General Office Policies
I am providing the following information so that we can begin with a clear, mutual understanding of the practical matters that go along with our work. If you have concerns about any of these matters, please let me know as soon as possible and I will be happy to discuss them with you.
Telephone: I do not send or receive texts. I maintain a voicemail account for your convenience. I check this account periodically each day. If you leave a message, please leave times of day and phone numbers where I can reach you if you would like me to return your calls; I will return your call within 48 hours. If our phone conversations occur frequently or for extended periods of time, I will charge for that time; insurance companies may not reimburse for those phone conversations. If you are having an emergency and need to talk to someone immediately, please leave a message for me, then go to or call the nearest emergency room and ask to speak to a member of the psychiatric emergency team.
Email: I am happy to use email to schedule or rearrange an appointment. If you want to contact me about a clinical matter, please leave a phone message rather than discuss the matter in an email.
Fees and Billing: My current fee for individual therapy is $300.00 for each 45-minute session, and prorated amounts for more or less time. I generally ask for full payment via online payment at the time of each visit. I will give you a receipt that you can submit to your insurance company, if desired. Any other fee arrangements should be negotiated with me.
I am not an “in-network provider” for any insurance plans, which means that you may receive anywhere from zero to partial reimbursement for our sessions, depending on your plan and whether you are able to obtain “pre-authorization” for our work together.
Cancelations: Missed or canceled sessions present a special problem in psychotherapy for two reasons. The first is that the work is sometimes very hard, and thus when we hit a difficult period you might be tempted to avoid the work and miss or cancel the appointment – and I don't want to make it easy for you to do this. The second reason is that the appointment time is set aside specifically for you and typically cannot be given to someone else on short notice. Cancelations should be arranged as far in advance as possible. If you cancel or miss an appointment with less than 48 hours notice, I will charge you for that visit. For visits cancelled with more than 48 hours notice, we will reschedule for a mutually convenient time -- but if we cannot find a mutually agreeable time within the same week, I will charge for the missed visit. Please note that insurance companies do not pay or reimburse for a missed visit.
Consultation: It is customary and prudent practice for psychotherapists to consult with respected colleagues about their work. When I consult with colleagues, I will not identify you by name and will be careful to respect your confidentiality.
Confidentiality: This is always of primary concern in psychotherapy and is strictly observed. Exceptions are made only in those cases specified by law, such as if, in the course of our work, it appears that you are at imminent risk to harm yourself or someone else. The law also mandates that confidentiality be set aside in cases of abuse of children (which include accessed, streamed, downloaded or viewed material in which a child is engaged in an obscene sexual act), the elderly, and the handicapped. Similarly, the law mandates reporting of instances of misconduct or abuse on the part of a physician. The question of confidentiality becomes more complicated when insurance is used for payment or reimbursement of fees. Insurance companies often request information about treatment and the reason for it, and occasionally ask for treatment summaries to determine whether -- in their opinion -- further coverage is justified. I cannot guarantee the treatment of information routinely submitted to an insurance company.
Please feel free to discuss any matters of concern with me at any time during our work together.
I look forward to working with you.
