Sara Rands, CMHC

Fees & Scheduling

Here are the practical details of working with me: fees, scheduling, insurance, and what to expect when you get started.

Fees and payment

I am a private-pay therapist.

A limited number of reduced-fee spaces may be available.

I do not bill insurance directly. If you have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill upon request that you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.

A note about diagnosis and insurance

Insurance reimbursement requires a mental health diagnosis and medical necessity. Some people are comfortable with this as part of the reimbursement process; others have understandable concerns about having a documented mental health diagnosis or sharing it with an insurance company.

If you choose to use out-of-network benefits, we’ll discuss diagnosis openly and make sure you understand what information will be shared.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

KAP is priced differently because more than one provider is involved. My fee covers the preparation session, my presence throughout the medicine session, and the integration work afterward. The medical evaluation and prescription are handled separately through Symmetry Counseling and their medical prescriber, and the medication itself is filled at your pharmacy. I’ll walk you through the full cost picture before you commit to anything.

Every-other-week sessions

My practice is structured around every-other-week sessions, at a standing appointment time.

I work especially well with people who are motivated to change and willing to put substantial energy into their own growth between sessions. That might mean journaling, meditation, reading, practicing skills, or simply paying attention to what happens in your life after we talk about a pattern.

Some of my favorite sessions begin with a client saying, “Okay, I have a list.”

The time between appointments gives you room to live your life, experiment, integrate, and bring what you’re learning back into therapy.

If you need weekly support during a difficult stretch, telehealth sessions are available on the alternate weeks.

During my regular clinical weeks, sessions are available both in person in Salt Lake City and by telehealth. I provide therapy to adults who are physically located in Utah at the time of the session.

A good fit

I work best with people who:

You don’t have to arrive knowing exactly what you want from every session. In NARM, I often begin by asking, “What would you hope to get out of our time together today?” Some people love that question. Some people find it surprisingly stressful. “I don’t know” is a perfectly good place to start.

How long should I be in therapy?

Sometimes therapy is targeted and brief. A person who is otherwise functioning well may need some psychoeducation, a few focused sessions, or ART around a specific experience that is still carrying more emotional charge than it deserves.

Other work takes longer. Complex trauma, identity, relationships, grief, major life disruption, and longstanding patterns rarely follow a tidy timeline.

I don’t assume therapy should be brief, and I don’t assume it should continue indefinitely.

My goal is to work myself out of a job: not by rushing you out the door, but by helping you develop more capacity, understanding, and freedom in your own life. If long-term therapy continues to be meaningful and useful to you, I’m comfortable with that too.

What I don’t want is for us to keep rehashing the same material simply because continuing therapy has become the default. If you’re stuck in significant distress and our work isn’t helping, I want us to talk about that honestly and consider whether a different approach or another clinician might serve you better.

Practice policies

Because your appointment time is reserved for you, I ask for 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations and missed appointments are charged a $100 fee.

If you are more than 15 minutes late, the appointment is considered a no-show. If you miss an appointment without contacting me, I’ll assume you no longer want your remaining standing appointments and will release them.

Email is fine for logistics, brief updates, or something you want me to know before our next session. I am one person, not a crisis service, and I cannot provide emergency or on-demand clinical support between appointments.

Your first session

In our first appointment, we’ll talk about what brings you in, what you would like to be different, relevant history, what you’ve already tried, and what seems most important right now. My goal is for you to leave the first session feeling heard and understood, with some hope that things can shift and an initial sense of where we might begin.

I’ll usually share some initial impressions: themes I’m noticing, questions I’m curious about, what I think may need attention first, or approaches that might be useful. Sometimes there is a fairly clear direction, for example a specific issue that may respond well to ART. Other times the picture becomes clearer as we work together.

The intake is also a chance for both of us to see how the fit feels. The relationship between therapist and client matters. Some clients click with me immediately; others may be better served by someone different. If I think another clinician would be a stronger fit, I’ll tell you and offer referrals when I can. And if you decide I’m not the right therapist for you, I genuinely appreciate knowing that.

We’ll also talk about next steps and, if it feels like a good fit, schedule a follow-up session. We generally refine your goals for our work together as we go.

What to bring

You don’t need to bring anything specific to your first session. If you have thoughts, questions, or topics you want to make sure we discuss, you are welcome to bring notes. Some people find it helpful to bring a journal, water bottle, fidgets, or other items that help them feel comfortable and grounded.

There is no need to dress formally or prepare in a particular way. Come as you are.

Privacy

Your privacy matters. If we happen to see each other outside of the office, I will not approach you or acknowledge our professional relationship unless you initiate contact.

Getting started

When scheduling reopens, working together will begin like this:

  1. Complete a brief online inquiry. You’ll tell me a little about what brings you to therapy and what you’re looking for.
  2. I’ll review it for fit. If it sounds like we may work well together, I’ll send you the intake paperwork through my secure client portal.
  3. Complete the intake paperwork. This gives me more context before we meet and lets us use the intake session well.
  4. Schedule your intake. Once I’ve reviewed your paperwork, you’ll receive access to available intake appointments.

A note about availability

Fees and policies on this page reflect my practice as it will reopen. I am currently on sabbatical and not accepting new therapy clients.

I plan to reopen in private practice in January 2027, seeing clients in person in Salt Lake City and online throughout Utah. If you’d like to be notified when scheduling becomes available, you’re welcome to join the notification list.