What is your rate?
My rate is $140 for a 50-minute session.
Do you accept insurance?
In my experience, working with insurance companies is detrimental in the long term for counseling patients for three main reasons:
1. Time constraints required to fill out complex paperwork require hiring additional staff, which drives up session rates.
2. Submitting insurance paperwork may lead to a breach of client confidentiality regarding diagnosis, progress reports and treatment plans. These become part of your permanent record and may be used by insurance companies to justify rate increases.
3. Accepting insurance would still require a co-pay for approximately 50% of the session rate.
However, often times insurance will still cover some or all of your expenses. As an out-of-network provider for many insurance companies, you may need to meet a deductible that is set by your insurance plan, after which you may be reimbursed for up to 80% of your investment. If your employer offers a Flexible Savings Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA), you are also eligible to receive reimbursement at a pre-tax rate of 100% for up to 20 sessions.
All that is required to receive reimbursement is a bill from me with the necessary details. This method seems to work for a majority of clients, and is often less expensive in the long run.
I recommend you first contact your insurance company to learn:
- If you have out of network coverage for mental health benefits
- Your deductible amount
- Your reimbursement rate
- How many sessions per calendar year your plan covers
- The limitation on how much your provider will pay per session
- If approval from your primary care physician is required
What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, Venmo, Apple Pay, personal check or credit card, with payment due at the time of service.
where are you located?
My primary office is located at 407 Tulip Street, Liverpool, NY - a five minute drive from the City of Syracuse. There is ample on-street parking in a well lit area. The office can be accessed via Cafe at 407, or through the rear private entrance located on the left side of the building with an ADA ramp.
Is counseling confidential?
In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a psychotherapist. Information is not disclosed without written permission. However, there are a number of exceptions to the rule, including but not limited to:
1. If a child, elderly or disabled person is being abused, I would be required to file a report with the appropriate state agency.
2. If an individual in counseling threatened serious bodily harm to another person, I would be required to notify the potential victim and/or contact the police department.
3. If an individual in counseling threatened to harm themself, I would be obligated to seek hospitalization or to contact a family member or another individual who could provide protection.
4. A court ordered subpoena might require me to release information contained in records or require me to testify in a court hearing.