A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. When we understand that we are communicating and trying to meet our needs in every moment, we can then use compassionate communication to get our needs met in a healthy way. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

• Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values

• Developing skills for improving your relationships

• Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy

• Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety

• Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures

• Improving communications and listening skills

• Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones

• Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage

• Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

• Discovering how to approach life from a different point of view

I often get asked why I don’t take insurance if I want to help more people; the truth is, it’s a multi-pronged decision/answer. I’ve never taken insurance.Some of the reasons why I don’t accept health insurance have to do with me and my well-being, and most have to do with my clients and THEIR well-being. Current and future clients don’t realize that there are several downsides for therapists and clients when using insurance to pay for psychotherapy.

6 reasons I don't take insurance...

1. Confidentiality: Therapists are legally required to maintain confidentiality, except if the client is at risk to themselves or someone else – or if they’re using insurance.  When insurance companies are paying for your treatment, it means that any of their employees can (and will) audit my session notes and your treatment plan. Why? The employees are supposed to save the insurance company money, so they look for potential fraud and overuse of insurance. For example, if you’re not “progressing fast enough,” they may decline to approve additional sessions. They use what we talk about as the basis for how many sessions you get covered.

2. You must have a diagnosis!- I 100,000% do not agree that everyone needs a diagnosis of a disorder to qualify for help. There have been times in my life that I needed a therapist because life was tough in that timeframe but I did not need a diagnosis. Insurance companies operate using a medical model, meaning that every service needs to be a “medical necessity” for them to cover it and to justify medical necessity, they require a diagnosis out of the DSM-5.Not only do they require a diagnosis, but it can’t just be any diagnosis – they will only find some a “medical necessity.” Just with reasons one and two – are you starting to see why I don’t accept insurance for therapy?

3. Plus, it could potentially affect your insurance premiums.

4. Potential of Fraud: let’s say you don’t qualify for a diagnosis, but you’ve come in because I’m on your insurance plan, and we hit it off and know it’s a GREAT fit to work together. Our options at that point are for you to pay out of pocket my full fee (which would really suck and be pretty shocking after thinking you were going to use your insurance) or commit fraud by agreeing on a diagnosis to submit to your insurance company that you don’t have. Some therapists who feel like they are in a hard spot because you need the help and they want to provide the help will often give a diagnosis of "adjustment disorder" or a agreed upon diagnosis which is fraudulent. I literally could not slap a diagnosis on someone who doesn't need it and sleep at night.

5. Retroactive claim denials-insurance companies can ask the therapist to give the money back that they paid out. They can do this years later. Imagine the company you work for asking you to return income you made seven years ago…. I know. And

   this is a common practice!

   Isn’t that insane? If they find any inconsistencies in the therapist’s diagnosis, treatment plan, or other paperwork (including punctuation, margins, etc.), the insurance company will request that the therapist return the paid fees. WTH!! This throws therapists out of business.

   6. Couples Counseling is rarely covered-it’s usually not covered because “relationship problems” or “learning how to communicate better” are not diagnosable mental illnesses. The therapist must prove that a diagnosis is the cause of the issues in the relationship. Then we could return to #1 & #2 and return to that conversation.

      Conclusion: Many people do not know the cons of using insurance. The insurance company definitely is not going to sit down and tell you. Only you can truly decide if using your insurance for therapy is worth it – if you have a diagnosed mental illness already and have been using your insurance and love your therapist, I am by NO means telling you to switch things up. In fact, I’m really not advising you to do anything besides learn and make an informed decision.

      I can provide a superbill which is an invoice showing what you paid which can be applied to your out of network. Some insurance plans reimburse claims at varying percents for out-of-network providers, meaning that if you see a therapist at $400 a session and your insurance plan reimburses 50%, you’d be paying the $200 out of pocket but receive a check for $100, for each session. PLEASE call them to verify how much your plan reimburses for out-of-network therapists.

      If you would like to schedule an appointment please click here

Each person and couple is different. Depending on the complexity, willingness of change, frequency of sessions, willingness to incorporate strategies outside the session ,etc. With most clients, 6-12 sessions in the average to see a noticeable change. This is just an average and is different for everyone.

In individual sessions, I quickly assess the struggles and we both work on identifying goals to be working towards. I use a holistic whole person approach which incorporates in session practice of coping skills needed for you to reduce the symptoms in the moment. The practice in session allows for you to use these at home in-between sessions. I often will send home objectives for you to be working on outside of sessions.

1. Set Goals: Think about what you want to achieve in therapy and discuss these goals with your partner.

2. Be Honest: Be open and honest. The more transparent you are, the more effective the therapy will be. It may be messy at first but it will be oh so good once your relationship experiences transparency.

3. Reflect: spend some time just thinking of the last week. What worked, what didn't, what has been on your mind and you were not sure on how to approach it.

4. Be Open-Minded: Be willing to explore new perspectives and approaches to resolving issues.

5. Follow-Up: Implement any agreed-upon strategies or exercises between sessions to reinforce progress.