Affordable Therapy in Brighton, MI | $82 Flat Fee

Our Pricing Philosophy

One price. No insurance. No surprises.

Sessions are a flat $82 — for individual therapy, couples counseling, family work, teen therapy, and coaching. There are no intake fees, no per-form charges, no separate billing for the first session. $82 is what you pay every time.

We've been a private-pay practice since the beginning. It's a choice we made, and it's a choice that shapes how the work feels. Therapy is between you and your therapist — not you, your therapist, and an insurance company asking for a diagnosis after the first hour.

$82 every time. No coding gymnastics, no surprise bills.

In Johanna's Words

Why we built it this way

“Early in my career, my supervisor asked for a young client's diagnosis. I told him I didn't have one — he was a 10-year-old whose parents were getting divorced, and he just needed someone to talk to. My supervisor pushed me to give him a label anyway, so we could bill insurance. I said no. I wasn't putting a mental-health diagnosis on a child who didn't need one. That moment stayed with me.”

“Rates that put therapy out of reach for working people, with no insurance option, leave a lot of folks with no way to get help. I built this practice the opposite way — affordable, transparent, available. I think that's how mental health care should work.”

— Johanna Ciak, Executive Director

Two convictions, one practice. Going private pay means we never have to choose between honoring what a client actually needs and what an insurance company will reimburse. And keeping our rate where it is means people can actually walk through the door. Some clients come in for a clear clinical reason; some come because they want a thoughtful space during a hard season. Both are valid, and neither needs a billing code — or a luxury-tier price — to justify it.

High Deductible? Read This.

For most people on high-deductible plans, $82 is the cheaper option

If your plan has a $3,000, $5,000, or $7,000 deductible, you're paying out of pocket for therapy anyway until you hit that number. And the per-session price for an in-network therapist can run higher than ours. The math often works out in favor of skipping insurance entirely — and you don't have to deal with copays, prior authorizations, or year-end billing surprises.

50–60 minutes

A real therapy session

Sessions are scheduled at 50–60 minutes. Children may need a little less, but not always. The session is the session.

No add-ons

One price, every time

$82 covers the session in full. No separate intake fees, no per-form charges, no end-of-year reconciliations. You always know what your next session costs.

HSA & FSA

Tax-advantaged eligible

Therapy with us qualifies for HSA and FSA reimbursement. Most plans cover it without pre-authorization. We provide receipts after every session.

Out-of-Network

Superbills available

Many plans reimburse part of out-of-network therapy. We provide superbills (receipts with diagnostic codes) that you can submit to your insurer for partial reimbursement.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Why don't you take insurance?

Two reasons. The first is clinical — insurance companies require a diagnosis to pay, usually after the first session, and they get input on what counts as covered care. We don't want a third party deciding how long you get to see a therapist or whether what brought you in qualifies. The second is about labels. We don't want to assign a mental health diagnosis to a child or teen just to get a session reimbursed. A 10-year-old working through their parents' divorce doesn't need a diagnosis — they need someone to talk to. Private pay lets us focus on that.

Is it actually more affordable than going through insurance?

For many people, yes — especially anyone with a high-deductible plan. If your deductible is $3,000, $5,000, or more, you're paying full price out of pocket for therapy anyway, and you may end up paying more per session than our $82 flat fee. Plus there's no copay confusion, no surprise bills, and no end-of-year billing reconciliation.

How long is a session?

We typically schedule 50–60 minutes per session. Children sometimes need a little less time, but not always. The $82 covers the session in full — no separate intake fees, no per-form charges, no add-ons.

Can I use my HSA or FSA?

Yes. Therapy at the Center is HSA and FSA qualified. Most plans cover it without pre-authorization. We provide receipts after every session for your records.

Can I get reimbursed by my insurance?

Possibly. Many insurance plans offer out-of-network mental health benefits — partial reimbursement for therapy with an unaffiliated provider. We can provide superbills (detailed receipts with diagnostic and procedure codes) that you submit to your insurer. Call your plan and ask: "What are my out-of-network mental health benefits?"

Is the fee the same for couples and family sessions?

Yes. Our flat fee applies across the full range of services we offer — individual therapy, couples counseling, family work, teen therapy, and coaching. The fee is per session, not per person.

What if I can't afford $82?

Call us. We'd rather have a conversation than have you not reach out at all.

A flat $82 per session