What does therapy look like?

Each person or family is unique in their reasons for seeking therapy and because we will tailor a plan to meet your individual needs, therapy will look different from person to person. That said, there are some commonalities:

*Initial contact- we will schedule a complimentary 10-minute phone call to see if I am the right fit for you and discuss next steps.

*In most cases, we will schedule an initial session called an “intake” appointment. During this one-time appointment, we will complete any necessary paperwork, discuss scheduling, collect pertinent psychosocial information, create a treatment plan, and begin our work together. (Please note that an intake appointment is not required prior to parent consultation if all paperwork is completed prior to the appointment but is required prior to all individual and family therapy sessions).

*Follow up visits- 50–60-minute visits that are spent working on your individual goals. I will keep our session moving forward and will provide a combination of education, processing, and goal-directed coaching techniques during our visits. You get to set the tone and direction we explore.

Do I have to come to therapy every week for years?

Heck no! It’s very common for clients to meet with a therapist on a regular basis, most often weekly, while we are in the active phase of treatment. As you begin healing and getting better at handling the challenges that brought you into therapy, we will begin the process of tapering off visits (which means to extend the time between visits) until you move into the maintenance phase of treatment. Once in maintenance, you are welcome to utilize therapy with me on an as needed basis. How quickly this happens is unique to you.

What are the rules about confidentiality?

Everything that you share in our visits is considered your private health information and will remain confidential between just us. Yes, parents, that includes for your children also. Some exceptions include:

-Someone is hurting you (or a minor or vulnerable adult)

-You want to hurt yourself

-You want to hurt someone else

-You give me permission to share

Do you offer telehealth sessions?

Yes! Please reach out to me to discuss telehealth.

If my child is receiving individual therapy from you, do I need to be there?

Life can get really busy and it may be tempting to drop your child or teen off for their therapy appointment and use an hour to run errands. If your child is mature enough to attend an appointment solo, we have an established relationship (meaning we have met a few times already), have talked about this ahead of time, and you are available by phone if needed, then by all means go ahead!

If your child is new to therapy, under the age of 12, processing traumatic memories or content, or has difficulty regulating themselves, please ensure that you are present and available to join us as needed for appointments by waiting in the lobby.

Can you keep seeing me if I go on vacation?

One thing I’ve experienced as a lifelong Alaskan is the need to travel! I expect that I’m not alone in that sentiment, so if you find yourself experiencing a bit of wanderlust and want to keep your sessions, let’s talk. I am licensed in the state of Alaska only, so that means if your travels take you to a new destination in state then we can keep our sessions during your trip. Unfortunately, if you leave the state, we will need to postpone your sessions until after you return.

Why shouldn’t I just take medication?

Medication can be effective but it alone cannot solve all issues. Sometimes medication is needed in conjunction with counseling. Our work together is designed to explore and unpack the problems you are experiencing and expand on your strengths that can help you accomplish your personal goals.

Can you prescribe medications?

No, unfortunately I’m unable to prescribe any medications. If a medication seems like something that you’d like to explore, I’m more than happy to help you identify an appropriate provider.

Are you able to provide custody evaluations for court proceedings?

Unfortunately, I’m not able to provide custody evaluations for court. Please visit https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/family/shcparenting.htm for more information about parenting and child custody laws in Alaska.

Why don’t you bill insurance and what is a Superbill?

The short answer is that I chose not to. I would rather focus my energy and attention on working with you and your family on achieving your personal therapy goals rather than meeting your insurance company’s agenda. 

The long answer…I have worked with insurances for much of my career and have experienced that using insurance does not always produce better results for clients or for providers. Every insurance is different, but in general, insurances will only reimburse for some of the cost of treatment if they agree that you need therapy, and agree with the treatment plan goals you set, and agree that you are making progress quickly enough, and agree that you have an approved diagnosis to be receiving your care. That’s a lot of say in someone’s care without even being the provider!

In many cases, the insurance reimbursement rate for therapy is significantly less than the market value (meaning that therapists who accept in-network insurances are often paid less than the going rate for therapy)- even when all the other conditions are met. Essentially, the insurance gets to have a say in the care you receive or else they will not pay, which is not good for either of us. 

As mentioned previously, in order for your insurance to pay for your care, your therapist must tell them what your diagnosis is. But what if you aren’t receiving care for management of a mental illness and instead are working with a therapist for personal growth? Or to learn how to be a better communicator? These would not be viewed as good enough reasons for them to pay for you to see a therapist and further sessions would not be authorized.

Additionally, did you know that your insurance archives your medical history? So even if you are okay with your therapist giving your insurance your diagnosis there is a chance that if you switch plans you could be excluded from receiving some benefits due to having a “pre-existing condition” (which can also increase your insurance premiums if you renew your policy). Certain job opportunities may require you to disclose any diagnoses you have, particularly in government or highly secure positions.

If you must use your insurance to afford care (or just want to since you have paid for it after all!), that’s where a Superbill comes into play. It’s a bridge between ensuring that I am paid while also allowing you to utilize your out-of-network benefits to reimburse you for some of your treatment expenses. A Superbill is a monthly statement that I provide to you that you can use to request that your insurance send you reimbursement directly. Please note that while I’m not sharing treatment plans or progress notes with your insurance, a Superbill requires that I share some of your personal information with your insurance provider (including the diagnosis and treatment codes).

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to discuss this further if you still have questions. I’m always happy to answer questions!