SCHEDULING and AVAILABILITY
Currently accepting appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Additional hours as available by request.
To schedule an appointment or inquire about my practice the easiest way to reach me is through email at [email protected]. Alternately, you may reserve your first session online through the secure client portal, and I will then email you to set up a brief phone consultation. When we first speak by phone, I will ask you to briefly tell me what is bringing you to therapy at this time, how you hope that counseling may help, and whether you prefer in-person or online video.
To schedule an appointment or inquire about my practice the easiest way to reach me is through email at [email protected]. Alternately, you may reserve your first session online through the secure client portal, and I will then email you to set up a brief phone consultation. When we first speak by phone, I will ask you to briefly tell me what is bringing you to therapy at this time, how you hope that counseling may help, and whether you prefer in-person or online video.
FEES
My fee is $245 per therapy session, with a typical session lasting 45-50 minutes. Initial appointments are 75 minutes for $375. I offer extended sessions, for 75 minutes, at $375. I accept checks, HSA accounts, and all major forms of payment.
*Please note that 24 BUSINESS hour advance cancellation of scheduled appointments is required in order to avoid being billed for the full session fee. Monday sessions must be cancelled by Friday to avoid cancellation fees.*
*Please note that 24 BUSINESS hour advance cancellation of scheduled appointments is required in order to avoid being billed for the full session fee. Monday sessions must be cancelled by Friday to avoid cancellation fees.*
INSURANCE and REIMBURSEMENT
I do NOT participate in any private health insurance plans. However, most insurance companies provide "out-of-network" insurance benefits that cover mental health services in full or in part. I will provide the necessary paperwork for you to file claims with your health insurance company.
If you would like to use your insurance benefits to be reimbursed for the cost of therapy, it is important that you understand your health insurance coverage. Contact your insurance provider to learn about your benefits for mental health treatment.
The following are some important questions to ask your insurance provider:
If you would like to use your insurance benefits to be reimbursed for the cost of therapy, it is important that you understand your health insurance coverage. Contact your insurance provider to learn about your benefits for mental health treatment.
The following are some important questions to ask your insurance provider:
- What are my out-of-network outpatient mental health insurance benefits (also called “behavioral health”)?
- What is my deductible for out-of-network providers (the amount of money you have to pay before your provider begins to reimburse you)?
- Have I already paid any of this deductible?
- Do I need a certain referral or authorization before being reimbursed for mental health services?
- What portion (usually a percentage) of each therapy session will my insurance company reimburse me for?
- Are there any limitations to services (e.g., only a certain amount of money allowed for mental health reimbursements, a limited number of sessions, reimbursement only for certain types of diagnoses, etc.)?
BENEFITS OF PAYING OUT OF POCKET
Many clients prefer not to involve insurance companies in their mental health care. By doing so, therapy is not limited by the diagnosis, treatment plan or session limits that health insurance companies dictate.
To have therapy services covered under insurance, a mental health diagnosis must be made. This then becomes a part of your permanent health care record. Unfortunately this may result in higher insurance premiums or even denial for quality life insurance or health insurance down the line. Further, the ability to pursue work in certain career fields, such as being a professional pilot or enlisting in the military service, may be impacted, as it's common for these fields to require access to one's entire medical record (including any therapy notes).
Related to privacy issues, as mental health diagnosis must be made to obtain insurance reimbursement, the insurance company requires access to a great deal of personal information in order to provide coverage and they have the ability to review any/all of your records at their discretion.
By paying privately or out of pocket, therapeutic work is considered off the record (or not part of your permanent medical record), and clients benefit from the highest degree of privacy, flexibility and control over their mental health records allowed by state law, since these records are exempt from insurance reporting and random compliance audits.
From a financial perspective, many insurance companies require a deductible to be met before they start paying, so you may end up paying out of pocket anyway(!!).
As a private pay practice, I work collaboratively with each client to decide how often to attend therapy and you have the choice to decide what you want to focus on in sessions. This empowers you as a client to design the type of treatment that has the most value and makes the most sense for you as an individual.
To have therapy services covered under insurance, a mental health diagnosis must be made. This then becomes a part of your permanent health care record. Unfortunately this may result in higher insurance premiums or even denial for quality life insurance or health insurance down the line. Further, the ability to pursue work in certain career fields, such as being a professional pilot or enlisting in the military service, may be impacted, as it's common for these fields to require access to one's entire medical record (including any therapy notes).
Related to privacy issues, as mental health diagnosis must be made to obtain insurance reimbursement, the insurance company requires access to a great deal of personal information in order to provide coverage and they have the ability to review any/all of your records at their discretion.
By paying privately or out of pocket, therapeutic work is considered off the record (or not part of your permanent medical record), and clients benefit from the highest degree of privacy, flexibility and control over their mental health records allowed by state law, since these records are exempt from insurance reporting and random compliance audits.
From a financial perspective, many insurance companies require a deductible to be met before they start paying, so you may end up paying out of pocket anyway(!!).
As a private pay practice, I work collaboratively with each client to decide how often to attend therapy and you have the choice to decide what you want to focus on in sessions. This empowers you as a client to design the type of treatment that has the most value and makes the most sense for you as an individual.
GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE (Posted per Federal Law)
You may obtain a good faith estimate of my charges upon request prior to scheduling with me.
The No Surprises Act is a federal law which provides you with the right to a good faith estimate of the cost of services at my practice. However, licensing board rules require me to provide you with the actual cost of my charges in a written informed consent form to which you must agree prior to my providing services. That will be available to you prior to you being seen for services and prior to any billing. In most cases it is impossible to estimate how many sessions you will need, and that will not be determined until your concerns are evaluated and will also vary based on the progress that you make, which depends in part on your efforts with the process. You will be free to discontinue services at any time or the services may otherwise be terminated in accordance with the informed consent form language.
Although the No Surprises Law says that you may initiate a dispute process if the actual charges are substantially in excess of the Good Faith Estimated charges, i.e. if you are charged $400 more than the estimated cost for a session or for the total estimate provided, that is unlikely to happen and would be a violation of licensing board rules, since you will be agreeing up front to actual charges per session prior to being seen. Dispute information is available upon request,
The No Surprises Act is a federal law which provides you with the right to a good faith estimate of the cost of services at my practice. However, licensing board rules require me to provide you with the actual cost of my charges in a written informed consent form to which you must agree prior to my providing services. That will be available to you prior to you being seen for services and prior to any billing. In most cases it is impossible to estimate how many sessions you will need, and that will not be determined until your concerns are evaluated and will also vary based on the progress that you make, which depends in part on your efforts with the process. You will be free to discontinue services at any time or the services may otherwise be terminated in accordance with the informed consent form language.
Although the No Surprises Law says that you may initiate a dispute process if the actual charges are substantially in excess of the Good Faith Estimated charges, i.e. if you are charged $400 more than the estimated cost for a session or for the total estimate provided, that is unlikely to happen and would be a violation of licensing board rules, since you will be agreeing up front to actual charges per session prior to being seen. Dispute information is available upon request,
