COMMON QUESTIONS

HOW DO I KNOW YOU ARE THE RIGHT THERAPIST FOR ME?

Reaching out to an unknown person to ask for help while hoping they are just the right therapist for you can often feel daunting. I invite you to review my website for some basic information on my background and approach to therapy. I also offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions and to gather information about your therapy needs and goals that will help ensure we are a good fit for one another.

WILL YOU SHARE WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN SESSION?

Confidentiality and privacy are foundational requirements for building honest and trusting relationships in general and especially in a therapy environment where you share your most personal thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Everything you discuss in session with me will remain completely confidential with a few legally mandated exceptions, for example, if I learn about child or elder abuse or if you share that you plan on harming yourself or another person.

HOW LONG WILL THERAPY TAKE?

Each session is approximately 55 minutes long. A course of therapy can last different amounts of time, depending on your goals, the frequency of sessions, how actively you participate, barriers to progress, etc. Therapy should be time-limited but ultimately you and I will decide together the best course of action based on your preferences and needs.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF THERAPY?

My rate is $185 for an individual psychotherapy session and $200 for a couples session. Each session is approximately 55 minutes in length. Should an intervention need to last longer than 55 minutes, we will discuss beforehand if and how this will impact the session cost. Our initial 15-minute consultation is free of charge.

DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?

I am currently accepting BCBS-PPO, out-of-network, and self-pay clients.

Please note, while most of us rely on insurance companies to cover much of our health care expenses, working with insurance companies requires me to provide them with a psychiatric diagnosis for you. As part of your medical record, mental health diagnoses could have negative effects on the future cost of your health or life insurance and even employment eligibility.

If you plan on using your BCBS-PPO health insurance, please contact your health care plan representative (number on the back of your card) and ask the following important questions about your in-network benefits:

Ask whether I am an approved provider under your plan.
Ask whether you are covered under your plan for CPT codes 90791 and 90837. These are billing codes used by providers to charge for diagnostic assessments and individual psychotherapy.
Ask whether you have co-pays and/or co-insurance under your plan, and if so, what the amounts are. You will need to pay this amount for each session. If you have a deductible, you will start paying co-pays/co-insurance once your deductible has been met.
Ask whether you have a deductible under your plan, and if so, what the amount is. You will need to pay full session fees until the deductible amount has been met and your health plan will start covering the cost of your sessions. Deductibles renew every calendar year, and payments towards deductibles do not ‘roll-over.’
Ask whether there is a maximum number of sessions covered under your health plan, and if so, how many.

If you have health insurance under a plan other than BCBS-PPO, your insurance company may offer out-of-network benefits. Out-of-network clients pay their provider out of pocket and then receive reimbursement for a percentage of the session cost from their health plan. I can provide you with superbills to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement if that is an option under your plan.

Most insurance companies do not provide coverage for couples counseling. If you are interested in couples therapy and prefer not to use the self-pay option, please contact your insurance company and check the extent of coverage for couples treatment.

WHAT IS THE NO SURPRISES ACT?

If you do not have insurance or choose not to use your insurance, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of non-emergency services. For questions or more information, please visit https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/help/guides/good-faith-estimate.

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

If you are unable to attend a scheduled session, I ask that you provide me with as much notice as possible. However, you need to cancel at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. Please note, unattended scheduled sessions or sessions cancelled less than 24 hours prior to the start time are considered "no shows," and you are responsible for the full session fee.

Could not find the answer you were looking for? Please contact me, and I will be happy to talk with you and address your questions.