faq
Answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Do you offer in-person or online?
I am available for both! I am located for in-person sessions at my office or available for telehealth.
Do you take insurance?
I am in-network with Optum, Oxford, UMR, and United Healthcare UHC / UBH.
If you are using out-of-network benefits, then I will gladly provide a superbill. I encourage you to contact your insurance provider to ask about receiving full or partial reimbursement depending on your individual plan.
What are the benefits to private pay?
Paying out of pocket offers several benefits for the client. Using insurance requires a psychiatric diagnosis, may limit the providers available within networks, and can have a limit on reimbursable sessions.
By using private pay, the client can have increased confidentiality for their mental health treatment and is not limited by the length of services or number of sessions.
What is your cancellation policy?
Consistent attendance and participation in treatment is critical for achieving goals and desired outcomes. Therefore, any cancellations and re-scheduled session will be subject to full session charge ($160) if NOT received at least 24 hours in advance. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you.
I understand that emergencies can come up. For this reason, I give all clients a one-time no-charge pass for missing a scheduled appointment.
What is the "No Surprise Act" & the Good Faith Estimate?
Under the law, health care providers are required to give clients who are not using their insurance benefits 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, including psychotherapy services. You are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an appointment.
If you receive an unexpected bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate states, 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 985-635-4040.
How do I know if we're a good fit?
I offer a free 20 minute consultation call in order to learn more about you and discuss plans for treatment. If you determine that we are a good fit after the call, we will schedule a time for the first session and discuss plans for therapy.
How long are sessions and how often will we meet?
Each session will typically be 50 minutes, but longer sessions can be available as clinically indicated. Typically sessions are scheduled on a weekly basis, but can be adjusted to client needs.
How long do I need to be in therapy?
Everyone is different, which makes it difficult to predict a treatment timeline. Treatment may be quicker for a single incident trauma for a client with healthy coping skills and a strong support system. For complex trauma history, treatment will likely last a few months to over a year.
Progress is also dependent on frequency of sessions, commitment to therapy, and practicing coping skills in-between sessions.
We can discuss treatment goals and presenting history in the first session to better estimate treatment length.
What can I expect in my first session?
Your first appointment is an intake session where I will complete an initial assessment to help with treatment planning.
During the intake I will ask questions related to symptoms and behaviors, presenting issues bringing you to therapy, and gathering relevant background history.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which is a structure, evidence based treatment modality that is proven to help with trauma recovery.
EMDR is different from other modalities because it stimulates the brain’s natural healing process through bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) while focusing briefly on a traumatic memory. EMDR does not require the client to talk through the details of their trauma in depth.
https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
