Paying for Therapy

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.

Blue Shield

We are now accepting new Blue Shield clients (effective 12/15/24). This includes CALPERS and CALSTIRS clients with Blue Shield plans. Submit a Request for Services here. If you have a Blue Shield Medi-Cal plan (LA & San Diego counties) we can see you starting 3/1/25, but not until then.

Carelon

If you have a Carelon Medi-Cal plan or a private insurance plan that uses Carelon Behavioral Health providers, we can help you. Submit a Request for Services here.

Anthem

If you have an Anthem Medi-Cal plan, we can help you. No deductible, no copayment. Submit a Request for Services here.

If you have an Anthem PPO or HMO plan, we are contracted providers, but we are not accepting new clients with private Anthem plans, because Anthem’s reimbursement rate is too low. Please contact Anthem for a list of contracted providers with availability.

Kaiser

We can see Kaiser clients if they obtain an authorization from Kaiser for an “External Referral”. The client has to request this directly from Kaiser. And the authorization must allow you to see a therapist on the Carelon provider panel. Here is more information.

Medicare

Unfortunately, we cannot bill Medicare for therapy. Please contact Medicare for a referral to a therapist that accepts Medicare with your Medicare plan.

Health Savings Accounts (or FSAs)

If you have a Health Savings Account you can 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.

Victim Compensation Board

If you have received authorization from the Victim Compensation Board of California, we can help you with therapy for victims or witnesses of crimes. Here is more information.

Other Private Insurance

We are not in-network providers for private health insurance plans not listed above. But we can provide you a Superbill to submit to your insurance company for out-of-network benefits. But you can learn more about using your Out-of-Network benefits to help pay for therapy here.

Pay with Medi-Cal
Pay with Blue Shield
Pay with Anthem
Pay with Kaiser
Pay with Carelon
Pay with Other Private Health Insurance
Pay with Victim Compensation Board funds
To Make a Payments for Services
To Make a Donation to Shine a Light

Request an Appointment

To Request an Appointment at Shine a Light or NPCC, please fill out this form. We respond to inquiries Monday through Friday. All inquiries we receive on the weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day. Thank you for your patience. If you need immediate services, please call 911.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Your Name
Name of Intended Client
Date of Birth (of the intended client)
Use the drop down menu to select your nearest location.
Of whoever is paying for therapy
Use the drop-down menu to select your insurance coverage.
Please carefully input the number from your insurance card.
Use the drop-down menu to select the type of counseling you want.
Use the drop-down menu to indicate if you have seen a therapist with us previously.
Issues You Want Help With:
MORNINGS you are Available:
EARLY AFTERNOONS you are Available:
LATE AFTERNOONS you are Available:
EVENINGS you are Available:
Contact Preferences:
This helps us track your inquiry and respond to you quickly.

Agency Inquiries

This form is for agency information. If you want information about counseling for yourself or your family, use the other form. Thank you.

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Name
This form is for agency information. If you want information about counseling for yourself or your family, use the other form. Thank you.

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 (link)

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 therapy sessions 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 and we are not in-network with your plan, please be aware that your costs for therapy may be less by using an in-network provider. 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 trainees. Please request an Associate level therapists for out-of-network billing.

Click here to download a flyer for

Shine a Light Counseling Center

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