Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
-Chinese Proverb
Initial Phone Contact
I offer a free initial phone consultation.
Fees
Once we talk on the phone, we will review your hopes and goals for therapy. I can give you some thoughts on how I can help you. We can also discuss a fee that will work for you.
Insurance
I am happy to provide monthly invoices for clients who have insurance through a PPO plan that covers a portion of therapy (usually considered “out of network” coverage). For example, PPO plans like Cigna will sometimes pay a portion of therapy. However, I have chosen not to accept insurance reimbursement for the following reasons:
- Privacy: Paying for your own therapy gives you protection and control over your therapy. Using Managed Care means that your personal information such as the content of sessions, a diagnosis, and your progress is reviewed and analyzed by people in insurance companies. Managed Care HMOS require that I give people a diagnosis. This diagnosis can follow you via your Medical Health Record, which may not benefit you in the future.
- Freedom: Managed Care agents can dictate how therapy will proceed. The people at these companies have little to no background or skill in the providsion of psychotherapy. Nonetheless, they dictate the number of allowable sessions, if your therapy is necessary and if you are making sufficient progress. Their main objective is to keep their costs as minimal as possible. I prefer that my clients and I determine how long we work together, if a diagnosiss is necessary, how often we schedule sessions, what we will work on, and how we proceed.
- Faster Progress: I find that people do well in therapy when they feel their content is private and that they are in control of the healing process. With these conditions, therapy often goes smoothly and is more effective. For example, if a Managed Care company denies payment, this would require me to bill a client for a backlog of unpaid sessions. This lump sum inevitabley impacts the therapeutic process and undermines treatment. I prefer to avoid unexpected disappointments. This puts your healing and personal growth front and center.
Please feel free to email or call me for more information!