Fees
Self-Pay
If you are paying for therapy out of your own pocket, your therapist will set your fee with you based on a sliding scale. We hope to be able to make your therapy sustainably affordable to you. Please let your therapist know about any financial hardships you face.
Medi-Cal
We have a webpage explaining how you can use Medi-Cal to pay for your therapy if you are a Medi-Cal subscriber. There is no co-payment, but there are some conditions to be aware of. Learn more here.
Health Savings Accounts
If you have a Health Savings Account you can probably use it to pay for services at Shine a Light. If there is a debit/credit card associated with it, we can run that for you. And we can provide a receipt for your records.
Payments for Services
If you need to make a payment for services from Shine a Light your can use this button. Be sure to note which counselor served you. Thanks so much!
Donations
Every Donation Helps
Here at Shine a Light we love what we do! If you are able to make a donation, you are helping those in our community attain services they may not otherwise receive. Your tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated and will be put to great use.
If you require a donation letter in addition to your receipt for tax purposes, just let us know.
Victim Compensation Services
The Victim Compensation Board (victim-witness program) may reimburse crime victims or good samaritans for psychological symptoms resulting from the trauma or stress of exposure to a crime. You can apply for these benefits through the county District Attorney or the Department of Justice.
Medicare
Shine a Light does not currently have a Medicare provider. However, we can connect you with Medi-Care providers through our Licensed Group Practice Directory. If you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal, unfortunately you cannot use either at Shine a Light because Medicare is alway “primary” and Medi-Cal will deny our claims.
Do you have private health insurance?
If so, you should be aware of the following:
We are not in-network providers (except for Medi-Cal)
Therapists at Shine a Light Counseling Center are NOT in-network providers for any private health insurance plans. Thus, if you have private health insurance, you may have lower costs if you choose an in-network provider. However, if your plan has a high deductible or high co-payments, your costs may be less by choosing a Shine a Light therapist. It all depends upon your insurance plan benefits and your sliding scale fee at Shine a Light. Please research your insurance plan benefits and discuss your sliding scale fee with your Shine a Light therapist to be fully informed of your options.
You may not be able to utilize out-of-network benefits with us
You can request a superbill to submit with a claim to your insurance plan. But even if your plan has out-of-network benefits, your claim will likely be denied if your therapist is not fully licensed (most Shine a Light therapists are pre-licensed interns). You will remain responsible for full payment of your fee. So if you want to utilize your out-of network benefits, check with your insurance plan to see if your coverage will work.
To Request an Appointment at Shine a Light or NPCC, please fill out this form. Please note *We respond to inquiries Monday through Friday 8AM to 8PM. All inquiries we receive on the weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day. Thank you for your patience.
Appointment Request
New Office in San Francisco!
Shine a Light Counseling Center is please to merge with New Perspectives Center for Counseling. NPCC has been serving the San Francisco community for thirty years. Now NPCC is transitioning to become the San Francisco site for Shine a Light. NPCC will retain its name, character and history. For information about NPCC or counseling in San Francisco:
New Perspectives Center for Counseling
Emergency Contact
Shine a Light does not provide crisis services. If you have a mental health emergency, call 988 or 911. Or click here for more Crisis Resources
Telephone Contact
You can call Shine a Light at 831-996-1222, but we encourage you to use the email forms to the left. If you call, please leave the following:
- Phone number
- Preferred location
- Best times to meet
- Issue you want help with
- What insurance you have (if any)
FAX us at: 831-417-0443
Good Faith Estimate
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Your fee will be set according to a sliding scale, in collaboration with your therapist, prior to your first counseling session. Total costs depend upon the number of sessions you choose to utilize.
If you have private health insurance, please be aware that your costs for therapy may be less by using an in-network provider for your insurance company. This will depend upon your plan's deductible amounts and co-payments. In some cases, counseling at Shine a Light is less costly than using private insurance.
If you hope to use "out of network" benefits through your private insurance, please be aware that many plans will not reimburse for services provided by pre-licensed therapists (most of our staff).
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