Sustainable Therapy Program

For Clinicians

A nested model of mutual support for clinicians, supervisors, and clients

Interest Form

Why this program exists:

Shelterwood’s mission is to cultivate whole person healing for collective well-being. Part of how we envision collective well-being is through a commitment to fostering social change through cooperative and reciprocal models. 

The Sustainable Therapy Program is designed to be  a reciprocal ecosystem that offers accessibility, sustainability, and mutuality at each  layer of the system. Clients receive affordable therapy, associate therapists receive clients and free supervision, new supervisors receive supervisees and supervision of their supervision, and Shelterwood can live into these values by providing a stipend to the supervisors of supervision. 

The end goal of this program is to provide low fee therapy to clients in need, and to have active incentives that make it extra worthwhile for clinicians who are able to be part of that process. We are hoping that this structure feels actively beneficial for every level of the system, and that it feels aligned with a value of mutualism and collective care. 

How it Works:

Clients join the Sustainable Therapy Program through the Shelterwood website and are matched with an associate therapist. Clients pay a sliding scale rate starting at $40/session to Shelterwood (not to the associate). The associate receives free supervision from a new supervisor in exchange for providing free therapy to one client. Their supervisor is giving free supervision, and in return is getting free supervision of their supervision. The supervising supervisor is paid $400/month from Shelterwood (paid from the money that clients are giving for therapy). If you’re more of a visual learner, there is a graphic below that explains the how it works.

In short:

  • Clients pay Shelterwood $40-$100/session for therapy from an associate

  • Associates provide free therapy to one client in exchange for receiving free dyadic supervision.

  • New supervisors provide free dyadic supervision in exchange for free dyadic supervision of their supervision

  • Supervising-supervisors provide free dyadic supervision in exchange for $400/month

  • Shelterwood receives payment from the client and distributes it back into the system.

What to Expect

    • You agree to see 1 weekly client for free as part of the Sustainable Therapy Program

    • In exchange, you are granted access to free, biweekly, dyadic supervision with a supervisor in training

    • Clients pay Shelterwood a sliding scale of $40-$100 for individuals, and $60-$120 for couples. You would set the precise rate with your client. Money earned from this program goes towards paying supervising supervisors.

    Why this makes sense for Associates: You get matched with a client to work towards filling your case load, and you get two direct hours of supervision a month in exchange. This is free supervision in exchange for providing therapy to someone who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.

    • You provide bi-weekly dyadic supervision (50-minute sessions) to 2 associate-level clinicians participating in our Sustainable Therapy Program.

    • You will be paired with a seasoned Supervising-Supervisor who will sign off on your supervisees’ client hours until you meet the required 25 hours of “supervised supervision experience.”

    • You will receive biweekly Supervision of Supervision sessions (50-minutes) in a dyad of other supervisors in training.

    • You will receive supervision focused continuing education units that can be applied toward your CEU (ethics) requirement. 

    • You will be featured in Shelterwood Collective’s Approved Supervisor Directory

    • You facilitate a bi-weekly supervision dyad for supervisors in training. 

    • You are responsible to sign off on your supervisor-in-training’s  supervisees’ direct client hours until the supervisee-in-training completes their 25 hours of supervised-supervision (or until you or the supervisor-in-training exit this program container). 

    • You are compensated $200 per 50-minute session ($400/month stipend). 

    Why this makes sense for Supervisors of Supervisors: You receive a monthly stipend and the opportunity to mentor new supervisors who are supporting associates, who are supporting clients in need. 

FAQ

General:

  • The STP has been part of Shelterwood’s mission since 2020, and is a way that we give back to the community by connecting clients in need to providers who could serve them. Historically, our student residents have taken our STP clients as part of their residency here, but this coming year we are taking a pause on the residency program in order to shift our time and resources towards supporting current members of our collective.

  • We are starting this program off small and wanting to make sure the system is sustainable before adding in more factors. Check in again in January 2027 for updates.

