 hour appt.'s I'd have less anxiety. It makes no sense to me if I want x amount of treatment why am I limited to being told I have to do 1 hour sessions that are supposed to be cut off after 50 minutes for notes and preparing for the next client. I just find it annoying. I'm thinking of calling my insurance company and threatening them with one of those 4-6 week $20-30k intensive therapy programs if they don't work around what I feel like what works best for me. If you are going to have effective therapy how the hell do you come up with a 1 size fits all 1 hour session that isn't even an hour? It just makes no sense to me.