Payment & Policies

Fees

Individual sessions are $250. I am happy to discuss my fee and am sure we can find something that will work for you. I am able to offer a sliding scale, so please discuss any financial concerns you may have with me.

Insurance

In addition to accepting Cigna, HealthFirst, and Medicare in-network, I am an out-of-network provider with most insurance agencies. Services may be covered in part by your health insurance for out-of-network mental health services. Please check with your insurance carrier for reimbursement rates (often 50- 80%), number of allowed visits and possible deductible amounts. I will provide you with a receipt which you can then submit for reimbursement with your insurance provider or I can offer complimentary claim filing with your insurance provider.

Keep in mind that many plans require you to pay a deductible first and to contribute a co-payment. You can call your plan in advance to learn what benefits are available to you.

Here are some helpful questions to ask your insurance provider before your first session:

Do you accept out-of-network behavioral health or mental health providers?
Is there a limit on the number of sessions I am entitled to per year?
Do I have a deductible? If yes, how much is it? Have I met any portion of my deductible with other medical expenses this year?
Do you require pre-authorization or a referral from an MD or Primary Care Physician?
What amount of the psychotherapy (CPT 90834) fee will be reimbursed?

Payment

You have the option of making payment by cash, check, venmo, zelle, or credit card. Payment is expected at each session.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to change or cancel your appointment for any reason, please give at least 48 hours notification or you will be charged the full cost of your missed appointment. Whenever possible, I will try my best to offer you any options I have available for rescheduling our session in order to avoid missing our time together.

Our Consultation

When we first meet, we will need to decide if you feel comfortable working with me, and whether I feel I can be helpful to you. Sometimes, one meeting is not enough, and it can take a few sessions to know for sure if you want to work with me. If you decide that we are not a good fit, I won’t take it personally. It is an essential part of therapy to have a therapist with whom you feel you connect. If that person is not me then I can help you find another therapist. Also, if I think that someone else can be more helpful to you, I will refer you to someone who would better fit your needs. It’s important to find the therapeutic relationship that is best for you.

Frequency of Treatment

Once we decide to work together, your appointment time is reserved for you on a weekly basis. For therapy to be effective, we need to meet regularly at our scheduled time.

Ending Therapy

While services are voluntary and you may stop at any time, ideally we will agree upon an end to our therapeutic relationship after talking about it together. When you are ready to leave, I want to help you leave treatment well. Occasionally the desire to end treatment abruptly can be related to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or the difficulty in the material being discussed. In order to initiate a productive departure process, it is most helpful to give notice of several weeks, and for longer-term clients, several months. No matter the circumstance, I will endeavor to facilitate a process that is beneficial to you.

Low Cost Psychotherapy Resources

It’s important to me that therapy be affordable and accessible. In case we are not able to work together, there are many psychotherapy institutes in New York where sliding-scale therapy options are available:

The Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center

The Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies

Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research

The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy

The Institute for Expressive Analysis

IPTAR

The Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis

The National Institute for the Psychotherapies

The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis/Theodor Reik Clinical Center

The New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute

NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis

The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center