An Equitable Pricing Model
The Properties of Light utilizes an equitable price model that is designed to make services as financially as possible, for the dual purpose of reducing barriers to self-knowledge, self-acceptance and radical self-love, and empowering community to build and nurture spaces of affirmation, healing and belonging for lgbtqia+ and neurodivergent people.
An equitable price model means:
Each person accessing services is invited to self-assess their access to financial resources and choose the payment rate that is most possible for them. For more information on equitable pay scales, and suggestions for how to determine which rate you might choose, check out "Embracing an Equitable Sliding Scale" by Britt Hawthorne.
With each service inquiry, information is provided on three rates that connect the principles of collective care to tangible dollar amounts - the recommended equitable, sustainable, and accessible rates as described below. All folks are invited to choose a rate that is possible for them when they begin services.
Each person collaborating with the properties of light to provide services here agrees to prioritize values of equitable access and sustainability for both clients and colleagues, as part of our mission to redistribute wealth and resources, as well as engage in community care. If there is monthly income that exceeds our operating costs and provider wages it becomes part of our mutual aid fund - financial resources that we can then use to build our resource lending library, support local community organizing and initiatives, increase access to learning opportunities for resident therapists, or provide occasional no-cost clinical services, consultations, or trainings while ensuring sustainable wages for providers.
Equitable Rate
When people choose this rate, they are choosing to redistribute wealth to community, and help ensure we can continue to offer services to others for below cost.
The equitable rate is above the cost of providing the service for folks who have access to greater financial resources.
This helps ensure financial accessibility for all folks on a path toward radical self-acceptance through self-knowledge.
Sustainable Rate
When people choose this rate, they are paying the "regular rate" for the service.
The sustainable rate covers the cost of providing the service in a way that is sustainable for us as providers (people with varied privileges and access/care needs), and as a practice (a business that prioritizes the intentional and ethical building of community wellness over the building of individual wealth).
Accessible Rate
When people choose this rate, they are engaging with a system of mutual aid and accessing community wealth.
The accessible rate is below the cost of providing the service, for people with less access to financial resources.
We believe that access to self-knowledge and affirming spaces is a human right, and should not be restricted by access to financial resources
All services are self-pay - we do not accept insurance. We believe in the power of mutual aid and retribution of wealth, and we prioritize access, sustainability and safety to the best of our abilities.
Providing services via self pay allows us to utilize our equitable price model and create greater accessibility to services for folks with less discretionary wealth and/or access to financial resources, while balancing sustainability for each provider based on their unique access/care needs. These are important values in my work, and my recommended sustainable rate is lower than general market rate as part of my personal commitment to equity, interdependence, and community wealth.
Opting out of managed care systems ensures that clients have more autonomy over how, when, and with whom their information is shared, and under what circumstances. For many people who have experienced harm from systems that were supposed to help, as well as people who are vulnerable to systematic discrimination, having this autonomy can be critical to their safety, well-being, and access to affirming care.
Rates for Individual Services
Our rates for services are calculated based on two priorities of equal importance: (1) financial accessibility for folks with less discretionary wealth and/or access to financial resources, and (2) sustainability for each provider based on their unique access/care needs.
Our rates are lower than general market rate as part of a commitment to equity, interdependence, and community wealth. Folks that access services using lower rates that may be in a position to “pay it forward” in the future are invited to contribute to our mutual aid fund.
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Rates for Counseling with Resident Therapist (Supervisee In Social Work)
*Please note, $110 is the approximate market rate for Resident Therapists in Virginia.
Our Equitable Rate: $110 per 50 minutes
Our Sustainable Rate: $85 per 50 minutes
Our Accessible Rate: $65 per 50 minutes
Rates for Counseling with Licensed Therapists
*Please note, $150 is the approximate market rate for Licensed Therapists in Virginia.
Our Equitable Rate: $150 per 50 minutes
Our Sustainable Rate: $125 per 50 minutes
Our Accessible Rate: $100 per 50 minutes
*Please note, pricing will increase a small percentage each year due to account for increases in operation costs. The prices listed above are current through the end of 2023.
