WHAT ARE YOUR FEES?
90837 Individual Psychotherapy, 53-60 Minutes: $180
I provide all clients with a Good Faith Estimate as required by the No Surprises Act.
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
Cash, check, and credit card.
I use a credit card processing service called IVY Pay. When we first meet I will help you set up your IVY Pay account with the credit card of your choice (credit, debit, HSA, FSA). The card on file will also be used to cover the cost of a late cancellation or missed session.
For online therapy, payment with a credit card is required.
DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?
I am not currently in-network with any insurance company and do not directly bill them. I will, however, provide you with a “superbill” to submit to your insurance as an out-of-network claim. A “superbill” is a receipt which includes all the required information for the insurance company to process the claim. Many clients find that their insurance policies offer some out-of-network coverage to offset the cost. You will be required to pay the service fee in full at the time of the appointment, however your insurance company may offer you partial reimbursement for the services once the superbill is processed, depending on the out-of-network benefits.
There are pros and cons to using insurance and it's up to you to decide your comfort level. Insurance can assist you with the out-of-pocket cost for therapy sessions. When you use insurance your mental health care is no longer confidential: insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis that becomes part of your permanent medical record. Some insurance companies limit the number of sessions and/or diagnoses they will cover.
It is the responsibility of the client to determine out-of-network benefits. I recommend that you contact your insurance provider to ask about mental health insurance benefits, coverage, out-of-network benefits, session limits, and deductibles for out-of-network claims.
You insurance company may ask you to provide specific information about your mental health issues and the services you are receiving, including the following CPT codes (current procedural terminology codes):
90837 Individual Psychotherapy, 53-60 Minutes
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?
Above all, it is important that you feel safe and connected to me as your therapist. While therapy is not always easy, it is essential that you feel comfortable working with me.
After we schedule the initial appointment, I will email you access to the client portal. The client portal will connect you to the documents you will need to fill out/sign before our appointment including, informed consent for psychotherapy/teletherapy, practice policies, notice of privacy policies, optional release forms (for parents, partners, other providers, etc. to collaborate in treatment), client information form and intake questionnaire.
Prior to the first appointment I recommend contacting your insurance provider to ask about out-of-network coverage for mental health services.
IS IT NORMAL TO FEEL NERVOUS ABOUT COUNSELING?
Absolutely. It can be nerve-wracking to consider sharing intimate details of your life with someone you have never met before. It can also feel scary to start over with someone new if you previously had either a positive or negative experience with therapy.
Therapy is your time: you determine the path we take. There is no right or wrong way to engage in therapy. We always start exactly where you are.
I am not here to judge. I am here to listen with compassion. My job is to tune into whatever is concerning you so we can identify your goals for therapy and collaborate on improving your mental health. I’m here to help you cope with pain, sadness, and regret, and to uproot toxic shame. Together we will work on finding new perspectives on old problems so that you can make informed choices about your life. Clients have often reflected on how our work together has helped them find hope, agency, self-worth, and self-love.
WHAT IS TRAUMA THERAPY?
I have had several clients come to me wondering about trauma therapy. To understand trauma therapy, it helps to have a definition of trauma. Trauma is the experience of severe psychological, emotional, and physical distress in response to a disturbing or life-threatening event. Trauma can be a one-time event, a series of events over time, or a set of enduring conditions (complex trauma, racial trauma, oppression).
Trauma-focused therapy is an approach to therapy that understands the impact of trauma on cognitive, behavioral, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and psychological well-being. A trauma-informed therapist will have specific training in trauma-informed treatments. There is no one type of trauma therapy, however, there are efficient evidence-based techniques, like EMDR, that help reduce trauma symptoms. Trauma therapy includes psychoeducation about the impact of trauma on the body and mind, as well as the influence of social messaging about trauma on the healing process.
The purpose of trauma-focused therapy is to acknowledge the traumatic event(s) without getting stuck in them, reduce the distress associated with the event(s), improve daily functioning, and help you reclaim your life, voice, and sense of agency.
WHAT IS EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective and efficient therapeutic technique to relieve the distress associated with a traumatic event(s). EMDR helps the brain resolve unprocessed memories associated with the traumatic event(s) that have become stuck or frozen in the brain, continuing to cause distress. EMDR differs from other forms of trauma therapy: the focus is on the brain reprocessing memory rather than the client recounting the details of the distressing event(s). An EMDR session will have less talking than a typical therapy session.
EMDR has been proven to help clients recover from trauma related disorders (PTSD), anxiety, depression, panic, and phobia, and may assist clients in recovering faster than talk therapy.
For more information on EMDR visit here.
WHAT IS TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA?
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is a yoga practice designed specifically to provide healing to people suffering in the wake of trauma. Survivors of trauma often learn to disconnect or dissociate from their bodies in order to survive. Trauma-sensitive yoga emphasizes safety and choice, helping clients reconnect to their bodies.
Everybody can do trauma-sensitive yoga: the forms are simple and can be adjusted for all bodies. Whether we try a simple form during an individual session or a group session, the focus is on how it feels in your body, not what it looks like.
Trauma-sensitive yoga can help increase emotional stability, body awareness, and empowerment.
For more information on Trauma-Sensitive Yoga visit here.