Frequently Asked Questions

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I wish I had a concrete answer for this question, but the complicated (and perhaps, annoying!) answer is that it depends. Each individual and/or couple is unique, so the the number of sessions varies depends on their individual situation and needs. Many clients make great progress within 10-12 sessions and others make great progress after several months or years. However long it takes, please know that there is nothing "wrong" with you if it takes longer than someone else you know with similar challenges. Each healing journey is unique. Remind yourself that it wasn't overnight that you started experiencing the issue that brought you into therapy, so it won't be overnight that you fully heal from it.

In our phone consultation, we will take 15 minutes to talk about what you are hoping to work on in therapy and if I am a good fit for meeting your specific needs. If we establish that we are a good fit, we will schedule our first appointment together (yay!). I will also gather contact information to send you a link for creating your client portal, where you will fill out the paperwork for our first session. If we decide that we are not a good fit, it is not a problem at all! I can provide you with referrals for others who might be a better option.

During our first session, we will briefly review the paperwork you will have already completed in your client portal prior to  your appointment. I will answer any questions you may have had while filling it out and will also ask you any questions that I had when reviewing it. I will also ask questions related to what is bringing you in for therapy and will work with you to come up with a blueprint for how to make sure we meet your goals. Mostly, this session is a get-to-know-you session, so I will have a lot of questions to ask about you and your personal history and am happy to answer any questions you have about me as a therapist, my areas of expertise, and/or my approach to treatment.  

Basically, a superbill is a specialized receipt that you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement when working with a provider who isn't in-network with your insurance plan. 

If I am not in-network with your insurance plan but you want to try to make good use of your out-of-network benefits, I will collect the full, self-pay session fee from you when we meet. I wilI then give you a copy of the superbill, and you will submit that documentation directly to your insurance for possible reimbursement. Some people get reimbursed 100%. Some people do not get reimbursed at all, so it is important to call your insurance beforehand to check what your specific policy allows for.  Either way, you can use your HSA or FSA card for services to help cover session costs in the meantime.

While many insurance policies have out-of-network benefits, some policies do not and others that do have various coverage limitations. Because of this, here is a list of questions to ask your insurance provider to find out what your policy covers:

• Do I have mental health benefits?
• Do I have out-of-network benefits for my first session (CPT code 90791), individual counseling (CPT code 90837), and/or marital/couples counseling (CPT code 90847)?
• What is the coverage amount per therapy session for these codes?
• What is my deductible and has it been met?
• How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
• How much does my plan cover for an out-of-network provider?
• Is approval required from my primary care physician?  
• How do I submit my superbill for reimbursement?