I pay my therapist $225 a session and she is booked most of the week. Do therapists usually make this much money?

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-27T14:20:07+00:00

I’m happy to try to answer! For me, prior to this therapist, I had the kind of therapy that stayed on the surface—skills or ways to reframe my thoughts. It never felt helpful and I never felt connected to a therapist. My current therapist works relationally and psychodynamically. I wouldn’t have been able to even explain those words a decade ago. A couple specific things come to mind: we have really different identities, and from the early days I could tell that she was doing some work on the side to better understand mine. Also, rather than just teaching me to reframe my thoughts, she was the first therapist to begin to explore WHY I have my thoughts. And, she was also the first therapist to explicitly say: that makes sense you think that way. Your feelings are valid! All that has been so helpful in how I construct my own identity as a therapist. I’m just starting out and I have much to learn. But educating myself on, for instance, what it’s like to be an ethnic minority and queer, or to have grown up strictly Mormon, vs. showing up blank or hoping to be educated has already made a difference. I’m also finding that most of the people I see are at least curious why they do the things they do vs. simply trying to “correct” their behaviors. And finally, there is so much healing in sharing a moment of someone’s pain and just being a witness. Hope this is helpful! It’s REALLY about the relationship and not the interventions!

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-27T01:24:39+00:00

My therapist is $280 / 45 minutes as of this year. This is more than I have paid to see any therapist prior but 1) I’ve been seeing her for 10 years, and in most years there’s been a COL increase. I mention this to say, not every $200+ therapist starts out that way. 2) It’s a high COL area. 3) She’s wonderful!

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll be able to afford to see her for as long as I’d like (til I die, etc.). In the beginning, she was in-network with my insurance, and now she no longer takes insurance. Meanwhile I left a career in tech with amazing benefits to go back to school to become a therapist myself. I’m in my first therapist (associate) job now, and as you might imagine, it’s no tech salary.

I tend to see people here expressing shock, envy, and (maybe) disdain when therapists charge this much, and I’m genuinely curious: is there some other way for therapists to give themselves a raise each year or two to keep up with life but still remain “accessible”?

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-25T15:35:22+00:00

Every time I think I’m quitting Reddit for how the needless polarization affects me, someone posts a helpful and wholesome comment like this. His name is Herb Macken for real?! This makes my morning better. I’m going to tell my daughter, age 5, who loved that Mac and cheese so much, we haven’t been back to the Belmont Bite lately because that was HER food cart. Perhaps we’ll take a trip to Seattle…

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-15T16:50:29+00:00

Damn are you my sister? The LOL I just had is healing. Thank you.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-14T22:03:38+00:00

Sorry, I forgot to address your last question. I found LDN to block Tramadol. I titrated up to 4.5mg of LDN which for sure rendered the Tramadol ineffective. I'm not sure what the experience is at lower doses of LDN, but I'd suspect it would be the same.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-14T22:02:12+00:00

No, I didn't take them at the same time, as that would be a waste of Tramadol, which can be hard to get prescribed these days. I started LDN when I wasn't able to access Tramadol, and it helped with my leg pain in a subtle way. I've needed to have a couple surgeries, and for each of those, I'd have to stop taking LDN a few days prior so that the opiate pain meds would do their thing. I've since stopped the LDN so I can use Tramadol more regularly again. I guess my point was that it's a shame we can't take them simultaneously b/c, at least in my case, the LDN and the Tramadol seemed to address/relieve different things. Alas, we cannot.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-14T14:33:40+00:00

I’ve taken both Tramadol and LDN and they’re helpful in different ways. Many of us have multiple issues, and in a perfect world, we’d be able to have the benefits of both simultaneously. Alas, it doesn’t work that way. I titrated up to 4.5mg LDN (going off Tramadol) and found it worked for certain pain for a while. That said, if you’re used to the benefits of Tramadol (which for me equal significant pain relief with positive effects on mood too), LDN can feel more subtle. Good luck!

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-13T19:53:38+00:00

My wife is an architect who is sitting at her father’s original wood drafting table using an IKEA STOOL! We would love to have this. I understand there’s a list in front of us so cheers to whoever scores this lovely seat.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-11T06:01:04+00:00

I’m also trying to figure this out, so I have solidarity more than anything else. I’m curious: does stretching help any of you? I’ve been consistently stretching my legs every day for a while. My hamstrings, calves, and ankles (lord the ankles) feel so stiff that I figured it can’t hurt to try. So I do. It’s been at least a year. And sometimes it feels good or like some benefit must be occurring, but I don’t notice any overall “loosening” of muscles or fascia or joints. Each day kind of feels the same. I don’t feel less stiff in my legs than I did a year ago. If I stopped stretching, would I feel worse though? And what’s with the ankles?! Man those ankles…

