fAQ’s and fees

You may have a few questions before choosing me as a therapist.

Here are a few answers to some questions you might have about doing therapy. If you’d like an answer to a question you don’t see here, feel free to contact me.

Do you offer Telehealth, Video Sessions, or Online Therapy Sessions?

Yes. I conduct online video therapy sessions using a secure HIPAA compliant platform. Before starting therapy, we will talk about setting up which is very easy. I am a San Francisco based psychologist, licensed in the state of California. As long as you are in California, I can work with you doing video sessions. I can also meet in person at my office in San Francisco if you wish to do therapy in person.

How long do therapy sessions typically last? 

Therapy sessions are typically 45 minutes in length held once a week. I do conduct 60 minute and 90 minute sessions when needed and the fees are prorated, but we will plan these ahead of time. The benefit of longer sessions is that sometimes it helps to go deeper into the issues. We will meet regularly on a weekly basis.

How much do sessions cost? 

The fee for a 45 minute individual session is $325. If we plan to have longer sessions (ie. 60 minutes or 90 minutes in length) fees will be prorated.

Are sessions covered by my insurance? 

I am not in network with any health insurance plan and I am considered an out-of-network health provider. If you have a PPO insurance plan, you may be able to receive some reimbursement for mental health services with me. In order to find out, you will need to contact your insurance company and ask about your reimbursement rate for mental health services with an out-of-network provider. Another way to pay for sessions is if you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). These are pre-tax dollars you reserve for medical expenses. Please contact your employer or financial professional if you have questions about these accounts.

How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company? 

Once you find out that your insurance will reimburse a portion of your therapy expenses, you will also want to know if you have any deductible amounts you need to meet before getting reimbursed. Another thing to find out from your insurance is the process for filing for reimbursement. When we have our sessions, you pay me and at the end of the month, I provide you with a superbill, which is a statement of sessions we had and the amount you paid. You will then submit this to your insurance in order to receive your reimbursement from them.

If don’t have insurance or If i don’t plan to use my insurance for psychotherapy, How do I understand my expected costs?

Since I am out of network provider, you have the choice to pay out of pocket or seek reimbursement from your PPO insurance (Please see above on How Do I Seek Reimbursement From My Insurance Company).

If you would like to pay privately (out of pocket) which means you are not using insurance, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act. The No Surprises Act (H.R. 133), requires that health care providers provide an estimate of the bill for any medical items or services, to clients or patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services which shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created. You can find out more about the Good Faith Estimate.

What can I expect to happen in therapy?

During our initial few sessions, we will explore what you would like to get out of therapy, do a thorough history so I can know you better, establish some goals and develop a plan for meeting those goals while you are in therapy. Thereafter, we will explore the issues further, sometimes going deeper to better understand what’s going on. We will discuss strategies, tools and techniques for dealing with the stress and issues and see how things improve.

What happens during the first session? 

At the time we schedule our first session, I will send you some forms to complete, sign and send back to me before the first session. Our first session is mostly about getting to know each other. You can share with me what you would like to focus on in therapy and we will begin create a plan of how we will work towards meeting your goals in therapy. You will be able to ask me any questions you have about my style and what to expect through the course of treatment with me.

Do you have evening and weekend appointments available? 

Yes. I offer weekday evening appointments as late as 8pm. I have flexibility on weekends and we can discuss a weekend time if that’s what works for you.

What if I need to cancel an appointment or I get sick?

I have a 48 hour cancellation policy in order to not be charged for a cancelled session. If you provide less than 48 hours notice, you will be responsible for the full session fee. There may be exceptions for rare circumstances or if there is an emergency.

Where do sessions take place? 

I can meet in-person in my office located in San Francisco. I also provide online therapy to anyone in California through a secure HIPAA compliant platform that is easy to use. All you need is a computer or cellphone, good internet connection, audio and video enabled on your device, and a private space where you can talk comfortably. Before we have our online session, we will talk about setting up so everything runs smoothly. Whether we meet in person or online, we can talk about what works best for you.

Do you provide Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letters?

Although I do believe in the emotionally supportive nature of animals and pets, providers who provide these letters have specialized training in conducting assessments of you and your ESA in order to provide these letter. I do not provide Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letters since I do not have this specialized training.

What if therapy isn't working? 

During the course of therapy, you will notice a benefit and improvement in the issues you first brought to therapy. Every so often, we will check in about progress and how you feel therapy is going. Improvements are not always immediate or linear and sometimes it takes a bit of time for changes to occur. However, if after a few weeks of therapy there is no improvement or benefit, we will talk about alternatives that might be more helpful.

I am ready to get started. What do I do next?

I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to see if I am the right person for you. Contact me and find out about starting online therapy.