Nonprofit Therapy in California
Mission-Driven Mental Health Care, Starting at $15 Per Session
When you choose therapy at a nonprofit counseling center, you choose an organization built around a mission rather than a bottom line. Nonprofit therapy centers exist to serve communities, expand access, and make mental health care available to people who might otherwise go without. At Sentio Counseling Center, that mission shapes everything we do.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing affordable online therapy throughout California. Our sliding scale starts at just $15 per session because we believe that financial circumstances should never determine who gets mental health support.
What Is Nonprofit Therapy?
Nonprofit therapy refers to mental health services provided by organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. These organizations operate under a charitable mission rather than a profit motive. Any revenue generated goes back into fulfilling that mission rather than being distributed to owners or shareholders.
Nonprofit counseling centers have a long history in the United States. Community mental health centers, university training clinics, faith-based counseling services, and mission-driven organizations like Sentio have expanded access to therapy for generations of people who needed support.
What distinguishes nonprofit therapy is purpose. Every decision, from fee structures to clinical training to service delivery, flows from the organization's commitment to its mission and the community it serves.
The Sentio Counseling Center Mission
Removing Barriers to Mental Health Care
Sentio Counseling Center was founded on a simple belief: therapy should be available to everyone who needs it. Too many Californians face obstacles that prevent them from getting mental health support. Cost is the most common barrier, but geography, language, and availability also keep people from accessing care.
Our mission is to systematically remove these barriers.
Financial Accessibility
We operate on a sliding scale from $15 to $90 per session, with fees based on what each client can reasonably afford. We do not require income verification or extensive documentation. We trust that people know their own financial situations and can determine what is sustainable for them.
This model allows us to serve clients across the economic spectrum. A college student working part-time, a family navigating job loss, a single parent stretching every dollar, and a professional wanting to support our mission can all access the same quality care at rates that fit their circumstances.
Geographic Accessibility
California is vast. Major cities have concentrations of therapists, but many communities, particularly rural areas, face significant shortages of mental health providers. Traveling an hour or more for a therapy appointment is not realistic for most people, especially on a weekly basis.
We provide online therapy to clients anywhere in California. Whether you live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, or a small town in the Central Valley, Sierra foothills, or Northern California, you can access our services from home. Telehealth eliminates geography as a barrier.
Language Accessibility
California is one of the most linguistically diverse places on earth. Finding a therapist who speaks your language, especially at an affordable rate, can be extraordinarily difficult. Expressing deep emotions, describing subtle experiences, and building therapeutic trust all become harder when working in a second language.
Sentio offers therapy in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. Our bilingual therapists provide culturally responsive care that allows clients to communicate in the language most natural to them.
Availability and Flexibility
Traditional therapy often requires taking time off work, arranging childcare, and commuting to appointments during limited business hours. These logistical challenges disproportionately affect people already under financial and time pressure.
Our online format allows clients to attend sessions from wherever they have privacy and internet access. We offer appointments during evenings and weekends when possible. We work to accommodate the realities of busy, complicated lives.
Why People Choose Nonprofit Therapy
Alignment of Values
Many people feel more comfortable receiving care from an organization whose values align with their own. Nonprofit counseling centers exist to serve their communities. Clients often appreciate knowing that their fees support a mission they believe in rather than simply generating revenue.
When you pay for therapy at Sentio, that money funds our ability to offer $15 sessions to someone who could not otherwise afford care. It supports training for the next generation of therapists. It sustains an organization dedicated to making mental health accessible across California. For many clients, this matters.
Sliding Scale Accessibility
Nonprofit therapy centers pioneered the sliding scale model that makes therapy affordable for people at all income levels. While some private practices offer sliding scale spots, nonprofit organizations typically build accessibility into their entire fee structure rather than offering it as a limited exception.
At Sentio, sliding scale is not an afterthought. It is central to who we are. Our fees range from $15 to $90 because we designed our organization around the goal of serving people regardless of income.
