Appointments & Fees
Whether engaged in more traditional psychotherapy or coaching, I tend to meet with clients in person at my downtown Chicago office. However, as appropriate, I will conduct sessions on the phone.
Therapy & Coaching appointments generally last for a clinical hour, which is 50 minutes in length. At times extended or intensive sessions can be arranged.
Divorce or family mediation appointments typically last for two hours, but this can vary as needed. Workplace mediation is typically scheduled for one single three to four hour session. Please go to my mediation site, CFRMediation.com for more information about mediation services and fees (although it may seem a different company, simply request me as your mediator).
Therapy & Coaching Fees
Fee for Service
My standard fee is $120.00 per 50-minute hour. I realize that not everyone can afford my regular fee and I do not want cost to be a barrier to services, therefore I can, at times, be flexible in my fee. Cost should not be a barrier to treatment, so I am open to discussing reducing my fee in some instances. Feel free to discuss any financial concerns you may have.
Psychotherapy services are generally eligible expenses for reimbursement from medical flex-spending accounts, and may be able to be written off as a tax deduction, see your tax professional for more information.
Payment is expected at the time of service. Credit and debit card payments can be made through PayPal.com, and username will be provided upon request.
In addition, you can purchase a phone coaching package – either 150 minutes for $295, or 275 minutes for $495. Coaching minutes can be used in increments of 15 minutes or more over 6 months.
Insurance
Currently, I am on some insurance panels, and have a few slots for clients using their insurance at any given time. However, I am moving away from participation in managed care and other third party payor relationships.
By moving to a fee-for-service practice, I am able to base treatment on the needs of the clients, and not the financial wishes of the insurance companies. In addition, I am concerned about confidentiality issues when it comes to third party payors. All insurance companies require some degree of personal information to process a claim, and some require a great deal of clinical detail before authorizing sessions or payment, and this changes at the whim of the insurance company. Insurance companies also have a vested interest in determining that individuals are not in need of therapy services so that they do not have to pay.
Fee for service arrangements are the only way I can assure confidentiality and ensure that treatment is not impacted by the cost-cutting efforts of the insurance companies.
I do know that some people will still choose to access their insurance. If this is the case, a statement can be supplied monthly, which clients can then submit to their insurance companies for reimbursement if desired, however full payment of therapy charges will still be the responsibility of the client.
Coaching, mediation, and divorce services are not eligible for insurance reimbursement.
Insurance Information to Know:
Factors That Affect Your Eligibility for Insurance and Its Cost
Even with the new health care reform which will ultimately limit a company’s ability to refuse to cover a person who previously sought mental health counseling, insurance companies will be able to increase premium rates or deductibles based on previous services. This could price a person out of the insurance market. In addition, having insurance coverage for services does not mean they pay for services.
Medical Information Bureau
If insurance is accessed, there is no way to ensure that your private information is protected. In fact once the clinical information is provided to process the claim, individuals lose some control of who has access to the information. All claims made to insurance – whether paid or not – are processed and stored by the insurance company for an indefinite period of time and likely included in the MIB database for perpetuity. Even once health care reform rules are enacted, this information can limit eligibility for seeking disability, long term care, or life insurance. At present those having to purchase their own health coverage can face denial or limited coverage due to accessing clinical services that are processed through insurance.
Those clients who pay for therapy sessions on their own, including (in some cases) those who access their cafeteria plans or health care savings accounts, do not have to worry about psychotherapy services showing up on their “permanent record”.