FAQ

My office hours are as follows:

In office – Monday and Tuesday, 9 am – 5:30 pm

Virtual only – Wednesday and Thursday, 9 am – 5:30 pm, and Friday, 9 am – 12 pm

I work with adults ages 18 and up.

I only accept Blue Cross/Blue Shield, but I work with Mentaya, a platform that helps clients get money back on out-of-network therapy sessions. If you have out-of-network benefits, Mentaya will file claims and handle the insurance paperwork to make sure you get reimbursed.

Note: Mentaya’s goal is to save you time and money. It’s completely optional, and as your therapist I do not benefit in any way from your participation.

While I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, I encourage you to contemplate self-pay for several reasons.

Lacks confidentiality – In using your insurance, I must disclose certain information to your insurance through electronic media, which increases the risks of your information becoming compromised. While I take steps to keep such information safe, data breaches can occur.

Additionally, insurance companies could request your specific chart to review. You may not want them to know your business. They can deny payment if we discuss things they do not feel are necessary for your treatment.

Mental illness diagnosis – Insurance companies don’t just pay for services to help you through life events. They pay for a diagnosis. Even if you want to learn how to live a better mental wellness lifestyle or deal with parenting issues or other life situations, I must give you a diagnosis to utilize your insurance benefits.

This diagnosis will stay on your permanent record, which could negatively affect your ability to obtain life insurance or specific jobs. You may not want people to know you needed help at one time. I want you to get the help you need without worrying about how a diagnosis may affect your future needs.

Importance of the client’s decision – Another reason for using self-pay is so YOU can decide when to start and stop treatment, who to see, and how long to seek treatment. We decide together on your treatment goals and how to achieve them – not an insurance company.

No, I am not a physician. Many people do not want to take medication for various reasons – costs, side effects, and fear of being addicted or dependent on it. Therapy is an excellent way to work through problems without medication.

(Note: medication may be necessary sometimes, and I will work with your doctor. But I do not prescribe)

No, with just a few exceptions. These exceptions are the law. The goal is to keep you and everyone else safe. If you express a desire to hurt yourself or someone else, I must report it. If you let me know about the abuse of a minor child or incapacitated adult, I must report it. If you plan on destructive behaviors against others, I must report it. Get the picture? We want everyone to be SAFE.

Additionally, if you give me written (sometimes verbal) permission, I can break your confidence. For example, we may want your doctor’s input into your treatment. So, you sign a Release of Information, and I will tell him only the bare minimum of what they need to get the picture. If you use your insurance, you must know that your insurance company has the right to your chart. Many people decide to self-pay their sessions for this reason. Then, insurance is out of the picture.

Psychotherapy is about becoming the best you can be. It is learning how you got where you are and where you want to go. It is learning how to let go of the past and focus on today with an eye for a brighter future.

My approach of mind-body-spirit helps you develop skills to handle all the messes life throws. It can help you eliminate or control troubling symptoms to function better and increase your well-being. It is becoming joyful and content within yourself.

Being a Christian counselor means that if you want, I will gear therapy toward a Biblical basis. If you want me to pray with you or look at a scripture that might be helpful or comforting, we will do that, utilizing only the Bible. We will look at your beliefs and see how to incorporate them into your treatment to uplift you. It does not mean I will try to convert you to a particular thought or idea.

Your first visit can seem intimidating as you tell your most vulnerable thoughts to someone else. However, you will find me to be a warm, caring, nonjudgmental person who sees you as a fellow traveler through life.

I will ask you for some information to learn about you and your perspective on the problem, what you’ve tried to do, and what you’d like to change about yourself. We’ll set up a time to meet (usually weekly) to start sorting through your thoughts and feelings, learn skills to manage your anxiety, depression, and other painful emotions, process trauma, and plan a future that looks more hopeful and brighter for you.

Subsequent visits will focus on your goals, processing any traumatic, negative thoughts or feelings, and learning new skills, new ways to manage your stressors, anxiety, or depression effectively, and how to live a brain-healthy lifestyle.

Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item.

You can also ask your health care provider for such an estimate before you schedule an item or service. 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 more information go to www.cms.gov/nosurprises.