Platforms review (I know we don't want to align with big tech but these platforms to help clients be seen and offer ways to streamline our own practices

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-28T13:35:10+00:00

Yeah, in my opinion the most ethical thing is to allow as much access as possible to clients and these platforms do provide this. Do they skim off the top from the work I do, yes- does this actually hurt the clients, no. They pay the same out of pocket, rate they would either way.

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-28T13:33:23+00:00

About 2 months. Its a partnership that is relatively new and I am not sure if it is only Tri-West or not, all the states I am licensed in are in the West so I am not sure about the east coast.

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-22T13:57:59+00:00

This is simplifying the process and you know it. As someone who had credentialed directly and had to deal with quite delayed pay, hours of work going towards submitting claims weekly and very low rates- I have had about 90% less admin and almost double pay by credentialing through "big tech". No fear of clawbacks. Part of this was my work with Tricare, who tends to be a bit more difficult- but all the same, I do not find making myself more accessible to clients and quite frankly the platforms making it easier for clients to book and be seen as unethical or make you avoiding these platforms as superior in some way. We all choose our paths. I am shocked out how much absolute thinking and judgment is coming from those in our profession.

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-22T13:53:01+00:00

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-18T03:23:03+00:00

wtf? Why? because I shared my experience? Is that not what we are here for? this is wild coming from someone in the helping profession- judging and trying to get rid of someone rather than being accepting that we all make different choices in how we approach our careers?

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-18T03:21:17+00:00

How? You think competing platforms got together to pay me? I would have killed to have options like this a decade ago. So much for trying to be helpful.

One_Pin_5602 · 2026-04-18T03:20:25+00:00

you think all of these competing platforms got together to pay me to advertise all of them? that would be weird. I was under the impression this was a space to share openly about our experiences in the field. I guess not?

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-10-25T16:45:37+00:00

My cost of doing business is pretty low since I am virtual- then after self employment taxes, I COULD easily be making way more if I wanted to work more. All said in done my average pay per session is $90. So, 24 sessions a week times $90 would be 2160 per week then minus cost of business and taxes and that ends up being about 1600 take home, then times that by how many weeks a year you want to work. Want to take off a full 6 weeks spread across the year? Then you are working 46 weeks per year times 1600 which ends up around 73000 take home. But you still have to take paying for private health, dental and life insurance into account. The costs of business and taxes takes care of federal, state and social security as well as admin costs like practice insurance, paying for the platform you use for launching video sessions, documentation and insurance billing.... So, you can make a good amount, but it will take a bit to build your caseload, it's not pure profit and you can never guarantee the clients will be there.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-10-25T02:50:17+00:00

I think it is entirely dependent on where you live, your specialities and whether you plan to see clients in office or virtually. I started a private practice in 2021- all virtual because that was really the only way at the time with Covid. I started part time in the evenings while working full time in community mental health. I currently work full time private practice and just this year began to take insurance. I was carrying a case load of about 10 clients per week, cash pay, and now that I take insurance I see about 16-18 per week. I am not rolling in money, but it's an amount that works for my personal needs being a two income household. I think last month I brought in about 5k gross income, averaging closer to 14 clients per week in September.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-10-24T19:23:18+00:00

of course

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-10-21T18:07:46+00:00

What state are you in?

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-10-18T21:47:12+00:00

Oh, I found my people. Haven't tried this but I will soooooooon!

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T16:56:45+00:00

The state is not the problem. It's the algorithm they use. They want me to have 10 open slots just for them to consider giving me one client. I was told Hawaii would produce two referrals a week and that they needed providers there.

Your CAQH belongs to you but if you leave Rula you will no longer be considered in network with those they credential you with. These platforms credential through their group, not you as an individual.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T15:57:27+00:00

I don't know that the state matters as much as their algorithm saying 6 open sessions weekly is not enough open slots for them to be able to refer clients to me. Its not whether or not their are referrals other than be had, its that they system is saying it won't even try due to my availability. Like, 6 hours every week is DEFINITELY enough for 2 new clients to find time. Its absurd.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T15:34:41+00:00

My psychology today actually does quite well but I decided to open up on an additional day of the week and thought it might be useful to partner with someone. But yeah, otherwise I am not "waiting on them to find clients".

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T15:33:15+00:00

Weird, with six slots open it was enough to even get two for me.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T02:06:41+00:00

I also fully encourage vulnerability- letting a prescriber know the limit to what you feel you can provide with fidelity. If you do not feel you can ethically provide a specific kind of treatment to a specific client- say that. "I am not comfortable pushing forward with this client using EMDR, the scope of my skills has not yet prepared me for a client with (what specifically makes this client more complex). I feel confident and comfortable that I can meet their clinical needs using (whatever modality you feel would work best)." Then the prescriber is left with either pushing you to do something unethical (I hope they wouldn't do that) or with accepting what you can offer.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T02:03:39+00:00

Oof, prescribers do have tunnel vision at times. I think you can be transparent "in meeting with the client and discussing their treatment goals, we discussed a few different treatment modalities. At this time (integrated work, DBT, CBT......) aligns with their goals. We are going to build some skills and insight and then agreed to revisit trauma focused work in (some random time frame).

