Frequently Asked Questions

Navigating the world of therapy can sometimes raise a series of questions and concerns. Our FAQ section is designed to ease this process by offering you concise answers to the most common queries people have. Here, you’ll find detailed information on why therapy might be the right option for you, the costs associated with a session, and insurance acceptance details, among others. Through this section, we aspire to make your therapy journey smoother and more informed.

Deciding to seek out therapy is a very personal and courageous decision. It’s not easy to recognize and accept when you need help, especially when related to your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or relationships. All those pesky thoughts about what it means to go to therapy start to show up: it’s typically more comfortable to go to the doctor for a cold than to admit that you need to see a therapist for your stuff. Although, maybe not if you need to get a shot, those suck!

Individuals and couples decide to seek therapy for many reasons, but it usually starts with a realization that what you’re doing isn’t working. Some common causes include:

  • Your stress level is through the roof. 
  • You feel like you can’t manage what life keeps throwing at you. And ironically, life keeps on coming. 
  • What used to help is no longer working.
  • Or you stopped doing what worked for some reason, and you can’t seem to get back on that bandwagon. 
  • A recent life changed has happened, and you’re struggling to deal. 
  • A fear of your feelings and thoughts, which keeps you stuck. 
  • Your relationship is starting to become a source of more stress than comfort (and not just sometimes, but all the time). 

If any of these resonate, or you know, deep in your gut that something needs to change, I encourage you to reach out. Don’t let the shame about needing help stop you from actually getting it.

If you’ve never done therapy and the only thing you have to go by is what you see on TV or the movies, don’t go by that. Therapy is a process where we work together to help move you forward in your life. Honestly, I believe it’s a mix of both science and art. Psychology is considered a science because it follows the scientific model, leading to research on insights into the human condition in all facets of life. Specifically, treatment models have been researched and vetted to make sure they actually help improve your mental health. Part of the process is teaching you new tools and concepts and how to apply them to your situation. Therapists go through extensive training both in graduate school and in the field while learning to be therapists to ensure that they understand the principles, ethics, and standards of care to follow. Therapists have also been trained to listen, observe, and provide feedback to help you learn new things about yourself.

The art of therapy is that there’s no one size fits all, and different techniques work for different people. How safe, connected, and understood you feel by your therapist, the better the improvements will be. This can again go back to some science and how we’re wired to connect. Hence, relationships are essential, including the one with your therapist. But what makes you click with your therapist is unique and hard to measure, not all styles work for all people, and that’s ok.

You also might be thinking, “Well, then I’ll just go talk to my friends. I’m super connected to them, and it’s way cheaper too.” Part of it goes back to that your friends are not trained to be therapists (unless you have therapists friends, lol). Even if you do have some friends who are therapists, the fact that they have a relationship with you will get in the way of the process. The therapeutic relationship is focused on helping YOU improve and move forward; it’s not a two-way street like it is in friendships. Also, therapists have to be unbiased when working with you, and your friends will struggle to do that.

Initially, I will be reviewing the consent/intake documents you filled out online and make sure I answer any questions about anything you signed. Typically this takes about 10 minutes to get through that.

Then, I will ask you to detail what brings you to counseling, more than what we talked about in our consult call. The point is to make sure I understand as much as possible of what’s going on. Knowing that more information will come out naturally, the longer we work together. I also will ask you about what has helped before as well as goals for counseling.

I will then focus on gathering more information about different areas of your life, such as your childhood, relationships, significant life changes, history of trauma, etc. It’s always a choice what information to share with me, and I will respect that. The goal is for me to start getting a clearer picture of who you are to tailor interventions to your unique needs. We might not get through all the history in the first session, and it will continue into the second session.

Towards the end of the session, I will discuss if I advise you to come in next week, in 2 weeks, or if I believe you’d be better suited with a different therapist. Again, my goal is to make sure I’m providing the recommendation that will be best for you to achieve your goals. Lastly, I will charge your credit card on file for the session via my electronic system.

The initial session will look a bit different for a couple’s session, and encourage you to check out the Couples Therapy Page.

For individuals: My 55-minute session is $175.

For couples: My 55-minute session is $185.

I understand that this is an investment, and I do not take that lightly. To get a sense of whether my prices are fair, you can check out Healthcare Bluebook or the Fair Health Consumer site and put in your zip code and the following CPT codes:

  • For individual sessions: Individual Psychotherapy – CPT Code 90837
  • For couples sessions: Family Psychotherapy with Patient Present – CPT code 90847

If you need services at a reduced price, I recommend checking out Open Path Collective.

I’m a provider with Lyra Health EAP. If you, your spouse’s, or your parent’s company where you are a dependent has Lyra Health EAP as a provider, I can see you through those benefits. You have to go directly through the Lyra Health website.

I also accept Optum insurance which typically includes United Healthcare, Oxford Health Plans, UMR, Oscar, UHC Student Resources, and AllSavers UHC through Alma (which is a third party company).

I also accept Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) if you’re eligible to use this for counseling. If you have either, I encourage you to call your insurance company to verify that you can use this for outpatient counseling.

Outside of that, I currently do not accept any insurance. I am an Out-of-Network provider, so you could get part of the sessions reimbursed back to you covered if your insurance plan has out-of-network (OON) benefits. If you choose to go that route, I will provide you a receipt (superbill) after each session to submit to insurance. The insurance company would then reimburse you directly. The caveat with this is that the superbill would have a mental health diagnosis to meet reimbursement criteria from your insurance. Some individuals prefer not to have a diagnosis on file.

You will also receive Good Faith Estimate based on the new No Surprises Act.

To verify that you have out-of-network benefits to use for outpatient counseling, you can contact your insurance company and ask the following questions:

  • Do I have Out-of-Network benefits for mental health services, specifically outpatient services? If so, what is the coverage?
  • Do I have a deductible? Have I met any of it yet?
  • What is the expected reimbursement rate for the following services:
    • Diagnostic Evaluation/Intake – CPT Code 90791 
    • Individual Psychotherapy (60 Minutes) – CPT Code 90837
    • Family Psychotherapy without Patient Present – CPT code 90846 
    • Family Psychotherapy with Patient Present – CPT code 90847  

The CPT codes are the codes that are billed and listed on your superbill to the insurance. Please note, the CPT codes above are not exhaustive and might be different based on your unique situation. 

  • Are sessions conducted via video (telehealth) covered? If so, is there an end date to that coverage?

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost .

Under the law, 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 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith 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 questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

I cannot give you a concrete answer because it is based on your needs, what you want to work on, and whether you feel you’re improving. Given all that, my goal is to provide you with the tools you need to move you closer to where you want to be in life. Some people prefer having therapy for a couple of months, hone in on the issue, and be done with counseling once they’ve resolved it. In contrast, other individuals decide to continue engaging in sessions long after the initial problem has been resolved. They find it beneficial to check-in every once in a while or come in when they notice life is getting intense. It’s a fluid process, but I check in every couple of sessions to see how we both feel the process is going and if you need to continue or not.