Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated Nov 31, 2024
Payment
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All individual therapy appointments are 55 minutes at $225/session.
*Although our clients pay out of pocket, many of them reduce their overall costs by using their existing out-of-network insurance benefits. Please visit our Insurance page for more details.
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We do not currently work with insurance companies, but we do provide resources for clients with existing health insurance to identify and maximize their out-of-network benefits.
Benefits Checker Tool
Through our partner Mentaya, we provide our clients access to an instant benefits checker, an online tool allowing you to instantly check your out-of-network insurance benefits from right here on our site.
Here’s how it works:
Open the benefits checker tool. CLICK HERE
Enter your Name, Date of Birth, Insurance Company, and Member ID of your insurance plan
Click the “Check Benefits” button.
That’s it! After submitting your info, the benefits checker tool will instantly display your out-of-network deductible, how long it may take to meet your deductible, and the percentage of reimbursement your insurance plan will cover for out-of-network therapy once your deductible has been met.
Automated Claim Submission
Our partnership with Mentaya also provides our clients access to automated claims submission, simplifying the process of receiving reimbursement for out-of-network therapy services.
Here’s how it works:
Verify your benefits using the benefits checker tool.
Set up an account with Mentaya HERE.
After your appointments, your therapist verifies the session with Mentaya.
Mentaya automatically submits your claim to your insurance.
You get reimbursed after the claim is accepted.
That’s it! Mentaya auto-submits your claim after been its verified, then handles all communications with your insurance company until you receive reimbursement. This eliminates the need for you to contact your insurance company and/or follow up on the status of your claims.
In the rare case your out-of-network claim is initially rejected, Mentaya’s team will re-submit the claim, follow up with your insurer, and do everything they can to ensure you receive reimbursement. On average, clients who use Mentaya receive 62% back on therapy services, with up to 80% back in some cases, depending on your out-of-network benefits.
In even rarer cases, when all attempts to submit a claim are rejected, Mentaya will fully refund the processing fee for that claim. submission.
Please note, for each claim submitted, Mentaya charges 5% of our appointment fee for their services. Since our full session fee is $225, clients who opt to use Mentaya’s Auto Claims Submission pay $11.25 per claim submitted
Monthly Superbill
If you prefer to submit out-of-network claims on your own, we can provide a monthly superbill detailing the services you received from our practice, which you can then submit to your insurance company yourself. Our staff does not currently communicate directly with insurance companies, hence our partnership with Mentaya.
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We accept all major debit and credit cards (VISA, Discover, AMEX, Mastercard).
Payment is due at the time of service.
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We do not currently offer a sliding scale option for our clients.
To make sessions more affordable, current and prospective clients may consider the following:
Out-of-Network Benefits
If you have existing health insurance, do not assume you cannot use your benefits for therapy with an “out-of-network” provider! Many health insurance plans have out-of-network benefits, allowing clients to receive reimbursement for therapy services with providers who are not contracted with their insurance company.
To learn more about how you can identify and potentially use your out-of-network benefits to reduce the costs of therapy at our practice, please visit our Insurance page.
Reducing meeting frequency
Instead of meeting weekly, some clients opt to meet 3x/month or 2x/month (biweekly) to reduce costs.
To create and maintain therapeutic progress, we do not recommend decreasing meeting frequency below a biweekly schedule. Exceptions are made for clients considered to be in the “later stages” of their therapeutic process with our practice.
Sessions & Scheduling
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Individual therapy sessions typically last between 50-55 minutes.
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While consistent attendance ensures the best results, we know life happens. If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please contact us as early as possible. We will do our best to work with you.
If you cancel or reschedule your appointment with less than 24 hour notice, or fail to attend a scheduled appointment (i.e. no show), you will be automatically charged the full session fee of $225.
Clients who show up 15 or more minutes late will be considered a “no show” and charged the full session fee of $225.
Please note, cancellation fees are not covered by insurance.
Additionally, clients with two consecutive no shows OR three or more *unexpected cancellations overall risk losing their place on our caseload.
*Unexpected cancellation: Any cancellation with less than 24 hours until your scheduled appointment.
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Here are some things to expect during a session with us.
Conversational
Our goal is to get to know you, learn about your life experiences from your perspective, provide our insights and professional opinions, then work together toward creating a plan for your growth. We do all of this by having back and forth conversations. We value open, honest dialogue and always treat our clients with the utmost empathy and respect.
Collaborative
In our experience, most clients enter therapy with specific ideas about their issues, personal growth areas, and goals for therapy. After a few sessions, your therapist may also begin recognizing potential growth areas and provide suggestions for addressing them. Throughout the process, you’ll work together to determine what is best, and most effective, at helping you reach your goals.
Adaptive
Let us know how best to communicate with you. Our sessions are highly adaptive to client needs and preferences.
To learn more about our approach, visit our About page.
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Clinical mental health therapy services can only be provided in states the therapist is licensed and in good standing. Currently, we hold clinical therapy licenses in Illinois and Georgia.
All adult residents located in IL and GA may seek individual therapy services with our practice. Due to legal and ethical restrictions, we cannot provide services to anyone located in states we are not currently licensed.
*Individual therapy to residents of GA scheduled to resume in January 2025. Please contact us for more details.
Confidentiality
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Our individual therapy sessions are completely confidential. All patient records are housed on secure, HIPPA-compliant servers through our practice management software, MyBestPractice.
All online video sessions are conducted via secure, HIPPA compliant video conferencing software built into our client portal through MyBestPractice.
Only in the following cases, for the safety of yourself, others, and legal purposes, would your therapist ever consider breaking confidentiality
Imminent threats of harm to self or others.
Mandated reporting, which legally requires licensed therapists to report the suspected abuse or maltreatment of children and/or other vulnerable populations to authorities.
Court mandates and subpoenas.
*For confidentiality purposes, our practice management software, MyBestPractice, does not send telehealth links to clients until 15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment. If your session time is approaching and you have not yet received a telehealth link to the email we on record, a scheduling error has likely occurred. We recommend contacting us directly through your Client Portal Messaging feature to let us know.
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All of Mentaya’s tools and services are HIPPA-compliant and completely confidential. To learn more about Mentaya’s Privacy Policies, visit their website HERE.
Out-of-Network Insurance FAQ
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If your insurance plan offers out-of-network benefits, it means they will cover a portion of the cost when you see a therapist who doesn't have a direct contract with your insurance company.
Although our practice doesn’t have contracts with insurance providers, you may still be able to save money and drastically reduce your therapy costs by using your out-of-network benefits.
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Unlike in-network providers, who bill your insurance company directly, with out-of-network therapists, you typically pay for the session upfront and then submit a claim to your insurance for reimbursement.
Insurance companies often reimburse a percentage of the therapist's fee, usually after you meet an out-of-network deductible.
For example, after you meet a $1,000 deductible, your insurance may begin reimbursing 50-80% of session costs.
While our clients pay the full session fee upfront, many use their out-of-network benefits to lower costs over time.
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With a 50-80% reimbursement rate at our full session fee of $225, the overall cost of therapy reduces to an average of $45.00-$112.50 per appointment over time.
Mentaya helps people recover an average of 62% of their money through reimbursement, reducing the overall cost of therapy to an average of $85.50 per appointment over time.
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Out-of-network healthcare benefits give you the flexibility to choose a therapist based on your needs and preferences, not just those in-network. This greatly expands your level of access to mental health services while ensuring they remain affordable.