Starting Therapy in the New Year: Costs, Insurance and Your First Session in MA and RI
By Ashti Mistry, LICSW, Founder & Clinical Director, Bee Insightful Therapy
January is a common time to start therapy. Many insurance plans begin a new plan year on January 1, so it’s a good moment to check your mental-health benefits. We offer online therapy for adults in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. You can pay privately or use insurance: we’re in network with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Optum and UnitedHealthcare, and every new client starts with a free 15-minute consultation. See costs and insurance.
If you’ve been meaning to “look into therapy” for a while, this guide walks through the practical parts so the first step feels a little easier.
Is January a Good Time to Start Therapy?
Any time is a good time to start therapy. But January has a few things going for it:
- A natural fresh start. The holidays are over, routines restart, and many people feel ready to focus on themselves.
- The holidays may have stirred things up. Time with family, travel, grief or loneliness during the holiday season often brings feelings to the surface.
- New plan year. If your insurance plan renews in January, it’s a good time to understand what’s covered before you begin.
You don’t need a crisis, a diagnosis or a perfect reason to start. Stress, a life change, feeling stuck, relationship strain, parenting overwhelm or simply wanting to understand yourself better are all good reasons. If you’re not sure what you’d talk about, our post on things to discuss in therapy may help.
What Therapy Costs With Us
Here’s an overview of your options:
- Free 15-minute consultation: no cost, no obligation
- Individual therapy sessions: private pay, or in-network insurance with the plans listed below
- Short support session (30 minutes): a shorter, focused session when you need extra support between regular sessions
- Sliding scale: offered. Please ask about it during your free consultation.
For current private pay rates, see costs and insurance.
Using Insurance for Therapy in Massachusetts
We’re in network with:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Harvard Pilgrim
- Optum
- UnitedHealthcare
If you use one of these plans, what you pay depends on your specific plan, including any copay, deductible or coinsurance. Every plan is different, so we don’t guess.
We Check Your Benefits Before Your First Session
You don’t have to figure out your insurance on your own. Before your first session, our office checks your benefits and explains what your plan reports, so you have a clearer picture before you start. Your final cost depends on your plan.
Deductibles, Copays and Coinsurance: A Quick Guide
Insurance language can be confusing. A few terms you might see:
- Deductible: the amount you may pay before your plan starts sharing costs. On many plans this resets at the start of each plan year, which for some people is January 1. Check with your insurer to see when yours resets.
- Copay: a set amount you pay for each visit.
- Coinsurance: a percentage of the cost you pay after any deductible. If you’ve seen “100% coinsurance” on your plan, our post on what 100% coinsurance means explains it.
A good question to ask your insurer: “What are my outpatient mental-health benefits for in-network telehealth therapy?”
If Your Plan Isn’t on Our List
You’re welcome to pay privately. Superbills are available, so you can submit them to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Whether your plan reimburses, and how much, depends on your plan.
What Happens in the Free Consultation and First Session
The Free 15-Minute Consultation
After you complete the contact form, our team will reach out to set up a short call. The consultation is a chance to:
- Share a little about what’s bringing you to therapy
- Ask questions about how we work
- Talk through insurance, private pay or the sliding scale
- See whether it feels like a good fit
There’s no pressure to commit on the call.
Your First Session
Your first session is mostly about getting to know you: what’s going on now, what you’d like to be different, and a bit of your background. You don’t need to prepare anything or have the “right” words. Many people feel nervous at first, and that’s normal.
How Online Therapy Works in MA and RI
All of our sessions are by secure telehealth, so you can join from home, your car on a lunch break, or anywhere private. You need to be located in Massachusetts or Rhode Island at the time of your session. We work with adults only.
Babies in arms are welcome during online sessions. Learn more on our telehealth page or read about postpartum therapy with insurance in Massachusetts.
Sessions are in English. If you’d be more comfortable in another language, please ask during your free consultation and I’ll help you find the right fit.
How to Choose a Therapist (Whether It’s Us or Someone Else)
Finding a good fit matters. It’s okay to “shop around,” talk with more than one therapist, and choose the person you feel most comfortable with. Whether you work with us or someone else, it’s okay to ask:
- What kinds of concerns do you usually work with?
- What does a typical session look like?
- Are you in network with my insurance, and what will I likely pay?
- How do you work with clients from my cultural background?
A few other things worth checking:
- License. Make sure the therapist is licensed in your state (for example LICSW, LMHC, LMFT or psychologist).
- Approach. Ask what approaches they use, such as CBT, ACT or mindfulness-based work, and how that fits what you want help with.
- Experience with your concern. Postpartum, grief, trauma, a big life change: ask whether it’s something they see often.
- Online or in person. Decide what works for your life. Online therapy can save travel time; some people prefer an office.
- How you feel talking to them. Do you feel heard? Comfortable enough to be honest? Your gut feeling counts.
- Professional boundaries. A good therapist keeps the focus on you, doesn’t push their own agenda, and doesn’t dismiss your feelings.
The free consultation is a good time to ask these questions and get a sense of fit before you commit.
When Shopping Around Turns Into Avoidance
Sometimes people keep switching therapists not because the fit is wrong, but because therapy has started to feel uncomfortable. Feeling challenged in therapy is often part of the work. If you notice you keep searching without starting, it may be worth asking whether avoidance is playing a role. Our post on how to be less avoidant may help.
A Note for First-Time South Asian Clients
If you’re South Asian and no one in your family has ever been to therapy, starting can feel like a big step. You might worry about what people will say, or feel like you should be able to handle things yourself. Therapy is confidential, with a few exceptions required by law that we’ll go over at your first session. It’s also a chance to work with a therapist who takes your cultural context seriously. You can start with a simple conversation and go at your own pace.
Common Questions
Does my insurance deductible reset in January, and what does that mean for therapy?
On many plans, the deductible resets at the start of the plan year, which is often January 1, but not always. If yours resets, you may pay more of the cost yourself early in the year until the deductible is met. Check with your insurer, and we’ll verify your benefits before your first session.
Do you take BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Optum or UnitedHealthcare?
Yes. We’re in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Optum and UnitedHealthcare for sessions in Massachusetts; Rhode Island sessions are private pay, and we can provide a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement. What you pay depends on your specific plan, and we verify your benefits before your first session.
How much is a session if I don’t use insurance?
You can pay privately. Current private pay rates, including the 30-minute Short support session, are listed on our costs and insurance page. Limited sliding scale spots are available; ask about them during your free consultation. Superbills are available if you want to seek out-of-network reimbursement.
What happens in the free 15-minute consultation?
It’s a short call to hear what’s bringing you in, answer your questions, talk through insurance or private pay, and see whether we’re a good fit. There’s no obligation to book.
Is it okay to shop around for a therapist?
Yes. A good fit matters, and it’s okay to talk with more than one therapist before you choose. A free consultation is a low-pressure way to see how it feels.
What are red flags in a therapist?
Crossing professional boundaries, such as sharing too much about their own life or pushing their own agenda, is a red flag. So is dismissing or invalidating your feelings instead of listening.
Can I do therapy online from anywhere in Massachusetts or Rhode Island?
Yes. Sessions are by secure telehealth for adults located anywhere in Massachusetts or Rhode Island at the time of the session.
Start the Year With a Free Consultation
Start the year with a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk through what you’re looking for and how insurance works for you.
