- HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE PTSD? WHAT KINDS OF TRAUMA DO YOU TREAT? The first sessions together will be spent assessing your struggles and difficulties - we will work together to determine diagnosis and a treatment plan. I firmly believe that all too often people are diagnosed without being informed of what that means; that will not happen in our work together. A trauma is any unexpected event that threatens your (or loved ones') life, integrity, or psychological state. It can be violence, abuse, military experiences, birth trauma, developmental trauma, losing a loved one, discrimination and bias, accidents, natural disasters, and so many other things.
- WHAT ARE THE LOGISTICS OF THERAPY? I offer a free, 15-min phone consultation so that you can decide if you would like to meet. It's important to get a "sense" about your therapist before committing to a full intake session. If, after our phone consultation you would like to schedule a session we would take the first few appointments for consultation, which includes assessment, treatment planning, and deciding if we feel comfortable moving forward with the therapy relationship. You can call 202-743-2483 or complete the contact form on the Contact page.
- Sessions are either 50 or 80-mins, depending on the type of therapy, your needs, your goals, and your preferences
- Payment is due at the time of service and may be paid by check or credit card. I typically meet with clients once a week.
- DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE? I am an "out-of-network" provider. Being out-of-network allows me to minimize the amount of confidential information I am required to disclose to your insurance company and helps me to protect your privacy. It also allows us to determine your course of care/treatment instead of being dictated by the insurance company. I strongly recommend contacting your insurance company prior to beginning therapy to investigate their coverage of out-of-network services. Most insurance companies will reimburse you at a percentage of what is "reasonable and customary" in their geographical area, based on your individual plan. Please be sure to inform them that you intend to see a licensed Psy.D.-level psychologist in Washington, DC or San Francisco, California as the educational level of the therapist and geographical area where the therapy is delivered may impact the reimbursement rate provided by your policy. You may also want to provide your insurance carrier with the correct procedure code for this service (e.g., 90834 is typical for a 50-minute individual therapy session). In order to take advantage of this coverage, you pay for each visit out-of-pocket, and then file for reimbursement directly with your insurance company. I can provide you with a monthly invoice, or "superbill", that contains all of the necessary information to easily apply for reimbursement from your health insurance provider. You may want to use this worksheet to contact your insurance company to find out what they will/will not cover. If you do not plan to use insurance coverage for services, you are entitled to a "Good Faith Estimate" for the cost of services. Please let me know if you need one of these provided to you.
- DO YOU OFFER A "SLIDING SCALE"? I reserve ~10% of my caseload for reduced fee slots. If I do not have any available, I am happy to provide you with referrals to other clinicians in the area if needed.
- HOW DOES TELEHEALTH THERAPY WORK? I was fortunate to have training in delivering telehealth long before the pandemic made it common. I have been using telehealth services since 2014 and love how accessible it makes treatment. I use a HIPAA-compliant and secure platform to ensure that your information stays confidential. All sessions will be conducted through Simple Practice unless there is an emergency. All therapy notes, credit card information, and intake forms will be kept through Simple Practice. It is important to ensure that you have a private space to do our therapy sessions with a good and secure internet connection. For more information, Simple Practice provides this guide to telehealth.
- ARE SESSIONS SECURE? All personal identifying information (PII) is always stored in a manner compliant with HIPAA regulations and communication is typically conducted via our HIPAA compliant electronic medical record and communication system, Simple Practice. For those clients interested in an increased level of security of their information (e.g., due to employment needs or personal preference), I offer AES256 encryption for client data (current gold standard encryption) and end-to-end encryption communication platforms (Signal and Jitsi Meet). I maintain general practice standards that include two-factor authentication for all programs and devices that access PII and engage in regular consultation about security, privacy, and related ethical issues.
- WHAT DO I BRING TO MY FIRST APPOINTMENT? After your free 15-min phone consultation, if you decide you would like to schedule an intake session, I will provide you a link to the client portal of Simple Practice. Once there you will find forms to complete prior to our first session. Please note that our intake cannot start until these documents are completed. Simple Practice will also have you enter your credit card information into its secure and encrypted portal.
- DO YOU PRESCRIBE MEDICATION? I do not prescribe medication. However, if you have a need for medication I can provide you with referrals for psychiatrists or prescribers in the area who have experience with trauma-informed care. And I am happy to coordinate care with them if you pursue this option.
- DO YOU PROVIDE PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND EVALUATIONS? I currently do not offer formal psychological testing. I do, often, use symptom measures or measures of how you're functioning but these are not formal or comprehensive measures. I am able to provide referrals for psychological testing and am happy to collaborate and coordinate care with those professionals.
HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION NOT ANSWERED HERE? PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM TO ASK!