Who will answer my phone or email message?

I will personally respond to your message.

What will my first appointment consist of ?

The purpose of this appointment is to ensure that we are a “good fit” together.  I will listen to what brings you to the appointment, gather relevant details about the context within which you are situated, and then together, we will decide how to move forward.

How long will I need to be in therapy?

The length of your work with me depends on the issues and life circumstances  that you need to address. It is worth noting that some clients report feeling better after a few sessions.

What is the typical waiting period for a new client?

It is my policy to make every effort to make room for a client who is a good match, and to never take on a client who is not a good match. I do not maintain a waiting list.

What are the areas of specialty that are out of your expertise?

I do not have the training to work with clients  who are actively suicidal, at risk for self-harm, clients with Eating Disorders, clients who are being sexually abused, clients in a situation of active domestic violence, clients who are actively violent, clients who are abusing a substance, or clients with active psychosis.

What services do you NOT provide?

This practice DOES NOT provide emergency crisis services.  In such an emergency, please contact your local E.R.

This practice also DOES NOT provide substance abuse counseling.

What insurances do you take?

This practice does not bill insurance companies directly.  I do provide itemized receipts that can be submitted as claims to your insurance company. Regardless of your insurance plan, you should always ask your insurance company what mental health benefits your plan allows for.

Why do you not bill insurance companies directly?

There are several reasons for this choice

• Insurance companies can, and often do, make drastic changes to the payment policies of their plans and to the process for reimbursement.  These changes seem to be designed in the best interests of the insurance companies, and not in the clients/members’ clinical best interest.

• Insurance companies require a psychiatric diagnosis.  Not all the reasons for coming to see a psychologist require you to be labeled with a psychiatric diagnosis. There may be situational issues that a family is facing, developmental phases that a child is going through, or personal growth challenges that a woman needs to confront.  Many of these issues may not require labeling with a psychiatric diagnosis.

• The diagnosis given to you is not just a part of your permanent record, it is also used to determine how many sessions will be allowed.  Such an approach does not fit in with my philosophy, though I respect the amount of work and diligence that goes into creating a system like this. My practice will always determine the parameters of our work together based upon our collaborative agreement; it is worth noting that many clients change their minds about how they wish to use their sessions after they learn more about themselves and their situation.

This practice sincerely regrets any inconvenience and hardship caused by these policies. I have arrived at the above policies after many years of experience. These are the only ways in which I can be ethical, and create the conditions within which I can deliver the best results. This is an intentionally small practice that provides deeply personal, thoughtful care.

Where desired, I will work with you to facilitate reimbursement.

What is your policy regarding confidentiality?

Confidentiality is a strict guideline in the practice of psychology protected by state law and by the rules of my profession. All information concerning patients is held confidential and is released only through procedures consistent with the law and professional ethics. We cannot even acknowledge that a person is our client outside of certain specific situations:
•    The client has signed a written release or provided a good faith verbal release to speak with a specific person
•    An emergency that requires breaking confidentiality
•    There is an incident of child abuse
•    The client is a danger to themselves
•    The client is a danger to someone else
Outside these exceptions, we uphold a client’s confidentiality.