Rates

I offer an initial 20-minute phone consultation free of charge. After that I schedule 50-minute sessions for individuals and 60-minute sessions for couples. The first couples session lasts 90 minutes. Please call me to discuss my current fee.

Paying for a Therapy Session

I will send you an invoice electronically via Square or Paypal, and you can pay via debit card, credit card, or your checking account.

Insurance

I am not on any insurance panels and am considered an out-of-network provider. I cannot bill an insurance company in your name, nor will I be able to interact with insurance companies directly, or advocate on your behalf.

However, I would be happy to provide you with a statement (“Superbill”) that you can submit to your insurance if you want to attempt to receive reimbursement for seeing an out-of-network provider.

It is your obligation to pay for my services regardless of third-party reimbursement. Additionally, you may be able to apply your employer’s "flex spending plan", applying pre-tax dollars to therapy costs, or claim the therapy costs as a tax deduction.

Some Considerations When Using Insurance

If you have insurance for psychotherapy available to you, whether or not to use it can be a difficult decision to make. It’s good to understand the consequences of your choice so you can make an informed decision.

Privacy and Labeling

Therapists that bill insurance must provide a mental health diagnosis to the insurance company to show that your treatment is medically necessary. This can include intimate details about your situation, as well as your diagnosis. In contrast, when using private pay therapy, these intimate details remain confidential between you and your therapist.

In order to qualify for benefits, insurers require you to be officially diagnosed with a mental illness. Understandably, many people don’t want to be labeled with a mental health disorder. One reason is that a documented history (for example of depression) can have a future adverse impact on your ability to qualify for and purchase things like life insurance.

Finding the Right Therapist

Having a choice is an important factor when it comes to finding someone you trust with your personal concerns. You may for instance prefer seeing someone who was personally recommended to you. When you use your insurance plan, your options may be limited to therapists within your insurance provider's network.

Treatment Options and Care

When you see a therapist through a HMO, your treatment is overseen by the insurance company who decides how many, if any, sessions to authorize. When you self-pay for therapy, you can get help for whatever issues you wish. For example, conflict in your family, marriage problems, personal issues such as loneliness, and dealing with grief and loss may not be covered by insurance, even though people in all of these situations can greatly benefit from therapy or counseling.

Good Faith Estimate

Under the law, health care providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment. 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, or how to dispute a bill, see your Estimate, or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.