About Our Independent Contractor Model
This is a small, woman-founded practice built with intention to support therapists across Washington State who want the benefits of insurance access while maintaining flexibility and autonomy in how they work.
Founded in 2023, the practice is led by a clinician who understands firsthand the challenges of building and sustaining a caseload while navigating insurance systems. Our model was created specifically for therapists who want independence in their clinical work, while benefiting from established insurance contracts and streamlined administrative support.
We partner closely with a trusted independent billing team that specializes in mental health claims. While billing services are external, they are highly collaborative, reliable, and experienced within our systems, helping ensure a smooth and consistent reimbursement process.
Our team includes both associate and fully licensed therapists. Some clinicians are pre-licensed and unable to credential independently, while others are fully licensed providers who prefer to remain free from the administrative burden of insurance contracting and billing.
Our Model Supports Contractors Who:
Maintain full control over their schedules and caseloads
Keep 100% of their session income
Pay a flat monthly service fee of $350
Have access to a HIPAA-compliant EHR system
Utilize established insurance contracts (Premera/LifeWise, First Choice, and/or Regence)
Receive streamlined credentialing support
Work with our trusted billing service at a rate of $39/hour (2-hour monthly minimum)
To ensure quality, consistency, and adequate support for each clinician and client, the combined service fee and billing minimum is designed to reflect approximately three hours of dedicated client work per month. This structure allows us to maintain a sustainable system that supports both clinical independence and operational reliability.
We value professionalism, clear communication, and a growth-oriented mindset. As an independent contractor model, clinicians operate with autonomy while meeting the documentation standards and clinical requirements of the insurance panels they participate in.
We are currently a small but growing group, with new clinicians joining in the months ahead. This is an ideal environment for therapists who want to build or expand their practice with flexibility, transparency, and practical infrastructure already in place.
Your Questions, Answered
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No. The practice includes both associate-level clinicians and fully licensed therapists. Some clinicians join because they cannot credential independently, while others join for administrative simplicity and insurance access.
Associate clinicians are eligible to be included only on insurance contracts that accept associate providers. Please reach out to us for additional information.
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Contractors keep 100% of their session income. Contractors pay a flat monthly service fee of $350 to Close Knit Counseling, PLLC and are responsible for billing-related costs through a separate billing service. The billing rate is $39/hour with a 2-hour monthly minimum.
In most cases, the combined cost of the service fee and minimum billing support is roughly equivalent to about 3 hours of client work per month. This structure is designed to remain sustainable while allowing clinicians to retain the majority of their earnings.
We were intentional about the fee being low-cost. We did not want to be like the group practices that take 30-40% of their contractor’s income and have to enforce a minimum caseload.
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The monthly service fee includes access to established insurance contracts (Premera/LifeWise, First Choice, and Regence), administrative infrastructure, and use of a HIPAA-compliant EHR system.
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No. Billing is handled by a trusted, independent billing team that specializes in mental health claims. While separate from the practice, they are familiar with our systems and work closely with our team to support claims processing and credentialing.
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The process begins with a consultation call to review questions and assess alignment.
If it’s a good fit, you’ll complete a service agreement and review onboarding materials, followed by a brief call with our independent billing team member to initiate credentialing and finalize their service agreement.
You’ll then receive access to the EHR system and complete onboarding into the practice. This process is designed to be clear, efficient, and supportive from start to finish.