Psychotherapy is a professional relationship between individuals, consisting of assessment and treatment components. These components are ongoing, and the length of psychotherapy varies from individual to individual. While there is variation for some components of psychotherapy, there are also elements that are consistently part of the process. Careful listening, empathy, and understanding are of course necessary throughout, but psychotherapy often involves education and training. This is especially true for a Behavior Therapist whose goal it is to enable individuals to take active roles in their treatment and their lives. Skill building and an analysis of the individual's learning environments are therefore given special emphasis in the work that we do together.

While I can only provide a very brief overview of the services that I provide, I would encourage you to explore areas of the site that may provide additional details about Behavior Therapy and what it involves. If you are interested in pursuing psychotherapy, please note the following details regarding insurance and fees.

Insurance carriers of which I am a member include the following:

• Aetna
• Blue Shield
• Medicare
• Tricare

Note that to receive full coverage from your insurer, you often have to meet criteria for a major psychological disorder, and it has been my experience that many clients do not meet these criteria. For example, parent-child conflicts may exist for reasons that have little to do with the presence of a psychological disorder. In these cases it is difficult to obtain reimbursement from your insurer unless you have exceptional coverage (Aetna and Tricare have excellent plans for some individuals). There is also the issue of copayments, meaning that your insurer will cover a portion of the cost but you will need to reimburse me for the portion that is not covered by your insurer. For example, if your insurer is willing to pay $80 per session, you would then need to pay $40 “out of pocket” to cover the remainder of the fee ($120 per session total).

Fees for psychotherapy are $120 per hour if you are using insurance. Because many complications can be avoided by paying with cash (or checks, or online with Paypal), cash payments result in a reduced fee of $100 per hour.

I hope that the above answers some initial questions that you might have about my services and payments for services. If you have questions, you may contact me at 619-542-1426 and I will be happy to talk with you.