Session Information

Insurance and Payment Information:

Please be aware, I do not accept all insurances at this time, nor am I in-network with all insurance plans. 

I am in-network provider with most Highmark/BlueCross BlueShield plans, UPMC plans, United Behavioral Health (UBH) plans, Aetna, and Cigna plans at this time. However, please confirm that I am an in-network provider with your specific plan. 

• Please note that I do not accept Medicare or Medicaid. Additionally, regulations prohibit me from collecting out-of-pocket payments.

• Copayment, co-insurance, and/or deductible owed will be reviewed based on your specific insurance policy's plan and expected at the end of each session. 

• If there is an out-of-pocket payment due, an invoice will be provided to you.

  • I can accept Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express and allows you to pay at your convenience.

Pricing:  

• Standard intake assessment rate is $150**

• Traditional 55-minute, individual session rates are $125**

• If you have questions about your expected copayment, deductible, or out-of-pocket cost owed, please reach out to your insurance provider prior to starting treatment to gather information to make the most informed choice for you and your treatment. 

Good Faith Estimate Information:

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. 

• Starting January 1st, 2022, under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, health care providers and health care facilities are required to inform individuals who are not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program, or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing of their ability, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services, to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of expected charges. 

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. 

• Your health care provider will give you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. 

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. 

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call Victoria Powell at 412-701-4118

Treatment expectations:

A consultation or intake assessment is not a guarantee of admission to individual therapy. 

Additionally, there are certain criteria that might preclude individuals from teletherapy sessions.

• For example, if there are concerns with significant or current self-injury, active and increased thoughts of suicide or homicide, a recent suicide attempt, significant and impacting drug and/or alcohol use or abuse, or other significant symptoms alike, I will be unable to ensure your safety to the quality I would like to provide. 

• If this applies to you, I will speak with you about the concerns directly, and help to connect you to resources as best I can. 

If, at any time, you or a loved one have concerns that your/their safety is a concern, and/or you believe this is an emergency, please contact 911 or your local crisis hotline immediately.

Regarding teletherapy, on the date of our agreed upon session, you will receive an email/text message notice from Simple Practice about 10-15 minutes prior, with a unique link to sign in to our session. I will start the call when it is time for your appointment. 

If this is your first time using a teletherapy site, I recommend logging in a few minutes before our session time to test out the website and make sure your microphone and camera are operational. 

You also have the option of downloading Telehealth by Simple Practice in your app store.

For teletherapy appointments, I can only provide services to individuals who are located within the state of Pennsylvania and Ohio.

• Please check out Telehealth By SimplePractice for more information regarding their site. 

Cancellation Policy: 

• Please contact me up to 24 hours prior to your appointment to cancel/reschedule. 

• If there is no outreach to cancel the session within 24 hours of your appointment, and you do not show to our schedule appointment time, this is considered a no show. You will now owe the associated No Show fee of $50. 

• Any cancelation with less than 6 hour's notice prior to session time is concerned a Late Cancelation. Any Late Cancelation has an associated $25 fee.

• You can be granted a waiver on your first Late Cancel/No Show, but after the first instance of each calendar year, the payment policy described above will go into effect.

• If you no show more than three times in a row, I have the option to discharge you from individual treatment. I will talk to you about this before it reaches that point, but please be mindful of this policy. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will you disclose the information I share to others?

Based on HIPAA laws your information is considered confidential. The main exceptions to this are if you are in imminent threat of harming yourself or others, or there is disclosure or evidence of physical/sexual/emotional abuse and/or neglect. In those instances, I am a mandated reported and I have to notify the proper authorities. 

If there are individuals you would like me to communicate with, regarding your progress, you will need to fill out a release of information form which can allow me to communicate with another identified/specific person. Typical examples of individuals who you might want to sign a release of information for are your medication management provider(s) or doctor(s), your spouse or partner, an emergency contact, your school.

I will not communicate with anyone without your complete understanding of this ahead of time, and we will talk about this so I am only sharing what you are comfortable with me sharing, with those of whom you have provided me permission to communicate with. 

If I do not have a release of information signed, I cannot provide any information on you or your care. So please be conscientious if there are individuals you need me to speak with regarding your progress. 

Do you prescribe medications?

No, that would only be done by a licensed psychiatrist, certified nurse practitioner, or a primary care doctor.

Do you provide letters for ESA (Emotional Support Animals)?

No, I do not. I do not have specialized training, experience, or expertise in a proper assessment needed in regards to the human-animal bond within treatment. As such, I cannot provide a letter in assessing an animal's impact on it's owner(s) as an ESA letter would require.