Grow Therapy is a therapist directory and insurance billing platform that helps mental health providers accept insurance and build private practices. Grow Therapy helps therapists credential with major insurers, manage billing, and attract new clients through a directory and matching service, as well as manage additional aspects of running a private practice. Grow Therapy is completely free to join.
Therapists just getting started with in-network billing may want to view our guide on how therapists can get credentialed with insurance before getting started.
Editor's Note
We regularly review and update our content to provide the most accurate and current information. In this round of updates, we confirmed that Grow Therapy’s core pricing, features, and therapist model remain the same. We added new details about its expanded service lines (including group and family therapy), updated platform tools for outcomes tracking, and recent partnerships and initiatives.
Grow Therapy At a Glance
Cost: Free for practitioners
Insurance Billing Features: Yes
Includes Telehealth Platform: Yes
Pros & Cons
Pros - Free to join with no ongoing costs
- Handles all aspects of in-network billing
- Features for billing cash-pay clients
- Therapists and medication providers alike can join
- In-network with Medicare and Medicaid
Cons - Users report that customer support is not very well-implemented
- Reports of client confusion over billing issues
- Subpar EHR features, according to some users
Preview Grow Therapy
Grow Therapy is a comprehensive billing and directory platform for therapists and psychologists. Grow Therapy helps therapists credential with major insurers, manage billing, and attract new clients through a directory and matching service, as well as manage additional aspects of running a private practice. Grow Therapy is completely free for practitioners to join.
Grow Therapy operates its own provider directory, and also offers its members paid for profiles with Psychology Today and Zocdoc. Grow Therapy includes access to basic documentation and EHR features, but some users noted that the EHR is quite lackluster which leads to needing outside software to round out their toolkit.
Insurance credentialing and in-network billing through Grow Therapy will likely lead to more favorable rates than negotiating insurance contracts on your own. Grow Therapy has a lot to offer, however, practices that are looking for an all-in-one solution and those with partial or no licensure would want to look elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
- Grow Therapy is a managed in-network billing and directory platform that’s available in all US states and is totally free for mental health providers to join.
- Grow Therapy operates its own provider directory, and often offers its members paid for profiles with Psychology Today and Zocdoc.
- Grow Therapy includes access to basic documentation, telehealth, and EHR features, but some practices may prefer to have a full EHR, as well.
- Insurance credentialing and in-network billing through Grow Therapy will likely lead to more favorable rates than negotiating insurance contracts on your own.
Accept Insurance & Get Client Referrals
Credentialing – Get paneled for free with the major payors in your state so you can start seeing insurance clients.
Guaranteed Billing – Don’t worry about unpaid claims! Any insurance claims that you submit are guaranteed. Schedule a call to learn more.
What Is Grow Therapy?
Grow Therapy is a comprehensive billing and directory platform for therapists and psychologists. Features include insurance credentialing, premium in-network reimbursement rates, and a provider directory. Grow Therapy has no costs to join as a provider.
Below, we will explore some of Grow Therapy’s primary offerings and how they might help your practice. It is worth noting that Grow Therapy did not respond to our request for comment or information during our review.
Review our scoring criteria for therapist directories here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
Hands-Off Insurance Credentialing
One of the main benefits of Grow Therapy is its completely hands-off insurance credentialing service. Grow Therapy works with many insurance payors to negotiate favorable terms for insurance billing and can get you credentialed much faster than you’d be able to on your own.
Insurance payors that Grow Therapy works with include:
- United Healthcare
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Humana
- Anthem
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Additional regional payors
Grow Therapy states that it takes 4-6 months, on average, to get fully credentialed and ready-to-bill sessions for any given payor. As with any such service, you’ll only be credentialed with these payors while you’re working with Grow Therapy as a contractor and you won’t be able to bill through them independently.
Fully-Managed Billing
When you’re working with Grow Therapy for your in-network billing, the platform automatically hands off the correct billing information to the relevant insurance payor. Once you submit your session note, Grow Therapy will automatically generate and send any needed invoices to clients automatically.
Clients can manage needed tasks such as scheduling and making payments completely through the Grow Therapy client portal. In terms of billing payouts, Grow Therapy states that insurance claims can take between 14-21 days to process, and providers will receive their reimbursement for all fully processed claims every Friday.1 Since July 2024, Grow has integrated automated assessments for clients and a dashboard for clinicians to view clinical measures.
