FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
-Insurance Tips--Fees/Rates--Office Procedures-
Getting Started
Absolutely not. Asking for help is a sign of strength, and it takes courage to reach out and seek support. Everyone needs assistance at some point in their lives, and there is no shame in admitting it. During our time together, I will help you identify your strengths and teach you how to use them to overcome the challenges you are facing.
The difference is between someone who can do something, and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, counseling is completely confidential. You won’t have to worry about others “knowing my business.”
Lastly, confiding in a friend or family member about a situation that evokes intense negative emotions may lead to avoidance behavior once you feel better, so seeking professional help can be beneficial.
Although medication can be effective, it's not a standalone solution for all issues. In some cases, counseling may be needed in conjunction with medication. Our collaborative work aims to explore and address the issues you're facing while building on your strengths to help you achieve your personal goals.
The length of time required for counseling and achieving personal goals varies based on individual circumstances and commitment to personal growth. Counseling duration varies based on individual circumstances, personal development goals, commitment, and factors driving you to seek counseling are all crucial elements that need to be considered.
I am delighted to hear that you are committed to making the most out of your sessions. Your active involvement and dedication are essential to achieving your goals.
You can reach me by calling 602-551-6747. If I am unable to answer, please leave a message on my confidential voicemail with your name, contact number, and a brief message. Alternatively, you can send an email to info@resolute-counseling.com. If you need to provide sensitive information, such as your date of birth, or insurance details, please coordinate prior to sending any sensitive information.
*disclaimer: a privileged therapist-patient relationship does not exist until all consent forms are mutually signed by both parties. Your therapist may have you review the informed consent paperwork prior to the appointment, however, the therapist will not sign consent forms until meeting face-to-face/telehealth at the first appointment.
Rates and Insurance
Private Pay Rates
Assessment (90791) -$175
60 min therapy (90837) -$175
45 min therapy (90834) -$150
30 min therapy (90832) -$100
Couples or family therapy(90847)-$175
Phone consul. 15 min (98966) -$30
Crisis (90839-40) -$175+
Failure to give 24 hr cancel notice -$70
Interactive complexity (90785) -$20
If using your insurance benefits, the rates are based on the contracted rate with your health plan. Health plans reimburse CPT codes 90791, 90837, 90834, 90832, 90839-40, and 90784 only. CPT 90847 is dependent on the health plan.
Please note that when insurance denies a claim to pay for services already rendered, you are responsible for paying the contracted amount, which may be different than listed above.
Helpful Insurance Tips & Office Procedures
It is very important that you provide me with all of your insurance information, regardless if you plan to use your insurance to pay for sessions for 3 reasons.
First, if you have 2 insurance plans, and I only have information for one of the plans (e.g., secondary plan), the secondary plan will definitely deny the claim stating that you must use your primary plan first, and then the secondary plan will pick up the remaining cost after the primary plan sends a denial letter to the primary plan. Some primary plans require the claim to also be submitted to the secondary plan. It's hard to predict which plans do this; thus, it's my policy to be notified of all health plans that you may be covered by. Some health plans are aware of additional coverage (e.g., supplemental plans, advantage plans, etc.).
Second, IF I am not in-network with your primary plan, it will virtually impossible for me to get a denial letter from the plan that I'm not contracted with; thus, the alternate plan will not provide coverage because I was not able to submit prove of denial with the first plan. Therefore, you will end up being responsible for the entire cost.
Third, I need to know if you have insurance in order to assess if I need to give you a good faith estimate, which is required according to the No Surprises Act. If you are covered by a health plan, then I am not legally required to provide you with a good faith estimate. Good Faith estimates are for those that either do not have heatlh insurance or are electing to private pay.
Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, it is possible for services to be covered in full or in part. Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services.
If I am not in-network with your insurance, you always have the option to pay for your sessions yourself, and then you can submit the claim directly to your insurance for direct reimbursement to you. I can provide you with a superbill, which is the documentation that insurance plans need in order to process your claim. I’d be happy to discuss this with you further during a consult, if interested.
I’d recommend asking these questions to your insurance provider to help determine your benefits:
- Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
- Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
- Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
- Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?
- Length of treatment is frequently decided by outside third parties (e.g., health plans or 3rd parties that contract with your health plan). They will authorize a specific number of sessions at a time, then they want updated clinical information on your progress towards meeting your treatment plan goals that justifies why you should have additional sessions authorized. This requires disclosing your confidential clinical information. I will do my absolute best to advocate for you but there are no guarantees of your insurance re-authorizing continued sessions.
- In the event that insurance will not approve more sessions, or you cannot financially afford your co-pay or private self-pay rate, I will provide you with resources so you can continue counseling with an external provider. Also, please see my resources page for additional community resources.
