I’m interested in therapy. How do I start?
I provide free 15-minute phone consultations in which we can discuss your concerns and goals, and you can ask me questions to determine if we may be a good fit. The process of starting therapy begins with a thorough clinical intake interview, which allows me to ensure that I am able to meet your needs. Often, the process of gathering information and determining fit continues for the first few sessions, at which point I provide feedback, preliminary diagnostic impressions (if appropriate and desired), and a proposed treatment plan. This plan may draw from a number of evidence-based and effective therapies, depending on your unique needs. Most importantly, if we do work together, it will be a collaborative process. You are the expert on your own life and experiences. I am able to bring to bear my expertise and knowledge about psychology from my training and clinical experiences.
What is therapy like?
At its core, therapy is a relationship, unique because of its boundaries and constraints. Within the context of a therapeutic relationship, we will meet regularly (often weekly, though sometimes more or less) for 50-minute sessions that are focused on you. Understandably, the prospect of focusing one’s attention on oneself for nearly an hour can be anxiety-provoking. I am sensitive to this and do my best to make you feel welcome. I have been told I have a warm and authentic style, and I provide guidance and ask questions to help you if you are unsure what to discuss.
How long will I be in therapy?
Some individuals come to therapy with specific, circumscribed goals. In such cases, we may be able to accomplish a great deal together in a short period of time, ranging from 8-20 sessions. Often, after initial progress is made, individuals choose to continue meeting to address additional concerns. Others may benefit from longer-term treatment, which allows for much deeper work and exploration of life history, patterns, and unconscious processes. I do not aim to keep individuals in therapy indefinitely, and I provide recommendations when I believe we may be at a good place to end our work together. That said, I find my long-term therapeutic relationships to be deeply rewarding.
I am interested in a psychological evaluation. Where do I begin?
I provide complementary 15-minute phone consults to determine if I will be able to meet your assessment needs. The next step is an hour-long intake session, in which I gather information about your background, challenges, and strengths. I speak with significant others, parents, teachers, colleagues, doctors, and/ or therapists, as needed or requested, to provide a fuller picture and alternative perspectives. I also work with you to articulate goals and questions you may have that you want the assessment to answer. I do the same if I am working with a child or adolescent, on a developmentally appropriate level. This initial goal-setting allows me to better tailor the evaluation to your own needs and interests and allows me to provide targeted recommendations at the conclusion of the assessment. Testing is conducted in one or more sessions of multiple hours, depending on the presenting issues and your ability to focus or effectively participate. The nature of the testing sessions will vary depending on the type of assessment (see here for more details). Following testing, I prepare a comprehensive report, detailing the results of testing, describing what the results mean in the context of your daily life, and outlining recommendations to help you in your personal, work, academic, and/ or interpersonal life.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider, meaning that I do not directly work with any insurance plans, Medicare/ Medicaid, or Tricare. However, many clients are able to obtain substantial reimbursements (often 65-85%) through their insurance companies if they have out of network benefits. I have partnered with Reimbursify in order to make the process of obtaining reimbursements smooth and efficient. At no cost to you, you can upload your bill to the Reimbursify website or app (click the link below), and they will take care of submitting it to your insurance company.
Why don’t you take insurance?
Unfortunately, there are a number of problems psychologists face if they partner directly with insurance companies. First, insurance companies require that a client receive a psychiatric diagnosis in order to obtain payment for services, and this diagnosis then becomes part of that client’s permanent medical record. Some individuals who do not meet criteria for a diagnosis may wish to pursue therapy, and others who do may not want this information to be widely available. Indeed, I cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your records once insurance companies obtain your mental health treatment information. Finally, insurance companies often place limitations or requirements on the type and length of therapeutic treatment. I do not believe that insurance companies are in a position to make these important types of decisions.
How do I determine if I have out of network benefits?
Call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card (there may be a separate number you can call for mental health or behavioral health plans). Tell them that you are planning to see a Clinical Psychologist for individual psychotherapy, and you want to determine if you have out-of-network benefits that can be used to receive reimbursement. Ask them what the rate for reimbursement is for individual therapy. Then ask if you have an annual deductible that must be met before the company provides reimbursement. Inquire if there is a maximum number of visits that are allowed per year, and if so, how many. Have them describe the process for submitting claims for reimbursement, and ask how long, on average, it takes to receive the payment after a claim is submitted.