Finding the balance of making therapy financially accessible while ensuring I am able to have a sustainable practice and meet my own basic needs is difficult. In order to try to meet both, I use Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s Green Bottle Method for determining sliding scale. Please look at the prompts below for helping choose the appropriate sliding scale fee.
I encourage you to think about the idea of sacrifice vs. hardship. If paying for therapy would be difficult and may require cutting back on other spending, but would not have a harmful impact on your life (you may have to buy fewer coffees but will be able to pay your bills), this is a sacrifice. This is a situation where I would encourage you to look at what you may be willing to sacrifice in order to access therapy, just as I look at what I am willing to sacrifice in order to provide lower cost therapy. If paying for therapy would lead to being unable to eat, pay bills, or other harmful impacts on your life, that is hardship. People coming from a place of hardship often qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale.
“At the end of the day, the sliding scale thrives on trust. Trust is a pretty amazing thing. I trust you to be honest in your assessment of your economic reality. Since the sliding scale is a tool of accountability, it is an ongoing conversation and I remain committed to helping folks figure out how to talk about their own economic experiences.”
Top of the Scale: $150-$115 individual; $75 group
- 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
Middle of the Scale: $100-$75 individual; $50 group
- 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
Bottom of the Scale: $50 individual; $35 group
- I frequently stress about meeting basic needs & don’t always achieve them
- I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs
- I rent lower-end properties or have unstable housing
- I do not have a car and/or have limited access to a car but I am not always able to afford gas
- I am unemployed or underemployed
- I qualify for government assistance including food stamps & health care
- 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
* Basic Needs include food, housing, health care, and transportation.
** Expendable Income might mean you are able to buy coffee or tea at a shop, go to the movies or a concert, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month, etc.