Inclusive Therapy Wellness

Inclusive Therapy Wellness, run by the Center for Inclusive Therapy + Wellness (CITW), is an online therapy practice that explicitly serves Black and BIPOC clients across a broad geographic footprint. The practice operates teletherapy in 42 named states and serves clients from adolescence into adulthood, offering individual, couples, and family therapy through licensed mental health professionals who bring their own lived experience as people of color to the work.

How the service works

The practice delivers therapy exclusively through live video sessions, designed to remove logistical barriers that often prevent people from staying in therapy. Sessions run 55 minutes. A first appointment is an intake assessment where you and the therapist establish initial goals and get to know each other; this initial session runs up to two 55-minute appointments for new individual clients. Subsequent sessions are standard 55-minute therapy appointments.

Matching starts with a free, 15-minute phone consultation to see if you and a therapist are a good fit. You can review each therapist's background and specializations in advance, the practice lists their credentials, the populations they work with, and their areas of focus on the site. No wait list is mentioned; the practice appears to schedule new intakes promptly. The team includes several therapists covering different specializations, so if you have specific needs (trauma work, couples therapy, work with LGBTQ+ clients, specific cultural backgrounds), you can look for a match from the start rather than taking whoever is available.

If you want to switch therapists, the practice supports that; you can request a different provider. The practice works with clients in both English and Spanish, and notes that it brings "culturally-relevant and humble online therapy services" grounded in evidence-based modalities.

What the practice says it offers

The therapists describe their work through specific clinical frameworks. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) appear across several provider profiles. At least one therapist lists Brainspotting for trauma work. EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) also appears in the trauma specialization.

The practice explicitly positions itself around cultural identity and historical context. It works with "anxiety and depression, LGBTQ+ issues and empowerment," relationships and transitions, trauma (including complex trauma), perinatal mental health, performance psychology for high-achieving clients, and helps clients "process what it's like to exist in environments that weren't built for you." The practice acknowledges that therapy for some clients includes "unpacking racism, sexism, homophobia, and other -isms" as part of the therapeutic work.

For couples and families, the practice works on "relational questions and goals" in a collaborative, evidence-based way. The practice notes that it is "kink-aware" and "poly-friendly," with specific expertise listed for LGBTQ+ couples and BDSM-related therapy. Felicia Burnett, one of the therapists, specifically lists EMDR for trauma work alongside individual and couples therapy.

The site mentions group therapy as available, though details on current groups are not elaborated on the captured pages.

Pricing and payment

The practice is entirely private-pay and does not bill insurance directly. Standard rates are: Individual intake assessment ($240, up to two 55-minute sessions), individual therapy ($230 per 55-minute session), and couples and family therapy ($250 per 55-minute session). The founder and lead psychologist, Dr. Janelle S. Peifer, has higher rates: initial intake ($360), individual therapy ($280), and couples and family therapy ($300).

The practice has partnered with Mentaya, a service that helps clients access out-of-network benefits from insurance plans. Through Mentaya, you can check whether your insurance might reimburse you for a portion of therapy costs; the practice says clients may only have to pay their co-insurance amount upfront rather than paying the full rate and waiting for reimbursement later. This can potentially save "on average 70% upfront" on the full session fee, depending on your plan.

Another option is to use Thrizer for out-of-network billing coordination. The practice also provides a good-faith estimate in compliance with the No Surprises Act, so you know in advance what costs you'll incur.

The practice explicitly states that insurance reimbursement is not guaranteed; the Mentaya check and Thrizer coordination are offered as courtesy services.

Who the therapists are and where they operate

The practice operates in 42 named states: AZ, AR, AL, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, GA, FL, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, ND, NE, NJ, NV, NH, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY, and WV.

The clinical team includes several licensed mental health providers. Dr. Janelle S. Peifer is the founder and lead psychologist, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist serving clients in 34 or more states (the listing says "34+"). Dr. Lana Holmes is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist also serving 34+ states. Felicia Burnett is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPCC) working with Georgia clients. Jacob Chagoya is listed as an APC (appears to be an Associate Psychologist or similar credential) also working with Georgia clients. Dr. Raven Cokley is a Licensed Professional Counselor serving Georgia. Dr. Anna Lauer Roy, the newest team member listed, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and post-doctoral fellow serving Colorado clients and is in-network with United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Aetna for the Growth House branch of the practice.

The practice notes that "only about 100,000 doctoral-level licensed clinical psychologists" exist across the entire United States, and "only 16% identify as LGBTQ and about 3% identify as Black." The practice positions its diversity as an advantage: you can find a therapist whose background and lived experience align with your own, rather than being limited to whoever is geographically nearby. The practice emphasizes warm, collaborative, evidence-based work and describes using "the art and science of therapy."

What is not published

The practice does not publish a list of specific insurance plans it accepts outside of the Colorado branch (United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna). The general statement is that as an out-of-network practice, your own plan might cover a portion of sessions depending on your benefits, but the company does not commit to billing any specific insurance beyond that partnership.

Session notes, progress records, and whether the practice maintains these electronically or in paper form are not described.

Waitlist times, if any exists at the practice beyond the stated "no wait list," are not detailed further. Cancellation policies and rescheduling policies are not published.

Who it fits

This practice fits people who value provider cultural match and are willing to pay out-of-network rates (or have insurance that offers out-of-network benefits they can draw on). It fits people with trauma histories, LGBTQ+ clients, couples, and people navigating identity and social context as part of their mental health work. It fits people who speak Spanish and want to work in Spanish. It fits people in the 42 listed states; if you're outside those states, it's not an option.

It may not fit people who need medication management or psychiatry services (no psychiatric prescribers are listed on the team profiles). It may not fit people who cannot afford private-pay rates even with insurance reimbursement. It may not fit people outside the listed 42 states.

The practice is not a crisis service and does not position itself as such. If you are in crisis, it would not be your first resource.