FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHEN SHOULD I SEE A THERAPIST?

If you are committed to making personal changes for greater life satisfaction, then you are ready to seek therapy. Many people believe that they need to be suffering from “mental illness” or serious “psychological problems” in order for therapy to be appropriate. This is not the case, anyone can benefit from therapy. Some even choose to come in for insight only.

HOW DO I START PSYCHOTHERAPY?

You will need to contact me and schedule your FREE 30 minute phone consultation.

Some insurance carriers and plans require authorization before initiating services. If you plan to use insurance, please contact your carrier member services to check your benefit and, if required, request authorization. Please contact me if you need specific information from me for your authorization request (my information, billing codes, etc).

WHAT HAPPENS DURING 30-MINUTE FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION?

We will discuss issues you are currently wanting to address. This will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about my practice style and therapeutic orientation, availability, fees, insurance, and so on. At the end of the consultation you and I will decide on next steps including scheduling an intake or referral to more appropriate resources.

HOW LONG DOES EACH THERAPY SESSION TAKE?

Diagnostic evaluation/clarification/2nd opinion interviews start at 60 minutes, but may require additional time for multiple sessions and/or time for records review/etc. Therapy sessions usually last 45-50 minutes.

HOW OFTEN WILL I HAVE PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS?

Once a week sessions are the standard for individual counseling, though patients are welcome to seek more frequent sessions if they are in crisis or want greater insight. Depending on how you are doing or if we are working towards concluding care, we may decide together to schedule less frequent visits.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO ACHIEVE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY?

There are many benefits to engaging in therapy. Some of these include: gaining a better understanding of oneself, figuring out life goals and prospects, improving personal relationships, developing coping skills, enhancing problem-solving abilities, making positive changes to problem behaviors, and boosting self-esteem. I will work with you throughout this process and offer new insight to an issue that you have been struggling with. The benefit that you obtain will ultimately depend on how committed you are to the treatment.

HOW LONG DOES THERAPY TAKE?

There is no specific timeframe when working on personal development and growth. Depending on the type of changes that you are looking to make and the variety of issues that you wish to work on, therapy can last from a few sessions to much longer. Some find therapy to be extremely beneficial and choose to make it a long-term process.

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

Since the scheduling of an appointment involves the reservation of time specifically for you, a minimum of 24 hours (1 day) notice is required for re-scheduling or canceling an appointment. Unless we reach a different agreement, the full fee will be charged for sessions missed without such notification. Most insurance companies do not reimburse for missed sessions.

If you are unable to attend your session in person, you can always do it via phone or video.

DO YOU OFFER PHONE OR VIDEO SESSIONS?

I do offer treatment sessions for psychotherapy by telephone or video (SimplePractice telehealth) if you are unable to attend office visits and at the time of your visit you are located in the state of Washington. I cannot provide routine (non-crisis) telehealth services to patients who are located outside the state of Washington. You will be charged your usual rate for your telephone or video chat session.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEES?

Diagnostic evaluations are billed at $300 per evaluation. Please contact me for an estimate for Nexus letter (including records review, evaluation and feedback, report and letter writing). For Nexus letters, a deposit will be due at the time of initial evaluation and the remainder due prior feedback and delivery of completed letter. The standard fee per 50-minute individual psychotherapy session is $150 or 60+minute individual psychotherapy session for $175, due at the end of each session unless other arrangements have been made. Other agreed upon services such as report/letter writing, supervision, or consultation will be billed at the rate of $100.00 per clinical hour (50 minutes is one clinical hour) and are typically not billable to health insurance.

DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?

I am credentialed with Molina (Medicaid/Apple Health) and in the process of getting paneled with a variety of carriers and plans. I am an out-of-network provider for all other insurance plans. Many insurance policies offer partial reimbursement to see an out-of-network therapist; you may wish to consult with your insurance carrier regarding this benefit. I will be happy to provide you with an invoice (a "Superbill") that can be submitted to your carrier for reimbursement. Please refer to our Fees & Insurance Page for more information.

WHAT IF I CAN'T AFFORD YOUR FULL FEE?

For clients who cannot afford the full fee, I have a limited number of appointments available at a sliding scale. My sliding scale is determined and decided on a case-by-case basis. My sliding scale is based on financial needs, income, availability, household size. To apply for our sliding scale please fill out our form here

DO YOU OFFER SLIDING SCALE RATES?

It is the policy of Kairos Psychotherapy Northwest to provide essential services regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Discounts are offered based on family size and annual income. Please download application from FORMS page, complete the required information and return to me to determine if you or members of your family are eligible for a discount. This must be completed every 12 months or if your financial situation changes.

The discount will apply to all services received at this practice, but not those services that are purchased from outside, including psychiatry or medications.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?

I accept all forms of payment including cash, checks, PayPal, and, if you have activated your patient portal on SimplePractice you can pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc).

WHAT KIND OF THERAPIST ARE YOU?

Many people incorrectly associate psychotherapy with the typical media depiction of a “Freudian” style session in which the therapist is sitting silently in the chair and nodding throughout the whole session. I take on a much more interactive and collaborative approach in our sessions. You can expect that I will work with you to explore thoughts, feelings, behaviors, the past and the present, and the conscious and unconscious.

DO YOU USE FREUDIAN OR JUNGIAN ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES?

I do not use specific Freudian or Jungian techniques although I do draw from theory and concepts that underpin psychoanalysis and archetypal psychology from time to time when clinically relevant and appropriate.

WHAT KIND OF METHOD OR APPROACH DO YOU USE?

My practice is not limited to just one method or approach. I tailor therapy to meet the needs of each patient and draw from various theoretical models including Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

DOES WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THERAPY REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components in therapy, as successful therapy requires a high degree of trust. With few exceptions, the highly sensitive material that is discussed between you and I will not be shared with anyone else without your permission. For example, I may share information with someone on your healthcare team (your psychiatrist or physician), but by law will only be allowed to release this information after obtaining your written consent. In addition, I am legally mandated to make certain disclosures in cases where there is suspicion of harm to oneself, harm to others, or child abuse. All such disclosures will be discussed with you in advance.

DO YOU PRESCRIBE MEDICATION?

I am not a psychiatrist and therefore I do not prescribe medication. However, in some cases medication can be valuable in combination with psychotherapy. If you and I determine that you could benefit from meeting with a psychiatrist, I can assist with referring you to someone in our trusted network of referrals.