    • Clients find our Sustainable Therapy Program page on our website, and fill out a simple intake form. We don’t ask for proof or evidence that they need sliding scale.

    • They schedule a connection call with someone from the Shelterwood team to see which clinician(s) might be a good fit.

    • They then set their rate with their clinician ($40-$100 for individuals, and $60-$120 for couples). They pay Shelterwood directly.

  • We believe in financial transparency, and want to try to answer this question to the best of our ability, knowing that there are a lot of variables involved.

    Each supervising-supervisor is working with 2 supervisors, and each of those supervisors is working with 2 associates. Each associate works with one client. So each supervising supervisor would be supporting 4 clients.

    Supervising supervisors are paid $400/month by Shelterwood. If all four clients are going to therapy weekly, that would be 16 sessions. If they all are paying $40/session, Shelterwood would be receiving $560. In the unlikely scenario where no client misses an appointment, the $160 surplus would go towards paying Shelterwood’s operating costs of facilitating the program and client matching.

    However, the likelihood that the system actually will operate at full capacity consistently feels unlikely, and we chose these numbers so that minimum costs would be covered even if the system is not operating at capacity. We are not yet sure what the cost of admin will be for this program, and if we do end up with an excess of income or are losing money on this program we will re-evaluate our structure. We hope that the program feels sustainable for all parties involved, including Shelterwood, and this margin feels like our best guess for a sustainable program.

    We will be tracking the finances for this program and will have full financial transparency with involved clinicians.

For Associates:

  • Clients need to reach out through Shelterwood directly to be eligible for the STP program

  • We ask that as part of the STP program you set a rate between $40-$100 for individuals, and $60-$120 for couples. This amount goes to Shelterwood to cover the cost of this program. You and your client discuss to see what number feels right.

  • To make the process easier for clients, you will keep Elle updated with the general hours that you work. You will receive an email from Elle saying that you have a new option for an STP client who could meet during your working hours. You can then take it from there with the client, conducting your own intake and scheduling at a time that is mutually convenient etc.

  • You get to decide if you want to work with a client! Your process will be the same as it is for any new client reaching out.

  • We have a list of eligible supervisors in training for you to choose from. Because supervision is dyadic, you may have limited options as we build out the program.

  • No! You provide therapy for free and receive free supervision in the process. 

  • Yes! You are welcome to treat this as supplementary supervision or count this as your primary supervision.

  • This will depend on what you and your supervisor both want. Your supervisor is welcome to stay in the program if they desire, or they may decide to leave the program, at which point they would likely begin charging for supervision. If this happens you could:

    • Stay with your supervisor and exit the STP program

    • Stay in the STP program and we would find you a new supervisor to work with.

    • Stay in the STP program with a new supervisor but continue to work with your recently graduated supervisor as supplementary supervision

  • You are welcome to take your clients with you or you can refer your clients to another STP clinician.

  • We know the need for consistent supervision is important. It is fine if a client misses a session or two, but if they are consistently missing sessions or drop out entirely you will be asked to pay for your supervision. We haven’t finalized the contract, but likely this would be at a rate of $100/month, or $50/session

  • We think so, but it depends on how you look at it! This is a trade of 1 weekly client for 2 hours of supervision.

    If you pay $400/month for biweekly supervision and charge a client $100/week, you’re also trading 1 weekly client for 2 hours of supervision. The upside of this program is that you are being matched with an extra client, you are working with a client who otherwise would not be able to afford paying for therapy, and you join a system of mutual exchange.

For New Supervisors:

  • We will have you on a list of eligible STP supervisors, and an associate clinician will reach out to you if they feel like you might be a good fit.

  • We have a handful of approved supervisors of supervision, you will reach out to one of them to be matched once you have an STP supervisee.

  • You are welcome to stay on in the program until you feel ready to move on, but are not obligated to stay. We just ask that you give us at least two weeks of notice before leaving the program.  

  • No! You are in a part of the system where no money is coming in or out. You both give and receive free supervision. 

Will You Join us?

Interest Form