Frequently Asked Questions
Process of therapy:
After you schedule your appointment, you will be sent paperwork to complete online before the first session. At the initial assessment, we will discuss: your health history and symptoms; identify your challenges, obstacles, and strengths; and collaborate together to develop specific personal goals of what to accomplish so we can measure your progress during therapy. In therapy sessions, we will work together on your goals using various evidence-based treatments based on developing new skills and healthy coping strategies. In between sessions, you get will handouts and journal prompts to practice these skills, and during session we will review how it was to use these skills in real life. I will listen non-judgmentally, help you problem solve the obstacles to using the skills, and cheer you on when you use them to improve your life.
Pricing
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50 minutes individual therapy $210
60 minutes intake $260
90 minutes individual therapy $375
90 minutes family therapy $375
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50 minutes $235
A limited number of appointment times are available on weekend mornings.
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50 minutes individual therapy $250
60 minutes initial intake $300
90 minute individual therapy $420
90 minutes family therapy $420
Therapy at my office in Atlanta, Georgia area
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50 minutes $235
Therapy while walking outside in Decatur, Georgia park
As is the case with other extensively trained and highly qualified therapists with many years of experience, I am not on any health insurance panels (with the exception of Lyra Health EAP) and most of my clients pay privately (also known as self-pay, direct pay, out-of-pocket pay) for my services.
This gives my self-pay clients several important advantages including protecting your privacy. Insurance companies do not have any record of you participating in therapy, nor do they have access to your diagnosis, what was discussed in our sessions, or your therapy notes and records. Your mental health diagnosis does not become part of your official medical record that your health insurance keeps on you which can affect future insurance coverage and life insurance policies.
An additional advantage for self-pay clients is that we control our work together (you and I decide on the length of therapy, what you want to cover in therapy, and what type of therapy works best for you, not the insurance company). Insurance companies restrict coverage of which diagnosis they will cover, how many sessions they will cover, and what type of therapy treatment they will cover.
Self-pay provides you with an elevated experience and services. I am able to respond to your texts and emails in a timely manner, look into relevant referrals for additional resources for you, and spend my time getting additional specialized training and certifications instead of spending hours each week trying to contact insurance companies and sending them therapy notes for them to cover therapy sessions.
Here are some articles on why it is difficult to find therapists who accept insurance: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/therapy-expensive-insurance_n_5900048ee4b0af6d718992e7
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5028551/insurance-therapy-therapist-mental-health-coverage?fbclid=IwY2xjawE5kUNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfhoAQpkh1XVi1Sr5e-eHOoV1QlXhsNz92gH74d9famh8A9uI2KXPDLoGg_aem_C9tw2XAyZJLn8j93JTBo5w
Forms of payment
Credit cards and debit cards
Cancellation policy Your appointment time has been specially reserved for you. Please provide at least a 24 hour notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment to avoid being billed for the session. If you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours of your appointment time, or no show, you will be charged the full session fee.
Confidentiality This begins at your first appointment after your have signed written guidelines on confidentiality. I will not reveal that you are participating in therapy or what is discussed in therapy, with a few exceptions. Your safety is very important. If there is an immediate threat to your safety or that of others, then I am required to follow federal and state laws to disclose information.
Length of Therapy Therapy is a process and the time it takes to feel better depends on the person and situation. Everyone is different. For those whose issues have been going on for years, have a history of childhood trauma, and these have greatly impacted their quality of life and their relationships, the process will take longer. Typically, we will start with weekly sessions. Generally it can take 10-12 sessions for clients to start to notice improvements in their life and the benefits of our work together. For some, once everything is stabilized (you are consistently using skills learned in our therapy sessions to address challenges in your life), we can transition to maintenance sessions that are every couple weeks or monthly. Eventually, you may find that you are able to more successfully navigate your feelings and relationships, as well as handle problems that arise in life. At this point, we would end therapy with a session celebrating your achievements.
Insurance I am not in-network with any insurance companies though I am able to provide you with documentation to file for out-of-network billing. There are also companies including Mentaya and Thrizer (I am not affiliated with any of these and cannot guarantee their results) that file for you for a fee.
Out-of-network benefits Sometimes PPO and POS insurance plans offer an out-of-network benefit where you can see any therapist, pay the therapist, and then be partially reimbursed. I can provide you with a superbill (receipt of services) that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Please let me know at your first appointment if you plan to submit a superbill as insurance companies require a formal mental health diagnosis as part of demonstrating medical necessity for therapy. Contact your insurance company directly to ask about out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits. Some questions you can ask include:
Does my policy include mental health coverage?
Does my policy include out-of-network benefits?
How much is my deductible and how much has been met?
Is there a separate deductible for in-network and out-of-network services?
What is the coinsurance percentage?
Are there any limits on how many sessions per year?
Is telehealth covered for out-of-network therapists?
The specific CPT codes that will be billed are 90791 for the initial evaluation session and 90837 for individual therapy.
Can you give me a Call Reference Number for this call?
Emergencies I am not immediately accessible outside of scheduled appointment times. If you are experiencing an emergency please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room so that you can get immediate care. You can also call 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
YOUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS
(OMB Control Number: 0938-1401)
When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
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When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care - like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.
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Emergency services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.
If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you unless you give written consent and give up your protections.
You’re never required to give up your protection from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.
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• You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
• Your health plan generally must:
o Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
o Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
o Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
o Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.
If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact:
The Georgia Secretary of State: (404) 656-2817.
Visit https://www.cms.gov/files/document/model-disclosure-notice-patient-protections-against-surprise-billing-providers-facilities-health.pdf for more information about your rights under Federal law.