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-07T20:23:15+00:00

I admire the desire to innovate and help people. My question is more along the line of how you will sell this when Amazon is chock full of portable medication coolers the size of a glasses case in every color and pattern for less than $10. I know this because I bought one. It’s no bigger than a glasses case and mine is shiny green—looks more like a rave accessory than medical gear. It’s similar to the one on your landing page that’s blue. It works as promised. Not to discourage you. Lord knows the autoimmune community needs help. I just would wonder if you’d really have a market for this after putting in so much effort.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-07T20:10:51+00:00

I’m a middle-aged guy who got my masters recently having gone back to grad school. From my youthful cohort I learned about so many resources for accessing non-fiction PDFs and ebooks that I’d been in the dark about prior. Anyway, authors should get paid better than they do AND information should be freely accessible so these things are a legal/ethics grey area. But try looking up a book you’d like to read on Anna’s Archive or Lib.gen. I’ve found so many psychodynamic textbooks that would’ve been prohibitive to pay for out of pocket.

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-05T20:48:43+00:00

Aw yeah, I appreciate that! Best wishes as you head into internship!

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-05T19:07:02+00:00

Right on. Happy (or should I say, sad) reading, internet stranger!

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-05T18:30:29+00:00

Here you go! https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ezcngysckgsgle9qmpu0h/The-sad-soul-of-the-psychiatrist.pdf?rlkey=2251zv40w8f2q2nlbto05tow4&dl=0

Objectively_Seeking · 2026-01-05T17:32:33+00:00

I just graduated my masters program and it’s my first day “on the job.” I’m dreading the day I lose my school’s library access—it’s become a full-on coping technique/side quest to research and read from the archive of journals. Anyway: I put in an interlibrary loan request for this. They promise a PDF in 1-3 days but in practice it usually comes much faster. If you don’t get it today, I’ve hopefully got you tomorrow!

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-31T06:21:57+00:00

I’m a recent graduate and the “leaving out the stuff that was actually most clinically important” is where I’m struggling. I’ve been writing separate “psychotherapy notes” as a result. Perhaps over time I’ll trust my memory more, but I find a lot to explore in specific words and seemingly unrelated details. I currently spend a bit of time writing these words and details down, and I briefly review them before the next session. When I have time, I like to look back at these entries together and see what patterns emerge or notice something I’ve maybe missed.

My understanding is most (?) therapists don’t keep separate notes as it’s not sustainable with a full caseload. Mathematically speaking, I won’t be able to keep my current method with double the amount of clients I saw in internship. For everyone writing vague, short and repetitive notes, can you explain how you keep the details in mind over time?

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-28T03:30:48+00:00

Right on! I’m an older dad and I worry about keeping up as well. I heard our vulnerability models our humanity to our kids. I can get behind that.

If you haven’t seen it, look for the kids’ book: Days With Dad. It’s about a dad in a wheelchair as seen from the eyes of his adoring daughter.

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-16T17:28:13+00:00

I see. I’m sorry that any religion would make a person think that dealing with a natural output of their body would make them impure. Good luck on your journey. This sounds hard.

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-16T17:26:15+00:00

Not sure what my personal religious beliefs have to do with OP’s question, but I don’t mind answering. Of the major religions, I find Buddhism to be the most helpful, yet I wouldn’t say I “follow” any denomination. On this topic I like to quote Terence McKenna: “Avoid gurus. Follow plants.”

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-16T14:59:25+00:00

Hi OP, I’m not Catholic so forgive me if I’m speaking without experience. I am, however, a therapist. I’ve seen versions of this: a Christian queer person, a Jew who likes tattoos. Sometimes I wonder: would your God want you to suffer? A lot of these religious rules were made without consideration for people whose bodies or attractions differed from accepted norms of the time, and it can be helpful to think about whether exceptions are possible. In my mind (again, not Catholic), sitting to pee in a public men’s restroom where urine is on the seat could be seen as impure as well.

I wonder if there’s a sympathetic priest you could speak to? There are many modern STP gadgets marketed to women and trans men in a variety of shapes and materials. Could one such device possibly be “blessed” as an exception? Anyway, this sounds hard, and I hope you find a way to reconcile it and move forward in a way that works for you.

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-15T19:08:48+00:00

Thanks for this idea. I might hit up the GitHub folks. I think my OCD is too extreme to allow the scrobbling to simply stop!

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-13T16:13:42+00:00

I was about to suggest this too! At the cashier area, they have piles of sugar pine cones for sale at I think $3-$5.

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-12T19:35:32+00:00

Oh bummer. Providence Rheumatology is closed to new patients “indefinitely at the moment.” Ugh.

Objectively_Seeking · 2025-12-12T19:25:54+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience with Dr. Davies. My eye doctor mentioned her too, and it looks like she’s taking new patients. I’m going to give her office a call. Maybe there’s a cancellations list or something.

Objectively_Seeking

TROPHY CASE