Common Questions

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RATES (self-pay)

Intake/assessment – $200
Individual Therapy – $150 per 50-minute session | $200 per 90-minute session
Family & Couples Therapy – $175 per 50-minute session
Case Management – $50 (per 15 minutes)
Skills Training – $50 (per 15 minutes)

INSURANCE

I currently have credentialed privileges with the following insurance companies:

Aetna
APS Healthcare
Cigna
ComPsych
First Choice Health
Kaiser Added Choice
Magellan Health Services
Managed Health Network (MHN)
ODS
PacificSource
Providence Health Plan – PBH
Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH)
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield
TriWest
United Behavioral Health Plan (UBH)
Western Psychological & Counseling Services

Services may otherwise be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan.

Please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions:

Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
What is my deductible and has it been met?
How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
Is approval required by my primary care physician?

REDUCED FEE

Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis for those who do not have insurance.

PAYMENT

Fees must be paid at the time of service; cash, check, and all major credit cards accepted for payment. Telephone calls less than 10 minutes are free; anything over 10 minutes is charged (by quarter hour) at the hourly rate. Please note, in the event, your account is 90-days past due, you will be assessed a 1.5% interest fee. Also, a collection fee of $100 will be assessed in the event your account is turned over to a collection agency.

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Why therapy?

There are times in all of our lives when we experience distress and unhappiness. As we attempt to sort and work through these challenges, it is sometimes necessary—and often helpful—to have a psychologist provide support, problem-solving skills, and teach enhanced coping skills to navigate your journey in the midst of life’s storms. Therapy is that process of identifying your goals and obstacles through the examination of your emotional, intellectual, and behavioral patterns interfering with reaching those goals. The therapeutic aim is for a new and better resolution of understanding your problems; insight that can lead to a greater capacity for satisfaction in relationships, work, and social life.

While you may be reluctant to share the details of your personal pain, in doing so, it can relieve your built up stress. It may also help you to know that under almost all circumstances, what you talk about during each session is held in strict confidence. Although there are exceptions to the rules, the ethics and laws governing the practice of licensed psychologists are very strict when it comes to confidentiality.
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What is confidentiality?

A licensed psychologist’s code of ethics and the state laws regulating therapy consider the personal information you discuss to be confidential. This means that no information about your therapy can be released without your written permission. In brief, a trusting relationship between us cannot be formed if your information is not kept confidential. There are, however, a small number of situations, where I am allowed—and in some cases, required—to use or disclose information from your record without your permission:

Child Abuse: If I know, or have reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is or has been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver or other person responsible for the child’s welfare, the law requires that I report such knowledge or suspicion to the Oregon Department of Children and Family Services or appropriate governmental agency. If I know, or have reasonable cause to suspect, that a non-caretaker has abused a child, the law also requires that I report to the Oregon Department of Children and Family Services, which may be required to submit the report to other governmental agencies.
Adult and Domestic Abuse: If I know, or have reasonable cause to suspect, that a vulnerable adult (disabled or elderly) has been or is being abused, neglected, or exploited, I am required by law to report such knowledge or suspicion to the Oregon Department of Human Services or other appropriate governmental agency.
Health Oversight: If a complaint is filed against me with the Oregon Department of Human Services on behalf of the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners, the Department has the authority to subpoena confidential mental health information relevant to that complaint.
Judicial or Administrative Proceedings: Personal Health Information is privileged by state law. If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for your records, I will not release information without the written authorization of you or your legal representative, or a subpoena of which you have been properly notified, and you have failed to inform me that you are opposing the subpoena or a court order. The privilege does not apply if you are being evaluated for a third party, or if the evaluation is court-ordered, or in certain other limited instances. You will be informed in advance if this is the case.
Serious Threat to Health or Safety: If a client presents a clear and immediate probability of physical harm to him or herself, to other individuals, or to society, I may communicate relevant information concerning this to the potential victim, appropriate family member, or appropriate authorities.
Workers’ Compensation: If you file a workers’ compensation claim, I may disclose information from your record as authorized by workers’ compensation laws.
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What will the first session be like?

