Introduction
We are so glad you are considering treatment at the TAP Clinic! We know there are a lot of therapists and clinics to choose from, and we want to make sure we offer the services you need. The specialty care offered at TAP is based on a foundation of expertise as well as goodness of fit. As a clinic that is entirely out-of-network with all insurance, we know that choosing us is often a big decision with significant financial implications. We hope that you will take a few minutes to read more about out-of-network care and what we believe sets us apart from other practices.
Why go out of network for therapy?
The cost of health insurance is high enough as it is, so why go out of network for your mental health care? There are two major reasons to consider an out of network provider:
- Specialty: If you are not able to access the level of specialty intervention required to treat your ongoing concerns within your insurance plan, you may need to look out of network. Often in-network therapists are generalists rather than specialists, and this may not be a fit for your concerns. Depending on what therapists you have tried before, how many times you have been in therapy without success, or the prior level of fit between intervention and concern, turning to a specialty clinic may prove more successful in getting your needs met. TAP clinicians have extensive training in several empirically supported treatments and work with the team to provide wraparound care. If you do not need this level of expertise, or a team approach to treatment, you may be able to find what you need within your insurance network.
- Privacy: For some clients, working with a private specialty clinic like TAP may be a more comfortable choice than getting treatment in a large health system or clinic. In addition, many insurance requirements and legislation around mental health care may require therapy notes to be made available to other providers in the same health system (e.g., your cardiologist). If privacy is a central concern for you, going out of network for care at a clinic like TAP will add an additional layer of protection.
Why get therapy based on a specialist model as opposed to a generalist model?
Many therapy providers in the community are what are considered generalists. This means that they are trained in a wide range of presenting concerns (symptoms) or therapeutic interventions. Generalists can see most folks that walk in the door as they have training across many areas. They also tend to see patients/clients for much longer periods of time (e.g., 5+ years). Think of generalists as the primary care providers (PCP) of the therapy world. Generalist practitioners may be the right choice if you are looking for longer term care or want to work with someone who promotes their ability to treat many mental health disorders.
TAP therapists are specialists. This means that they have a very high level of training in only a few areas. Think of specialists as the cardiologists or orthopedists of the therapy world. Specialists are more likely to engage in a time-limited intervention, after which we refer back to generalists (or a different specialist). At TAP, we are most likely to work with folks between 6 months and 3 years.
The clients that are best suited for treatment at the TAP Clinic typically want a more specialist approach. If you are looking to have a discrete problem addressed or are hoping to work toward a clear end goal through treatment, then the specialist model will be a better fit for you. At TAP, we focus on time-limited, problem-focused therapy using empirically-supported treatments. While there is no one-size-fits-all model of psychotherapy, our specialist model aims to get you where you need to go. Generalists tend to approach therapy from a supportive model, which is often client-driven and uses a broader framework for the client’s presenting concerns. Specialists use a strong case conceptualization to collaboratively determine what is causing you problems and determine what we are going to do to make changes through learning new skills, changing unhelpful beliefs, or healing trauma. As specialists, the therapists at TAP aim to get at the core of the difficulty and develop a clear plan to tackle it. We combine our expertise with your self-knowledge to direct your treatment where it needs to go.
There are times and reasons why a generalist is best and times where a specialist is what you need, just like you may see your primary care doctor for a more broad illness and a cardiologist for chest pain. At the TAP Clinic, we apply a specialist model to get you to the right treatment for specialty concerns.
Why choose the TAP Clinic over other specialty clinics?
The team at TAP is made up of experts and specialists who want to apply empirically-supported interventions to help clients. A lot of us left the academic sphere because we felt the flexibility to individualize care in a more nuanced manner was central to our identities as therapists. Every provider at TAP strives to take the science and the literature from empirical work and bring it to individuals who may not normally have access or be ruled out due to complexity. Our providers start with empirically supported concepts and bring a level of creativity combined with individualization that allows us to uniquely help our clients. Do you want to manage your panic using Harry Potter metaphors? We can work with that! Do you have deep interests that you would like to use as a basis for learning cognitive defusion? Awesome, we want to hear all about them! We believe that therapy should be both a tool to help alleviate your struggle and a place you want to be.
TAP uses a team-based approach to back the care that we provide our clients. This may mean seeing multiple providers for multiple needs–yes, we can help your kiddo learn skills and offer you guidance as a parent to improve the home environment. This may also mean knowing that your singular provider is backed by the expertise of the team for any helpful consultation and guidance. We also view the fact that we are out of network as a responsibility. We understand first hand the resources it takes to find, pursue, and engage with specialist mental health care. Every treatment plan at TAP aims to get you feeling better as efficiently as possible so that you no longer need us. We are aware that access to mental health care is a privilege and we respect your well-being, time, and money accordingly.
The TAP Clinic has created an environment of inclusivity, support, passion, and effectiveness. Our clinicians show up as real people in every room they enter. Pairing professionalism with genuineness, we at TAP synthesize expertise with being a real, three-dimensional person. We hope you want to return each session because we are excited to see you and think we can help. We also hope to get you to a place where you don’t need us anymore.
If you think that the TAP Clinic might be the right fit for you, give us a call today to get started on the intake process!