Fee policies
I currently operate a strictly fee-for-service practice. I am not on any insurance panels, and I do not directly bill any insurance companies for my services. All fees are due at the time of service.
Certain PPO insurance plans may reimburse you for all or part of the fees paid to out-of-network providers, such as myself. Before starting therapy, you may wish to contact your insurance company to find out about the procedure for getting reimbursed for out-of-network costs. I provide the necessary documentation to help you get reimbursements from your insurance company, if this is a benefit that is provided to you.
Rates
My current rates are as follows:
Initial Individual Intake (90 minutes) - $210
Ongoing Individual Sessions (60 minutes) - $185
Initial Couples Intake (90 minutes) - $275
Ongoing Couples Sessions (90 minutes) - $235
Returned check fee - $50
Payments
I currently accept a variety of forms of payment. Clients may pay with cash, write a check, use a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), or use their FSA/HSA card. Detailed receipts (super bills) are provided as needed. For cash and credit card transactions, electronic receipts are also available. If a personal check is returned marked insufficient funds, you will be responsible for a returned check fee and will be asked to use an alternate form of payment for future transactions.
Payments are due prior to the time that service is rendered unless alternative arrangements are made in advance.
Lateness and Cancellations
I have a 24-hour cancellation policy. When we set an appointment, that time slot is reserved for you. That is your time, and I will never "double-book" or otherwise give your time away. If you cancel without giving me 24 hours (or more!) notice, I may not be able to fill your time slot. It is my practice policy to charge the full cost of your session in the event of a late cancellation or no-show.
If you are late for an appointment, I will call to check up on you after about 15 minutes. I am willing to see you whenever you arrive, but your session will end at the normal time.
I have chosen, in my practice, not to accept insurance at this time. There are a number of reasons for this choice. However, the primary and most important reason for me, is privacy. Your privacy. Insurance companies often require personal information regarding your diagnoses and reasons for seeking treatment, as a prerequisite to paying for treatment. I cannot protect your confidential information once it is released to the insurance company, and I cannot guarantee that it is being handled appropriately. I cannot guarantee that if you lose your insurance or change jobs, information about your mental health treatment will not be shared with a new prospective company, impacting your coverage and premiums unfairly. Once your information leaves my office, I have no control over how it is used.
That said, I understand that many people are not able to participate in much-needed psychotherapy without the help of their insurance. As I am a licensed psychologist, you are able to seek reimbursement from your insurance carrier for your treatment with me if you have out-of-network benefits. I will provide you with a monthly "super bill" to submit for reimbursement, however, the fee for each session with me is due at the time of service.
If you have any questions or concerns, or require more explanation, please do not hesitate to ask me.
A word about insurance...
Forms
To be printed, filled out, and brought along to your first session with me. This gives me basic information about you and your reasons for seeking treatment.
This form is a welcome to you! It includes lots of information about my practice and how our work together will look. Please read it and ask me any questions that come to mind. We will certainly discuss it at the first session.
Protecting your confidentiality is a top priority. This form offers an explanation of how your personal private information is handled in my practice.
Often, people seeking treatment with me would like for me to be in communication with their other providers. In order to protect your privacy, this form is required for me to do so.
Assessment Questionnaires
In my practice I use a technique called therapeutic assessment. This is a collaborative activity that involves all of my new clients completing a number of assessment measures that are then used to help you gain insight into yourself, and guide our work together.
I help you to understand what the outcomes of these assessment measures mean, and how this newfound knowledge might impact or fit into your goals for psychotherapy.
I have found that this accelerates therapy because we don't go into it blind, just seeing what comes up in conversation. It also helps us to keep a clear view of your goals and provides a way to monitor progress.
Here you will find the standard assessments administered to everyone. However, I may suggest additional measures based on the particular concerns with which you present.