Gain New Clients With Grow Therapy’s Built-In Directory
Like similar platforms, Grow Therapy operates a therapist directory to help drive new client referrals. This directory allows prospective clients to filter providers by location and other factors, and easily schedule with providers directly through Grow Therapy. In recent months, Grow has also launched the ability to conduct and bill group or family therapy sessions through its platform.
Uniquely, Grow Therapy will often pay for both Psychology Today and Zocdoc profile listings and can link these services to your Grow Therapy platform for easy scheduling.2, 3 As we discovered in our breakdown of the best therapist directories, the cost of directories can add up quickly, so getting both of these profiles at no cost is a great perk to joining Grow Therapy.
Learn more about Zocdoc and Psychology Today in our Zocdoc review and Psychology Today review.
How Much Does Grow Therapy Cost to Join?
Grow Therapy is completely free for practitioners to join. Instead of taking fees from clients or practitioners, Grow Therapy has contracts with the insurance payors it works with and earns fees through them. This model is common among services like Grow Therapy and allows therapists to get started with minimal barriers.
Accept Insurance & Get Client Referrals
Credentialing – Get paneled for free with the major payors in your state so you can start seeing insurance clients.
Guaranteed Billing – Don’t worry about unpaid claims! Any insurance claims that you submit are guaranteed. Schedule a call to learn more.
How Much Does Grow Therapy Pay?
Grow Therapy pays its therapists on a pre-negotiated scale depending on the type of service offered, as well as variables such as your location. Specifically, the structure is such that you will be an independent contractor for Grow Therapy, which will reimburse you for the services provided.
Grow Therapy Reimbursement Rates
A discussion on reimbursements with this type of platform is intrinsically difficult as reimbursement rates may vary tremendously depending on several variables. For instance, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Atlanta billing Cigna may have an entirely different rate than a Psychologist out of California billing United Healthcare.
On top of all of this, the negotiations going on between companies like Grow Therapy and its insurance partners will constantly be shifting and updating, so it’s impossible to say what a given reimbursement rate will be in the long haul.
Since Grow Therapy has major contracts with top insurers, it can offer enhanced reimbursement rates that will usually be higher than what you would be able to negotiate with a payor on your own.
To determine your exact terms and rates, you’ll need to contact Grow Therapy directly.
Why Would I Want to Work with Grow Therapy?
Working with Grow Therapy is a unique experience that allows the autonomy of a private practice while offering a degree of support that helps you get your practice off the ground.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to work with Grow Therapy:
- Become credentialed with insurers without having to manage the process, and significantly faster than you could on your own, while also receiving enhanced reimbursement rates.
- Accept insurance without having to manage benefits checks for clients or insurance billing
- Maintain the autonomy of a private practice with less administrative stress
- Find a reliable source of client referrals through a dedicated insurance-based system
- Ensure consistent revenue with reliable insurance reimbursement
What States Is Grow Therapy Available In?
Grow Therapy is available in all 50 United States.
Alternatives & Competitors
Grow Therapy is a very strong insurance credentialing and billing platform, but it’s far from the only act in town. Below, we’ll discuss some of the alternatives including Alma and Headway.
Headway
Cost: Free for practitioners
Insurance Billing Features: Yes
Includes Telehealth Platform: No
Grow Therapy and Headway are very similar platforms. Both platforms allow providers to join at no cost, and both have similar sets of features. However, Headway lacks any EHR features at all, whereas Grow Therapy does have some basic client documentation features.
Both platforms are available nationwide.
To learn more about Headway, visit our full review of Headway for Therapists.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Free to use for therapists
- Additional features for insurance and out-of-pocket billing
- Existing clients can be imported into Headway for easy management
- Both talk therapists and medication practitioners can join
- Available in all states
Cons - No support for multi-state billing
- Lacks features for practice management and documentation
- Some users reported lower reimbursement rates than competitors
Alma
Cost: $125 monthly or $1,140 annually
Insurance Billing Features: Yes
Includes Telehealth Platform: Yes
Alma and Grow Therapy offer similar services in insurance credentialing and billing, but Alma has more EHR and practice management features than Grow Therapy does. Also, Alma charges a fee of $125 monthly or $1,140 annually to join, so it is more expensive than Grow Therapy on an ongoing basis; however, some users online noted that Alma has better reimbursement rates in some instances.
While Alma does charge a monthly fee, this secures access to its EHR features including Wiley Practice Planner templates, clinical measures, and integrated progress notes, as well as access to continuing education resources. Grow Therapy is free to join, but would require you to have an external subscription to a telehealth and EHR platform.
To learn more about Alma and how it differs, read our full review of Alma for therapists.
