Low-Cost Therapy in Minneapolis: How Open Path Collective Can Connect You with Marianna or Linh
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
If the cost of therapy has ever stopped you from reaching out, we want you to know there's a path forward — literally. It's called Open Path Collective, and it's the reason two members of our team, Marianna and Linh, can offer deeply affordable therapy to people who are uninsured, underinsured, or simply priced out of typical session rates.
This post will walk you through what Open Path Collective is, how the one-time membership fee actually works in your favor, and exactly how to book your first phone consultation with Marianna or Linh — because the process looks a little different than scheduling with the rest of our team.
what is open path collective?
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nonprofit organization built around one goal: making therapy affordable for people who can't access it through insurance or can't afford typical market rates by offering low-cost therapy options. Instead of billing insurance, you pay your therapist directly at a reduced, sliding-scale rate — and because Open Path is a nonprofit, that lower rate is possible thanks to therapists (like Marianna and Linh) who choose to donate a portion of their time to the mission.
Open Path is meant for people who are uninsured, or who are “underinsured” — meaning your deductible is too high to meet, or your copay is more than you can reasonably afford. If that sounds like you, you likely qualify.
Understanding the Open Path membership fee (and why it's actually a good thing)
Here's where a lot of people hesitate — and we get it. Before you can book a session with an Open Path therapist, you're asked to pay a one-time membership fee (currently $65 for U.S. members). We want to reframe how you think about that fee, because it's easy to worry, “What if I pay this just to see one therapist and it's not the right fit?”
Here's the good news: that fear doesn't have to hold you back, because the membership isn't tied to one therapist — it's yours for life. Once you pay the fee, you become a permanent Open Path member, with access to their nationwide network of thousands of vetted therapists, not just Marianna or Linh. If you connect with Marianna or Linh and it turns out not to be the right match, you're free to search the Open Path directory and reach out to any other therapist in their collective at no additional cost to you, ever again.
So rather than thinking of the fee as a gamble on one person, think of it as unlocking a lifetime membership to affordable mental health care, with Marianna and Linh simply being two wonderful places to start.
A few other things worth knowing about the fee, straight from Open Path's own site:
• The fee helps fund essential parts of their nonprofit, like maintaining their website and recruiting and vetting new therapists across the country.
• After the membership fee, individual session rates with a licensed therapist typically run in the $40–$70 range, and sessions with a student intern (like Marianna and Linh) are available at an even lower flat rate, since intern therapists work under close supervision as part of their training.
• If, for some reason, you're unable to schedule an appointment with your chosen therapist after joining, Open Path allows you to request a refund of your membership fee within 10 business days.
You can read more about how Open Path works and why they charge a membership fee directly on their site: Open Path Collective and their pricing and eligibility page.
A quick and important clarification
Because this is a question we get often: if you want to work with Marianna or Linh through Open Path, you do not book your consultation through our website. Scheduling for Open Path clients happens entirely through the Open Path Collective platform. You'll register as an Open Path member, find Marianna or Linh's profile in their directory, and reach out to schedule a phone consultation with her directly from there. We'll link you straight to each of their profiles below so there's no guesswork.
Meet the interns offering low-cost therapy through Open Path Collective
Marianna - Supporting Adoptees, BIPOC individuals, and the LGBTQ+ Community
Marianna is a Chinese adoptee who grew up in a small Midwestern town, and she brings that lived experience of searching for belonging directly into the therapy room. She works with people navigating identity, life transitions, boundaries, and anxiety, with a particular passion for supporting adoptees, BIPOC individuals, and LGBTQ+ clients. Her approach blends narrative therapy with CBT and DBT tools, helping clients become active authors of their own stories rather than passive characters in them.
Want to learn more about her approach and story first? Read Meet Marianna on our blog.
Linh - Supporting Immigrant, Second-Generation, and Life-Transition Experiences
Linh is the daughter of immigrant parents, and that experience of navigating multiple cultural worlds shapes the curious, humble, and systems-oriented way she shows up for clients. She works with people processing life transitions, relationship difficulties, and trauma, with particular care for those from immigrant or second-generation backgrounds. Her sessions draw on Narrative and Gestalt approaches alongside somatic and mindfulness-based practices, always adapted to what feels supportive for you.
Want to learn more about her approach and story first? Read Meet Linh on our blog.
how to get started
1. Visit Open Path Collective and complete their brief registration as a client.
2. Pay the one-time membership fee ($65) — remember, this unlocks lifetime access to their whole therapist network, not just one provider.
3. Search for Marianna or Linh in the Open Path directory, or use the direct links to their profiles above.
4. Send a message through their Open Path profile to schedule your first phone consultation.
That's it. From there, Marianna or Linh will take it from where you are and walk you through what working together could look like.
You don't have to have it all figured out
Cost shouldn't be the reason you go without support. If you have questions about whether Open Path is the right fit for your situation, or you'd like help understanding the process before you sign up, feel free to reach out to us directly — we're glad to help point you in the right direction, even if the next step happens on someone else's website.
Further Reading and Resources
About the Author
Merrily Young-Hye Sadlovsky (she/her/hers), MSW, LICSW, LCSW, is a therapist, clinical supervisor, and co-owner of MindBalance Mental Health Care, an independent holistic mental health practice serving Minneapolis and individuals across Minnesota. She is an EMDRIA EMDR-Certified Therapist and teaches clinical courses as an adjunct faculty member in an MSW program in Minneapolis. Her work focuses on culturally responsive, trauma-informed therapy supporting adoptees, BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities, and college and graduate students navigating anxiety, OCD, trauma, disordered eating, and life transitions.
Educational Disclaimer
The information shared in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and reflects our perspectives and understanding at the time of writing. It is not intended as medical, mental health, legal, or insurance advice, and should not be relied on as such. Reading this content does not create a therapeutic or professional relationship. For guidance specific to your situation, we encourage you to consult with a qualified professional.
A Note About This Blog
The ideas and experiences behind every post are the writer’s own. AI is used as a writing helper — for brainstorming, grammar, and organizing thoughts, summarizing research — so the content is as clear and readable as possible. Everything is reviewed before publishing, with citations and links added to credit the programs, people, and resources that inspired it. Transparency matters, especially when the topic is mental health. Readers deserve to know how this content is made.
