Frequently Asked Questions
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I hope so! I generally try not to turn people away if at all possible - it’s hard enough to find help, and being told no when you’re having a hard time is incredibly rough. Please know that if we’re not able to work together, I’m still happy to help and will provide referrals in your area that best fit your needs. Please reach out, even if it’s just for that sort of help.
I am able to see patients who are located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (where I am licensed), as well as all states and territories that participate in the Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT for short). In brief, any state that participates in this will allow providers licensed in any other US state that’s a member of the compact to see patients in their state over telehealth video platforms. If you’re unsure whether the state you’re in is part of this program, please check the following map:
https://psypact.gov/page/psypactmap
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At this time, all of my sessions are conducted over teletherapy. I use a HIPAA-compliant telehealth videoconferencing software to see all of my patients, which you can comfortably access through your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. The office I see patients from is a private space where your conversations can be safely carried out in complete privacy. All I ask is that you do the same and make sure that when you connect to therapy, you’re doing so from a private location where you feel fully comfortable.
If, after getting to know each other we agree that telehealth services are not meeting your needs, I’m more than happy to provide you with referrals to in-person providers local to you.
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Basically, teletherapy is similar to in-person psychotherapy – aside from the fact that we’re not in the same room as one another. Pretty much everything that we would do in an in-person therapy session can be done over video, from the comfort of your own private space.
The number one reasons people prefer it is convenience and access. Many people have transportation or mobility concerns, or full schedules between work and caregiving needs where traveling to an office to see a therapist just wouldn’t fit into their schedule. Rain or shine, as long as your internet connection is working we can meet.
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I’m a big believer in ‘try before you buy’. Choosing a therapist is, I hope, a pretty consequential (and positive) choice, and feeling comfortable with who you work with can make quite a difference in whether therapy feels helpful for you. It’s also important that you work with someone who has expertise to help you with the sorts of things you’d like help with.
So to start things off, I’d recommend we connect over the phone for a brief, free consultation. During that time, I can get to know you a bit and see if my knowledge base is a good fit for your needs. You can also get to know me, ask whatever questions you have, and see if you’re comfortable working together.
If we both think it’s a good fit, we’ll schedule an intake. Typically my intake process takes about two 50-minute sessions to complete, after which we would collaborate on a treatment plan. After that, we would typically meet once per week for 50 minutes.
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Treatment length varies depending on the concerns and challenges you would like help with. The style of therapy that I employ, cognitive-behavioral therapy and “third-wave” approaches (acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, motivational interviewing) are all designed to be shorter term treatments focused on helping you develop the skillset to eventually manage your problems on your own without support from a therapist. My goal is to help you feel better in as little time as possible. In general, that typically can range anywhere from 3 – 18 months.
In addition, once we work together you have an open-door policy to come back to the practice, regardless of how long it’s been since we’ve met. As long as it’s logistically feasible, if you want to resume working together (either to pick back where we left off or just to meet for a few sessions) I’d aim to see you within a week or two of you reaching out. I think it’s silly to see a therapist regularly so that you can “hold a seat” in case things take a turn for the worse.
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Generally speaking, when we first begin working together, we’ll meet once per week so that we can pick up steam and see therapy start to meaningfully change your life. As time goes on however, we may meet less frequently, either to allow you more time to practice what we’ve worked on between visits or because we agree that weekly meetings aren’t necessary to support you. For some patients, their time in therapy lasts longer because they find they benefit from meeting every so often (perhaps monthly) to check in and make sure they’ve maintained what they’ve gotten out of treatment. That’s something I’m always open to and am happy to be flexible to tailor a schedule to what makes sense for your life.
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Active, and work, but hopefully incredibly rewarding. My hope is that your experience is like working with an exceptionally encouraging (and knowledgeable) personal trainer at the gym; you’re tired and sweaty, but you feel fantastic about yourself for putting in the effort.
The way that I approach therapy encourages you to bring what we discuss in session to the rest of your life. We’re going to use our time together to learn skills and strategies to approach your challenges, develop a better understanding of how you think, feel, and act, and discuss how to put those strategies and increased understanding into practice after our session closes out. There’s often practice that we agree on after our meetings, and we’ll spend the first portion of our sessions checking in on how that practice went. What this practice looks like is designed to be incredibly collaborative: I have expertise in how to help folks generally, but you know your life best, and we’ll work together to make sure principal fits person.
I also try to make the experience as easy as possible on you. We won’t just focus on what’s hard but what your strengths are as well. Everyone brings something different to the table, and my hope is to honor the ways in which your identities shape your approach to the world and your sense of resilience. I also try not to be a chore to spend an hour with every week – I like to work in humor, anecdotes, and metaphors into our sessions so what we’re working with doesn’t seem so clinical and sterile. I’m many things, but stuffy isn’t one of them.
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I don’t accept insurance and am considered an out-of-network provider by insurance companies.
Some insurance policies provide some degree of reimbursement for out of network services, and if you are interested in pursuing that I can easily provide weekly paperwork (what’s called a ‘superbill’) with all of the necessary information to seek reimbursement. I encourage all my patients to reach out to their insurance provider ahead of our work together to understand what reimbursement would look like for them.
Here are some helpful questions to ask your insurance representative when you speak to them:
How much does my plan cover for out-of-network mental health services?
What documentation is required to submit for reimbursement?
What deductible do I have to meet before I begin being reimbursed? Have I met that deductible?
Do I need a referral or prior authorization to receive reimbursement for mental health care?
What is the process of submitting for reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services?
How long do reimbursement claims typically take to process, and when can I generally expect to receive that payment?
Does my policy cover services delivered over a video telehealth platform?
Is there a limit to the number of sessions covered?
Since I’m a direct pay provider, payment is required at the time of session, and I accept all major credit cards as forms of payment. I am also happy to arrange for alternative modes of payment (e.g., payment via check) if it is discussed prior to the session starting.
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Click that get started link on the top of the page and reach out however you feel most comfortable. Looking forward to getting to know you, friend.