Fees & insurance
Fees & FAQs
Rates
Let’s talk numbers.
Sessions are 50 minutes, held online by secure video, for individuals and couples. Fees run $165–$350 per session depending on which clinician you see.
A lower fee doesn’t mean a less capable therapist. It reflects years in practice and stage of licensure — nothing else. Everyone on this team is trained specifically in sexual health, not a generalist who is willing to talk about sex, and every one of them will go there with you.
Have someone in mind? Compare the whole team at a glance below, or jump to each therapist’s rate card. The first fifteen minutes are free either way.
| Therapist | Fee | Licensed in | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanessa CushingMS, LPC, NCC, CST | $350 per session | Virginia, Florida | Waitlist |
| Radiance SannemanMS, LCPC, NCC, CCMHC | $210 per session | Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Florida | Accepting clients |
| Noelle HarrisLMSW | $165 per individual session $220 per couples session |
Virginia, Maryland | Accepting clients |
| Alexandria Da Ponte CheathamM.Ed., M.Div. | $175 per session | Virginia | Accepting clients |
Getting started
You don’t have to figure out who to see.
Getting matched here can be guided or do-it-yourself. If you have no idea where to start, meet Eimy, our Intake Coordinator. Tell her roughly what’s going on and she’ll come back with the one or two clinicians who fit — including their fee, so there’s no surprise later.
Prefer to choose yourself? Read the team, pick the person whose approach sounds like what you need, and book straight into their calendar.
FAQs
Questions clients ask us first.
How much does therapy cost at Cushing Counseling?
Session fees range from $165 to $350 depending on which clinician you see and whether the session is individual or couples work. Every therapist's fee is listed by name on this page, so you know the number before you book. The initial 15-minute consultation is free.
Do you take insurance?
Cushing Counseling is out of network with all insurance plans. That does not mean you pay the full cost: most PPO plans reimburse a portion of out-of-network mental health care, and we submit your superbills through Thrizer on your behalf so you are not chasing paperwork. You pay the session fee, Thrizer files the claim, and your reimbursement goes to you.
Why are you out of network?
Insurance panels limit session length, dictate how many sessions you get, and require a diagnosis on file. Sex therapy done well often does not fit that shape. Staying out of network means the work is decided by you and your therapist, and nothing about your sex life is submitted to an insurer for approval.
What is Thrizer?
Thrizer is the service we use to handle out-of-network claims. Rather than you downloading a superbill and mailing it to your insurer, we submit it through Thrizer for you and any reimbursement your plan allows is paid directly to you. There is nothing for you to file.
How do I find out what my plan will reimburse?
Call the member number on your insurance card and ask three things: do I have out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits, what is my out-of-network deductible and how much of it have I met, and what percentage of the allowed amount do you reimburse after the deductible. Those three answers tell you your real cost per session.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Reduced-fee availability is decided by each clinician individually, so ask your therapist directly on the free consultation call. It is a normal question and asking it will not affect the care you get.
What is your cancellation policy?
We ask for at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Inside 24 hours the session is charged at the full fee, because that hour was held for you and cannot be given to anyone else at short notice.
How long is a session, and how often will we meet?
Sessions are 50 minutes. Most people start weekly, because momentum is what makes therapy work, and move to every other week as things improve. Your therapist will tell you honestly on the consultation call what cadence the work you're asking for actually needs.
How do I pay?
A card is kept securely on file in the client portal and charged after each session. You will always know the amount in advance — it is the fee listed on this page for your clinician.
Which states can you see clients in?
Therapy is provided online by secure video in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Florida. Which state you are physically sitting in during the session decides who can legally see you, and each therapist's licensed states are listed with their fee on this page.
Is the consultation really free?
Yes. Fifteen minutes, no charge, no obligation, and no sales pitch. You say what's going on and we tell you honestly whether this is work we do well and who on the team fits. If we're not the right practice, you'll leave with a name that is.
Do you see couples, and is the fee different?
Yes. Couples work is priced separately by the clinicians who do it — Noelle's couples fee is listed on this page — and the whole team works with sexual concerns for both individuals and couples.
All about insurance
Out of network — and we file the paperwork for you.
Like most sex therapists in the country, Cushing Counseling is an out-of-network provider. We don’t bill your insurance directly.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. Most PPO plans reimburse part of out-of-network mental health care, and we submit your superbills through Thrizer on your behalf. You never download, print, or mail a thing.
Why work with an out-of-network therapist?
- The work is yours, not an insurer’s. No one outside the room decides how long you get or how many sessions you’re allowed.
- Nothing about your sex life goes to a claims reviewer for approval, and no diagnosis is required to justify the work.
- Real specialisation. AASECT-level sex therapy training is expensive to maintain and insurance panels don’t pay for it.
- Fewer hoops. Sessions get scheduled around your life, not a network’s billing rules.
How reimbursement works
- 1
You pay the session fee
Charged to the card on file after each session — the exact amount listed for your clinician below.
- 2
We generate the superbill
An itemised record of the sessions you attended, prepared for you, not by you.
- 3
Thrizer files the claim
Submitted to your insurer on your behalf. No forms, no portals, no faxing.
- 4
Reimbursement comes to you
Applied to your out-of-network deductible first, then paid directly to you at whatever rate your plan allows.
Estimate what a session really costs you
Pick your clinician, then enter the two numbers your insurer gave you on the phone.
—
Your estimated cost per session once the deductible is met.
An estimate, not a quote. Insurers reimburse a percentage of their own “allowed amount”, which can be lower than the session fee, and every plan words it differently. Until your deductible is met you pay the full fee — those sessions still count toward it.
Verify your coverage before you start
Call the member line on your insurance card and ask three things: do I have out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits; what is my out-of-network deductible and how much have I met; what percentage of the allowed amount do you reimburse after it. Those three answers give you your true cost per session. Not sure what you’re hearing? Read it to Eimy and she’ll translate.
Cancellations
We ask for at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or move a session. Inside 24 hours it’s charged at the full fee — that hour was held for you and can’t be filled at short notice. Life happens, and your therapist would always rather hear from you early than not at all.
Therapists’ rates
What each clinician charges.
Every fee below is the real, current number for a 50-minute session. Book the free fifteen minutes with whoever fits — you’ll know the cost before you ever pay for a session.
-
Vanessa Cushing
MS, LPC, NCC, CST
Founder · AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist
$350per session
Licensed in Virginia · Florida
Waitlist · not accepting new clients -
Radiance Sanneman
MS, LCPC, NCC, CCMHC
IFS Specialist & Trauma Therapist
$210per session
Licensed in Virginia · Maryland · Washington, D.C. · Florida
Free consult with Radiance -
Noelle Harris
LMSW
Sex Therapist · Licensed Supervisee in Social Work
$165per individual session
$220per couples session
Licensed in Virginia · Maryland
Free consult with Noelle -
Alexandria Da Ponte Cheatham
M.Ed., M.Div.
Sex Therapist · Resident in Counseling
$175per session
Licensed in Virginia
Free consult with Alexandria
Ask about a sliding scale. Reduced-fee availability is each clinician’s own call, so raise it on the free consultation. It’s a normal question, and asking it won’t change the care you receive.
Ready to get started?
Fifteen free minutes, no obligation and no sales pitch. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll tell you honestly whether this is work we do well — and exactly what it will cost.