Rates & Insurance

Rates/Fees

Therapy is an incredibly worthwhile expense.  My goal is to give you the most for your money by using short-term proven methods.  I would suggest that if the cost seems a barrier, be creative, adjust priorities, and even reach out to others for assistance.  Some of my patients have found financial help from a parent, sibling or other sponsor.

Individual Therapy Fee:
The regular fee is $125 for 45 minutes. However, to get the most benefit using intensive methods, the first session is typically scheduled for two hours and the fee for that long first session is 280 dollars. Once established and if appropriate, a shorter appointment of an half hour can be arranged for $75.

Couples or Bands: 
I work in longer blocks of time when working on improving relationships because having enough time for the therapy and education involved, works best and is research supported.  If traveling a distance, the intensive weekend rate with three follow-up appointments is a time and money saver. The package fee for the 6 hours, which can be spread over the long weekend, plus three follow-up check-in appointments over the next 6 months is 1000 dollars. The high dollar amount ensures a certain level of commitment that fosters growth in the relationship and in actuality the fee works out to about 9 hours of therapy for 1000 dollars. Additionally, I spend at least 3 hours preparing for our session by analyzing the intake profiles and planning the specific interventions for your particular needs.

If you live close enough and can break up the intensive approach, we will discuss the best fit regarding length and cost for your situation.  We typically would start with a three hour session and taper the cost and length down from there.   If you prefer to meet with me for a short Couples Orientation – we can do that for 75 dollars for 1/2 hour following consent for therapy and intake forms completion.

Group Therapy:  Minimum of 6 participants with cost 40 dollars for the 2 hour session.

Insurance

For most insurance, I am considered an out-of-network provider and insurance can often pay part of the cost IF referred with a diagnosis or I determine a patient has a diagnosed and covered condition that requires psychotherapy.  Currently, I am not an in-network provider for any insurance companies except Medicare. Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, it is possible for services to be covered in part.

You may not be aware, but there are also numerous drawbacks to using insurance for therapy. For instance, the company must be allowed access to your records and diagnosis.  Sometimes, there is no legitimate diagnosis meeting full criteria.  For example, there may be some triggers related to a traumatic event that you would like to reduce with EMDR, but you do not meet full criteria for any diagnosis.

Using your insurance

If you are seeking reimbursement, contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for mental health services.  You can ask questions of your insurance provider to help determine your benefits:

• Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
• Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
• Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
• Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?

Here is a true life example: A patient has a certain insurance company in Nevada. The deductible for her plan is 4000 starting January 1st. Her out of network coverage for mental health services is 40%. For comparison, her coverage is 60% for in-network. Remember, I am not in-network. The patient decides she would like to use insurance for my services. We discuss the options. Option 1: She could send in a summary bill with diagnosis to her insurance company. Option 2 – I could submit and the insurance company would keep track of her personal spending and then pay me 40% of 125 once she reaches her very high deductible of 4000. That means she would pay 125 for each typical session until she reaches her deductible of 4000. Thereafter, she would pay 75 dollars.

Payment

I accept cash and checks for payment as a preference, since there are no associated fees for me. I also accept and process credit cards and health savings debit cards. I provide receipts, statements and invoices to your email address unless we arrange otherwise, at your request.

Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand by calling me on the number I provide once we are working together or via the portal. I know emergencies are rare, but do happen and we can discuss your situation if it caused you to miss an appointment with me. I have given it a lot of thought and I do not feel comfortable charging the full fee for late cancellation or no-show, so you will be charged 60 dollars for a missed appointment unless you notify me beforehand. If I need to cancel for whatever reason, I will call you as soon as possible.

Any Other Questions

Please contact me to ask any additional questions.   I look forward to hearing from you!

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