The initial phone consultation is FREE. Any questions or concerns about fees can be answered at that time.
The following are the standard fees for A Safe Place to Heal:
A 75-80 minute initial assessment is $150.00-$170.00 depending upon the type of assessment and the counselor. The assessment
is recommended for the first meeting, but not required. The fee for a 45-50 minute office visit is $95.00-$115.00;
the fee for a 75-80 minute office visit with a couple, family or individual is $145.00-$170.00. Arrangements can
be made in advance for sessions to extend beyond the customary time. The excess portions of sessions will be
charged in 15 minute increments.
The fee for group work is $35.00 for each group meeting. Groups meet for 80-120 minutes depending upon the type
of group. Telephone consultations will be charged in 15-minute increments at the rate the caller would be charged for
an office visit. Fees for work at the organizational level will be determined separately in each instance.
Payment
It is very important that you pay the agreed-upon fee prior to leaving the office after each individual or group session,
in the form of cash, check or major credit card. If you would like to pay for your sessions online, you must do so 24 hours
prior to your session in order to reserve your slot.
Sliding Scale Fees
All fees are negotiable upon request. We reserve a certain number of sessions within our practice for persons who
cannot afford the full rate. In order to qualify for a lower rate, you will need to provide some documentation pertaining
to your household income. If you qualify and there are sliding scale fee slots available within the practice, the fees can
be reduced on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Cancellations
Cancellations must be made by phone at least 24 hours prior to your session. Appointments that are not cancelled 24 hours
in advance will be billed at the full rate.
Insurance Philosophy
A Safe Place to Heal will not personally deal with insurance companies. There are numerous reasons for this: insurance
companies almost always require a psychiatric diagnosis which then becomes a permanent part of your medical history; insurance
companies require the repeated sharing of personal information about you before they will agree to an initial or increased
allocation of sessions; company representatives who do not know either you, me or my associates and who may be working in
another state with the benefit of little psychological training are empowered to make decisions about the type and amount
of work that is appropriate for you; insurance companies rarely cover an unlimited number of sessions, so that you may have
to quit your work with me or suddenly begin paying a much higher fee if you wish to continue beyond their willingness
to pay; and it is neither pleasant nor cost-free for us to spend our time and other resources dealing with insurance
companies instead of with your issues.
If you do wish to file for insurance reimbursement, I will be happy to
furnish you with a receipt, but you will still be expected to pay at the time of service and it will be up to you to mail
the receipt to your insurance company and to do any telephoning or other negotiation. If it becomes necessary to become personally
involved beyond furnishing you with a receipt, you will be charged in 15-minute increments at the rate that would
apply to you for individual work with me. Insurance companies will not reimburse for this type of charge.
