Expectations for the First Session

Getting to Know you

Therapy works through the relationship between the therapist and client. Because of this, you need to feel like you click with me, and I need to feel the same about you. This means that we both need to ask questions and feel each other out. If we do fit, we set a regular time to meet, and begin the journey! 

So that you know, we both have the right to decide after the first consultation that something just didn’t mesh. If that happens, there are no hard feelings, we simply do not continue with each other. Remember, even in those cases, your mental and emotional health are still important to me, and I am committed to using all of my resources to help you find a few options that may be a better fit.

Questions

Our time will start with you sitting down and talking a little bit about what’s going on. Then I’m going to ask you a few questions to get a finer understanding of what your concerns and reasons for coming into therapy are. This often requires giving a little history of the issue, your family, and your current situation, etc.

Remember that the questions aren’t one-sided, so feel free come with a few questions of your own. These can be anything that might make you feel little more comfortable.

Pricing

Many people want to know how much therapy is going to cost. My fee is $250 per 50-minute session for individual therapy. However, I do offer a sliding scale based on availability and for those in financial need. I also offer group therapy, classes, workshops and seminars for a reduced rate. Contact me for more information about availability and pricing for any of these alternatives to individual therapy.

Insurance

Alternatively, I’m often asked about insurance. I am currently an in-network provider for Aetna Insurance. If you use Aetna, please let me know right away during the intake call, as these slots are limited. You’ll need to bring your insurance card and it is good to call your insurance prior to know the ins-and-outs of your deductible and co-pay.

If you don’t have Aetna, I also am able to offer a superbill for you to provide to your insurance. If you are unfamiliar with a “superbill” it is like a receipt that you can submit to your insurance. It works like this, you attend the session and pay for it up front. In turn, I provide you with a superbill as proof that you attended and paid for it. You submit that to your insurance and they reimburse you at your out-of-network reimbursement rate. It’s worth the phone call to find out what this, often they will reimburse somewhere between 50-70% of the total cost.