Fees & Accessibility
Access to therapy is influenced by many factors, including financial resources, insurance coverage, and the realities of everyday life. Shared Ground Counseling & Recovery offers several pathways for accessing care, including insurance, private-pay services, and a limited number of sliding scale appointments through the Green Bottle Method.
I currently accept select commercial and public insurance plans. For those paying out of pocket, a limited number of sliding scale appointments are available.
If you're unsure which option may be the best fit, you're welcome to reach out and we can explore available options together.
What Is a Sliding Scale?
We live within systems that shape access to money, resources, and financial stability in unequal ways. At the same time, affordability is rarely as simple as income alone. Family size, healthcare costs, caregiving responsibilities, debt, cost of living, and access to support all influence what is realistically sustainable.
A sliding scale is one way of recognizing these realities. Those with greater financial access contribute more, helping make therapy more accessible for those with fewer resources while supporting the long-term sustainability of the practice.
How Do I Choose What to Pay?
The Green Bottle Method uses a tiered system to help guide decisions about what feels both accessible and sustainable. The image below provides a framework for considering your current financial circumstances and choosing a rate that feels appropriate for you.
If the listed tiers don't feel accessible, you're welcome to reach out. We can talk together about options and explore what may feel workable and sustainable. My hope is to approach these conversations with transparency, flexibility, and mutual respect.
The Green Bottle Method was adapted from The Sliding Scale A Tool for Economic Justice by Alexis J. Cunningfolk.
Tier 1
I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic* needs.
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs.
I own my home or property OR I rent a higher-end property.
I own or lease a car.
I am employed or do not need to work to meet my needs.
I have regular access to health care.
I have access to financial savings.
I have an expendable income.
I can always buy new items.
I can afford an annual vacation or take time off.
Tier 2
I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them.
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs.
I own or lease a car. I am employed.
I have access to health care.
I might have access to financial savings.
I have some expendable income.
I am able to buy some new items & I thrift others.
I can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden.
Tier 3
I frequently stress about meeting basic needs.
I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs.
I rent lower-end properties or have unstable housing.
I am unemployed or underemployed.
I have no access to savings.
I have no or very limited expendable income.
I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them.
I cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off without financial burden.
If you're unsure which tier feels appropriate, you're welcome to reach out. We can explore options together.