Cost of Services and Insurance

Psychotherapy is an investment in yourself. Deciding to seek the help of a professional signifies that you are placing value and importance upon yourself and your mental and emotional well being. It is a commitment of time, trust, money, and effort that you are making to resolve your issues and to become a better version of yourself. It is important that you choose a professional who is a good match for you. Ideally, your therapist should have the qualifications, the motivation, the time, expertise, and the energy to devote to being at their absolute best when they work with you.

Lifetime Counseling and Consulting® is a fee for service practice. Fees for psychotherapy reflect my experience and specialization, and accounts for work that I must complete outside of sessions in order to provide the best quality care for my clients. If you have any questions about fees, please do not hesitate to ask. It is important that we are able to discuss the cost of services and financial matters openly, and to plan your treatment within your financial means. Please note, I am not contracted with any insurance providers, and thus I am considered an out of network mental health specialist. You will need to contact your insurance to discuss your mental health coverage and benefits. Please be sure to inquire about both in-network and out of network mental health coverage.

Helpful tips and suggestions to discuss with your insurance company include: 

1) whether your insurance covers services for out of network mental health providers

2) out of network deductibles and out of pocket maximums for mental health services

3) how much of the deductible must be met in order for insurance to reimburse you

4) if there is a visit limit on psychotherapy sessions per calendar year

5) if your insurance will cover a 45 minute versus a 60 minute visit and if either requires an prior authorization

6) if there are any exclusions to mental health coverage.

If there are any additional questions to ask about insurance, please be sure to ask, so that we can work together to plan your treatment accordingly.

There are advantages and disadvantages to seeing a mental health provider that is out of network. As a consumer of mental health services, you must weigh your options and figure out what works best for you.

The advantages of selecting a provider that is out of network:

1) Records are kept confidential. No information or diagnosis is relayed to a third party (unless it is requested by you)

2) You decide how often and how long you want to stay in treatment.

3) Treatment is catered to your issues, not dictated or managed by a third party.

4) Providers such as myself, that have extensive training, and specialize in treating specific diagnosis or using specific types of treatments do not accept insurance.

The advantages of selecting a therapist in network with your insurance are:

1) cost is cheaper, typically you have to pay less out of pocket expenses

2) provider does all of the billing and communication with your insurance

There are disadvantages of selecting a provider that is in network with your insurance that include:

1) treatment and diagnosis is restricted by insurance. Thus, your therapist can typically only treat and diagnose what insurance covers.

2) When you are treated by a provider under your insurance, your provider is legally required to give a diagnosis which becomes a part of your record. This may be an issue when applying for life insurance or other benefits.

3) Insurance companies often have various exclusions or limitations on what they will cover. For example, most insurance companies exclude coverage for a primary diagnosis of personality disorder.

4) Provider’s that are in network, generally do not treat complex disorders. Thus, if you are looking for someone who specializes in treatment of a specific order, or uses a specific therapeutic style (such as DBT), they most likely do not accept insurance.

5) When therapy is covered by your insurance, your insurance company dictates your treatment. This requires that your provider gives your insurance company access to your records so that your insurance company can determine what treatment they deem is “medically necessary.” Your records may be viewed by several insurance officials.

6) Your insurance determines the number of sessions that you can have. So even if you are paying for benefits throughout the year, your insurance company can decide that you have reached the maximum benefit of treatment, and thus stop paying for counseling at anytime.

Therapy Services & Fees*
New clients, or returning clients who have been absent from treatment for a period of  6 months or more, receive an initial evaluation prior to beginning treatment. The initial consultationlasts at least 60 minutes, and can sometimes last longer when necessary. The fee for the initial evaluation is higher to account for additional time that must be spent on completing an initial assessment,  which includes gathering your background information and history. Also part of the initial assessment includes creating a treatment plan and reviewing that in the session with you. Typical psychotherapy treatment sessions last 45-60 minutes.

If you will be utilizing your health insurance to pay for treatment through your out of network benefits, your reimbursement fee will likely be lower than the full fee. Please check with your insurance carrier for more information on your out of network deductibles and reimbursement. I can provide a receipt upon request so that you can submit claims to your insurance company accordingly.
– Psychotherapy for Individuals-45 min: $275

– Group therapy 90 min: $175

*Phone counseling is available

*Telehealth Services provided

**Please note that payment of fees is due at the time of services by cash, check, or debit/credit card.

**Please note that for any checks that are returned or bounced, there is an additional $37.00 fee.

*Please also note that if you must cancel an appointment, it must be done so 48 hours prior. Any appointments that are not canceled or rescheduled 48 hours prior to the original appointment time will be billed for at the full rate. A valid credit card must be kept on file in order to charge for missed appointments.