How can counseling help me?

Research indicates that counseling and psychotherapy can be helpful for a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, job dissatisfaction, and relationship issues (American Counseling Association, 2015). Counseling can help you:

  • Develop greater self-awareness or understanding of life’s purpose and goals

  • Improve self-esteem

  • Understand and cope with overwhelming emotions

  • Develop new ways to cope with stress and anxiety

  • Improve social and relationship skills, including patterns of behavior and communication

  • Find support in making difficult decisions or resolving conflict

  • Cope with trauma, grief, and loss

  • Navigate life transitions, including early adulthood, parenthood, career change, and retirement

How do I schedule an appointment?

Please call me at (302) 329-8427 or email me to schedule a free initial phone consultation. Initial consultations typically last 10-15 minutes and cover your reasons for seeking counseling, your past experiences with counseling and psychotherapy, and any questions you may have about my approach and practice.

Do you accept insurance?

I am considered an out-of-network provider, which means that I do not work directly with any insurance companies. My services, however, may qualify for reimbursement under many PPO insurance plans. I encourage you to contact your insurance company prior to your first appointment to determine your out-of-network mental health coverage.

The following questions may be helpful to discuss with your insurance carrier:

  • Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? What is my out-of-network deductible and has it been met?

  • Once I hit my out-of-network deductible, what percentage will my insurance cover?

  • Is there a limit my insurance will pay for a 45-minute session (service code 90834)?

  • Is precertification required?

I am happy to discuss any questions you may have about this information.

Additionally, if you plan to use your out-of-network benefits, I will provide you with a monthly statement of services, which you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. However, it is your responsibility, and not your health insurance carrier, to pay me directly. I accept either cash, check, or credit card at the time of each session.

How do I get a Good Faith Estimate?

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.

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.

Make sure you receive a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask me, 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.

How often will we meet?

Typically, sessions are 45 minutes long and scheduled weekly. Depending on your concerns, I may recommend meeting twice a week for a period of time. Some clients are interested in meeting every other week. I find this type of schedule, particularly at the start of counseling, tends to slow client progress--once we have been working together for a while, however, I am open to discussing scheduling options.

Attending therapy consistently helps with remembering appointments, makes self-reflection into a new routine, reinforces learning, and helps you to consolidate the gains from treatment. The continuity between sessions allows you to identify patterns in your behavior, helps you to identify themes across different areas of your life. Continuity also deepens the therapy relationship, which facilitates the vulnerability needed to change your behaviors. Taken together, weekly session appointments can reduce the length of the treatment.

How long does treatment last?

It is difficult to estimate at the outset how long you will need to come to counseling. Sometimes a straightforward behavioral concern can be resolved in six to twelve weeks, but more often than not, that seemingly straightforward concern is linked to more complicated issues that warrant deeper exploration. I will continue to check in with you about your progress, in hopes of coming to a mutual agreement about the best time to end. My ultimate goal is for you to feel confident in your ability to move forward in your life on your own.

Do you prescribe medication?

As a licensed professional counselor, I cannot prescribe medication. I am trained to identify situations in which medication may be a valuable or necessary complement to psychotherapy. In those situations, I will refer you a medical professional (psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, or primary care physician) in my professional network who will manage your medication needs.