Fees
Initial 20-minute online or phone consultation: Complimentary
Initial Intake Assessment: $240/1 hour 20 min intake appointment
Therapy: $160/therapy hour*
*Please note a standard therapy hour is 50 minutes in session with the last ten minutes of the hour to be used by the clinician to evaluate treatment progress as well as record clinical impressions and next session treatment plans.
Specialized assessment:
If, for some reason, specialized assessment is warranted or requested, fees are determined by the test battery used and the hours needed for testing, interpretation, and report writing. These fees are clarified before proceeding with any assessment.
Payment
All session fees are due at time of service. Cash and checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to: Baylife Christian Counseling. Please have your payment ready to submit at the beginning of our meeting so we do not have to take time out of your therapy session to settle your account.
Cancellations
You are responsible for attending each appointment you schedule. However, I understand that unexpected things can arise which may prevent individuals from being able to keep a scheduled appointment. I simply ask that you notify me as soon as possible so that another client may have the opportunity to utilize that time slot. Please call, and if I am unavailable, leave a voicemail message. If I do not receive such notice 24 hours in advance, you will be responsible for paying the full fee for the session you missed unless we both agree that you were unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control. In the event that you arrive late for your appointment, our session will still conclude according to the scheduled appointment in order to respect the time of subsequent clients and you will be billed for the length of the full session that was reserved for you.
Insurance
As a fee-for-service provider, I do not accept insurance. However, you may be able to obtain partial reimbursement from your insurance company for counseling services. As a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida, I provide services that are generally covered as an out-of-network provider on many PPO insurance plans. In these cases, you are responsible for payment of my normal fee at the time of service. I will fill out the paperwork your insurance company requires should you wish to provide it at the time of service. It will be returned to you so you may submit it to your insurance company to begin the process of reimbursement. Please check with your insurance company to verify reimbursement policies. Quesions to ask include:
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Do I have benefits that cover outpatient mental health counseling?
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What services and treatment protocols are excluded from my benefits?
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Are there diagnoses that this policy will not cover?
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What is my deductible?
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Has my deductible been met?
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How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
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How many session can I still access for this calendar year?
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How much do you reimburse for services provided for an out-of-network provider?
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Is there a limitation on how much you will reimburse me per session?
HMO and POS plans do not cover counseling with a therapist who is not part of their plan of providers, and I am not a participating provider for any of these plans. There are important reasons why I do not participate in insurance panels for my services.
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Many people who come to see me do not have a clinical mental heath issue and therefore will not have a clinical diagnosis. They are simply struggling with common life issues. Additionally, many insurance companies will not cover relational or marriage counseling.
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When insurance is used for therapy, the treatment typically has to be considered "medically necessary." This means your therapist must give you a psychiatric diagnosis. This type of diagnosis goes on your permanent health record and could have repercussions for you later in life.
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Once a client has begun therapy, often sessions must be "justified," meaning a client must be deemed "sick" enough in order for insurance to continue to pay for your sessions.
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Finally, the confidentiality of client information is necessarily weakened as additional people receive and review records
For these and other reasons, I have chosen not to work with insurance companies but instead to keep this a private relationship between my clients and myself. Together, we decide what to focus on in therapy, the treatment approach, how often to attend, and when to terminate, instead of an insurance company.