Insurance, Fees & Getting Started

Beginning therapy should not require figuring out a complicated process.

This page answers some of the practical questions people often have before scheduling, including insurance, payment, online sessions, consultations, and what happens after you decide to begin.

I provide online counseling for adults in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, as well as couples counseling when telehealth is clinically appropriate.

Insurance

I currently work with insurance through Headway.

My Headway profile currently lists the following insurance plans:

• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
• Carelon Behavioral Health
• Cigna

Insurance participation can vary by state, specific plan, employer, and type of service.

Being listed as an in-network provider with an insurance company does not guarantee that every plan from that company will cover your sessions.

Before beginning therapy, Headway can help verify your insurance information and provide an estimate of your expected cost.

How much will therapy cost with insurance?

Your cost depends on your individual insurance plan.

Depending on your benefits, you may have:

• A copay
• Coinsurance
• A deductible that must be met before insurance begins contributing
• Little or no out-of-pocket cost after your deductible has been satisfied

Because these details are specific to your plan, I do not want to guess about what you will owe.

Headway provides insurance verification and cost information before treatment so you can better understand your expected financial responsibility.

Does insurance cover couples counseling?

Not necessarily.

Insurance coverage for relationship or couples work is more complicated than coverage for individual psychotherapy.

Health insurance generally pays for medically necessary treatment of a covered member rather than simply paying for relationship counseling because a couple wants help improving the relationship.

Whether a particular session can appropriately be billed to insurance depends on the clinical circumstances, diagnosis, insurance plan, and service being provided.

For that reason, you should not assume that couples counseling will be covered simply because I participate with your insurance company.

We can discuss your situation during the consultation process before you begin.

You can learn more about my approach to couples counseling or Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

What about Hold Me Tight® workshops?

Couples workshops are different from psychotherapy.

The Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop is an educational and experiential relationship program rather than individualized mental health treatment.

Workshop registration is therefore separate from insurance-based psychotherapy.

Information about workshop dates, pricing, screening, and registration is provided on the workshop page.

Self-pay

Self-pay may also be an option depending on the service and circumstances.

If you are considering self-pay rather than using insurance, we can discuss the current fee before you schedule treatment.

You should know what a service will cost before agreeing to it.

If you have out-of-network mental health benefits, you may also want to ask your insurance company whether your plan reimburses any portion of services received from an out-of-network provider.

Coverage and reimbursement are determined by your insurance plan.

What is Headway?

Headway is the platform I use for insurance-related scheduling, eligibility, billing, and payment for covered services.

When you use insurance through my practice, Headway may collect information needed to verify your benefits and process claims.

Using Headway allows you to see information about your insurance coverage and expected cost before beginning treatment.

My practice website remains a good place to learn about my clinical approach and determine whether I might be a good fit.

Headway handles much of the insurance administration once you decide to move forward.

Do I need a referral?

Many commercial mental health plans do not require a referral for outpatient therapy, but insurance plans differ.

If you are unsure, contact your insurance company and ask whether your plan requires a referral or prior authorization for outpatient behavioral health services.

You can also review the eligibility information provided during the Headway onboarding process.

Where can I be located during online therapy?

I currently provide online counseling to clients located in:

• Arizona
• New Mexico
• Nevada

For telehealth, your physical location at the time of the session matters.

You generally need to be physically located in a state where I am authorized to practice when the therapy session occurs.

If you are traveling, let me know before the session so we can determine whether I can legally and appropriately provide care while you are away.

How does the consultation work?

If you are unsure whether therapy with me is a good fit, you can begin with a brief consultation.

The consultation gives us an opportunity to discuss:

• What brings you to counseling
• What you would like to change
• Whether you are seeking individual or couples therapy
• Whether online treatment appears appropriate
• Insurance or payment questions
• Scheduling
• Whether my clinical approach seems like a reasonable fit for what you need

The consultation is not a full therapy session.

You do not need to provide your entire history.

The purpose is simply to determine whether moving forward together makes sense.

What happens if we decide to work together?

If we determine that counseling appears to be a good fit, the next steps generally include completing the required intake paperwork and scheduling an initial therapy appointment.

During the first sessions, we will spend more time understanding:

• What is happening now
• Relevant history and relationships
• Symptoms or patterns that are causing difficulty
• Strengths and resources you already have
• What you would like to be different
• What treatment approach may be appropriate

Therapy should have direction.

We will work toward identifying meaningful goals rather than simply meeting each week without a clear sense of what we are trying to change.

What kind of therapy do you provide?

I work primarily with adults experiencing concerns such as:

• Anxiety and overthinking
• Relationship difficulties
• Stress
• Emotional patterns that seem difficult to change
• Life transitions
• Perfectionism and self-criticism
• Difficult family relationships
• Faith or values concerns
• Trauma-related concerns
• Grief and loss

You can learn more about individual therapy or online anxiety therapy.

I also provide couples counseling focused on recurring relationship patterns, emotional connection, communication, and repair.

My couples work is strongly informed by attachment principles and Emotionally Focused Therapy.

Can faith be included in therapy?

Yes, when it is important to you.

Faith and spirituality can be included as part of clinically grounded therapy without becoming religious instruction.

Some clients want faith to be an important part of the conversation.

Others do not want it included at all.

Both are appropriate.

For clients looking specifically for a therapist familiar with Latter-day Saint faith and culture, you can read more about my faith-informed counseling for Latter-day Saint clients.

Frequently asked questions

Do you accept insurance?

Yes. I currently participate with several insurance plans through Headway. Coverage depends on your particular plan and the service being provided.

How do I know what my copay will be?

Your insurance benefits determine your cost. Headway can verify eligibility and provide an estimated cost based on your plan.

Can I use insurance for couples therapy?

Possibly, but insurance coverage should not be assumed. Coverage depends on the clinical circumstances, medical necessity, the identified client, and your insurance benefits.

Are workshops covered by insurance?

Couples workshops are educational services rather than individual psychotherapy and are handled separately from insurance-based treatment.

Do you offer in-person therapy?

My counseling practice is primarily online.

Can I schedule directly without a consultation?

Depending on the service and scheduling pathway, that may be possible. However, a brief consultation can be useful when you have questions about fit, couples counseling, insurance, or whether online treatment is appropriate.

Do you see clients outside Arizona?

Yes. I currently provide online counseling to eligible clients located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

What if you are not a good fit for what I need?

That is useful to know too.

A consultation is not a commitment to begin therapy. If your needs fall outside my scope of practice or another type of treatment appears more appropriate, we can discuss that rather than beginning a therapeutic relationship that is unlikely to serve you well.

The first step can be simple

You do not need to understand insurance terminology, know exactly what kind of therapy you need, or have your situation perfectly explained before reaching out.

If you are considering counseling and want to know whether working together makes sense, begin with a consultation.

We can talk about what is bringing you to therapy, what you are hoping will change, practical questions about payment or insurance, and whether I appear to be an appropriate fit.