FAQs

During your no-obligation free phone consultation, I will ask you some preliminary questions as a way of getting to know you and your reasons for seeking therapy. These questions might include: What concerns bring you to seek therapy at this time? Have you been in therapy before? If so, what was most helpful or problematic about the experience? What are you hoping to experience, accomplish, or discover in therapy? I also encourage you to ask me questions during this time to help you determine if we will be a good a fit.

Once you have made your appointment, you will be asked to complete a few forms before our first meeting. I make it as easy as possible by having these forms on a secure online client portal. These forms will ask for some basic information that I use as a starting point for our first session. ​ Intake Appointment (aka: The First Session) The Intake appointment is one of the first ways I get to know you better and learn about your reasons for seeking therapy. Some things you can expect in an intake appointment: A thorough review of your intake paperwork. A detailed assessment where we’ll talk more about: what brought you to therapy your personal and family history how your concerns began and have evolved over time what you want to work on A discussion of what you want to work on and mutually identified goals to help you get there. ​

Using insurance can be an option that makes therapy more affordable. When using insurance benefits, the cost of per session can vary widely depending on your specific insurance plan. I am happy to help by checking your benefits so you know your financial responsibility prior to your first session. ​ I am considered an in-network provider for the following plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield United Healthcare/United Behavioral Health/Optum/UMR Aetna ​ If I am not in network for your health insurance plan, you may be able to use out of network benefits for mental health services, which may be covered in part or in full depending on your current health insurance provider. If you elect to use your out of network benefits, you are responsible for full payment of your sessions. I will can provide you with a receipt (or superbill) each month that you can file with your insurance for possible reimbursement, or I may be able to file an out of network claim on your behalf. ***Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for out-of-network mental health services. **Please note that not all insurance companies provide coverage for online therapy, so you will need to check with your insurance carrier if you are wanting to use your benefits to cover a portion of online therapy sessions.** Questions you may ask your provider: Do I have out of network mental health coverage? Do I have a separate yearly deductible for mental health or is it included in my medical deductible? What is my deductible? Has it been met? How many sessions per year am I eligible for with coverage? What is the cap in the amount of money expended per year?

I believe therapy is a financial investment in your personal health and well-being, whether you chose to use insurance or not. When an insurance company helps to pay for a medical service, they can have a say in some decisions about your care. For therapy, this can mean an insurance company may determine: Length of therapy sessions Frequency of therapy sessions Total number of sessions If you use insurance to help pay for your therapy sessions, you also give permission for them to have access to the dates and times of your sessions and your mental health diagnosis (all of which I am required to provide). You may, therefore, decide to opt out of using insurance. My 'self-pay' rates are below, and when you become a client, I will provide you with a "Good Faith Estimate for Healthcare Items and Services". This will give you an idea of the cost over a 12 month period. Initial Intake/Diagnostic Appointment (75 minutes): $120 Standard 55-minute Individual session: $100 If you do not wish to use insurance and the cost of counseling seems to be out of reach, I offer a few sliding scale spots per week. This means I am willing to negotiate my fee with you to help our work together become more accessible for you. Please call and I would be happy to talk more about this with you.

I take a holistic approach when working with clients, which can mean involving those who are closest to you. If you are interested in inviting your partner and/or family member(s) to come for a session, you and I will discuss what this might look like before moving forward.

​ I am open to discussing your religious and spiritual beliefs as it is not uncommon for these issues to come up during a loss. If you don’t consider yourself spiritual or religious, this is also a safe space for you.