Intake Process

There’s a lot to consider when starting therapy. Mend has a step by step intake process that helps to discern if Mend will be a helpful fit for you. We currently have a variety of daytime, evening, and weekend appointments available with our interning therapists and staff therapists. Please see their bios and read about their fees to see which best suits you.

If you’re ready to take the first step, you can click “Ready to Get started?” button below. Once you fill out your contact information, we’ll send you an email with two forms attached for you to fill out and return to begin@mendseattle.com. Upon review, we will determine if the next step is to schedule a more in-depth Intake Appointment.

Intake Appointments are our way of ensuring that MEND Seattle is a good fit for the care you deserve and support you are seeking. Intake Appointments last up to 90 minutes and cost $75. If for any reason throughout our intake process we discern that we won’t be able to provide you with the best care - due to scheduling, financial needs or level of care - we will provide referrals and resources as needed.  If it's determined during your Intake Appointment that MEND could be a good fit, the Intake Team will schedule you with a therapist based on the information we’ve gathered from your Intake. 

If you request a fee in the $40-$60 range for individual therapy or $55-75 range for relationship therapy, you may be paired with one of our interning therapists. MEND’s Interning Therapists are graduate-level and post-graduate counselors in MEND’s clinical training program who provide low-cost counseling starting in September of each year for 8-12 months. 

If you’re able to pay between $70-$120 for individual therapy or $85-$135 for relationship therapy, you may be paired with one of MEND’s staff therapists. Our staff therapists are associate-level licensed therapists who work at MEND ongoing. 

To take the first step, click "Ready to Get Started?" below.

Ready to Get Started?

Fees

We want counseling to be an inclusive resource that can support as much of the community as possible. We offer a sliding scale, and we are grateful to each client who pays what they are able based on their economic situation. We will never ask you for your income. We ask you to honestly consider what you can sustainably pay. No guilt. No shame.

FEES WITH INTERNING THERAPISTS

Supporting     $60 - Individual      $75 - Relationships
The Supporting Fee is MEND’s full fee. We ask all who can pay the Supporting Fee to do so. 

Sustaining      $50 - Individual      $65 - Relationships
The Sustaining Fee covers the cost of counseling and keeps our doors open.

Sponsored      $40 - Individual      $55 - Relationships
The Sponsored Fee is the reduced fee we offer so that together, we can make counseling available to more people.

FEES WITH STAFF THERAPISTS

Full Fee                $120 - Individual            $135 - Relationships 

We ask all who can pay the Full Fee to do so.

Sliding Scale       $70-110 - Individual      $85-125 - Relationships

The sliding scale is available for counseling with staff therapists to make therapy accessible for people who cannot afford the full fee. We ask you to honestly consider what you can sustainably pay.

FAQ's

I can’t afford $40 per week for therapy. Can I pay less?
Unfortunately not. MEND relies solely on client fees to fund all of our operating expenses. The $40-60 pay range is the lowest fee range we can offer and still keep our doors open and our lights on.

Does MEND offer every other week or once a month counseling?
We see clients on a weekly basis and only offer less frequent appointments if it is determined as appropriate to your care with your therapist and their supervisor.

What payment methods does MEND accept?
When we are seeing clients in person, we accept cash, check, and Paypal. Due to COVID-19, we are seeing clients remotely, which makes paying with cash or check a bit harder. We are able to accept payments using a debit or credit card, you can do so through Paypal or the Payment page on our website.

Does MEND take insurance?
No, we operate entirely outside of the insurance system. If you see a staff therapist, it is possible to obtain a billing statement from your therapist. It is your responsibility to submit the billing statement to your insurance company. We do not guarantee that your therapy will be covered.

Why do I have to pay for the Intake Appointment?                                                                                                                        Intake Appointments are a best practice and an industry standard, and help us get a good sense of what brings you to therapy. Assessments at other places in Seattle can cost upwards of $200, so at $75, we’re doing what we can to keep the cost low while providing you with the best care, whether we get you in at MEND or connect you to a therapist through our referral network.

How does scheduling work?
Great question. We’ll send you a Scheduling & Fees form when you send in your initial Contact request. There are options on that form to let us know if you want to work with a specific therapist or if you’d like to be paired with a therapist of color or LGBTQIA+ therapist. We take those requests seriously, so please do let us know! After we’ve got a good sense for what it is that you’re coming in for, our intake coordinator looks to match you with a therapist based on your needs and concerns. If that therapist has an open appointment time when you’re available, we’ll offer you that session time. Our counselor’s schedules do fill up, so your availability is an important factor to getting you in.

What if I get paired with a MEND therapist, and it’s not a good fit?
We know that the relationship you build with your therapist is really important to the work you do with them, and there are times when it’s just not a “fit.” If this is the case, we have a step-by-step process to help you transition counselors.

Does MEND offer groups & workshops?
We do! Stay tuned to our website. We’ll be keeping you updated with upcoming groups and workshops to support your growth and healing.