Our initial session gives us an opportunity to explore what prompted you to contact me, clarify what you hope to gain from therapy, answer your questions, determine whether we feel well-matched to work together and discuss privacy, confidentiality and my practice policies.
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Which is better, therapy or medication?

Both therapy and medication are known to be effective in treating mental illness. The type of treatment used depends on the nature of your presenting problem. Current research suggests the use of medication and therapy together may be the best approach, particularly for more severe conditions. While medication offers relief from symptoms, therapy enables the individual to gain insight about their condition and how to effectively address it. This combined approach offers the fastest, longest-lasting treatment.

In the event you or I feel that a medication evaluation might be helpful, I will recommend you make an appointment for an evaluation. However, the final choice is always yours.
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How long will I be in therapy?

Most sessions are 50-minutes; longer sessions are available with adjusted fees. Specific to the number of sessions needed to work through your presenting problems, everyone is unique. For some, therapy can last from six weeks to more than two years, depending on the complexity of concerns and level of dedication in making a commitment to real changes in your life. In general, you can effectively change in your life in as little as six weeks. Weekly sessions are usually optimum, although this may vary based upon need.

Throughout therapy, I will monitor your progress. If you do not feel there has been improvement after several months, please consider getting a second opinion.
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Do you accept insurance?

I am currently impaneled with several insurance companies (see Rates & Insurance tab for a list of these companies). If your insurance company is not listed on my list of participating companies, please know that many insurance companies pay a significant portion of the fee for out-of-network mental health providers. Should you require a specialization that is not offered by anyone in network, insurance companies may be willing to treat this as in network on a one case basis. Specific to insurance billing, unless you request otherwise, my billing specialist will file your insurance claim.

For those clients who opt for self-pay, you may do so out of the advantage of choice and control, or simply out of necessity due to restrictions on their mental health benefits. Please let me know if this is your situation. I am committed to providing affordable mental health treatment and have designated a percentage of my caseload as sliding fee.

One final thought, while the primary benefit for clients using insurance for therapy is reimbursement, there are several significant issues I encourage you to consider:

SELF – PAY

• Your Privacy is protected – Personal information is kept strictly confidential in my office unless a release of information is signed by you (except in cases of danger to self or others).
• Your Privacy is compromised – Insurance companies require information about a client’s dysfunctional behavior to justify treatment.
• Data Storage – Insurance companies seldom tell consumers their private information is stored, who has access to it, and how it is protected.
• Labeling – Therapists who bill insurance companies must provide a diagnosis to substantiate the medical necessity for treatment.
• Adverse Impact – Many people do not want to be labeled with a mental health disorder due to the potential adverse impact a documented diagnosis can have on future insurability (e.g., depression).

INSURANCE

• Choice of Therapist – As a self-pay client, your contract with the therapist based on your personal preferences and needs.
• Satisfaction – If you are not satisfied with your therapist, you make choose another, or seek a second opinion at any time.
• Limited Choice of Therapist – Most insurance companies limit the number of contracted therapists on their panel.
• HMO Limitation – With HMO insurance, out-of-network providers are usually not covered.
• Insurance Panel – If you are not satisfied with a therapist on an insurance panel, you must go through the same authorization process of finding another therapist from the insurance company’s panel of providers.
• Treatment Options are Open – As a self-pay client, you choose the type of therapy for whatever life difficulty you are experiencing.
• There are no insurance panels or company policies to influence treatment decisions.
• Treatment Options are Limited – Insurance companies may not cover certain types of treatment, for example, grief and loss of pet bereavement, family conflict, marriage problems, loneliness, etc. Individuals in these examples can greatly benefit from therapy.
• Number of Sessions Determined by You – As a self-pay client, you are an active participant in the decision-making process to determine the frequency of visits that suits your needs.
• Limited Sessions – Insurance companies typically limit the number of sessions for your treatment to reduce cost (e.g., 3 – 8 visits), regardless of treatment necessity determined by you and your therapist.
• Maximums – A client is usually only allowed a maximum dollar amount or number of visits a year.
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What is the difference between a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Counselor, Social worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist?

On one level, these titles refer to licensed mental health professionals trained in helping people work through various life problems. The major distinction between these mental health providers is the educational background for each discipline and supervised training; practical experience that can have a significant impact on the treatment you receive.

