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Frequently Asked Questions
Sercle is a global community and impact-driven startup that serves clients in financial need seeking affordable therapy. Our primary customers are trauma survivors who are 16 years above. Sercle clients cannot afford market rates for therapy, are uninsured or underinsured, and have an annual household income below $50, 000.
By underinsured, we are referring to people who have health insurance that does not include affordable in-network mental health benefits. This could be due to a high deductible and/or a copay higher than $60 per session for individual therapy (or higher than $80 per session for couples or family therapy).
If you have health insurance, we ask that you call your insurance company to verify your mental health benefits before you use Sercle’s service.
If you can afford full-fee psychotherapy sessions, we ask that you do not use Sercle’s service. If you have questions regarding whether Sercle is right for you, please contact us at info@sercleinc.com.
A Lifetime Membership means there are no annual fees. Once you sign up, you can see any psychologist in our network at any time for the rates that we advertise, as long as you are still in need of low fee therapy. We’ll never ask you to pay another fee if you decide to see a new therapist, or if you take a break and come back to therapy at a later time.
In the event that your financial situation changes (you win the lottery, get a better paying job, obtain good mental health benefits through your insurance, etc), you may no longer qualify for Sercle’s rates. If this occurs, we encourage you to speak with your therapist about your rates. If your therapist determines that you are no longer in need of Sercle’s low rates, then we will abide by your therapist’s decision. We will not return your membership fee if you have already begun your work with your Sercle therapist.
Sercle is a social enterprise. We use the funds we receive from your one-time membership fee to sustain a small support staff, maintain our platform and app, pursue grants and other avenues of funding, and recruit new therapists worldwide. Therapists in private practice can charge upward of $150 per session. Sercle Therapist Network is made up of psychotherapists practicing privately who want to offer a lower rate to those in need. We’ll never ask for your financial records because we trust that if you’re seeking our services, it’s because you can afford to pay between $30 and $60–and because you can’t afford to pay more.
Once you’ve submitted your membership application and you’ve chosen a therapist in our Network, you’ll submit your one-time $50 membership fee to Sercle via debit, credit, or check. Then, we’ll send you a Sercle Member ID email, which you can forward to your chosen therapist. From there you’re all set to discuss your pre-session fee with your therapist and schedule your first session. The pre-session fee will be in a range between $30 and $60 for individual counseling (and between $30 and $80 for couples and family counseling) – you’ll decide on the exact number with your therapist.
Unfortunately, you cannot. One of our goals is to completely bypass the insurance industry. Sercle is intended for people who are either uninsured or underinsured. By “underinsured” we are referring to people who have a high deductible that they have yet to meet, or an unaffordable copay (more than $60). While some clients can use their HSA or FSA money to pay their therapist, therapists in the Sercle Network will not submit to an insurance company on your behalf or provide you with a superbill.
If you would like to work with a couples or family therapist, you and your partner (family) just need to pay for one Sercle membership.
Sercle relies on the membership fee to help us facilitate as much low-fee therapy around the globe as possible. While we won’t refund your membership fee if your therapist is not the right match, you are welcome to see any other therapist in our Network without paying an additional fee. Your Sercle member ID represents a lifetime membership and we routinely add new member clinicians to our Network. Please contact us at info@sercleinc.com if you wish to change therapists, or click on this link to fill the form.
If for some reason you are unable to set up an appointment with your new therapist, we will refund your membership fee as long as you make the request within 10 business days of submitting the payment.
Finding and Working with a Therapist
A student intern is a therapist in training completing their final, clinical internship under the watchful eye of a supervisor. Student interns must complete their internship in order to receive their postgraduate degree and are able to offer $30 sessions for all modalities.
First, search for a Sercle therapist that matches your specific need. If the therapist, social worker, or psychologist you’ve selected has availability, a link to “Join Sercle” will appear on their profile page. If the therapist you’ve selected isn’t available, please check back frequently: we’ll be adding new therapists to our database as we grow. Email us at info@sercleinc.com to request that we find more therapists, specifying what your needs are!
After we receive your membership fee, we’ll email your Sercle Member ID. In your first session with your therapist, you can show them your Sercle Member ID email. You can also forward your therapist a copy of the email.
All of the therapists who belong to our Network are in private practice, which means they handle their own appointment scheduling. Once you register to become a Sercle member, you will receive your Sercle Member ID, which contains your therapist’s contact information. You can reach out directly to your therapist to book appointments.
In order to learn more about a given therapist’s availability, we recommend that you contact them directly. If you are not yet a member of Sercle, you can do so by clicking “Message this therapist” on the therapist’s profile. If you are a member, you can contact your therapist using the information provided in your Member ID email.
Please know that therapists’ availability will vary quite a bit. While some therapists may have availability within a few days, others may not have an open slot for more than a week.
Please fill out this form if you wish to change therapists. We will need to update your Member ID email with the new therapist’s name and contact information before you can start attending sessions with your new therapist.
We understand that finding the right fit is extremely important in therapy, and that we may not always be able to offer your ideal candidate. If you are open to working with a therapist either online or through the telephone, please search our site for a counselor providing “online therapy” in your area or internationally. If you still can’t find the right fit, please email us. Our goal is to recruit many more therapists as we grow, and we want to hear from you.
Virtual therapy, also called teletherapy, is a form of psychotherapy in which a psychotherapist meets with a client via telephone, cellular phone, the internet, or other electronic media in place of or in addition to conventional face-to-face psychotherapy.
Face-to-face therapy generally is preferable to online therapy, and there are certain circumstances in which a therapist may choose not to offer online therapy to a particular client. Therapists should conduct an initial assessment to determine the appropriateness of online therapy to be provided for the client before regular sessions are undertaken.
Most therapists will not do online therapy with clients who reside in a different state or country. If you are looking for a therapist that will work with you remotely, we highly recommend you search for Sercle therapists located in your country and state that have the “offers online therapy” label on their profile. If you have questions about how to do this, please feel free to get in touch with us at info@sercleinc.com.
Sercle’s directory does not include psychiatrists. Our therapists provide psychotherapy, or talk therapy. They are not able to prescribe or manage medications. To find a psychiatrist near you, please use Psychology Today’s psychiatrist finder tool.
Absolutely not. Everything that occurs between you and your therapist is confidential. We are always open to receiving feedback on your experience, however. Please feel free to email us at info@sercleinc.com
This decision is completely between you and your therapist.
Unfortunately, we cannot. While we do everything we can to ensure that your therapist is qualified and licensed, we are not responsible for anything that occurs in your relationship together. Please see our terms of service for more information.
Rates & Fees
A therapist in Sercle Network can only raise your $30-60 fee range rate if your financial situation changes. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re suddenly able to pay more for your treatment, it is expected that you will bring this up with your therapist. If you don’t, it’s expected that your therapist will bring this up with you!
While we think it’s best for you and your therapist to decide on a set amount and stick with it, your session fee within the $30-60 range is between you and your clinician.
Some psychotherapists charge more for couples therapy or family therapy than for individual therapy. In these instances, Sercle member therapists have permission to charge up to $80 a session for couples therapy or family therapy. If you cannot afford that amount, you are welcome to return to our listing and select a different therapist.
If for some reason your therapist is charging more than $80 a session, please let us know by emailing info@sercleinc.com so that we can handle the issue internally.
