Frequently asked questions
Do you offer telehealth? And are my sessions confidential?
Yes, we only offer online (telehealth) therapy sessions. This is done through a private, safe, and secure online platform, which is HIPAA-compliant. In addition, therapists ensure they are in a private and confidential location to provide you with privacy. Therapists cannot guarantee confidentiality from your location and it will be up to you to ensure you are in a private location.
Exceptions to confidentiality:
- If a client threatens or attempts to commit suicide or other grave bodily harm;
- If a client threatens grave bodily harm or death to another person;
- If there is a reasonable suspicion of neglect, abuse, or abandonment to children under the age of 18 years old;
- If there is a reasonable suspicion of neglect, abuse, or abandonment of an elderly person;
- If there is a reasonable suspicion of neglect, abuse, or abandonment of anyone unable to care for themselves;
- If a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena;
- If a client is in therapy by order of a court of law
What are the benefits of telehealth therapy?
Online (telehealth) therapy is shown to be as effective as face-to-face counseling sessions. Here are a few other benefits:
- Convenience. Attend therapy from home, work, car, or anywhere you feel comfortable. Cut down on driving time and the extra gas expense.
- Accessibility. Therapy is easily accessible for those with medical and/or physical difficulties getting to an office. All you need is an internet connected device (computer, laptop, tablet, phone). Note: Stable internet connection recommended.
- Availability. Those who live in remote or rural areas now have access to therapy without the need to go to the nearest big city.
How long does therapy take?
How long you continue in therapy depends on a lot of different factors.
- At first you may not feel comfortable talking to the therapist or you may feel comfortable immediately. It can sometimes take a few sessions to begin feeling comfortable enough to talk about sensitive subjects.
- Some situations are deeply rooted after years of built-up feelings, behaviors, and/or traumatic events. It may take longer to process these and some may spend years in therapy to work through everything. Those with less severe issues may find short-term therapy (2-6 months) more beneficial for them and will progress more quickly.
- You may feel like therapy is too hard, you don't want to do more than talk in session and be done, or it may bring on intense feelings which make you want to quit. These are all normal feelings! However, those who are willing to work through these feelings outside of their sessions, and are ready to implement the changes discussed will spend less time in therapy than those unwilling to put in the work.
We generally like to start with weekly sessions to give you time to become comfortable with the therapist and begin processing through your issues. The frequency of sessions are often reduced to biweekly, then monthly once you begin seeing progress.
Why does therapy cost so much?
First, I would like to ask you a question: Therapy is too expensive compared to what specifically?
Therapy should be thought of as an investment into your mental health and comparable to going to your primary care doctor for a series of tests to find a physical ailment or a dentist for braces. These are things that we need, but not for the long term. We justify the cost because we need to get it done for the betterment of our health and because we know it will make our lives better overall.
Mental health care is similar in that it is something that we sometimes need to get us through a rough period, but then we learn the tools and more about ourselves to no longer need them every week or even every month. For some, they see a mental health counselor for a short time, solve their issues, and don't need the care again or only come in when they have a highly stressful life event, such as suffering a loss. For others, they need more extensive mental health care on a more consistent basis.
Those who take their mental health care seriously find the work done in therapy to be well worth the cost. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it!
So here are some questions to ask yourself.
What is it worth to you...
- to have a better connection with your preteen/teen? And what happens to your relationship when they become adults if you never connect well with them?
- to have the skills needed to handle defiant behaviors in your preteen/teen? And what happens to them as adults if they do not learn the proper ways to handle situations that usually end in defiance?
- to know your older teen feels good about him/herself and is ready to live a life without debilitating anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem? And what happens if they decide they are not worth kindness towards themselves?
- to be able to set your own boundaries and improve your own mental health? And what happens to your physical health if you continue to feel overwhelmed and stressed?
Remember that you are not paying for my time. You are paying for your results.
Do you take insurance?
No, we do not accept insurance.
However, you may still be able to use out of network benefits to get reimbursed for any out-of-pocket costs.
NOTE: Using out of network benefits may require a diagnosis by your insurance company.
With this option: You pay the therapist for the scheduled session, and monthly we provide you with a receipt called a superbill, which you can then submit to your insurance company. If you have mental health benefits and do not have a deductible, the insurance company will send a check to you directly for reimbursement once the claim is accepted. Please be aware that we do not have any control over your insurance company, whether they accept or decline your claim, nor the reimbursement amount.
Another payment option: Use a Health Saving Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), which allows you to use pre-taxed money.
Please be aware that a credit card is required to be on file to schedule a session and payment is due at the time of service.
Why don't you take insurance?
There are several reasons for not accepting insurance.
- Less confidentiality. At any time an insurance company can request information about your sessions in order for them to determine benefits and pay for your sessions. Due to this we cannot ensure confidentiality if we accept insurance.
- Some insurance companies make authorizing therapy sessions difficult. Therapy then becomes based on what the insurance company wishes to cover, how many sessions you will be allowed (including the decision to terminate therapy sessions whether you feel better or not), and the exact treatment plan to be followed.
- Insurance companies require an immediate diagnosis. This does not allow a therapist to get to know you and/or any issues you may be experiencing before deciding on a diagnosis. Some types of therapy, such as family counseling, parenting, or life transition issues, may not even be covered unless they are attached to a more serious diagnosis. This diagnosis may also be used later as a "pre-existing condition" if you are looking into getting different insurance later.
What questions should I ask my insurance company about mental health coverage?
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- 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?
The insurance company may want to know the procedure code used for the therapy sessions so they can accurately provide you with the reimbursement amount. For an individual therapy session this would be 90837 with the modifier 95 for telehealth.
Do you have a reduced fee option?
Yes, we do currently have a reduced fee option through Open Path Collective. We only accept up to five (5) Open Path clients at a time. This option is available to those who have signed up with Open Path and are unable to afford current market rates for therapy sessions or for those who do not have insurance which allows for you to submit a superbill for reimbursement of therapy services.
How it works:
- Open Path requires you to register and pay a one-time fee of $59. This gives you lifetime access to their therapists.
- Search for a therapist. Andrea can be found here.
- Appointments and payments are made directly with the therapist.
We at A Mindful Walk Counseling allow you to choose your own payment based on what you can afford. You will be asked to choose a payment option on the consultation form and speak about it with the therapist during the free telehealth consultation. We ask that you inform the therapist if your situation changes and can pay the full counseling session fee, either due to higher income/budget availability or if you obtain insurance which will reimburse you for some or all of the costs. This opens up a spot for someone else with us through Open Path who would otherwise not have that available to them.
I have other questions, how can I get them answered?
If you have any other questions not answered here, please send us a message with your question(s).
I'm ready to schedule an appointment. What are my next steps?
- If you are ready to schedule an appointment, click the button below and it will bring you to scheduling.
- Choose "I'm a New Client" and follow the directions to schedule a free consultation session.
- Once you have chosen a day and time, the therapist will be able to accept the appointment.
- Please make sure to complete the consultation form prior to consultation appointment and show up for your scheduled session on time.
- If you have already completed a free consultation, you can schedule your first session by choosing "Existing Client" and following the directions to schedule your first session.
- Please make sure to complete the required intake paperwork prior to the first full counseling session.
Required documentation will be sent out and must be complete prior to the first session. A credit card is required to be on file for session payments. You will receive reminder notifications for your scheduled session appointment.