Q: What is the cost of therapy?

My rate is $125/30 minutes. I have found 90 minute sessions to be the most effective for the way I provide expressive art therapy. The cost is $375/ 90 minutes. This cost includes the art making plan I will design for you to work on between sessions.

Question 1

How frequently do we meet?

Accepted Answer

Clients can meet with me weekly, biweekly (every-other-week), or monthly.

Our sessions are 90 minutes long. This allows us to have time to review any art you've made, discuss relevant topics, and create art in session.

At the conclusion of our meeting, I design art activities for you to do at home so that you can continue to expand in the ways you want in your free time. The number of activities depends on how much time there is between our meetings, as well as how much time you want to devote to art.

Question 2

How long can I expect to be in therapy?

Accepted Answer

My ultimate goal is for you to say, "Thanks for the help Jackie, and I'm confident I can do this on my own now."

How long that takes depends on what brings you to therapy.

Sometimes people just have a few questions and want to talk to an autistic therapist who gets it and lives it. These folx usually just need 1-3 sessions.

Sometimes people want to explore if they are autistic. This can take 3-5 sessions.

Sometimes people want to uncover their autistic characteristics and discusss  strategies for how to thrive as an autistic adult. This can take 3-6 sessions.

Some clients choose to stay in therapy longer because they want to address additional concerns, such as healing past trauma related to unidentified autism, learning how to build a supportive network of friends, addressing family conflict around their autistic identity, etc.

Therapy ends when you feel you've reached your goals (or when I gently nudge you that you are ready).

Question 3

Where do you provide therapy?

Accepted Answer

I provide therapy through Zoom. I can work with clients from any U.S. state and all over the world through my registration as a Registered Expressive Arts Therapy (REAT).

Question 4

How do I know you're the right therapist for me?

Accepted Answer

I wrote a guide for just this question, How to Choose Your Therapist,(https://www.jackieschuld.com/post/how-to-choose-your-therapist) as well as a letter Dearest Human Looking for a Therapist (https://medium.com/@jackieschuld/dearest-human-searching-for-a-therapist-d18989f9094d)

In short, I suggest you look over my values,(https://www.jackieschuld.com/myvalues) my specialties,(https://www.jackieschuld.com/services) and my blog.(https://www.jackieschuld.com/blog) See if the things I'm saying resonate with you and what you hope to gain from therapy. You can also watch videos of me,(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wq9EpAwzY8&t=88s) to know if my personality jives with you.

Then, schedule a first meeting. (https://calendly.com/jackieschuld/firstmeeting) If we're a good fit, we'll continue working together in the future.

Question 5

Do you offer a free consultation?

Accepted Answer

Due to my limited availability and the volume of contacts, I do not offer free consultations.

Instead, I offer two options.

• 30 minute consultation for $100. T(https://calendly.com/jackieschuld/consultation-clone)his is for individuals to see if I'm a good fit for them.
 • 90 minute therapy meeting for $375. T(https://calendly.com/jackieschuld/firstmeeting)his is for individuals who want to get started right away.

After our first meeting, you can decide if you would like to continue working together and the frequency we will meet.

Question 6

What is the cost of therapy?

Accepted Answer

My rate is $125/30 minutes. 
 ​
I have found 90 minute sessions to be the most effective for the way I provide expressive art therapy.

The cost is $375/ 90 minutes. This cost includes the art making plan I will design for you to work on between sessions.

Question 7

How can I pay?

Accepted Answer

All fees are private pay via credit card, cash, or HSA card. When you complete the intake paperwork in my HIPPA compliant client portal, your card of choice will be stored. Your card will be automatically charged following your appointment.

I do not accept insurance (you can read about why here)(https://www.jackieschuld.com/post/the-many-reasons-i-don-t-accept-insurance).

Question 8

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Accepted Answer

I do not offer a sliding scale.  I choose to make my work more accessible through my groups,(https://www.jackieschuld.com/groups) my books,(https://www.jackieschuld.com/books) and free resources, such as my art activities a(https://www.jackieschuld.com/artactivities)nd essays.(https://www.jackieschuld.com/blog)

If you need immediate access to a sliding scale, you can contact OpenPath,(https://openpathcollective.org/) which offers low cost therapy sessions.

Question 9

Why is your fee what it is?

Accepted Answer

I design my practice so that I can provide the highest quality of therapy possible, while also meeting my needs.

I'm not like most therapists. As an autistic individual, I have limited energetic capacities. I also have high standards for how I want to show up as a therapist and treat my clients. To honor my needs and standards, I only see a limited number of clients.

My limited caseload allows me to:
 • Prepare for each client​ session through grounding, prepping art materials, and reviewing notes
 • Reflect deeply after each session and make detailed plans for future sessions 
 • Process my observations, thoughts and emotions of each session through my own personal art  and journaling
 • Write detailed, accurate case notes
 • Research and study topics related to each client
 • Offer emergency or additional sessions to clients when needed 
 • Seek weekly consultation and supervision for every client
 • Invest time and resources in my own therapy (I believe it makes me a better therapist)
 • Deepen my psychological knowledge and therapeutic effectiveness through educational courses and books
 • Ensure that I show up for each client prepared, rested, and ready to offer a transformative experience
 • Provide therapy that is tailored to each individual

I charge a fee that allows me to maintain my small caseload and still meet my financial obligations. I want to live a balanced, nourishing, and joyful life. You can read more about that here. (https://www.jackieschuld.com/post/what-is-success-when-you-re-an-art-therapist-in-private-practice)

Question 10

Do you only work with women?

Accepted Answer

I work with adults of all genders, however they choose to currently identify.

Question 11

Do I have to have a diagnosis to go to therapy?

Accepted Answer

Short answer, heck no. 
 
Long answer: We all need assistance at different points in our lives. Art therapy can assist you wherever you're at in your journey. I do not believe you need a "mental health issue" or "diagnosis" to justify therapy (I write about this in my article To Diagnose or Not.)(https://www.jackieschuld.com/post/to-diagnose-or-not)
 
Therapy is an investment in you and your desire for change. I feel all individuals can benefit from therapy. I've gone to therapy at various points in my life for various reasons (I also advocate strongly that therapists need their own therapists)(https://www.jackieschuld.com/post/therapists-need-their-own-therapists).