Welcome! You have made an important decision to involve yourself in psychotherapy/counseling. I am committed to collaborating with you to achieve your goals for seeking help. I will provide information and answer any questions you have about how we will go about our work together. The following addresses important information about some boundaries and business matters.
Scheduling
We will discuss the frequency of our meetings together. Typically, meetings are once a week and last 45-50 minutes. This may change based on your needs.
Cancellation Policy
- In some emergent situations, appointments have to be cancelled.
- Please let me know how you would like to be notified if I need to cancel.
- Cancellation fees may be charged for appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, to cover the cost of holding that time for you.
- Charges for cancellations or no-shows cannot be billed to insurance. These fees are expected to be paid at the next appointment.
- If you arrive late to a session, the session will not be extended to cover the missed time.
- If you miss more than two appointments without prior notice, your regular meeting time may not be held for you.
Cancellation with less than 24 hours notice: $150.00 (not covered by insurance)
Not showing for a scheduled appointment: $165.00 (not covered by insurance)
Practice Fees
Some fees will be based on the services required. A reduced fee may be possible if you cannot afford therapy without it — please ask.
- Intake & Initial Appointment (typically 50 minutes): $190.00
- Individual Psychotherapy (45-50 minutes): $170.00
- Individual Psychotherapy (30 minutes): $150.00
- Couples Therapy: $185.00
- Family Therapy (with or without the client): $185.00
Payment for Services
- Balances for services rendered will generally be billed monthly.
- Payments (copay and out-of-network) may be made by cash or check at the beginning of the session. I may also be able to take credit card payments.
- If payment is not received within two sessions, additional sessions will not be provided until the balance is paid. Emergency coverage will be provided for thirty (30) days. Personal investment in your process, including financial, can have a direct impact on the benefit you get from our time together.
- Outstanding fees may be referred to a collection agency. This will not violate your privacy, as no confidential clinical information is provided.
- If a check is returned for insufficient funds, that fee will be charged to you and cannot be billed to your insurance company.
- Some diagnoses and services are not covered by some insurance plans. You may want to ask your benefits manager what is and is not covered.
- You will receive a monthly statement for services rendered, which you may submit to your insurance as an out-of-network service. You are responsible for the fees incurred regardless of what your insurance reimburses. My National Provider Identification (NPI) number is available on request.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Acknowledgment of receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices is required by law. It is only an acknowledgment that you take responsibility for understanding it, and it remains in effect even if you do not acknowledge it. It is issued as part of the standard intake process.
Communication
Phone calls are typically returned at the end of the business day or the beginning of the next business day, which may be 48-72 hours. Texts and emails cannot be guaranteed to remain confidential and are discouraged as a primary form of communication. At no time should these be used to reach me in an emergency. If we discuss it and agree on specific parameters, they may be used as a secondary form of communication for specific purposes, such as homework or check-ins.
Phone calls serve the purpose of brief communication about a specific point, such as scheduling an appointment or clarifying homework. Except in emergencies, phone calls outside of an appointment should not be expected to last longer than about 10-15 minutes. Longer than that, and there may be a charge for services.
Emergencies
- We will discuss what is and is not a clinical emergency, specific to your particular situation.
- Clinical emergencies are times when your life, safety, or well-being is truly in jeopardy.
- In a clinical emergency, contact 911 or go to your local emergency room, and ask the health care provider to contact me. Your safety takes precedence over trying to reach me.
- If additional support might be helpful, consider making a safety plan with me that includes local resources and their phone numbers.
Consenting to Treatment
Treatment is voluntary. You are asked to participate actively in your treatment and contribute to developing your treatment goals. It is expected that you will:
- Attend and participate actively in your appointments
- Keep yourself safe and healthy between sessions
- Be honest with me
- Talk to me if you are struggling — that is okay
- Follow treatment recommendations
Termination of Treatment
Because treatment is voluntary, you may decide to leave or not return at any time. Please talk to me if you decide to stop — there may be something we can resolve, or I can make an appropriate referral.
- Clients who have not been seen for three (3) months without prior arrangement will have their case closed.
- Clients who no-show or miss three (3) appointments may lose their regular meeting time. In that case, emergency coverage for thirty (30) days and three referrals will be provided.
- If a client refuses to follow treatment recommendations and refuses to continue our work, it may be necessary to recommend a second opinion or to end the therapeutic relationship. In that case, three referrals and thirty (30) days of emergency coverage will be provided.
- If I am threatened, intimidated, or harassed by a client, I have the right to end the therapeutic relationship. In that case, three referrals and thirty (30) days of emergency coverage will be provided.
Policies
All of the policies, agreements, and forms you have reviewed and completed provide the structure for our work together. Thank you for your patience with the intake process — clinically, legally, and financially, it matters.
The most important policy, though, is providing you with professional, knowledgeable, and skilled care focused on helping you improve your own life and situation.