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Rates for Carer Support Sessions with Licensed Therapists
*Please note, $150 is the approximate market rate for Licensed Therapists in Virginia.
Our Equitable Rate: $150 per 50 minutes
Our Sustainable Rate: $125 per 50 minutes
Our Accessible Rate: $105 per 50 minutes
Rates for Peer Support & Advocacy Partnership Sessions with AuDHD educators/advocates/mentors
Our Equitable Rate: $100 per 50 minutes
Our Sustainable Rate: $75 per 50 minutes
Our Accessible Rate: $55 per 50 minutes
Rates for Evaluation Services
Diagnostic evaluation is a significant investment of your time, energy, and financial resources. I know how financially inaccessible diagnostic assessment can be, and I do my best to minimize operations costs in order to keep rates as low as possible. Because transparency is important for accountability, here is the breakdown of the cost for diagnostic assessment:
2-3 hours of diagnostic interview session(s) with client and collateral interviews (3-4 hours for combined evaluation)
2 hours of evaluator time in analyzing & organizing information gathered
2-3 hours of evaluator time writing diagnostic report & recommendations (3-4 hours for combined evaluation)
45 minute session with client(s) to review evaluation outcomes and recommendations
The total time evaluators spend on each evaluation is approximately 8 hours (up to 10 hours for combined evaluation)
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*Please note, $150 per hour is the approximate market rate for Licensed Clinical Social Workers in Virginia.
Equitable Rate: $1000 or 2 Payments of $500
(Equitable rate is approximately $110 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Sustainable Rate: $800 or 2 Payments of $400
(Sustainable rate is approximately $90 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Accessible Rate: $600 or 2 Payments of $300
(Accessible Rate is approximately $65 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
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*Please note, $150 per hour is the approximate market rate for Licensed Clinical Social Workers in Virginia.
Equitable Rate: $1000 or 2 Payments of $500
(Equitable rate is approximately $110 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Sustainable Rate: $800 or 2 Payments of $400
(Sustainable rate is approximately $90 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Accessible Rate: $600 or 2 Payments of $300
(Accessible Rate is approximately $65 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
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*Please note, $150 per hour is the approximate market rate for Licensed Clinical Social Workers in Virginia.
Equitable Rate: $1250 or 2 Payments of $625
(Equitable rate is approximately $110 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Sustainable Rate: $1000 or 2 Payments of $500
(Sustainable rate is approximately $90 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Accessible Rate: $800 or 2 Payments of $400
(Accessible Rate is approximately $65 per hour of evaluator time after cost of assessment measures/scoring)
Rates for Consultation & Training Services
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Professionals are asked to provide financial compensation that is equitable to what they would charge for their own consultation services.
I also ask that folks consider how they and/or their organization will benefit and/or gain financially as a result of the intellectual & emotional labor that is provided through consultation in determining what is an equitable rate of reimbursement.
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Because each training or workshop is unique, I offer a range of payment rates to prospective collaborators after initial discussion of workshop goals and logistics.
Want to support our work? Consider contributing to our Mutual Aid Fund!
The goal of increasing accessibility of affirming services for communities is something that guides the work of this practice - with the understanding that accessibility to affirming services is about more than cost for clients alone. Mutual aid fund contributions help us to increase accessibility in the following ways:
Allows us to offer highly reduced rates for clients, while providing sustainable wages for providers
Allows us to provide a work environment that supports access needs for provider well-ness and sustainability
Supports our community care offerings including no-cost workshops and groups and our lending library, which features learning and healing resources for neurodivergent and/or lgbtqia+ folks and their loved ones, resources and materials for therapists-in-training, and stories of neuroqueer + trans resistance & joy for all ages!
Allows us to offer training, employment, consultation, and community building opportunities for folks who experience systemic barriers and alienation in the helping professions including BIPOC/People of Global Majority, LGBTQIA+, Autistic, Neurodivergent, and/or disabled clinicians.