Community Benefit Orientation
Nonprofit counseling centers often think beyond individual client sessions to consider broader community impact. This might include training programs that increase the supply of qualified therapists, outreach to underserved populations, partnerships with schools and community organizations, or research that advances the field.
Sentio is affiliated with Sentio University, a nonprofit graduate institution training marriage and family therapists. Our clinical work and educational mission reinforce each other. Trainees gain supervised experience providing real therapy to real clients. Clients benefit from clinicians who receive intensive training and close supervision. The community gains more skilled therapists committed to accessible care.
Trust and Transparency
Nonprofit organizations operate under public accountability requirements that do not apply to private businesses. They must file annual reports, maintain boards of directors, and demonstrate that they serve their stated charitable purpose. This structure provides a layer of transparency that some clients find reassuring.
When you work with a nonprofit counseling center, you can be confident that the organization has formally committed to its mission and operates under oversight designed to ensure it fulfills that commitment.
What to Expect from Nonprofit Therapy at Sentio
Quality Clinical Care
Nonprofit status describes an organization's structure and mission, not the quality of its clinical services. Therapy at Sentio is provided by trained clinicians using evidence-based approaches. Our therapists receive ongoing supervision and professional development. We hold ourselves to the same clinical standards as any therapy practice.
Many of our clinicians are completing advanced training under the supervision of licensed professionals. This model, common at nonprofit training clinics nationwide, provides clients with therapists who are current on the latest research and approaches while receiving close guidance from experienced supervisors. Clients often report that their therapists are particularly engaged, attentive, and committed.
The Same Therapeutic Relationship
Therapy works through the relationship between therapist and client. That relationship, characterized by trust, empathy, collaboration, and genuine care, develops the same way regardless of organizational structure. Your therapist at Sentio will get to know you, understand your concerns, and work with you toward your goals just as any therapist would.
The therapeutic process itself is not different at a nonprofit center. You will have regular sessions, build rapport with your therapist, explore the issues that brought you to therapy, develop insights and skills, and work toward meaningful change in your life.
Flexible Fee Arrangements
One practical difference you may notice at a nonprofit counseling center is greater flexibility around fees. Because our mission centers on accessibility, we approach financial conversations with openness and without judgment.
When you contact Sentio, we will discuss your financial situation and agree on a fee together. If your circumstances change during therapy, we can adjust. If you experience job loss, unexpected expenses, or other hardships, let us know. Our goal is to make ongoing therapy sustainable for you, not to maximize what we collect.
Services Designed Around Client Needs
Nonprofit organizations are accountable to their missions and the communities they serve rather than to investors or owners seeking returns. This can translate into service design that prioritizes client needs.
At Sentio, we chose to focus on online therapy because it removes geographic barriers and increases convenience for clients. We invested in multilingual services because California's diverse population needs therapists who speak their languages. We built our sliding scale to start at $15 because we wanted to serve people who cannot afford typical therapy rates. Each of these decisions reflects our mission rather than a calculation of what would be most profitable.
Our Services
Individual Therapy
One-on-one therapy for adults addressing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, life transitions, relationship concerns, self-esteem, identity, and personal growth. Available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
Couples Therapy
Therapy for partners working on communication, conflict resolution, emotional connection, trust, intimacy, and relationship strengthening. We offer Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and other evidence-based approaches.
Who We Serve
Sentio Counseling Center welcomes clients from all backgrounds, identities, and life circumstances. We serve:
Individuals seeking support for mental health concerns or personal growth
Couples working to strengthen their relationships
Families navigating challenges together
People who have never tried therapy before and want an accessible entry point
People returning to therapy after time away
People who speak Spanish or Mandarin Chinese and want therapy in their language
LGBTQ+ individuals and couples seeking affirming care
People without insurance or with high-deductible plans
People with insurance who prefer a sliding scale option
Anyone who values receiving care from a mission-driven nonprofit organization
We do not have income requirements or means testing. Our sliding scale is available to everyone. Clients with higher incomes who pay toward the upper end of our range help sustain our ability to offer low-cost sessions to those who need them. This community-supported model reflects the cooperative spirit at the heart of nonprofit mental health care.
