What if you don't accept my insurance?
I can provide you what's called a Superbill, or otherwise known as an itemized receipt that could help to provide you some or if not all reimbursed cost for sessions. However, please contact your insurance carrier prior to booking to see what your plan entails.
You will need to ask a few questions to get this answer:
1. Do you reimburse of "out of network providers?"
2. What are my mental health benefits?
3. How much do you reimburse for a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for mental health care for individual therapy?
4. Do I have a limited number of sessions that you will reimburse for?
If you are a marriage and family therapist, does
that mean I have to
bring a family member with me to sessions?
Nope! I still see people for individual therapy.
I often mention that due to my training, I typically like to ask a lot about your family history and relationships since these can impact how we feel, our values, our self esteem, and more.
Are there benefits to private pay?
Yes, private pay allows you total confidentiality and control of your treatment. If utilizing insurance, I am required to disclose a lot more information than typically people are comfortable with. I am required to inform them of your diagnosis, treatment plan, details from sessions, and often communicate directly with them if there are any change to your benefits or what they will cover. There are benefits to insurance I completely understand financially, so either option has its benefits! However, while I am qualified to diagnose, many people are worried it will be in the permanent medical record and do not want to worry about insurance stopping therapy before they're fully ready.
What is your communication policy?
I try my best to respond to your email, call, or text within 1-2 business days. I often will reply Monday-Thursday during the work week. My schedule is often ever changing due to having a little one and try my best to be timely, so I appreciate your patience with me! I do not offer after hour emergency calls or texts. If you are experiencing a crisis please call 911, 211, or go to your nearest emergency department. I also will not engage in therapeutic advice or conversations via text since it is not HIPAA complaint.
Do you have after-hours emergency
services?
No I do not. If you are experiencing a crisis, please go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
Do you offer sliding scale fees?
Yes, I have a limited number of sliding scale spots available. As of Summer 2023, all sliding scale spots are full. If you are seeking a therapist and need financial assistance, I highly suggest checking out Open Path for a directory of therapists that do provide sliding scale fees based on financial situation.
How long will I be in therapy?
It depends! For some, therapy can be relatively short term (6-9 months) to get through some changes or goals. For others, it could be long term or even life long (but maybe with different therapists and treatment techniques). I always leave it up to you to decide what feels best! I do recommend sometimes taking a break if things are too overwhelming, you feel like it's not helping, or at a "good" point in your life. My door is always open for past clients to return as well!
What will the first session look like?
We will go over the intake paperwork, practice policies, and gather some background information from you as a way to help support you with your hopes for therapy.
Can I follow you on social media?
Yes! However, I do have a disclaimer that social media is not HIPAA compliant and could risk your confidentiality if you engage in my posts - such as commenting, sharing, or liking them. I will never respond or interact with you on social media to ensure I do no risk breaking your confidentiality. I also do not respond to DMs either. Social media is not an alternative to proper mental health or medical care.
How often will I be
coming to therapy?
This will vary person to person! As a general rule of thumb, I advise clients who first come to therapy to consider setting up appointments weekly or biweekly. This helps us to gain a better relationship and build trust while gathering your background information and make a plan for your care. After that initial phase of therapy, I typically see clients space out their sessions depending on what feels best for them.
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For EMDR and Brainspotting therapies, I recommend coming every 5-10 days to ensure that you're coping well with the sessions and making positive progress with reprocessing traumatic or negative memories.
Will you come to court for me?
Or write a letter to the court?
While I understand that a court battle can be one of the most stressful and difficult situations in someone’s life, I do not appear in court on your or your child’s behalf. An appearance in court often puts extreme stress on the therapeutic relationship and confidentiality. In the courtroom, a therapist must answer all questions honestly and cannot favor your side of a case. I can also only answer the questions the lawyers and judge ask me, and typically must simply answer yes or no to the questions answered. Opposing attorneys are often quite skilled at asking questions in a way that can force me to paint the other side in a better light, my client in a worse light, or discredit my client or their claims. The last thing I ever want to do is say anything that harms your case, but court can force us into that situation. This can often be extremely damaging to our therapeutic relationship as well.
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I will charge per hour and any legal fees associated if I am subpoenaed to go to court.
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Regarding letters, I approach them with extreme caution. I do consider whether a letter will help you and can provide letters if absolutely necessary and if I consider it beneficial and not harmful. I require that you speak with your attorney first before requesting a letter as they can advise you on what you will need and if it will even be helpful.
Do you prescribe medication?
No I do not. I am not credentialed or trained to. I can help to refer you to a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist, or Doctor who can assist with this. I always collaborate with prescribing providers to help inform them of your symptoms we discuss in session.