FAQ & PRACTICE POLICIES

Below are a few key policies and frequently asked questions about working with me.

My current rate for individual therapy is $150 per 50-55 minute session.

My current rate for couples therapy is $175 per 50-55 minute session. The first three intake sessions are $200 for 90 minute sessions.

You can read more about what to expect from individual and couples therapy on their respective pages.

Payment is due at the time of service and is paid by credit or debit card through my telehealth portal Simple Practice. Stripe is the credit card processor used by Simple Practice.

Clients who do not use insurance have the right to a Good Faith Estimate in compliance with the No Surprises Act.

I currently accept Aetna, Optum/United, and Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon insurances for individual therapy.

I do not accept insurance for couples therapy.

Optum is inclusive of several health plans that are included in the Alma insurance program, including:

UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services (UHSS)
GEHA - UnitedHealthcare Shared Services (UHSS)
UnitedHealthcare Global
UnitedHealthCare Exchange Plans (ONEX)
Oscar
Harvard Pilgrim
Oxford
UHC Student Resources
UMR
All Savers (UHC)
Health Plans Inc
Surest (Formerly Bind)

Therapy is an extremely personal experience tailored to the needs of the client and the presenting concerns. Existential-humanistic psychotherapy is relational by nature, and my ideal clients are looking to establish a long-term relationship and address matters in their lives which go beyond immediate relief of symptoms.

Due to the nature of this unpredictability and my commitment to meeting and catering to the needs of every client individually, determining duration of treatment is ethically impossible. We will regularly review progress and make personalized decisions regarding both the frequency and duration of treatment.

Initially I require all clients to meet weekly to establish rapport, develop the relationship, and allow the therapeutic process to take hold. We can discuss your specific needs further during the initial consultation.

Confidentiality is critical to the therapeutic experience and is the foundation for trust in the relationship. We will discuss confidentiality and some of its limits in greater detail both during the initial consultation and our first session. Here is an excellent article to read at GoodTherapy.com

HIPAA refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which seeks to ensure that each patient's private medical information remains private and confidential, shared and seen only by care providers to whom the client has given consent. It also governs record-keeping and a variety of other aspects of your care. To learn more about how HIPAA pertains to mental health care, read this overview at GoodTherapy.com

You will be responsible for the entire fee if cancellation is less than 24 hours. Often I will try to reschedule within the week if possible but this is frequently not possible and should not be expected. This is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you. If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time.

Download a complete version of my Practice Policies

Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

There are many actors in the mental health care field and it is very confusing! Here is a brief overview:

Some social workers have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree but are not able to provide counseling/psychotherapy services without further training and education.

Title	Education	Description
Counselor/Therapist	Masters in Counseling, Counseling Psychology, or Clinical Mental Health May possess a PhD	Counselors provide direct counseling services to clients and are licensed/regulated by the State(s) in which they practice. Professional Counselors are highly regulated and require specific education and training. Different States have slightly different scopes of practice for licensed counselors, but the definition provided by the American Counseling Association is: "Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals." Within counseling, counselors will specialize in modalities and theoretical frameworks which inform their practices. Unless they have specialized training, they typically do not do formal assessments or testing. Counselors do not prescribe medication.
Psychologist	PhD or PsyD in Psychology	There are many types of psychologists, not all of whom provide therapeutic treatment. Many are focused on research or specialize in other contexts such as organizations. Psychologists do not prescribe medication. Psychologists in the therapeutic realm are typically trained and certified to provide formal testing and assessments which inform and are complementary to the other professions. Psychologists can also provide direct psychotherapy services if they choose.
Psychiatrist	MD (Medical Doctor)	Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed medical school and have completed an additional Residency specifically for Psychiatry. Psychiatrists diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medication. Like Psychologists and Counselors, Psychiatrists can also provide direct psychotherapy services in addition to being able to prescribe, but they are more often found in hospital and private medical settings and serve as a collaborative team member with other mental health care providers.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner	PMHNP	Psych Nurse Practitioners are nurses who have gone beyond the training and education of a Registered Nurse and completed a program specific to psychiatric nursing. Psych NPs are found in a variety of contexts from hosptials to clinics and private practices and are typically part of an integrated mental health care team. They are licensed by the State(s) in which they practice and are able to prescribe medication. They typically do not offer counseling/psychotherapy at the level of other professions, but focus on assessment and diagnosis. The Pychiatric Nurse Practitioner has grown in prevalance as a response to the nationwide shortage of MD-level psychiatric services.
Social Worker	Master of Social Work (MSW) May posess PhD	Much like Psychology, Social Work encompasses a broad array of services and practices which may include counseling/psychotherapy. Social Work education does not specialize in psychotherapeutic training in the same way Professional Counselor education does, so social workers must seek additional training. They are also licensed in the individual State(s) in which they practice.
Coach	No education requirement	Coaching is a largely unregulated field and does not require specific experience, education or training.

TELETHERAPY

Telehealth allows us to connect anywhere with secure and convenient appointments that save you time. You can schedule and attend your appointments directly from a desktop, laptop or mobile device. I use the HIPAA-compliant platform Simple Practice to offer teletherapy.

We can further discuss the questions below during our initial consultation.

Simple Practice offers a telehealth platform that is HIPAA-compliant and over a secure internet connection.
I will always provide therapy from a space that offers privacy and confidentiality.
Teletherapy sessions are never recorded.
The normal provisions for client confidentiality apply to teletherapy.
I cannot control your environment, however, which potentially limits privacy and confidentiality in teletherapy.

Benefits include:

Time and financial cost, and risk of travelling to an in-person appointment
For some, the comfort and safety of their own environment
Receive care rather than foregoing treatment because of risks or limitations

Risks include:

Interruptions to connection
Other technical difficulties
Challenges to privacy and confidentiality depending on the location you are using teletherapy from

While my preference is to provide counseling in-person, multiple studies have shown that telemental health can be just as effective as in-person therapy.

An article from CNET also discusses the risks, benefits and effectiveness of online therapy : Online therapy vs in-person: What you should know

I have a certification from the Telehealth Certification Institute for teletherapy provision.

As part of the certification, I completed the following courses:

Legal Aspects of TeleMental Health
Ethics of Using Technology in Behavioral Health
HIPAA Compliance for Mental Health Professionals
Ethical, Legal, and Clinical Aspects of Selecting Technology
Emergency Management Planning for TeleMental Health
Screening for Fit for TeleMental Health Services
Ethical and Clinical Skills of Video and Phone Sessions

To participate in Telehealth appointments from your home, you will need one of the following devices:

Desktop computer with a webcam, speakers, a 2.5 GHz processor, and 4 GB of RAM OR
Laptop computer with built-in webcam and speakers, a 2.5 GHz processor, and 4 GB of RAM OR
Tablet device with built-in webcam and speakers, OR
Smartphone with at least iOS 11 or Android 7.0
For smartphones, download Telehealth by SimplePractice - available for iOS or Android

AND

Internet connection that is at least 10mbps. For optimal results, a reliable, high-speed internet connection with a bandwidth of at least 10 mbps will minimize connection issues and provide the best quality.

Note: I recommend using the SimplePractice Internet Connection Test to check your WiFi strength prior to the start of your first appointment.

Identify a suitable room that is quiet, private, and free of distractions.
To keep background noise to a minimum, make sure to close any doors, shut windows, turn off the television, and keep loud pets in another room if possible. Consider hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door to avoid interruptions.
Notify household members, including children, that you are going into a meeting and to not disturb you unless it is an emergency.

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