What is your availability?

I am available for sessions and consultations every single day of the week, Monday through Sunday, from as early as 5 AM until 3 PM at the latest, meaning that my final session of the day is ending by 3 PM.

Do you offer free consultations?

I offer free 15-minute phone consultations so that clients and I can assess needs, address questions of compatibility, and determine the appropriate level of care. Some examples of frequently covered topics in consultations include therapeutic style/modalities, availability, and relevant mental health history as well as clients’ immediate goals.

Consultations can either be scheduled through my profile on Alma or they can be scheduled via text message at my phone number: 267-277-7676. I offer consultations at any time during my working hours.

Do you offer in-person services?

I do not offer in-person services. Only audio/visual services are available. I use a HIPAA-compliant, highly user-friendly platform called Doxy, similar to Zoom but geared towards healthcare. You will receive an email with a Doxy link prior to each session.

Can you prescribe medication?

I cannot under any circumstances prescribe medications. I am not a medical doctor or nurse.

How long will it be before I see results from the therapy?

This depends on the person, symptom severity, and frequency of therapy. Some people benefit greatly from a very short-term, solution-focused set of sessions and are functional again after 2-5 sessions. Other people may require months or years. Typically, people notice improvement in their condition within 1-3 months and meet their goals within 6-9 months.

Do you work with children?

I work only with people who are 18 and older. This kind of specialization allows me to maximize the effectiveness of my skills and techniques by focusing on mental health issues germane to adults. 

How do we get started?

The first session after a consultation or scheduling is an intake in which a biopsychosocial history is taken from the client to wholly assess client needs, goals, and the clinical direction of the therapeutic process. Prior to this intake, it is necessary that consent forms, payment information, and insurance information all be completed on the platform through which the session was scheduled. These forms are either emailed to you during scheduling or after the consultation. Check your spam if you believe they were already sent to you but cannot locate them. After the intake, our regular sessions will be 40-55-minute-long, depending on the situation.

Which platforms do you use and how should I choose one?

I use Alma, Grow Therapy, and Headway. These platforms manage clinical documentation, insurance processing, scheduling, referrals, and limited assessments. They represent many in-network therapists each of whom works independently. They are comparable in terms of functionality but may offer different selections of therapists or other services like medication-management through a psychiatric prescriber. None of these platforms offer emergency or comprehensive crisis services and neither do I.

The best platform to utilize will depend on a client’s state of residence and the insurance that person is using; while there is some overlap between these platforms, some accept plans that others do not. Moreover, they do not all operate in the same states. If you are struggling to identify the best platform for you, contact me personally and I can offer suggestions based upon your needs.

How do I pay for your services?

The platforms on which I work process insurance, payment, and scheduling. It is important to have a valid credit or debit card on file for copay or coinsurance charges. HSA and FSA cards can be used for reimbursement of services, but they cannot be used on the platforms because no-show/late cancellation/reschedule charges cannot be issued to them legally. Cards will be charged within 2-3 days of the submitted invoice. The platforms will test cards for validity on occasion and will email clients when the card is found to be invalid; some of these platforms will even preemptively cancel appointments in that case or in the case of unpaid balances.

What if I’m paying out of pocket?

If you are paying out of pocket, you can still utilize HSA and FSA plans to reimburse your costs. Further, paying out of pocket increases your privacy and flexibility as you will not be tied down by insurance policies.

However, paying out of pocket means you cannot pay down your deductible, unless you have an insurance plan that specifically allows you to seek out your own therapist and submit invoices for reimbursement personally. Keep in mind that if you are not submitting insurance claims through the platforms I use, any alternative submissions for reimbursement will have to be done by you personally.  

What is the difference between therapy and life coaching?

Generally speaking, therapy is for addressing mental or behavioral health issues, while life coaching is a broader and less specialized set of practices that focus on the attainment of life goals.

For example, mental and behavioral health issues could include unmanaged anxiety, depression, or behaviors that are impairing a person’s relationships or work performance, causing significant personal distress, and decreasing functionality. Meanwhile, a person is better suited for life coaching if they want to better actualize specific career goals but are not experiencing any mental distress or behavioral dysfunction.

Life coaching is not regulated at the state or national level and not covered by insurance. As a result, life-coaching services can be offered to a client regardless of that person’s or the therapist’s location. Payment for life coaching can be made via services like Zelle or Venmo.

What is your No show/Late cancellation policy?

Most therapists and therapy platforms expect cancellations/rescheduled sessions to occur at least 24 hours in advance. However, my policy is more flexible, and I allow clients to cancel or reschedule sessions up to midnight the night prior to their session. For example, if a client has a session scheduled for 8 AM tomorrow, he or she has until midnight tonight to cancel or reschedule without penalty.

Should a client need to cancel/reschedule on the day of their appointment, he or she can do so free of charge if that person had a medical emergency. However, if a client cancels/reschedules or no-shows to an appointment on the scheduled day due to organizational failures or non-emergency circumstances, a fee of $105-$110 will be charged, depending on the platform. 

My employer offers an EAP for mental health services. Do you accept it?

EAPs are employer provided coverage for a limited number of therapy sessions. These sessions must be around 45 minutes. To make use of an EAP, you’d need to confirm the EAP code, number of sessions permitted, and start/end dates of coverage. Typically, your HR department or supervisor would have this information.

I only take EAPs on Alma for Aetna, Cigna, and United/Optum Healthcare plans. If you are using a United/Optum EAP, you or I can input the necessary information ourselves. However, Aetna and Cigna EAPs must be input by Alma’s staff which can be requested via email at support@helloalma.com. 

Will I be expected to cover any therapy costs if I have insurance?

If a platform like Grow Therapy, Headway, or Alma clears your insurance, that means the therapists, including myself, on that platform are in network for you. However, depending on your plan, you may still have a deductible, copay, or coinsurance payment.

Copays and coinsurance payments are typically under a hundred dollars, ranging from $5 to upwards of $80 per session. Some deductibles, all depending on your specific plan, will need to be paid down before you get the benefit of a copay or coinsurance payment. This will be the case with ANY in-network therapy provider for your plan and is not specific to these platforms.

For example, your deductible on Grow will be the same as it is on Alma or Headway, just as your copay would be. It does not change based upon in-network provider. Deductibles often require payments of approximately $120-$150 per session until they are met fully. HSA and FSA cards can be used to fully reimburse therapy sessions. Keep in mind that deductibles reset each year.