We charge missed appointment fees for many reasons. A few of the biggest ones are:
Insurance. We can’t charge your insurance for missed or cancelled appointments, only for services we actually provide. So the bottom line is that if you don’t come to your session, your therapist doesn’t get paid. Paying a missed appointment fee is how a therapist can afford to keep you on their schedule, even if you choose to cancel.
Progress. Consistent attendance is essential to making progress in therapy. We genuinely care about your health and wellbeing, therefore we want to encourage everyone to make as many of their appointments as possible.
Planning ahead. We need to be able to plan for our work week the same way that you may need to plan for yours. If people cancel, it makes it more difficult for us to know how to structure our schedule and how to plan for your appointments.
Accountability. By choosing to set an appointment time with your therapist, you are agreeing to attend therapy at a set time and this spot is held especially for you. Paying a fee for missing an appointment is a natural consequence for missing an appointment.
Trust. Frequent cancelations can diminish trust between you and your therapist. Trust exists on both sides of the therapeutic relationship and is essential to therapeutic rapport.
Part of the work. If canceling is a form of avoiding therapy, that can lead to a really productive conversation that can lead to a better treatment plan and better therapeutic outcomes. If you find yourself wanting to cancel, this would be a great topic to bring up in therapy.
Communication. Good communication is important in all types of relationships, including with those who you have chosen to help you along your healing journey. It might be helpful to also think of therapy as a safe space to explore themes like accountability, honesty, planning and boundaries.
