There are a variety of reasons why someone might prefer self-pay over using their insurance coverage. Many people do not realize that when using your insurance, your therapist must disclose, with your consent, your personal information in order to verify your eligibility, pre-authorize services, and process claims to obtain payment. This includes things such as your psychiatric diagnosis, your treatment plan, the nature of the issues you are discussing, and how long you have been in treatment. When an individual chooses to self-pay as opposed to utilizing insurance, both treatment and confidentiality remain between you and your therapist.