How Nonprofit Therapy Supports the Broader Community
When you choose therapy at a nonprofit counseling center, you participate in something larger than your individual treatment. Your fees help sustain an organization that serves your entire community.
Expanding Access
Every session at Sentio helps fund our sliding scale, making therapy available to Californians who could not otherwise afford it. When you pay $50 or $70 or $910for your session, you help make $15 and $25 sessions possible for someone else.
Training Future Therapists
California faces a shortage of mental health providers, particularly those who offer affordable services or speak languages other than English. Through our affiliation with Sentio University, we train marriage and family therapists who are committed to accessible, community-oriented care. These clinicians go on to serve communities throughout California and beyond.
Modeling Accessible Care
Nonprofit counseling centers demonstrate that high-quality therapy can be delivered affordably and accessibly. By succeeding in this model, we contribute to a broader shift in how mental health care can be organized and delivered.
Strengthening Community Wellbeing
Mental health affects everything: relationships, work, parenting, physical health, and community participation. When more people have access to therapy, families function better, workplaces become healthier, and communities grow stronger. Nonprofit therapy centers contribute to this collective wellbeing.
Getting Started with Nonprofit Therapy at Sentio
Beginning therapy with us is straightforward:
Step One: Complete Our Intake Form
Fill out the brief online form on our website. Tell us a little about what brings you to therapy and how to reach you.
Step Two: Initial Conversation
A member of our team will contact you within one to two business days. We will discuss your needs, answer questions, and determine your sliding scale fee together.
Step Three: Therapist Matching
Based on your concerns, preferences, and availability, we will match you with an appropriate therapist. You can request specific qualities such as language, gender, or areas of specialty.
Step Four: Schedule Your First Session
Book your initial appointment and begin therapy. Most clients start within one to two weeks of their first contact with us.
Step Five: Ongoing Support
Attend regular sessions, typically weekly to start. Work with your therapist toward your goals. Adjust session frequency as you progress. Know that affordable, mission-driven support is there for you as long as you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Therapy
What does it mean that Sentio is a nonprofit?
Sentio Counseling Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. We operate under a charitable mission to expand access to mental health care. All revenue supports that mission rather than being distributed as profit to owners.
Is therapy at a nonprofit different from therapy elsewhere?
The therapeutic process itself is the same. You meet with a trained therapist, build a relationship, and work on the concerns that brought you to therapy. The difference is organizational: our structure, mission, and fee model are designed around accessibility and community benefit.
Do I have to be low-income to use a nonprofit counseling center?
No. Our services are available to everyone. Clients across the income spectrum use Sentio. Those who can afford to pay more help sustain our ability to offer low-cost sessions to those who cannot. This community-supported model is part of what makes nonprofit therapy work.
How do I know the therapy will be good quality?
Our clinicians are trained in evidence-based approaches and receive ongoing supervision from licensed professionals. We maintain the same clinical and ethical standards as any therapy practice. Nonprofit status relates to our organizational structure and mission, not the quality of care we provide.
Is my information still confidential at a nonprofit?
Absolutely. We follow all applicable privacy laws and professional ethics standards. Your therapy is confidential regardless of our organizational structure. Nonprofit status does not change confidentiality protections.
Can I still get a superbill for insurance reimbursement?
Yes. We provide superbills upon request that you can submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Contact your insurer to understand your specific benefits.
Do you accept donations?
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we can accept tax-deductible donations that support our mission. If you are interested in contributing beyond your therapy fees, please contact us for information.
Therapy Rooted in Mission
At Sentio Counseling Center, we believe that everyone deserves access to quality mental health care. We built our organization around that belief. Our sliding scale, our online format, our multilingual services, and our commitment to training the next generation of therapists all flow from a single mission: removing the barriers that keep people from getting the support they need.
When you choose nonprofit therapy, you choose care grounded in purpose. You support an organization that exists to serve its community. And you receive the same compassionate, skilled, effective therapy that helps people everywhere lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Sentio Counseling Center provides affordable nonprofit therapy throughout California with sliding scale fees starting at $15 per session. Services are available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.