My life coaching and psychotherapy background
I began the practice of life coaching in adolescence and when residing in a children’s home during the ‘90s. Without education, training, or experience, I provided assistance with various problems which was relied upon by both minors and adults at the time.
Not long after graduating high school and joining the Marine Corps in 1996, I refined my coaching skills through structured military training which largely pertained to leadership of individuals and groups. In both personal and professional life, I mentored adults in a manner similar to a life coach.
I continued honing my craft when working in the field of nuclear security, promoting to management and learning how to motivate people on a micro level while simultaneously inspiring change with systems on a macro level. This work was conducted strictly with adults.
Then, in 2009, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education degree with a focus on justice administration. At the time, I intended on continuing governmental work while performing life coaching services practiced for just shy of two decades.
However, I decided to take an alternative career path. In 2011, I earned a Master of Arts in Counseling degree and began work in the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health care using practicum and internship placements with both minors and adults.
While studying, I focused on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as my primary psychotherapeutic modality. This form of cognitive behavior therapy was developed in 1955, and was found to be effective regarding a 50-year systematic review and meta‐analysis.
Not long after graduating, I worked in a behavioral health clinic. There, I served as a member of a criminal justice diversion program, crisis intervention program, and worked on an intake coordination team. It was at that time that I first began frequent use of teletherapy services.
Then, in 2014, I earned a Master of Science in Social Work degree. I was able to expand my internship experience concerning minors and adults. Not long after graduating, I worked in a governmental position while serving caregivers of veterans with varying injuries and illnesses.
I continued the practice of life coaching with adults up until deciding to begin the process of clinical licensure. In 2019, working for a private practice with a group of counselors and social workers, I focused on serving adults through application of individual and couple psychotherapy.
While earning hours toward licensure, I received official training for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and REBT. Although I’ve chosen not to use the former, I frequently practice the latter in both my personal and professional life.
In 2021, I earned dual Texas licenses – one as a Licensed Professional Counselor and the other as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Then, in 2021, I formed Hollings Therapy, LLC, of which I currently own and operate as a sole psychotherapy practitioner performing only teletherapy services.
Then, in 2023, I received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy along with focused training as a personality disorder treatment provider. While I’ve chosen not to use the former, I rely upon training from the latter to inform by clinical practice overall.
Currently (July 16, 2024), I work with adult clients using teletherapy services and who present with a host issues. As REBT is a transdiagnostic modality, not all of the clients with whom I work maintain diagnoses.
Also, I don’t accept insurance and each of my clients is on self-pay status (they fund the cost of psychotherapy for themselves). This data point is what has prompted the current blogpost.
The cost of psychotherapy
When working in a behavioral health clinic in 2011, I was made aware of how lengthy wait times and infrequent insurance reimbursement often served as barriers to psychotherapeutic care. Although working in a clinic meant I was able to see more clients, my caseload was impacted by frustratingly unhelpful barriers to service provision.
In 2019, having begun working for a private practice, I better understood the advantages to self-pay services. Although not everyone could afford to pay the out-of-pocket cost for psychotherapy, those individuals who were able to fund their treatment appeared to value the self-change process more than people I encountered in clinics.
Speculatively, an individual with some skin in the game by self-funding services likely understands the value of a dollar more so than a person whose insurance provider absorbs most of the cost. Of course, this supposition isn’t based on evidence and may be discounted altogether.
Forgive me a personal anecdote that I find humorous. In 2020, I was contacted by a prospective client. When inquiring about what sort of services the individual was seeking, the person said, “Yeah, umm, can I get some of them free therapies?”
Apparently, due to sociopolitical activism that was popular at the time – and which focused heavily on victimhood narratives while supposedly destigmatizing mental health treatment – the prospective client voiced an unfounded belief about how my services should’ve been offered free of charge.
In one capacity or another, I’ve been trying to help people with their problems since the ‘90s. While it’s understandable that I wouldn’t charge for services rendered in my teenage years, I’ve amassed too much education, training, and experience than to currently work for free.
In any case, I was recently contacted by a prospective client who I offered a free 15 minute telephone consultation. When it came time to discuss the cost of psychotherapy, the individual expressed hesitance, because my current fee of $100 per session was apparently too expensive.
Therefore, for my own understanding about the average cost of services and to benefit other people to whom I’ll direct this post, I think it may be worth briefly exploring how much it costs to receive psychotherapeutic services in 2024. According to one source:
The average cost of psychotherapy in the U.S. ranges from $100 to $200 per session (depending on the state), according to a 2019 report by SimplePractice, a practice management system for mental health professionals.
Currently, my services are on the low end of the price range. Regarding the cost of psychotherapy, a separate source states:
Counseling prices vary a lot by the market, by the provider, number of years of experience, specialization, and by service. In Austin, counseling tends to cost between $125 – $300 per hour and the average being around $150-180.
Apparently, the cost of my services is significantly below average. Still, I argue that the quality of behavioral health care I provide isn’t at all substandard. Yet another source, which seems a lot like something artificial intelligence would write, reports:
In most areas of the country, a person can expect to pay $100-$250 per session. This is the typical rate for a therapist in Austin, Texas. Should you choose to see a therapist outside of your insurance network, you will find that therapists charge different rates depending on their office location, level of education, and degree of expertise in their field.
As well, one source states, “Some higher-end practices are priced in the $250 to $300 range.” At this point, one may wonder why I provide low-cost services when some of my competitors are making well over twice what I charge. The answer to this internal query is rather simple.
I work with a select group of individuals. As such, I carefully screen potential clientele with whom I choose to work. Because I understand the burdensome cost of psychotherapy, I offer a relatively reduced expense so that the people I serve can actually afford my services. That’s it.
Regarding my current fee, I offer a reduced cost for active duty military, military veterans, and students who are actively enrolled in college or university. This is because I’ve been in each of these statuses and I understand how tight funds can be with these circumstances.
Additionally, I offer a sliding scale fee for those individuals who financially qualify. As well, from time to time when a client experiences financial hardship, I may be able to provide temporary and limited pro bono services.
Ultimately, I acknowledge barriers inherent to acquiring psychotherapy services, as well as the burden of self-pay care. While insurance coverage may be helpful for some people, I invite prospective clients to consider making the decision to financially prioritize behavioral health services in order to receive the help they need.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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David, D., Cotet, C., Matu, S., Mogoase, C., and Stefan, S. (2018, March). 50 years of rational‐emotive and cognitive‐behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5836900/
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Ijeab. (n.d.). Woman holding mobile phone and credit card on laptop for online shopping [Image]. Freepik. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/woman-holding-mobile-phone-credit-card-laptop-online-shopping_1236539.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=0&uuid=e2e77a5e-c896-4a02-a52a-8a9f5324cf90
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