FAQ

It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can be hard to talk about feelings out loud. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Going to therapy and doing the work is not easy. It may take courage to take those steps. You reading this now shows that you are already stepping in the right direction. 

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on, including feeling anxious. I’m committed to finding a way to ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible. 

Take your time to read through my website. You can email me if you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading. 

During the free consultation, you can ask me questions about my approach, what a typical session with me is like, or any other specific questions you may have. You’ll also be able to discuss what’s on your mind, and we can decide how I can help.

The first sessions are like an experiment to see how things go. During these sessions, you’ll be able to start seeing what it’s like. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

It’s normal if you don’t feel ready to share everything. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel prepared to talk about something or not. I’ll guide you toward discovering what feels comfortable for you to share. Working with pace, we can look at the tough stuff if you’re ready.

You can also tell me that you are nervous to open up about something, and we can talk about that, too. Your feelings are welcome, as are your feelings about how you feel. I’m here to help you with whatever is going on for you.

If you open up to me, I will not think you are crazy; I will think you are courageous and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy). 

Through my own life journey and working with my clients, I know how ‘normal’ your experience is. 

I believe you. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you. 

I know nobody’s perfect; many of us are overwhelmed, and we all struggle. 

Whatever you’re going through, I provide a comfortable space to listen to you and give you my full support.

It can be concerning to feel like things you say or do in therapy could “get out.” So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential

Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance.

You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.

If you have specific questions about confidentiality, you can ask during your free consultation or anytime during our work together.

You might be asking how long therapy will take because treatment is hard to fit into your busy schedule. 

If this is true for you, I want you to know that, on average, my new clients start seeing progress after the first few sessions. 

By that point, they feel they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives better.

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 6-12 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. At the same time, other clients feel more supported by longer-term therapy.

We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a free-flowing conversation through which we start getting to know each other. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself, and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy? 
• What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy? 
• What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?

You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my training or what sessions will be like. 

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel calm, heard, and cared for with me, we can discuss if you want to meet again.

I am considered an “out of network” provider and do not accept direct payments from insurance companies, Medicare, or Medicaid. You may contact your insurance provider to learn more about the expected reimbursement. Alternatively, you can access Reimbursify to find out how much of our fee would be reimbursed; you can use this link or call 703-810-0321.

If you would still like to work with your insurance, your insurance may provide some reimbursement. To help, you will have free access to Reimbursify to file out-of-network claims with your insurance,or I can provide a monthly superbill that you may submit to your insurance to get reimbursed for your sessions.

To find out what your insurance may cover, contact your insurance and ask if you have out-of-network mental health coverage. 

Some things you may want to ask about are:

• Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?

• How much are my out-of-network benefits for psychotherapy provided by a psychologist for 90834 (CPT code for a 50-minute individual session) and 90837 (CPT code for a 60-minute individual session)?
• What is your out-of-network deductible?
• Have I met my out-of-network deductible?
• What will my co-insurance payment be?
• How many visits do I get per year?
• Do I need pre-authorization for visits?
• How do I submit a superbill?

To cancel a scheduled Therapy session, a minimum of 24 hours before your session is required. If prior and timely notification is not given, you will be charged the full session fee for the missed session.

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services.
• You request that I give you a Good Faith Estimate. An estimate of out-of-pocket service costs is available upon request.
• If you receive a bill that is $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• It’s recommended that you save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate for your records.