Full-length sessions
Real 50, 75, or 90 minute sessions, not the rushed version the clock allows when a payer is dictating the terms. The work needs room to breathe, so we give it room.
Fees and insurance
Fees and insurance.
We're out-of-network by design: longer sessions, and therapy shaped by what helps you rather than by an insurer's rules. Here's what that means, what it costs, and how reimbursement works, before you ever pick up the phone.
Let's talk about money plainly, because guessing is worse. We're an out-of-network practice on purpose. When a plan is paying, it generally sets the terms: a diagnosis to authorize the care, a view on how long sessions run, and a view on what the work should focus on. Working outside that means those decisions stay between you and your therapist.
So what you're paying for is not really a more expensive hour. It's an hour shaped around you and what you need, for as long as the work actually takes. Is that the right trade for everyone? Honestly, no. But for a lot of people it is the whole point. And if cost is the thing standing in your way, please say so. That's a conversation, not a closed door.
Why out-of-network
What the choice actually buys you
Confidentiality
Because we do not bill insurance directly, your therapy is not structured around an insurance company's authorization requirements or session limits. If you choose to submit a Superbill to your PPO, your insurer will receive the information it needs to process that claim.
Clinical autonomy
Your therapy is shaped by what actually helps you rather than by what a reimbursement code will approve. It means the plan for your care is set in the room, by the two of you.
Time on care, not paperwork
Less of everyone's energy goes into fighting with billing systems, which means more of it goes where it belongs: into the work you came here to do.
Laguna Beach Counseling is an out-of-network practice. We do not bill insurance directly, which allows us to deliver full-length sessions and keep decisions about your care between you and your therapist. We can provide a Superbill for each session, for clients to submit to their PPO insurance for out-of-network reimbursement.
Two specifics worth having up front. We do not accept HMO or EPO plans. If you have a PPO with out-of-network mental health benefits, we can provide a Superbill for each session that you submit yourself. And the part people are most often surprised by: your insurance company, not our office, decides whether you are reimbursed and how much.
Which rate applies to you
Two things decide it: who you see, and how long the session runs. Sessions with Kay are priced differently from sessions with the associate therapists she trains and supervises, and 50, 75 and 90 minute sessions are priced separately again. Not sure which row is yours? That is one of the things the free call is for. We will talk through what is going on, who is the right fit, and what length actually suits the work, and you will know the number before you book anything.
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| 50 minutes, individual | $160 |
| 50 minutes, couples or family | $180 |
| 75 minutes, individual | $235 |
| 75 minutes, couples or family | $265 |
| 90 minutes, individual | $275 |
| 90 minutes, couples or family | $315 |
Associate therapists are the clinicians Kay personally trains and supervises.
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| 50 minutes, individual | $190 |
| 50 minutes, couples or family | $220 |
| 75 minutes, individual | $280 |
| 75 minutes, couples or family | $325 |
| 90 minutes, individual | $330 |
| 90 minutes, couples or family | $390 |
The right fit and session length are things we sort out together on the free call.
About Superbills and reimbursement
We do not require a diagnosis in order to begin therapy with us. If you choose to submit claims to your insurance company, your insurer may require diagnostic information for reimbursement. That is their requirement rather than ours, and it is worth knowing before you decide how you want to pay.
We can provide a Superbill for each session: an itemized receipt you can submit to your PPO insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. To be clear, we don't bill your insurance for you, and we can't promise what they'll reimburse, since that depends on your specific plan. Many PPO plans reimburse a meaningful portion of out-of-network care. It's worth a quick call to your insurer to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
Sliding scale, payment, and cancellations
A sliding scale is available on a limited basis, handled quietly between you and your therapist. We accept cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, and all major credit cards. We ask for 24 hours' notice to change or cancel a session, since a reserved hour that goes unused can't be given to someone else on short notice; without that notice, the full session fee applies.
Still have questions about what to expect? Our full FAQ page covers the ones people ask most, and the free call is the best place to ask anything it does not.
Questions people ask
Fees and insurance, answered
What's a first session actually like?
Wondering what to even say? You don't need to arrive with a tidy summary of your life. That's our job to help sort out together. Less like an interview and more like a conversation, we spend the first session getting a real picture of what's going on and what you're hoping will feel different, at whatever pace feels comfortable for you. Sessions run 50, 75, or 90 minutes depending on what you book, in person in Laguna Beach or by secure video.
Do you take insurance?
We are out-of-network and do not bill insurance directly. If you have a PPO plan, we can give you a Superbill for each session that you can submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement. We do not accept HMO or EPO plans.
We accept payment at the time of service. Whether your plan reimburses you, and how much, is between you and your insurance company, so it is worth calling them before you start.
How do I know who to see?
Not sure who on the team would be the right fit? You don't have to figure that out alone. That's exactly what the free Get to Know Us call is for. Tell us what's going on, and we'll help match you with the right therapist, whether that's Kay directly or one of the associates she personally trains and supervises. Most clients find the fit becomes obvious pretty quickly once they're actually talking to someone.
Have questions about cost?
We know therapy is an investment. If you are unsure whether our fees fit your circumstances, please ask. A free 15 to 20 minute consultation is a good time to talk through fees, insurance reimbursement, session length, and fit. A sliding scale is available on a limited basis.
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Navigating Life's Waves Together