FAQs

Fees are between $185-225 per 50-minute session (depending on if there is a sliding scale). I also offer longer sessions when appropriate. I have many couples who attend 80-minute sessions. I also offer intensives, which can be 3 hrs or more. Teletherapy (online counseling) sessions are available. If you truly can’t afford it, contact me and let’s see what we can do. I rarely turn folks away. Contact me for more details.

GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE

Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, health care providers and health care facilities are required to inform individuals who are not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program, or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing of their ability, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services, to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of expected charges.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises

All sessions are booked on a first-come, first-serve basis, and sessions outside of typical work hours (evenings and weekends) do tend to fill up quickly. That being said, I do like to keep the same day and time for continuity’s sake.

Telehealth is any type of session or contact that occurs through the use of technology (ie: phone, text, video, etc.) This has been something that has become more popular over the last few years, but we all became much more dependent on these alternatives to in-person sessions during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. For the purpose of scheduling a session with us, a telehealth session is primarily conducted online through a HIPAA compliant, secure video platform called Simple Practice. Or, we will use Zoom. Occasionally a telehealth session can be provided over the phone, if reliable internet is not available or other circumstances limit the use of video. However, video is recommended over phone sessions whenever possible, and is most similar to a traditional in-person session.

Insurance is accepted as an Out-of-Network Provider:What Does This Mean?

I do not take insurance or call your insurance company. If you choose to use your insurance, all fees are paid upfront and then you are reimbursed by your insurance carrier. Depending upon the carrier, reimbursements are usually received between 2-3 weeks after submission.

Clients pay me for services at each session. If requested, my bookkeeping service will send you a superbill via email for each session.

To determine if your insurance will cover your counseling:

1. Look up the information in your insurance benefits manual/website.
OR
2. Call the company directly to ask them. The phone number will be on your insurance card, usually on the back.

Credit is the most commonly acceptable form of payment. If you do want to pay with cash, please bring exact change.

A sliding scale is when a therapist offers to reduce the cost of sessions for a client who has a financial need to help make therapy more affordable. Many therapists offer a sliding scale and may structure it different ways. I take only a certain number of clients at various reduced rates, between $140-165, when clients cannot afford my full fee.

If you would like to begin therapy, but cannot afford to pay the regular rate, please contact me and ask about a sliding scale. If all my sliding scale spots are full, I will be happy to put you on a waiting list until a spot opens up, or can provide you referrals to our other therapists who may have sliding scale openings.

Obviously, I can’t speak for every therapist in the world, but I know lots of them and there are some common elements to first therapy sessions. I will tell you what happens in my office when someone first comes in.I usually start an initial session off by greeting a new client, asking about their day, just general nice person small talk. Because it’s important to feel like you’re easing your way in to a conversation with a stranger about your “big things”. So I will make sure a new client has a comfortable seat, has found my office without too much stress, has a place to put their things and is able to settle in.

• We will start from what I already know. My intake paperwork covers the major basic questions (demographics, history and what’s bringing you in, generally speaking). The reason for that is that I’d rather use the time we have to fill in details rather than to share basics. I will have looked at this information by the time you come in and will be able to ask more details about the things you have written there. I will also typically ask, “What brings you into therapy?” And, “What do you hope to get out of our work together?”
• I will ask about additional things that may pertain to you. The reason for this is that I consider our first session an “evaluation”, meaning we get a 360-degree view of your life and your goals. If you haven’t already mentioned issues like physical health, work history/satisfaction, or significant relationships in your life, I will want to know a little bit about those areas. Sometimes folks come in for therapy thinking that a certain area of their lives is “irrelevant” to the problem at hand and we discover after some ongoing conversation that that area really is connected with their struggles.
• As we work together, I pay particularly close attention to not just what you are saying, but how you are saying it, and the affect that is underneath what you are saying. The body and our non-verbals speaks if not more loudly than the words coming from our mouths. Asking a question such as “What are you noticing in your body as you are saying that,” would not be an uncommon question.
• At the end of our session, we will talk about a plan moving forward. This discussion usually involves setting a few general goals for our work together and talking about how frequently we will meet.
• I will ask you if you have any questions for me. Sometimes clients ask me “how do you propose that we approach this problem?”, or “how long do you think I will have to come to see you?”. I welcome any questions that are on your mind and we will discuss them.
• We will discuss our next appointment time and you’ll be on your way.