Is Couples Therapy Covered By Insurance?
Many people assume that if therapy is covered by insurance, couples counseling will be, too. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
Insurance companies often treat relationship counseling differently from other mental health services. Even when a therapist accepts insurance for individual therapy, couples therapy may not be included in your insurance coverage.
Let's go over the details of why this is, and what your options are if you need couples therapy to support your overall well-being.
At Thrive Therapy, we accept insurance for couples therapy in Phoenix! We have offices in Glendale & Phoenix. Get in touch with us to book your first session.
Why couples counseling isn't typically covered by insurance
In many mental health clinics across Arizona and nationwide, you'll notice that couples therapy is rarely covered by insurance. That's because of how billing structures and insurance companies operate, not because it's necessarily what's best for clients.
Medical model of billing
To bill your insurance plan for a therapy session, your therapist must have an "identified patient."
This "patient," or client, needs to have a diagnosable mental health condition. Your therapist needs to be able to prove to your insurance provider that couples therapy is "medically necessary" — meaning that these sessions are essential for maintaining your overall behavioral health.
Insurance companies use the "medical model," and they're always going to want a mental health diagnosis to "justify" treatment. As clinicians, we don't necessarily agree with this model. People’s need for support doesn't always fit neatly into a medical diagnosis. Ideally, both individual and couples therapy would be available without requiring this.
But it's also true that when one (or both) partners is living with a mental health condition, it almost always worsens or triggers relationship difficulties — and vice versa. Sometimes, the correct diagnosis can help you both get the individual treatment you need as well as make it more likely that couples therapy is covered by insurance.
Confusing billing codes
Insurance companies also require therapists to use specific therapy codes when submitting claims for reimbursement. Many of these codes are designed for individual mental health treatment rather than relationship counseling.
Because couples therapy isn't always tied to a diagnosis that affects one specific patient, therapists may have difficulty using the correct therapy codes to bill insurance.
Lower reimbursement rates
On top of that, insurance reimbursement for therapy sessions is sometimes lower than standard private-pay rates. Because of these limitations, many therapists choose not to work with insurance companies for marriage counseling services.
Insurance covers couples therapy at Thrive Phoenix 🥳
Here at Thrive, we're dedicated to making all types of support, including couples and family therapy, as accessible as possible for everyone. That's why our therapists accept most major insurance plans for not only individual therapy, but couples therapy as well.
Yes — your couples therapy sessions with Thrive may be covered by insurance!
Relationship health is an essential part of mental health. When one partner's mental health is suffering, the relationship is affected, and vice versa. Couples therapy can be an effective way of improving emotional connection and learning more effective ways of supporting each other.
At Thrive, we believe that strong relationships play an important role in overall behavioral health. Our goal is to make relationship counseling and marriage counseling more accessible by working with insurance providers whenever possible so that more couples can receive the care they need.
Cost of couples therapy without insurance
Unfortunately, not being able to use insurance to help pay for sessions means that couples counseling becomes out-of-reach for many couples who need it. Out-of-pocket rates for couples therapy can be up to $300 per session.
There are valid reasons why so many therapists don't accept insurance for couples sessions. But when insurance doesn't cover couples therapy, it prevents people from getting the holistic support they need.
How to pay for marriage counseling without insurance
If you're uninsured or your insurance coverage won't help pay for couples therapy, you may still have some options to get the support you need.
- Using an employee assistance program (EAP). Some workplaces offer short-term counseling sessions through an EAP, which may include couples therapy or relationship counseling.
- Finding a practice that accepts insurance for couples sessions. Some clinics, including Thrive Therapy in Phoenix, work with insurance providers, so coverage for couples therapy may be available if you look hard enough.
- Trying online therapy platforms. Some online therapy services offer lower-cost couples counseling sessions that may be more affordable than traditional in-person therapy.
Are the benefits of couples therapy worth the cost?
We would argue that, whether or not insurance is helping pay for it, couples therapy is almost always worth the cost.
Therapy can help couples:
- Improve communication, especially during conflicts
- Understand patterns that cause repeated cycles of arguments
- Rebuild trust after infidelity and other betrayals
- Strengthen emotional connection
- Develop healthier ways of supporting one another
Relationship counseling gives couples a structured space to work through issues with the guidance of a trained therapist. Many couples find that investing in therapy early can help prevent deeper problems later.
Contact us to start couples therapy in Phoenix & Glendale, AZ
Insurance billing is complicated, but here at Thrive, we're here to walk you through it.
If you're looking for couples therapy in Phoenix that's covered by insurance, get in touch with us. Couples therapy sessions are available at two convenient office locations in Phoenix and Glendale. Therapy may be covered by many insurance plans!* We also offer couples intensives and monthly workshops.
*Depending on individual circumstances and plan details, insurance may not cover your sessions. Get in touch with us to check your benefits and confirm whether couples therapy is covered.
Written by Cayla Gensler, LPC
Cayla is a licensed couples’ therapist who specializes in helping individuals and couples with issues like codependency, communication issues, and loss and grief. She is highly trained in emotion-focused therapy (EFT), an evidence-based method for couples. You can work with Cayla through couples intensives, monthly workshops, or Relationships 101 groups.
