My Policies

Welcome.  Please read the policies of my office carefully.  If you have any questions, I will be happy to discuss them with you.

Confidentiality  All information shared with me during individual psychotherapy is held in confidence unless you consent to reveal the information with others by a signed consent for release of information form.  The only exceptions to this are situations in which I am required to inform others, e.g., in cases of on-going child abuse or imminent threat of physical danger to yourself or others.

Appointments  I personally schedule appointments which usually are weekly for 45-50 minutes.  If you need to cancel an appointment, I request 24 hour notice before the scheduled appointment time.   Except in emergency situations, missed appointments and late cancellations (less than 24 hours) will be billed at the usual fee.  You may leave a message or text on my phone at any time.

Charges  My professional fee is $190 for a 50-minute session.  If extended time is scheduled for EMDR, the additional fee will be pro-rated accordingly.  Although not as effective, telephone sessions are sometimes necessary and will be billed the usual fee.  Phone calls lasting less than 15 minutes will not be billed unless they are frequent.

Payment  Payment is expected at the time of the service and can be made with check or credit card.  If you have insurance coverage which will reimburse you for my services (outpatient mental health services), I will give you a statement during session which you may file with your insurance company along with any required claim form.

I am not a provider for any managed care organization or insurance company.  I am considered an out-of- network provider. I have chosen not to participate on insurance panels for several reasons: 1) Insurance companies frequently request information regarding progress and the business interests of the organization determine clinical decisions for your therapy rather than you and therapist; 2) managed care organizations often require large amounts of paperwork and pay low fees; and 3) In my experience, patients work harder and value the process more when they are financially invested in changing their lives. 

Special Cases Occasionally, a highly motivated client will seek therapy but is unable to afford my fees. On these occasions, a sliding scale fee can be discussed based on a financial statement and a time limited course of treatment. 

Unlike precise medical treatments, it is impossible to predict how long therapy will take to treat a specific mental illness. My charges are transparent in the Consent to Treatment form.  Factors including motivation, support of friends and family, physical health issues and external stressors all can impact the length of therapy. An individual is free to terminate therapy at any time. A Good Faith Estimate about treatment costs is available upon request.