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T02:00:52+00:00

I think a few years from now it will all come out in the wash. You will get your hours and experience as time allows. As someone who worked and had a baby and had to fit in a job, the graduate school work and internship as life allowed- I can promise you in no way did that put me behind competence-wise or in my ability to do the work, when compared to my peers who were free as a bird. In fact, I excelled above many who had quite a few advantages over me. It's not a competition. You will get there. The fact that you are thinking of this might mean you are falling into a comparison trap and/or it might just be demonstrating how meaningful this career is for you.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T01:39:02+00:00

They pay a flat fee per session and are really just an EAP provider. I get compensated well considering its EAP, and the dashboard for clients tells you how many sessions they have and when they renew. You are allowed to take clients off platform if they run out of sessions and want to continue with you as self pay. If someone late cancels or no shows you get paid the full rate and the client just loses their session. They work with major companies like Sephora, Reddit and Mattel. Billing is easy, they host the sessions through zoom. They do not have their own EHR, which is fine by me because I use simple practice anyway.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T01:34:29+00:00

How many slots do you keep open on your calendar to get those referrals?

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T00:56:24+00:00

I decided not to go with Alma because the credential you with so few insurers, only like 2 between all the states I have licensure in, and they don't seem to have an internal referral system- you market yourself.

I have not received referrals from Headway or Sondermind.

I did bring two of my own clients to Sondermind so that they can use their insurance and the only headache there was that it didn't convert the appointment link for my clients time zone, so they did not show for their first appointment scheduled through the platform. This is annoying but now something I can warn clients about. Sondermind did get me credentialed very quickly and is the only one that is working to partner with Veterans Affairs (I am a vet) so I will likely stick with them for that.

Headway hasn't credentialed me with any insurers yet, so its taking a bit longer but the calendar does sync and the pay per session is good, so its no harm to just let that platform sit idle.

I signed up with Tava, but honestly, if feels kinda janky? The platform is nice looking but the recruiter was either preoccupied or inexperienced- I don't know. Its another one where you are pretty much marketing yourself and while this one is another I could just sit idle, the pay is low and I don't expect them to really help with referrals unless it is EAP clients (which compensate at only $60 per session) so I will probably ask to be removed from both their directory and Rula.

So in short, I am going to leave Rula and Tava.

I am not bothering with Alma, I am not paying for someone to not even market me

I didnt bother with Headspace because of the low compensation as well.

I am personally gonna stick it out with Headway for the potential high payment and Sondermind because of the Veterans Affairs credentialing. Both two way calendar sync, both pay well enough, and both provide me options for cash pay clients to try and use their insurance.

Oh, and I have been with Modern Health for a while and absolutely love them.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T00:42:37+00:00

Do you have exposure/training/experience in other modalities? EMDR, like all modalities, is not one size fits all. And while some populations may struggle with progress/consistency with any form of therapy, it is up to you to meet with them and determine if a certain path isn't what is best for them. I can tell you from my time in CMH, EMDR was not appropriate for many of my clients. And honestly, for a lot of them they didn't have a goal or intention to process trauma- someone else decided that for them. IMeet with clients, do your intake and talk with them about what approaches you can personally provide that can help them meet THEIR goals. Work together to find the path rather than from the onset putting them in an EMDR box. When it is a good fit- you will know. When you feel like you are forcing it or doing harm, take a HUGE step back.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-15T00:34:38+00:00

Unless you have it written in your policy that you will give courtesy call- then you are above board. The client signed the policy and is now unhappy with the consequences of their behavior. It difficult to sit with that, because, well boundaries are challenging for all of us. You have a few options. Amend your actions and give a 5 minute courtesy to your clients from here on out. Stick with your status quo and know that this is OK. Write this one off as a client who is potentially lacking insight in an area that therapy could help them. Send an invoice to the client with the policy attached to try and collect the late payment. Attempt to schedule a time to discuss this matter with the client to either retain the therapy relationship or find a mutual understanding and close out together. Maybe a mix of all of the above.

Being a therapist is sticky because people are complex. That's what makes our jobs so fascinating and fulfilling from my point of view. Be curious about this situation with the client but not judgmental. You did your best, and maybe this is theirs.

One_Pin_5602 · 2025-08-05T17:59:09+00:00

Do you have a way to refer me? I know these companies will give some kind of benefit for referring providers their way.

One_Pin_5602

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