Fees and Investment | Janine Piernas, LMFT
Fees and Investment

Clear Pricing, No Surprises.

Every fee is listed plainly below, so you can decide what fits before we ever talk. The first conversation is always free.

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Start Here

A Free 30-Minute Consultation

Before any fee, we talk. You tell me what is going on, I help you figure out which option actually fits, and there is no pressure and no charge. It is where every service below begins.

A 30-minute phone consultation is required before scheduling any service, so we can talk through what you need and confirm we are the right fit before anything is booked.

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The Schedule

Fees at a Glance.

All couples work is private pay. Individual therapy is available through IEHP, with limited slots, or as private pay. Every service begins with the free consultation, where we decide together what fits and I answer any questions about cost before anything is booked.

Ongoing Therapy

Weekly work for couples and individuals ready to do the work over time.

Assessment Session · 90 Minutes
The first session for couples starting weekly work. A longer, focused session where I get the full history, understand what is really going on between you, and build the plan we will work from. Private pay.
$375
Couples Therapy · 60 Minutes
Your ongoing weekly session. Private pay.
$250
Individual Therapy · 50 Minutes
Ongoing weekly individual therapy, private pay. Also available through IEHP, with limited slots.
$220First session $250

A note on individual sessions. The individual therapy rate is for clients whose work is individual therapy, where one person is my client. In couples therapy, your relationship is my client. If part of your couples work includes meeting with one of you on your own, that session is still part of your couples treatment and is billed at the couples session rate.

Intensive Work

Concentrated work for couples who do not want to wait a week between sessions.

Couples Intensive · Four Hours + Follow-Up
Four focused hours that move further than months of weekly work, with a follow-up session built in. Front-load the breakthrough, then continue weekly to protect it. See details
From$1,500
Couples Intensive Package · Four Hours + Two Follow-Ups
The full intensive with a second follow-up session built in, so the momentum has more time to hold before you move to weekly work. The most supported way to protect what the day opens up. See details
$1,650
Affair Recovery Intensive · Crisis Support
A concentrated program for couples navigating infidelity. See details
$2,000
Group Workshop

The tools in a small-group class, for couples not ready or able to attend weekly.

The Seven Principles Workshop · Per Couple
A six-hour Gottman workshop in a small group, in Temecula. See details
$650
Insurance and Payment

How It Works.

Couples Work Is Private Pay

Insurance does not cover relationship counseling, because it requires a mental health diagnosis for one person, and that does not reflect the work couples therapy actually does. Private pay keeps the focus on your relationship, not on a billing code.

Individual Therapy and IEHP

For individual therapy, I accept IEHP, with a limited number of slots, and also offer a private pay rate. The free consultation is the place to check current availability.

An Honest Word on Cost

These fees reflect specialized couples work from a licensed therapist with over fifteen years of experience, not a general counseling rate. The goal is real change in fewer sessions, rather than open-ended therapy that drifts.

Most couples find the investment worthwhile against what is actually at stake: a relationship that works, children growing up in a steadier home, and two people who genuinely like each other again.

The free consultation is the right place to ask any questions about cost and decide which option fits before you commit to anything.

Booking and Payment

Simple and Up Front.

Accepted Payment Methods

Payment is due at the time of service. I accept cash, credit and debit cards including Visa and Mastercard, and Zelle. Intensives are reserved with a 50 percent deposit by Zelle at the time of booking, with the remaining balance due on the day of your intensive, also by Zelle.

Cancellation Policy

I ask for at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or change an appointment. If something unavoidable comes up, simply reschedule for later that same week and there is no charge. Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, and not rescheduled within the same week, are billed at the full session fee. Holding your time means turning other couples away, so this keeps the schedule fair for everyone.

Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate

Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your care will cost. Providers are required to give people who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges, including for psychotherapy.

You can ask for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your estimate, you have the right to dispute it. Keep a copy for your records.

Common Questions

Questions About Fees.

Do you take insurance?

For couples work, no, and that is standard, because insurance does not cover relationship counseling without giving one partner a mental health diagnosis. For individual therapy, I accept IEHP with limited slots, and also offer a private pay rate.

Why is couples therapy private pay?

Insurance requires a diagnosable mental health condition for one person and then treats that person, not the relationship. Most couples work does not fit that model, so reputable couples therapists almost always work private pay. It also keeps your records and your focus on the two of you.

Can we meet one-on-one at the individual therapy rate?

The individual therapy rate is for clients whose work is individual therapy, where one person is my client. In couples therapy, your relationship is my client. There are times in couples work when I meet with one of you alone, for assessment or for a specific part of the work, and that session is a meaningful piece of your couples treatment. Because it is couples work, it is billed at the couples session rate, even when only one of you is in the room.

Why is the first session more than a regular session?

For couples, your first session is a 90-minute Assessment Session at $375. It is longer on purpose. I get the full history, understand what is really going on between you, and build the plan we will work from. Starting with the whole picture is what makes the weekly work move faster. Individual clients starting weekly begin with a first session at $250.

Why does an intensive cost more than weekly sessions?

Because an intensive is far more than a longer session. It includes a pre-intensive assessment, a plan built specifically around your relationship, four uninterrupted hours of focused work, and structured follow-up. You are paying for the depth and momentum of doing in one focused day what would otherwise take months of weekly sessions to reach.

What does the free consultation cost?

Nothing. The first 30-minute consultation is free. It is a chance to talk through what is going on and decide together what fits, with no pressure and no charge.

What if the timing or cost is hard right now?

Cost is real, and I would rather help you find a way in than have you wait. If an intensive is more than the timing allows right now, starting with weekly therapy costs less up front and still gets you moving. Intensives are held with a 50 percent deposit, so the full amount is never due all at once. The consultation is where we look at your situation and choose the right starting point together.

The First Step

Ready to Take the First Step?

The consultation is free, and it is the right place to ask anything still on your mind, including about cost.

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The relationship you want is closer than you think.
Janine Piernas, LMFT #105849 · Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Pepperdine University · Gottman Method · Emotionally Focused Therapy
27576 Commerce Center Dr. Suite 204 · Temecula, CA 92590
Couples Therapy in Temecula and Murrieta CA · © 2026 Piernas Marriage and Family Therapy Inc.