Fees & Payment

Rates vary based on service type and length of session. Please contact me for current fees.

Payment is due at the start of the session. Cash, credit, or checks are accepted. Should you be paying by cash or check, please have correct change and/or checks made out in advance to save time in the session.outdoor meadow

If you have a balance due, you can mail me a check (see my address on the Location Page), make a payment with Square Cash (debit cards only, no account needed) or you can call me and provide me with your credit card information.

Good Faith Estimates (No Surprises)

If you are not using insurance, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your mental health care will cost. Under a new federal 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. As I am an out of network clinician, this applies to all of my clients. The main points of the law are:

  1. If you are not using insurance, you have the right to receive a good faith estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services.
  2. While the law indicates that health care providers give you a Good Faith Estimate in writing before your medical service, it would of course be impossible to do this for psychotherapeutic services. There is no way to estimate expected costs before I have met you and we have identified your problem and services to be rendered.
    1. However, you can find my session rates in the informed consent document every client signs as part of the intake process, so you will always know how much your initial session will be.
    2.  I will give you a Good Faith Estimate of anticipated services within the first few sessions as I have gotten to know you better.
  3. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
  4. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
  5. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Insurance

I can bill your insurance. I am what is called an “out of network” provider and am not on any insurance panels. Most PPO plans will cover my services, and most HMO plans will not. If you are unsure if you have a PPO or HMO plan, check the face of your insurance card for PPO or HMO. Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan.

If you are wondering if your insurance will cover my services, you can ask the following questions of your insurance carrier:

  • Do I have mental health benefits?
  • How much does my plan pay for a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who is an out-of-network provider (usually referred to as the allowed amount)?
  • What is my benefit amount (the percentage of the charge that will be paid by insurance)?
  • What is my deductible for out-of-network providers and has it been met?
  • How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
  • Is a referral required from my primary care physician?
  • Is a “prior authorization code” or other approval required before I start therapy?
  • Couples: Does my plan cover evidence-based marital therapy?

You should be aware that the of the following implications of using insurance:

  • To be covered by insurance, therapeutic services must be considered medically necessary. Therefore, a diagnosis of a legitimate mental illness is required.
  • As with other medical diagnoses, these records have the potential to affect the cost or eligibility for insurance in the future.
  • Your confidentiality is also affected. The insurance company may require me to provide detailed treatment plan information, progress updates, or complete client records. This information may be stored in databases and may be accessible to other insurers.

How it works financially:

I ask my clients to pay the full fee at time of service and I then bill the insurance carrier after the session. You are then reimbursed directly from the insurance company.

Cancellations

Should you need to cancel an appointment, please notify me by phone at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. Because your time is specifically reserved for you, cancellations less than 24 hours in advance will result in a charge of your full fee for the missed session. Insurance will not cover missed sessions.

Couples Intensives

Couples intensives are offered, and cost varies based on design. Contact me for additional detail. I generally require an initial assessment that allows you to get to know me a little before committing to the process and also allows me to screen for issues that might make an intensive a poor fit (e.g. addictions, active affairs, frequent high conflict).

You might be skeptical about investing the time and expense in couples therapy. However, when you consider what you are trying to improve (your marriage, your family, your overall emotional wellbeing) and what you are trying to avoid (the costs of divorce, custody battles, moving, maintaining dual households), couples counseling is often a good choice. Working with a therapist who has invested in learning a research-based therapy model that really works in the short- and long-term improves your odds of getting real results.