While certain reforms, like expanding Medicare and Medicaid access, fall outside the purview of individual providers, there are some changes therapists can make to their practices in the interest of serving more clients.
Reconsider payment methods.
One thing that might broaden access to your services? Opting into more insurance plans by becoming credentialed with additional carriers. As an extension of your practice with Headway, we leverage the information you submit to CAQH to get you credentialed with all available plans at once, and with fewer errors and delays.
If you’re a private pay provider, alternatively, you can consider implementing sliding-scale rates for clients struggling with costs. You could offer a limited number of appointments at a standard discount — say, 50% of your usual rate — or make case-by-case determinations on fees depending on each client’s income and overall ability to pay.
Share information.
Misconceptions about mental healthcare contribute to the persistence of stigma, which can be a serious deterrent for those in need of treatment. Educating current and prospective clients by sharing information on social media or penning blog posts can be a valuable resource — one that, one source suggests, could even be a form of pro-bono work.
Consider supervisory billing.
Supervisory billing, wherein a provisionally licensed therapist or a trainee bills for services using a supervisor’s credentials, can offer significant advantages for both therapists and their patients. Implementing this practice means an increase in the number of mental health professionals — and a greater ability for therapists to meet the high demand for services.
Headway plans to add a supervisory billing feature in 2026. This tool will allow Headway providers to bill for their supervisees’ services, bringing even more therapists into our nation-leading group of in-network providers.
Go virtual.
Expanding your services to include virtual therapy sessions, which soared in popularity during the height of the pandemic, may open access to clients in more rural communities who are unable to receive in-person care.
If you’re used to in-office sessions, transitioning to virtual care may feel daunting — but it’s often easier than you think. Many of the therapeutic practices you already use can be adapted for digital sessions, and even augmented by telehealth-specific tools and activities. Plus, Headway offers free access to a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform that flows seamlessly into other tools on the platform, making it simple and cost-effective to offer this new service.
Get licensed in multiple states.
By expanding your services in multiple states, you can legally provide remote services to clients across state lines, reaching people in rural areas, therapy deserts, or areas with provider shortages. Plus, if more therapists were licensed in other states, clients with specific needs could access specialized therapists who may not be available to them locally.
National efforts to simplify the multi-state practice process are underway. But for now,requirements for reciprocity—that is, the ability for a therapist licensed in one state to also practice in another—vary by state and license type. Make sure to do your homework before beginning the application process.
Curious about reciprocity and paths to getting credentialed in other states? Headway’s guides outline the information you need:
