Your Questions, Honest Answers

My fee is $175 per session. You pay me directly at the time of service.

No. I don’t bill insurance directly. Therapy is most effective when it’s private, flexible, and centered entirely on you — not on what an insurance company considers “medically necessary.”
To bill insurance, I’d be required to assign you a mental health diagnosis and share personal details about our work with a third-party company. That information — including your diagnosis and sometimes session content — becomes part of your permanent medical record. Once entered into that system, it can be accessed by insurance companies, auditors, and sometimes other agencies down the line.

For some people, it doesn’t. But I’ve worked with many clients whose privacy needs go beyond the norm — including public figures, professionals in security-sensitive roles, and individuals whose personal or professional lives could be impacted by what’s in their medical files.

For them (and for anyone who values discretion), paying privately offers the highest level of confidentiality possible. Your information stays between you and me — not a billing department, not a database.

When you use insurance, several things can happen:

• You must receive a formal mental health diagnosis, even if your main goal is personal growth or stress management.
• That diagnosis becomes part of your permanent health record and may be visible to future insurers or employers conducting background or medical reviews.
• Insurance companies can review your clinical records, including treatment goals and progress notes, to determine whether your care should continue.
• Coverage is often limited to “approved” diagnoses and specific treatment models.

These practices can lead to privacy concerns, treatment restrictions, and, at times, the need for therapists to justify your continued care to people who have never met you.

When you pay privately, therapy remains entirely between us. We decide what to work on, how often to meet, and when you’ve met your goals — without outside interference.
This allows me to:

• See you as a whole, capable person rather than a diagnosis code.
• Keep my caseload smaller so I can dedicate full focus, creativity, and attention to each client.
• Tailor sessions to your unique needs and pace.
• Invest in continuing education and professional growth to keep my work thoughtful and evidence-based.

Private-pay therapy also allows me to model the same values I teach: autonomy, authenticity, and intentional choice.

Counselors are required to maintain basic progress notes that briefly summarize sessions and treatment goals. Mine are intentionally concise — enough to meet ethical and legal requirements, but nothing more.

These notes are stored securely and will only be released if you request them in writing or if a court order legally compels disclosure. I do not share client information with third parties or insurance companies.

Yes, in some cases. If you have out-of-network benefits through a PPO plan, I can provide a superbill — a specialized receipt with the information your insurer requires for potential reimbursement.
You pay me directly at the time of service, and if your plan allows, you may receive partial reimbursement from your insurance company. 

However, be aware that doing so means the insurance company will have the right to request a review of your records to determine if they want to reimburse you.

Choosing private-pay therapy means choosing autonomy, privacy, and the freedom to do meaningful work without bureaucracy in the room. It allows us to focus on what matters most — your growth, your healing, and your ability to live with intention and clarity.