Medical Insurance:

I do not participate directly in any insurance plans.  Please note that I am licensed only in the state of Maryland, so I can’t legally offer psychotherapy to anyone who is located outside the state of Maryland.  If you are located in Maryland and choose to do psychotherapy with me, you will receive an invoice after each session containing the amount paid and codes required by insurance companies for out-of-network reimbursement.  You may then submit your invoices directly to your insurance company, along with any form that your insurance company requires for reimbursement.  Insurance companies vary in the extent to which they will reimburse teletherapy visits.  They also vary in the extent to which they will reimburse out-of-network services.  If you plan to submit your invoices for reimbursement, I recommend contacting your insurance company prior to scheduling treatment with me to find out how much reimbursement you are likely to receive.  Most insurance companies will not reimburse more than one hour of psychotherapy (billing code 90837) per day.  If you were to work with me for at least 3 hours per day and at least 3 days per week, our work together would qualify as intensive outpatient treatment (per diem billing codes S9480/0905), which might get you better reimbursement.  If your insurance company offers poor out-of-network reimbursement, you could inquire whether they could offer you in-network reimbursement based on the fact that the sort of services I provide (personalized intensive specialty treatment for anxiety) are not available in-network.  I would be happy to complete any forms or write any letters they might require of me to make this case.

Medicare:

I have opted out of Medicare.  You can still work with me if you have Medicare insurance; however, I will ask you to sign a private contract with me agreeing that you will not submit your invoices from our sessions to Medicare for reimbursement.  If you have a non-Medi-Gap insurance policy that is secondary to Medicare, you may be eligible to file for reimbursement from this other insurance company as if it were primary.  If you choose to do so, you will need to attach a note when you submit your claims, explaining that I have opted out of Medicare, so that your other insurance should be considered primary for my services.  I would be happy to provide you with a copy of my Medicare Opt-Out Affidavit, if your insurance company requires this.

Fees and Payment:

The fee for the initial assessment is $600. Fees for subsequent therapy sessions are prorated based on a charge of $250 per 60 minutes.  When you schedule an initial assessment, I will email you a link to a secure portal where you can enter your credit or debit card information. HSA and FSA cards are accepted. Your card will be charged the night after each appointment.

Cancellations and Late Arrivals:

If you must cancel a session, I ask that you give me at least one full business day’s notice, or you will be financially responsible for the missed session, since I have held that time exclusively for you. If you’re late for an appointment, you’ll be seen for the remainder of your scheduled time and charged for the full session.

30-Minute Video Screening:

During the 30-minute screening, you and I will have an opportunity to determine whether the approach I offer is a good fit for you.  I’ll ask you to describe your struggles and hopes for our work together and give you feedback on whether I think I can help you.  You’ll also have an opportunity to ask me any questions that would help you decide whether my approach would be a good fit for you.  If we do decide to work together, you can schedule your initial assessment with me at that time; or, if I don’t have any openings, you’d have the option to be added to my waiting list.

You can request a 30-minute video screening for psychotherapy here.

Initial Assessment:

The initial assessment is a 2-hour session. You’ll have an opportunity to share the story behind why you’re seeking therapy and what you’re hoping for from our work together. We’ll explore your current thoughts and feelings, as well as your history and relationships, so that I can have some context in which to better understand your experience. We can then begin to shape a plan for our work together, and we may even have time at the end of the session to get started on the initial therapy.

Subsequent Sessions:

After the initial assessment, our time will be devoted to addressing the specific problems with which you’d like my help and giving you the tools to meet your goals. Sessions are typically 60, 90, or 120 minutes but may be as long as 180 minutes. We will decide together on a session length that is optimal for you.

Over the course of our work together, we will most likely employ a variety of methods and therapeutic approaches, as a single method is rarely sufficient for meaningful and lasting change.

I’m excited to offer feedback-informed psychotherapy, meaning that I will be collecting data from you before and after each session to assess whether our work together is on a good track. This allows me to tailor our work to you, making it more effective and more rewarding.

Total Duration of the Work Together:

This will vary, depending on the nature of your specific problems and your desired outcomes.  The duration of our work together may be as brief as a few hours for a simple and straightforward problem.  For complex problems, a total of at least 12 to 20 hours, or more, is typically required in order to make a meaningful difference to you.  These hours can be packed into a single week or spread out over weeks or months.