What to Expect
I will contact you within 24 hours of your initial phone call or email.
I do not answer the phone while I am in session, so if you do not reach me, please leave your name
and a number where I can reach you.
If there is a better time of day to contact you, feel free to tell me so I can call when it is best.
During our call I will ask you some questions about what is going on and what you need. If we decide
to proceed, I will set up an appointment for our first online therapy session. I will email you the link
to the HIPAA-compliant platform I use. If you are comfortable with using Facetime or Skype, it is very similar. You can use your computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone, whatever is most comfortable to you.
I will use my computer in my office, so you will know you always have my full attention.
Forms
Once we agree to meet and set an appointment, I will email you a link to a HIPAA-compliant website where you will have access to the forms I need.
These include a Demographics form with your name, address, reason for seeking therapy, etc.,
a Consent to Treat form, a Consent to Telehealth form, my Practice Policies, and some assessments
if needed.
I cannot provide any therapy without these forms completed, signed, and submitted to me.
I would be breaking the law if I did. All these forms need to be completed 24 hours prior to our first session. I will provide you at least one week to complete them, please don’t wait until the last minute. You don’t have to do it all in one sitting. I have the right to cancel our session if they are not completed and submitted.
Insurance
I do not work with or accept insurance for several reasons. First, I believe therapy should be about
the client, and it is my duty to provide services you need based on my professional judgement. This may mean our sessions are more frequent than one 50 minute session per week, or perhaps our session will be longer than 50 minutes. I dislike having to cut a session short when we are in the middle of intense work to try to pick up where we left the next week.
Since I do not take insurance, I have fewer clients and can focus on you without rushing because
there is another client waiting in the wings.
Telehealth is still considered “new” and many insurance companies do not cover it. Last, insurance requires a diagnosis, and sometimes a diagnosis isn’t what you need. If you come to me with low
self-esteem, want to address parenting issues, or just have someone to listen and validate your experience without judgement, I don’t believe a diagnosis that will become part of your medical files
is helpful.
If you want to use your insurance, I will gladly provide you with a Superbill at the end of each month
that you can submit to your insurance company for Out of Network reimbursement. You may need
to check to make sure they cover telehealth.
Cancellation Policy
If you have to cancel, I require 24 hours notice in order for you to avoid being charged for the session time. I reserve your time slot specifically for you, so if you can’t make it, call and we can reschedule
for another time or day of that week.
Payment
I accept most major credit cards and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and collect payment through
Ivy Pay. Prior to our first session I will send you a text to access Ivy Pay, a HIPPA-compliant payment platform. You will be prompted to put in your payment information. Like the rest of my forms, this needs to be completed 24 hours before our first session. I will not have access to your card information.
Ivy Pay will collect your payment at the time of session.