Practice Policies

Intake and Use of Diagnosis

The first appointment, which is considered an “intake appointment,” is a time for you to discuss your concerns, background, and social/ developmental history, as well as the presenting problem that brought you to therapy. It is a time to discuss with the provider a plan for therapy, treatment goals, and/or possible referrals. When minors are in therapy, the minor’s parent(s) or guardian(s) are involved in the intake. Some health insurance companies will reimburse clients for counseling services and some will not. In addition, most will require a diagnosis of mental-health condition and indicate that you must have an “illness” before they will agree to reimburse you. Some conditions for which people seek counseling do not qualify for reimbursement. If a qualifying diagnosis is appropriate in your case, I will inform you of the diagnosis before we submit the diagnosis to the health insurance company. Any diagnosis made will become part of your permanent insurance records. I may also use diagnosis in order to ascertain how to best treat my clients. 

Length of Service 

Individual counseling sessions typically range between 45-55 minutes. Initial visit and assessments may vary in length. Sessions are generally scheduled weekly or bi-weekly, but depending on client needs and goals this frequency can be adjusted. If progress is not achieved at a satisfactory level and/or if additional services would benefit you, continued services or a referral to another provider will be mutually discussed. You may terminate counseling at any time, though it is helpful for us to review our work together in a closing session prior to stopping counseling. After a period of sixty (60) days with no contact from you, your therapist will terminate the therapy contract and place you on the inactive caseload.  You may call at any time to request to resume services, but schedule availability is not guaranteed. 

Session Fees

The self pay rate for an initial session is $200 and follow-up visits are $125.  Payment is collected via cash, credit cards and insurance reimbursements. Services will be charged to insurance companies when applicable. I am pleased to be an in-network provider with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield. I recognize that unexpected financial hardship or economic barriers can arise. To ensure that services remain accessible, I offer a limited number of sliding scale appointments at reduced rates based on household income and demonstrated need.  

Cancellation/No-Show

If you are unable to attend your appointment I ask that you inform me via phone, text or email within 24 hours (one business day) of your scheduled appointment.  If you fail to cancel or re-schedule a no-show/no-call for your scheduled appointment you will be responsible for a no-show fee of  $100.00.  If you miss two consecutive appointments without providing 24 hour notice any future recurring appointments may be canceled. Emergencies are an exception to these policies and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Counseling Relationships/Social Media

The counseling relationship is different from any other kind of relationship. Because a counselor is not a friend, family member, or other personal relationship, it can be a safer relationship in which to discuss very personal matters that may be difficult to share with others who are close to you. Therefore, it is important to protect the boundaries of the professional counseling relationship. In order to protect your boundaries and the confidentiality of the professional relationship, I do not connect with clients on social media.

Email/Text Communications

Communication via these modalities is to be used for scheduling purposes only.  Email and text communication is not for personal conversation or counseling services. I typically check my email daily. I rarely check or respond to email or text messages on weekends or after-hours. Office hours are typically Monday-Friday 1pm-4pm. 

Emergency Information

In the event of emergency situations and I am unavailable, you can access emergency assistance by calling RHA Mobile Crisis at 1-844-709-4097, IFS Mobile Crisis  1-866-437-1821 or your primary care physician. You can also reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or dialing 911 for emergency services.  

Confidentiality

All of our communication becomes part of the clinical record, which is accessible to you upon request. I will keep confidential anything you say as part of our counseling relationship, with the following exceptions:  (a) indications of child abuse, abuse of the handicapped, or elder abuse, (b) it is determined you are a danger to yourself or others, (c) you direct me in writing to disclose information to someone else, or (d) I am ordered by a court to disclose information. 

  • Consultation with other professionals: I routinely consult with other professionals regarding my work. However, confidentiality is maintained, client name and any other identifying information remains anonymous. 

Court Testimony, Court Ordered Appearances, Litigation and Court Related Fees

Please note that I do not offer services related to court or custody hearings. If these types of services are needed, I ask that you inform me at the start of your counseling services and/or when you are made aware so that I can assist you by providing an appropriate referral.  I do not participate in person, by phone or in writing in any court related matter that the client may be a party to or become a party to in any way. At no time will I offer an opinion or recommendation in any court matter, especially as it relates to custody. If a court order is served and it requests I be present in person and/or there is a request for records, the client’s consent will be requested before turning over confidential information. When obtaining this consent, the client will be told exactly what has been requested by court and there is no guarantee that the information will be kept confidential. This includes a client’s mental health history; current status and inclusive records and may not be in the best interest of the client. The therapist-client relationship does not render the therapist as an advocate. I will withhold any opportunity to engage in a dual relationship with the client.

  • Should I be ordered by court to write a letter to the court, appear in court or prepare records for court, the time shall be billed. These fees are outlined in my professional disclosure statement provided during your initial intake session. These fees and time spent is not reimbursable by your insurance provider.

Copies of Medical Records

Should you request a copy of your medical records they will be dispensed at $.50 per page, plus you will be billed at an hourly rate in hourly increments for time spent making copies. Payment for your medical records will be due prior or upon receipt of them and can be picked up at my office - please allow at least 2 weeks to prepare your records.

Consultation Services

I do offer consultation and parent support sessions for those navigating support services in educational settings for children/adolescents experiencing mental health difficulty. During consultation sessions we will review current mental health concerns and diagnoses, current academic and/or behavior concerns and current services and accommodations. The goal of consultation sessions is to increase parent knowledge about their child’s diagnosis, discuss potential need for support at school and appropriate accommodations services, build confidence in advocating for your child as well as build confidence in parent advocacy for their child. Consultation sessions and guidance provided within the sessions does not guarantee a client will qualify for services in an educational setting. I do not have the availability to attend school meetings.

*Consultation Sessions are available through private pay packages only.