Getting started
No surprises about money, scheduling or what happens first.
Starting therapy is hard enough without a fee structure you have to decode. Everything you'd otherwise have to ask about is on this page.
The sequence
From first phone call to first session.
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STEP 01
Reach out
Call, or send the form on the contact page. I return messages within one business day.
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STEP 02
Free 15-minute call
You describe what's going on. I ask a few questions and tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit.
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STEP 03
Paperwork
Consent forms, privacy notice and insurance details, sent to you ahead of time so the first session isn't spent on admin.
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STEP 04
First session
Fifty minutes, in the office or remote. By the end we'll have named what we're working on.
Fees
What sessions cost.
- Consultation
- Free — 15 minutes By phone. No obligation, no card details, no intake paperwork.
- First session
- $200 — diagnostic assessment The first appointment is a full assessment rather than an ordinary session, and is billed at a different rate. A substance use evaluation is $250. Everything after this is the standard session fee below.
- Individual session
- $150 — 50 to 60 minutes The same rate in the office or by telehealth.
- Couples or family session
- $175 — 60 minutes Longer sessions can be arranged when the work calls for it.
- Sliding scale
- Available A limited number of reduced-fee slots are held open. Ask on the consultation call. It's an ordinary conversation, it doesn't require documentation of your finances, and it changes nothing about how I work with you.
- Payment
- Cash, check, credit card or HSA Payment is due in full at the time of the session unless we've arranged otherwise beforehand.
Insurance
Plans I'm in network with.
Networks change more often than anyone would like. Treat this as a starting point and confirm with your insurer — or call me and I'll help you check.
- Independence Blue Cross
- Highmark
- BlueCross BlueShield
- Anthem
- Cigna / Evernorth
- UnitedHealthcare
- Optum
- Carelon Behavioral Health
- Quest Behavioral Health
- WellSpan
- Out-of-network
If I'm out of network for you
Many plans reimburse a meaningful share of an out-of-network therapy session. I'll give you a monthly superbill with everything your insurer needs, and you submit it for reimbursement directly.
Worth asking your plan two specific questions: what is my out-of-network outpatient mental health benefit? and what is my deductible and how much of it have I met? Those two answers tell you almost everything.
Good Faith Estimate
Under the federal No Surprises Act, if you are uninsured or choose not to use insurance you have the right to a written estimate of what your care will cost before it begins. I provide one automatically. If a final bill ends up at least $400 above the estimate, you may dispute it. Ask me for details, or see cms.gov/nosurprises.
Policies
Scheduling, cancellations and privacy.
- Cancellations
- 24 hours' notice · $75 fee Sessions cancelled with less than a day's notice, or missed, are charged a $75 fee — insurance doesn't reimburse missed appointments. If you couldn't attend for reasons outside your control, tell me and we'll sort it out.
- Frequency
- Usually weekly to begin with Moving to fortnightly as things steady. Some people taper to monthly check-ins rather than stopping outright. You're not locked into a package.
- Between sessions
- Messages returned within one business day This practice does not provide emergency or after-hours crisis coverage. If you need someone immediately, use the crisis numbers at the foot of this page.
- Privacy
- Confidential, with the standard legal exceptions Risk of serious harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, and a valid court order. The full Notice of Privacy Practices is below, and you'll receive a copy in writing before your first session.
Paperwork
The forms, before you sign them.
Everything you'll be asked to read or complete, here so you can go through it in your own time rather than in a waiting room. Nothing needs to be done before your free consultation call — this is for after you've decided to book.
- Brief Client Self-Assessment The one form to actually complete before we meet. It asks what brings you to therapy, your history, and how things are right now, so the first session isn't spent gathering basics. Answer only what you're comfortable sharing — you can skip any section, and nothing here needs detail about difficult experiences.
- Client–Counselor Service Agreement Consent for treatment. Covers the goals and risks of counseling, appointments and cancellations, the limits of confidentiality, how records are kept, and the full fee schedule.
- Notice of Privacy Practices How your protected health information may be used and disclosed under HIPAA and the NASW Code of Ethics, your rights over your own record, and how to make a complaint.
- Informed Consent for Telehealth Only needed if we'll be meeting by phone or video. Covers the benefits and risks of remote sessions, what happens if the connection drops, and the emergency plan.
- Receipt and Acknowledgment of Notice A short signature page confirming you received the Notice of Privacy Practices.
How to get these back to me — not by email
Ordinary email is not a secure way to send health information, and the self-assessment in particular asks about things you would not want sitting in an inbox. Bring the completed forms to your first appointment, or tell me and I'll arrange a secure way for you to send them.
Insurance and payment details are handled separately at that first appointment, not online. And nothing you send is read as it arrives — if something is urgent, please call. If you are in danger right now, use the crisis numbers at the foot of this page.
Questions
What people ask before they book.
I've never done therapy before. What actually happens?
You sit down, and I ask what brought you in. There's no technique you need to know beforehand and no right way to answer. The first session is mostly me listening and asking questions, and by the end we'll have a rough sense of what we're working on. You are allowed to say "I don't know" as often as you need to.
How long does this take?
Honestly, it depends on what you came in for. Something specific and recent — a panic problem, a bereavement, a work crisis — often settles in eight to twelve sessions. Long-standing trauma or addiction usually takes longer. We set concrete goals early so you can tell whether it's working rather than having to trust me on it.
Do you prescribe medication?
No — Licensed Clinical Social Workers don't prescribe. If medication looks worth considering, I'll say so and coordinate with your primary care physician, or refer you to a psychiatrist and work alongside them. Plenty of my clients do both.
My teenager doesn't want to come. Should I make them?
Call me first and we'll talk it through. Dragging a teenager in rarely works, but a resistant teenager isn't a lost cause either — a lot depends on how the first session is set up and what they're told about privacy. Sometimes the most useful first appointment is with the parents alone.
Will my employer or my family find out?
Not from me. Therapy records are confidential and are not shared with employers. If you use insurance, your insurer receives a diagnosis and dates of service for billing — nothing about the content of sessions. If that concerns you, paying privately avoids it entirely, and we can talk about it on the consultation call.
I'm not sure I'm bad enough to need therapy.
Most of the people I see say some version of that. There is no threshold you have to cross first. If something is taking up more of your life than you want it to, that's reason enough. And if after fifteen minutes on the phone I think you'd do better with a different kind of support, I'll tell you.
Do you see people outside Pennsylvania?
Telehealth is limited by where you are physically located during the session, not where you live on paper. My Pennsylvania licence covers clients in Pennsylvania. If you're elsewhere, ask me — licensure varies by state and it's worth a direct answer rather than a guess.
What if we're not a good fit?
Say so. It happens, it isn't an insult, and a mismatch is worth catching early rather than enduring for six months. I'd rather refer you to someone better suited than keep an appointment slot filled.
Next step
Still have a question that isn't here?
Ask it on the free call. That's what it's for.