Pros & Cons
Pros - More comprehensive system of features than other directory and insurance billing platforms
- EHR features such as treatment plan templates, telehealth, and others
- Higher reimbursement rates than competitors, according to some members
- Comprehensive community and continuing education content
Cons - One of the only directory and insurance billing platforms that require a monthly fee
- No publicly available information about reimbursement rates – however, this is usually the case with this type of platform
How Do I Get Started with Grow Therapy?
To get started with Grow Therapy, simply navigate to the Grow Therapy sign-up page and enter a few details. One of Grow Therapy’s representatives will reach out to you soon to help you navigate the onboarding process.
The whole process of joining Grow Therapy can last between one and four months, depending on which payors you’re working with among other details.
The steps for getting started with Grow Therapy are:
- Request to join. Fill out a few details on Grow Therapy’s website to get started. (5 minutes)
- Onboard. Collaborate with Grow Therapy’s onboarding team to get credentialed with insurance payors and ready to start seeing clients. You’ll need to provide proof of licensure and malpractice insurance during this step, but it’s mostly hands-off. Rather than becoming an employee of Grow Therapy, you’ll be an independent 1099 contractor. (4-6 months)
- Begin seeing clients. After you’re set-up, you’ll be ready to start seeing clients using the Grow Therapy platform.
Final Verdict
Grow Therapy is a good option for therapists seeking to begin billing for in-network services. The platform offers a lot of value and is a much faster and more lucrative route to in-network billing than contracting independently. The lack of upfront or ongoing fees means most practices will find it worthwhile to at least find out what reimbursement rates are for your practice.
You should consider signing up for Grow Therapy if you:
- Are fully licensed and are looking to start providing in-network services
- Don’t want to handle insurance yourself, or are attracted to Grow Therapy offering better reimbursement rates than credentialing independently
You should consider looking for an alternative to Grow Therapy if you:
- Are not fully, independently licensed to practice therapy in your state
- Want to go in-network under your own name instead of contracting with a platform
- Can consistently manage a caseload of out-of-network clients
History & News
Year Founded: 2020
Headquarters: New York, New York
Grow Therapy was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in New York, New York. It is a very fast-growing start-up with multiple successful rounds of funding and around 800 employees.4
Grow Therapy states its mission is to help bring mental healthcare to everyone who needs it rather than the select few who can afford it by bridging the gap between therapists, insurance payors, and clients. Grow Therapy has gained a good deal of media coverage since its inception, and it is currently ranked as one of LinkedIn’s top startup companies.
Grow Therapy has launched both group and family therapy billing, expanded bilingual care, and secured new Blue Cross Blue Shield partnerships. The company has also grown its clinical leadership team and added outcome-tracking tools like PHQ‑9 and GAD‑7 directly into session workflows. These updates seem to aim to reduce no-shows and improve care continuity across its expanding network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grow Therapy Mental Health Free to Use?
Yes. The Grow Therapy network is free to join for practitioners.
Can Medication Providers Join Grow Therapy?
Yes, mental health medication providers can join Grow Therapy as long as they are fully and independently licensed to practice in a location that Grow Therapy serves.
Do You Have to Be Licensed to Use Grow Therapy?
Yes. Grow Therapy only accepts practitioners who are fully and independently licensed by their state licensing body.
How Does Grow Therapy Make Money?
Rather than charge practices a fee to join, Grow Therapy makes its money through its negotiations with insurance payors. The company takes a commission to bridge the gap between practitioners and insurance groups.
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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No author. (2023). Earnings and payouts. Grow Therapy Support FAQ. Retrieved from: https://help.growtherapy.com/en/articles/5574668-payout-earnings-faq
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No author. (2023). Psychology Today. Grow Therapy Support FAQ. Retrieved from: https://help.growtherapy.com/en/articles/6564627-psychology-today-faq
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No author. (2023). Grow Therapy and Zocdoc. Grow Therapy Support FAQ. Retrieved from: https://help.growtherapy.com/en/articles/6564561-grow-therapy-zocdoc-faq
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No author. (n.d.) Grow Therapy. CBInsights. Retrieved from: https://www.cbinsights.com/company/grow-therapy
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Melissa Boudin, PsyD (No change)
Primary Changes: Reviewed and fact-checked entire article. Revised where necessary to ensure factual accuracy. Added information to History & News section. Revised language throughout to improve clarity and flow.
Author: Matthew Church, MS (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Melissa Boudin, PsyD (No change)
Primary Changes: Added summary block and star rating breakdown
Author: Matthew Church, MS
Medical Reviewer: Melissa Boudin, PsyD
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