Forms
Shannon will send you a link to your client portal. You will be able to complete all necessary forms before your initial appointment. Shannon uses Simple Practice which a HIPPA compliant electronic medical record.
~ BEST Form (Optional to fill out and print for intake)
***Good article to read as a potential or new client, especially if you have never been in therapy before. Click link to read more. How Therapy Empowers Us
***Good article to read as a potential or new client, especially if you have never been in therapy before. Click link to read more. How Therapy Empowers Us
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Fees
Services may be covered in full or in part by your insurance plan. However, not everyone is comfortable going this route and may opt to pay out of pocket for their therapy services. If you opt to utilize insurance, please contact your health insurance provider to verify coverage, amount of sessions covered, deductible and copay or coinsurance amounts. Please contact me to inquire about my rates. I currently accept cash, check, or major credit and debit cards.
My fee is $150 for 55 minute sessions. Intake fee is $175. You can request longer sessions in advance. My fee will be prorated for extended sessions. I am contracted with Aetna insurance.
I am also considered an out of network provider, if your plans offers this type of benefit. I will provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. (Please inquire directly about your out of network benefits with your insurance company).
My fee is $150 for 55 minute sessions. Intake fee is $175. You can request longer sessions in advance. My fee will be prorated for extended sessions. I am contracted with Aetna insurance.
I am also considered an out of network provider, if your plans offers this type of benefit. I will provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. (Please inquire directly about your out of network benefits with your insurance company).
Benefits of Private Pay
If you have been looking for a therapist recently, you may have found that many are self pay, meaning you pay for therapy out-of-pocket, and do not accept insurance. This practice is becoming increasingly common. Here are some of the reasons why:
Chose your own therapist: Managed care companies generally have a list of preferred providers that consumers have to choose from. You may not like the choices you have, the therapists listed may not have the experience or specialty you are seeking or the specific therapist you want to see may not be included in this list. By paying out-of-pocket, you have a much larger selection of therapists to choose from, so you are able to find the best therapist for you.
Chose type and length of therapy: Research indicates that the longer a person is in therapy the more benefits are received. When using insurance, the managed care companies are the ones who determine the number of sessions and the type of therapy they will pay for.
Insurances influence on clinical decisions: Insurance companies can impact the number of sessions, frequency, and even the diagnosis a client is given. For example, if someone seeks grief counseling, many insurance companies do not cover bereavement. A therapist must diagnosis the individual with a "mental health disorder" in order to be reimbursed for services. Insurance companies can also seek information regarding the presenting issues, progress made and treatment goals. If they do not agree with the plan the therapist and client have developed together, they may decide to not reimburse for services provided. Although you may only have a $40.00 co-pay per session through your insurance, you will likely have a limited number of sessions they will pay. If you feel this has not efficiently helped you, you will either have to stop therapy, pay for it out-of-pocket, or negotiate with your insurance company for the need to continue therapy.
Minimize exposure of your PHI: Protected Health Information. In order for your insurance company to pay for services, your therapist has to disclose, with your consent, your personal information in order to verify your eligibility, pre-authorize services, and process claims to obtain payment. The therapist informs your insurance company of such things as the nature of your issues for counseling, psychiatric diagnosis, your treatment plan, and how long you will have the problem. With a self pay therapist, there is no requirement to release this information and it can be kept confidential. Your diagnosis does become part of your permanent medical record. Life insurance polices have denied eligibility or payment based on certain diagnoses.
Most clients seek therapy to improve relationships or transition through “rough patches," but to an insurance company review board, these are not acceptable reasons to pay for therapeutic services. When seeking a therapist, please also consider seeing someone that has experience or specializes in the issues you want to address in therapy.
Consider this analogy: When diagnosed with cancer, you wouldn't want to go to a dermatologist for recommendations and treatment. You would want to consult an oncologist, a specialist, who has experience and trained in that specific cancer diagnosis. This holds true for a therapist as well. You will find therapy is more productive, efficient and validating when you work with a therapist, who has experience, understanding, and training in your particular presenting issues.
The value of private-pay services over managed-care services are that they are more personalized, remove the stigma of the medical model and clinic setting, offer true privacy and are more effective. However, it is always a personal choice whether or not to use your health insurance to pay for therapy. For some, using insurance benefits is the best choice and others will find they like the freedom paying out-of-pocket gives them in their journey towards mental wellness.
Chose your own therapist: Managed care companies generally have a list of preferred providers that consumers have to choose from. You may not like the choices you have, the therapists listed may not have the experience or specialty you are seeking or the specific therapist you want to see may not be included in this list. By paying out-of-pocket, you have a much larger selection of therapists to choose from, so you are able to find the best therapist for you.
Chose type and length of therapy: Research indicates that the longer a person is in therapy the more benefits are received. When using insurance, the managed care companies are the ones who determine the number of sessions and the type of therapy they will pay for.
Insurances influence on clinical decisions: Insurance companies can impact the number of sessions, frequency, and even the diagnosis a client is given. For example, if someone seeks grief counseling, many insurance companies do not cover bereavement. A therapist must diagnosis the individual with a "mental health disorder" in order to be reimbursed for services. Insurance companies can also seek information regarding the presenting issues, progress made and treatment goals. If they do not agree with the plan the therapist and client have developed together, they may decide to not reimburse for services provided. Although you may only have a $40.00 co-pay per session through your insurance, you will likely have a limited number of sessions they will pay. If you feel this has not efficiently helped you, you will either have to stop therapy, pay for it out-of-pocket, or negotiate with your insurance company for the need to continue therapy.
Minimize exposure of your PHI: Protected Health Information. In order for your insurance company to pay for services, your therapist has to disclose, with your consent, your personal information in order to verify your eligibility, pre-authorize services, and process claims to obtain payment. The therapist informs your insurance company of such things as the nature of your issues for counseling, psychiatric diagnosis, your treatment plan, and how long you will have the problem. With a self pay therapist, there is no requirement to release this information and it can be kept confidential. Your diagnosis does become part of your permanent medical record. Life insurance polices have denied eligibility or payment based on certain diagnoses.
Most clients seek therapy to improve relationships or transition through “rough patches," but to an insurance company review board, these are not acceptable reasons to pay for therapeutic services. When seeking a therapist, please also consider seeing someone that has experience or specializes in the issues you want to address in therapy.
Consider this analogy: When diagnosed with cancer, you wouldn't want to go to a dermatologist for recommendations and treatment. You would want to consult an oncologist, a specialist, who has experience and trained in that specific cancer diagnosis. This holds true for a therapist as well. You will find therapy is more productive, efficient and validating when you work with a therapist, who has experience, understanding, and training in your particular presenting issues.
The value of private-pay services over managed-care services are that they are more personalized, remove the stigma of the medical model and clinic setting, offer true privacy and are more effective. However, it is always a personal choice whether or not to use your health insurance to pay for therapy. For some, using insurance benefits is the best choice and others will find they like the freedom paying out-of-pocket gives them in their journey towards mental wellness.