Frequently Asked Questions
What is your hourly rate?
I charge $95 per hour, and it’s a real 1-hour appointment (not 50-minutes).
I meet with first-time clients for 2-hours ($190) because we need extra time for the new client to catch me up on everything. The same goes for my clients that pop in every once in a while, 1-hour just doesn’t cut it. It’s incredible how fast the time goes, so I allow enough time for my clients to truly benefit from our consultation.
How long does counseling/coaching take?
Many clients just come for one or two appointments to clarify an issue and strategize a plan. Others choose to work longer to navigate through a challenging chapter of their lives that requires greater support.
My experience has been that virtually everyone begins to feel at least a little better during their first appointment.
It is simply a great relief to talk to someone who listens, understands and can give you information, choices and tools based on personal experience, training and expertise.
Do you take insurance?
No, I do not take insurance. Insurance requires a client diagnosis and treatment plan, allowing the client one 50-minute appointment per week for a set amount of weeks for a set co-pay charge. The client’s diagnosis then is part of the clients permanent medical record.
My clients are going through common life stressors and transitions, meaning they do not need a diagnosis or treatment plan. My clients want a private consultation that will not be documented as an illness or disorder, and not become part of their permanent medical record. Also, it is not helpful for my clients to drag out our conversations into 50-minute increments once a week. My clients enjoy the freedom to schedule a consultation however often they’d like, and the freedom to stay for an extended amount of time if appropriate. Many of my clients will go weeks or months between appointments, then perhaps they will come twice in one week because something significant is happening in their lives. This set-up allows me to customize for each client’s needs and preferences, and guarantee maximum privacy and confidentiality.
What about Confidentiality? Privacy?
Whatever we talk about will stay between us, by law, completely private and confidential. There are, however, a few rare exceptions to that confidentiality, which include very serious, immediate suicide/homicide risks and child/elderly abuse. These exceptions, by law, have to be reported for public safety and they safety of the client.
My intention is to create a comfortable and private atmosphere for us to talk without fear or judgments. I have always been able to keep complete confidentiality, and I have never had a situation where I needed to report any of the above situation.
My business is composed of one person…me. This allows me to offer the maximum privacy and confidentiality. My clients deal only with me, no one else. I am the only person who has access to my emails, texts, voicemails, accounting, etc. No one else has any access to any of my files, paperwork, or records. I have several office mates (who happen to be attorneys and are seldom in the office), but we simply share rent together–no other relationship. They have a secretary who may greet you in the lobby, but she has no access to my calendar and does not know when I have appointments. She will not know your name or why you are meeting with me. As far as anyone knows, we could be friends, or business associates or colleagues.
On top of all that, I am very careful and minimalist with any client documentation–the vast majority of everything about my clients stories is just locked in my brain. For some freakish reason, I can remember my clients stories, in detail, seemingly forever. A client can pop up after being away six months and we can just pick up where we left off. I don’t look at anything, I can just remember it all and all the details. This saves us a great deal of time! Plus it allows an added layer of confidentiality.