- Once a claim is submitted to your insurance company, an average of 3-5 other people view/handle your confidential information in order to process/pay/deny the claim. Some insurance companies will contract out the claims processing piece to other 3rd parties. These 3rd parties are likely not qualified to determine if additional sessions should be authorized.
- Couples, or marriage, counseling can only be covered under family therapy (code used to bill insurance) and requires that one partner receive a qualifying mental health diagnosis when submitting the claim to the partner’s insurance company. For family counseling involving individuals under age 18, the adolescent must have a qualifying mental health diagnosis if using the adolescent’s insurance. A mental health condition must be diagnosed for the purpose of filing an insurance claim.
- Sometimes mental health diagnoses can affect your eligibility or monthly premium towards other types of benefits (e.g., qualifying for or paying a monthly premium rate for life insurance).
- If you are involved in a legal issue, courts or agents of the court (e.g., attorneys) may subpoena your insurance plan to release information pertaining to the type and frequency of claims that were submitted (e.g., diagnoses, frequency of sessions, etc.).
- Sometimes people who work in safety-sensitive jobs (e.g., law enforcement), it’s common to private pay sessions in order to maximize confidentiality. If an employer finds that an employee, in a safety sensitive position, has a compromised work performance, the employer could subpoena the information from the employee’s insurance plan. It is against the law for health plans (and their 3rd party contractors) to release any of your healthcare claims information to any 3rd party unless you provide consent or there is a court order.
Insurers require that counseling sessions focus on reducing distress related to a mental health condition. If sessions solely focus on personal growth without tying in how mental health symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, affect the client's ability to reach their goals, insurers may deny payment for those sessions. In such cases, the client is responsible for paying the full cost of the session.
While undergoing counseling, new areas of concern may arise, and it's normal to want to address them. However, it's important to consider how the newly identified area of concern is impacted by negative symptoms related to mental health.
We accept cash, check and all major credit cards as forms of payment.
To avoid incurring a cancellation fee, we kindly request that you cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance if you are unable to attend.
Effective January 2022, providers must offer a "Good Faith Estimate" (GFE) to prospective clients who are uninsured or self-pay/private-pay. This also applies to clients with active commercial insurance who choose not to utilize their behavioral health benefit. The GFE must provide an exact amount, rather than a range, to ensure transparency and accuracy for clients.
Please reach out for any additional questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!
Types of Services Offered
Do you have a difficult time managing struggles happening in your life?
Does it feel like you can’t control it no matter how hard you try?
Are you worried to talk to other individuals in your life about your problems or those individual’s feedback is ineffective?
If this sounds like you, then individual counseling could help. My practice offers individual counseling that is tailored to your needs. Individual counseling is different than group counseling in a way that you are the sole focus in individual counseling.
It’s normal for new or old feelings, thoughts or emotions to come up in counseling/therapy; thus, your services can be re-adjusted at any step of the process. We can help to uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears, learn how to relax, look at situations in a new, less frightening way, and develop better coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills.
Do you find yourself struggling with re-occurring challenges and feeling like you can't manage them effectively?
Have you tried talking to people in your life about your problems, but their feedback doesn't seem to help?
Are you hesitant to open up to others because you fear being judged or misunderstood?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, individual therapy may be beneficial for you. Our counseling services are customized to meet your specific needs and concerns, and we prioritize your well-being and growth throughout the process.
In individual counseling, you will receive one-on-one attention and support, allowing you to focus on your personal goals and development. As we work together, we can identify the underlying causes of your challenges, explore new perspectives and coping strategies, and help you build the skills and resilience needed to overcome obstacles and thrive in your daily life.
**FOR PRE-LICENSED or LICENSED CLINICIANS ONLY**
Education
Please see the About Me page for a list of my education, qualifications, trainings, and certifications.
Purpose and Goal of Clinical Supervision
“Clinical supervision is a distinct professional activity in which education and training aimed at developing science-informed practice are facilitated through a collaborative interpersonal process” (American Psychological Association, n.d.). In addition to supervision being a collaborative process between two parties, the process has both facilitative and evaluative components.
The overall goal is help notice or less experienced clinicians with the following areas:
– Develop their clinical skill development
– Develop emotional receptivity (e.g., self-awareness, nondefensive, and self-reflective)
– Gain awareness of own emotional health may impact their clients
– Adherence to professional code of ethics and state licensure laws (e.g., ACA, AzBBHE, etc.)