THE FOLLOWING IS HIGHLIGHTED TO BETTER INFORM YOU OF YOUR CHOICES:

Psychologist

This title refers to individuals who have earned a doctoral-level degree (Psy.D., Ph.D., or Ed.D.) and are licensed in their practicing state. A psychologist’s length of education is typically 5 – 7 years of graduate training beyond the undergraduate level, a yearlong supervised pre-doctoral internship, and an additional yearlong postdoctoral fellowship or residency or supervised work before licensure. In the state of Oregon, psychologists must pass the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), and the Oregon Jurisprudence Exam before they can practice psychology independently. Beyond licensing requirements, psychologists are the only group of mental health professionals trained in the specialization of psychological testing. This ability requires several years of comprehensive training to administer, score, interpret and integrate the scientific evaluation of the clinical data to address the unique needs of each client. Finally, Psychologists do not prescribe medication except in New Mexico and Louisiana, and only after receiving specialized training in this field. For further information about psychology or psychologists, please visit American Psychological Association (APA).

Psychiatrist

This title refers to individuals who have earned a medical degree (M.D.) and are licensed in their practicing state. A psychiatrist’s length of education is 7 – 8 years beyond undergraduate training, and a 4-year residency in psychiatry. While some psychiatrists do offer psychotherapy, their primary treatment emphasis is prescribing and monitoring psychotropic medication. An important distinction between psychologists is that psychiatrists cannot administer nor can they interpret psychological testing. For further information about psychiatry or psychiatrists, please visit American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Professional Counselor/Clinical Professional Counselor/Mental Health Counselor

This title refers to individuals who have earned a master’s degree in counseling or related field, and are licensed in their practicing state (LPC, LCPC, and LMHC). Length of education is typically 2 years of graduate training and 2 – 3 years of supervised work experience. LPC’s are trained in general psychotherapy and assisting clients with various life problems (e.g., relationships, career, overall wellbeing, etc.). While licensed counselors can provide some evaluation/assessment services, they are much more limited in scope compared to psychologists. In addition, licensed counselors cannot prescribe medication. For further information about counseling, please visit American Counseling Association.

Social Worker

This title refers to individuals who have earned a master’s degree in social work (LCSW) and are licensed in their practicing state. Length of education is typically 2 years of graduate training and 1 – 2 years of supervised work experience. LCSW’s are trained in psychotherapy and working with social agencies to support the client’s mental and physical wellbeing. They cannot administer/interpret psychological testing, nor can they prescribe medication. For further information about social work, please visit National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Marriage and Family Therapy

This title refers to individuals who have earned a master’s degree in psychology, counseling psychology, or marital and family therapy (LMFT) and are licensed in their practicing state. Length of education is typically 2 years of graduate training and 2 – 3 of supervised work experience. LMFT’s are trained in psychotherapy with an emphasis on marital and family difficulties. They cannot administer/interpret psychological testing, nor can they prescribe medication. For further information about marriage and family therapy, please visit American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
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What if I want to end my therapy?

Ending your therapy is entirely your choice. If you do tell me that you would like to end, I will encourage you to come back to see me for one final session to tie up loose ends and to have a proper therapy termination.
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What if I have ended my therapy and feel like I need to return for more?

If we have worked well together in our therapeutic relationship, you are always welcome to come back into therapy with me. Many clients find that therapy suits their lives at different times and in different ways. The therapeutic process is not necessarily a linear journey, so coming back to me as a client after termination, or on a “therapy vacation” is entirely negotiable.
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What is your Appointments and Cancellation Policy?

Appointments and Cancellation Policy

AVAILABLE HOURS

Monday through Thursday evening from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and Friday mornings, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Therapy sessions are by appointment only and are typically 50-minutes in duration. Longer sessions are available at a prorated fee. Appointments may be canceled or rescheduled by calling and/or texting me at (503) 400-7500. You will be charged $60 for a missed appointment if you do not provide at least 24-hour advanced notice. There will be no charge for cancellations due to emergencies. Insurance companies will reimburse only for kept appointments; clients will be billed directly for missed sessions.

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