so i looked into someone who is supposed to be a good therapist here , apparantly she charges $320 a hour and you can get $217 back from the public health system each appointment , all i can think is why would anyone possibly need to charge that much an hour

i feel like ringing back and asking her receptionist if the doctor needs to seek therapy herself for her greed

That's the same kind of thing we saw two decades ago with "mil-spec" tools (ie, $600 claw hammers, $400 toilet seats)...anytime the gov't is involved, there is a strong temptation to charge as much as possible without tripping the "fraud" investigators.

My three therapists all charged in the $120 area (+/- $20), insurance covered most of it. (Insurance investigators are a LOT more aggressive against fraud)

My therapist charges a similar rate.. But I only have half hour sessions, I end up about $35 out of pocket..

Quote from: kelly_aus on August 17, 2012, 07:17:14 PM
My therapist charges a similar rate.. But I only have half hour sessions, I end up about $35 out of pocket..

do you find that half an hour is enough ?

Quote from: mementomori on August 17, 2012, 06:18:31 PM
all i can think is why would anyone possibly need to charge that much an hour

Probably because some people are willing to pay it. In some circles it's a status symbol.

320 an hour for an initial appt. is about right IF YOU ARE SEEING A PSYCHIATRIST! If you are seeing a therapist, i.e. psychologist, LPC LMFT, etc, the going rate around here is between 82- 120/hr depending on experience and training level ( Ph.Ds get to charge more than M.S or MCSW - however, that does not mean they are any better - or even a better fit for you). Just find someone who has experience with GBLT clients. look for one who specializes in these issues. Check out some GBL boards in your area for name if you can.

Good luck.

Quote from: henrytwob on August 17, 2012, 08:48:48 PM
320 an hour for an initial appt. is about right IF YOU ARE SEEING A PSYCHIATRIST! If you are seeing a therapist, i.e. psychologist, LPC LMFT, etc, the going rate around here is between 82- 120/hr depending on experience and training level ( Ph.Ds get to charge more than M.S or MCSW - however, that does not mean they are any better - or even a better fit for you).

I was also going to mention that. I paid $250/hr for a session with a psychiatrist... but that's way overpriced for someone who is only certified as a therapist. I do understand that times are getting tough for some therapists with the blossoming possibilities that the internet offers (YouTube, forums, Google, blogs, Tumblr, etc.) -- my ex is a therapist and he's been finding it an issue -- however, that doesn't mean it's sensible to charge outrageous amounts of money. There has to be a middle ground.

Now you know why Mom wanted you to be a doctor!

Good to know my career choice I'm working towards pays well I will however try to work on a sliding scale program though. My therapist did for me and I feel it's only right I try to do so as well

Yes, therapists can be and are expensive.  Other than SRS and electrolysis, it is the most expensive item on our to do list.

However it is the best way to insure your health, both mentally and physically.

DIY is not advised.  Yes some have done it and had no side effects.  But others have died.  That is why we do not allow the discussion of self medicating.

Quote from: mementomori on August 17, 2012, 08:29:37 PM
do you find that half an hour is enough ?

For the first 2 months I was having hour-long sessions.. But I've found 30 mins to be sufficient since.. I only see him every 2nd month now too, which helps keep the costs down.

And for those that are wondering, yes, he is a psychiatrist. He's also the President of ANZPATH and a member of WPATH. He only deals with gender issues and has done so for quite some time. There are some locally that have an issue with him, but they seem mostly to be people whom he told things they didn't want to hear.

Quote from: mementomori on August 17, 2012, 11:02:04 PM
yes thats why i wouldnt completely DIY id just say to my doctor " im doing this so monitor me "

That is the best thing to do.  And he might even want to write you a script.

Mine was $135/50 minutes, although my insurance would not cover any of it due to him not being in the "network". 

Quote from: mementomori on August 17, 2012, 08:29:37 PM
do you find that half an hour is enough ?

15 minutes was fine by me, since all I was looking for was a letter for SRS clearance.

To pay that much money for chit-chat (Kaffeeklatsch) as ever so often it ACTUALLY turns out to be... so well, 15min and that once a month is what I did.
I then got the green light after a year in any case, after the initial: "All I see is a man in dress..." sort of stuff.
All compliments of Government of course as well...

If you want 'how to dress best' advise, go see a Stylist for a 1/4 of that price, eh? 

Axélle

Wow.. I've had two and neither were that pricey.  I think that the general family therapist was around 120ish for an hour and the trans specific who delt only with LGBT clients just raised rates to 180/hr and I thought that was getting steep.  I do know that there are some that will work on a sliding scale and also some clinics in the area provide low cost solutions if you're wiling to see a student.