Practicalities & Fees

What You Can Expect

Psychotherapy can be used on a short-term basis to address specific needs and concerns, or on an ongoing basis to pursue more comprehensive self-awareness and change through exploration of the complex intra-psychic and interpersonal influences that have shaped your development, your sense of self, and your experiences with others.

During our initial meeting, I will ask you why you are seeking therapy, and what you hope to gain by the process, and will share my initial impressions with you regarding how I imagine we could proceed in meeting your needs. Your continuing involvement in guiding the process will be both welcome and encouraged while we continue to meet.

Confidentiality

The information that you share in psychotherapy is confidential and will not be discussed or released to a third party without your written permission and consent unless disclosure is required by law. Disclosure is required by law (1) if you are a danger to yourself or others, or (2) if you, or someone you have discussed, have been involved in an incident of a child, dependent adult, or elder abuse or neglect.

As a psychotherapist, I am legally obligated to intervene in these circumstances, including reporting the possibility of abuse to our local child or adult welfare agency and contacting other persons or agencies that may assist in protecting you or others if I believe you may harm yourself or others. In certain legal proceedings, I may be required to submit information.

Sessions

Individual sessions are generally 50 minutes in length and occur either once or twice a week unless we have agreed in advance to an alternative duration or schedule. Often, I recommend scheduling longer appointments (the equivalent of a session and a half or two appointments) for couples.

Fees

My fees are $240 for a 50-minute session and $360 for a 75-minute session. I request payment at each session and accept cash, checks, and money order. Credit card payments may also be made through Pay Pal. For your convenience, you can pay for your sessions with a credit card using the Paypal buttons provided at the conclusion of this page. I am sometimes able to offer a sliding scale fee to low-income persons and encourage you to discuss any concerns you may have regarding my fees during your initial call.

Insurance

If you are enrolled in an insurance program that provides reimbursement for psychotherapy, I can provide you with a monthly service and fee statement when requested. If I am a Preferred Provider on the particular insurance plan that provides your coverage, I will request your co-payment at each session and bill your plan/carrier for the remaining balance of your fee, as long as coverage is provided. If your insurance provider fails to provide coverage for services that have already been received, you will be responsible for the fees that have been incurred (at the insurance provider’s rate of reimbursement if different than my fees).

Please also note that whenever insurance is used for psychotherapy, the treatment must be considered "medically necessary” and will require the documentation of a diagnosis. Other personal information may also be required for reimbursement for therapeutic fees by your insurance provider. This information may be maintained in your records indefinitely and may affect your ability to acquire insurance in the future, especially if you have a lapse in coverage since some companies exclude “pre-existing conditions” (conditions for which you have received prior insurance benefits) in the policies in this circumstance.

Cancellation

A full session fee will be charged for any session that is missed or canceled without the requested 24-hour notice, including for sessions that are usually covered by insurance.

Availability

If you need or want to speak with me in between sessions for reasons concerning scheduling or other urgent or timely matters, please call my private voicemail number (415-533-9724) and I will return your call as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours. Please be clear in your message regarding whether or not you wish to speak with me immediately. Please note that phone contact that exceeds 15 minutes will be charged on a pro-rated basis, using your hourly fee.

Emergencies

If you are experiencing an emergency, and I am not available to assist you in acquiring the appropriate services, please contact either Suicide Prevention at (415) 781-0500, Crisis Support Services of Alameda County at (800) 309-2131 or  San Francisco General Hospital at (415) 206-8125. If you are in immediate danger or need immediate assistance of any kind, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.