Philosophy, Goals, and Approach to Clinical Supervision
I use a person-centered, integrative, and collaborative approach to assist supervisees in their ongoing development of their professional identity and skills. The general areas of focus include working to increase competence in major clinical domains of supervisee’s professional behaviors:
– Counseling skills development & documentation standards,
– Knowledge of various theoretical orientation and their practical applications,
– Professional Identity development,
– Personal growth and awareness,
– Client/case conceptualization,
– Competency in assessment techniques and treatment plan development,
– Individual, and family counseling,
– Client psychoeducation,
– Ethical and professional standards,
– Therapeutic relationship development
With this developmental model approach, the core aim of the integrative developmental model is to provide differing and flexible facilitative supervisory environments and interventions to best enhance developmental progression. As a clinical supervisor, my approach may vary depending on the level of experience of my supervisee. I may act as a teacher for novice supervisees or a consultant for those with more experience, and the type of feedback provided may be adjusted accordingly.
Competency Areas
I am familiar with many types of theoretical frameworks, such as CBT, DBT, MI, solution-focused, and REBT. I have worked with individuals, couples, and families of all ages, specifically ages 13 and older. I have not nor have I previously ever treated children under age 14. Of former clients served, I have worked with the following specific conditions: anxiety, depression, trauma, developmental conditions (e.g., ADHD, autism, tourettes), career counseling, conflict resolution, anger management, grief & loss.
Evaluative Process
In order to evaluate your skills, I will use various tools.
– Self-assessment instruments
– University sponsored surveys or evaluations (for interns only)
– Ongoing discussions of areas of strengths and areas needing improvement
– Therapist Evaluation Checklist by Hall-Marley (2000)
Fees
$75/hour - unlicensed intern needing clinical supervision per University/Counseling program standards.
$90/hour - If supervisee is working for another practice/organization.
$150/hour - If supervisee is working within their own supervised private practice.
$200/hour - If supervisee is under an active consent agreement with AzBBHE. This includes submitting quarterly reports to AzBBHE as required.
*Prior to offering services to the public, or marketing counseling services, AzBBHE must first provide authorization for any supervised private practices (SPP). Moreover, AzBBHE must also be notified and approve of a clinical supervisor PRIOR to providing SPP services.
**In all settings (agency or SPP), supervisees must inform all of their clients that they are receiving clinical supervision for services they provide. If you choose me to provide clinical supervision and the board approves me, I require supervisees to advertise my contact information publicly on their website and in all marketing material per AzBBHE rules.
Emergency Contact Information
I may not be available right away due to being in a session or another activity, however, I will return your call, email, or text as soon as I can. Under no circumstances should you ever disclose protected health information (PHI) since that is a HIPAA violation. Be sure to provide a brief synopsis (omitting any of the 18 PHI identifiers).
Adherence to Our Code of Ethics
As a clinician yourself, you are responsible for adhering to your applicable code of ethics (e.g., ACA, NASW, AAMFT, etc.). AzBBHE has adopted the code of ethics for each discipline (e.g., ACA for counselors, NASW for social workers, etc.). Our code of ethics is what drives us to act in specific ways since it essentially governs how we practice. Be familiar and know how to look up how a potential issue could be handled according to your code of ethics.
Have you ever thought, “If I only had an instruction manual!” when faced with a new experience or trying to achieve a big goal? Unfortunately, nothing can fully prepare you for unexpected situations or experiences. This is where coaching can be valuable.
Coaching vs. Therapy
Coaching differs from therapy in that it focuses on your current and future goals, without addressing past negative experiences or symptoms. In contrast, therapy often involves exploring and healing from past events that contribute to current issues. While insurance does not cover coaching, it is common for individuals to engage in both coaching and therapy simultaneously. If you plan to use insurance, please contact me to discuss further.
Who is Coaching For?
Anyone can benefit from coaching, whether you're starting a business, considering a career change, or seeking personal growth.
Let's Achieve Your Goals
As your coach, I provide the tools and support you need to achieve your goals and celebrate your progress. Let's work together to gain control over your actions and make your dreams a reality. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions to determine if we're a good fit for each other.
Whether you are an individual looking to start a new business, a small business owner seeking to expand, or a large organization facing complex challenges, we are here to help. Our consultation services are designed to empower you to achieve your goals and thrive in today's rapidly changing world. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start achieving your goals.
Are you struggling to navigate the complex systems of care in your community?
Our consultation services provide the expert advice, guidance, and support you need to successfully navigate these complex systems and achieve positive outcomes.
I offer a collaborative approach, while working closely, to identify strategies or solutions to help with achieving your objectives. This may be consulting on challenging/complex cases. During our consultation, we will discuss specific needs and concerns, and we will provide recommendations and referrals to community resources that may be helpful. This could include guidance on navigating long-term care services, guardianship issues, or providing resources such as support groups, community mental health clinics, crisis hotlines, and more.
As a professional with specific training/expertise as a psychotherapist, former professional fiduciary (guardian) and former case manager, I understand that it can be very overwhelming to navigate areas that cause discomfort. If you are struggling to navigate the complex systems of care in your community, our consultation services can help. Contact us today to learn more and to schedule a consultation.