SERVICES AND FEES
Professional Services
So, what services do I offer? I (Dr Jen) am the sole provider at my private practice, Dr Jennifer G Smith LLC (the stuffy official name). I currently provide individual psychotherapy and consultation to adults, via telepsychology. My practice is 100% teletherapy right now, so I do not provide in-person services, group psychotherapy, nor couples therapy. However, I hope to offer these services in the future and will update my website if any services change. I do not provide treatment for minors or families, nor do I provide crisis intervention or crisis services. I have a list of crisis resources available on my website, should anyone need urgent assistance outside of our sessions.
I use a secure, HIPAA compliant, platform for teletherapy via the program Simple Practice. My practice documents completed by every client has more information about this and if you have any security concerns, please ask.
Fees for Services
- Free Initial Consultation (15-20 minutes)
- All new clients initially attend a brief consultation with me, via secure video platform. This meeting is aimed at giving clients an opportunity to meet me and determine if they feel comfortable initiating treatment. Meanwhile, I'm able to get some general information about a client's presenting concerns, so that I can assess if I'm a good fit clinically. There is no pressure for a potential client to initiate services with me if they attend this consultation. It is a two-way street, to determine fit. I try to schedule this as soon as possible after you reach out initially.
- Diagnostic Evaluation/Intake $160 (75 minutes)
- All clients attend a diagnostic evaluation as their first session after the free consultation. A diagnostic evaluation is an intake, where I will gather information about your presenting concerns, past mental health treatment, and background information. I believe in order to understand how to best help a client work on their issues, I must have a solid, holistic understanding of them and their current world. Before the appointment is complete, I like to have a good idea of what a client wants to work on and begin making a plan on how we will work towards these goals. Due to the amount of information that must be gathered, I extended the appointment to 75 minutes.
- Individual Therapy Sessions $140 (50-55 minutes)
- This is the main service that I provide to clients and represents where we work towards a client's goals for treatment. All sessions after the Diagnostic Evaluation are considered individual therapy sessions. This is also called "talk therapy" or psychotherapy. Frequency of sessions always depends on a client's needs. I can offer weekly therapy and have clients that attend biweekly or less frequent sessions as well.
- Individual Therapy $70 (30 minute appointment)
- Full 50-55 minute sessions are typically my recommendation, but sometimes during the course of treatment, an existing client might need a shorter session. These likely would be more specific and focused, just due to the short amount of time.
**Sliding Scale may be available on a case-by-case basis. If you have financial hardship and can not afford my full rates, please reach out to me and I will be transparent about any discounts I can offer.
Billing and Health Insurance
It is important to note that I do not bill health insurance providers, so my practice is considered “self pay”. This means that every client is responsible for all fees associated for treatment provided, out of pocket, at time of service. However, I can provide a “superbill” that the client submits to their insurance company for reimbursement (if you have coverage). Please let me know during our consultation or Diagnostic Evaluation and we can discuss this option more. Providing a superbill may include other requirements, including providing a diagnosis, so further discussion and understanding of this process is needed.
I understand that many mental health providers accept health insurance as payment from clients and bill on their behalf. There are many benefits to this, including access to care at an affordable rate (if your copay is affordable, etc.) and not having to pay much out of pocket. However, insurance companies can dictate aspects of treatment, including location, length of sessions and how much they will reimburse, and whether they will pay depends on the diagnosis of client. When a claim is filed with the insurance company, the clinician must submit a diagnosis for that visit. This information can become part of your medical record and be accessed by other medical and insurance providers. So, some clients may prefer to keep their diagnostic information confidential, between themselves and their clinician.
In addition, clients are sometimes not aware that self-pay can actually be cheaper than billing insurance, depending on your coverage and deductible. I encourage you to look into your coverage to determine the best options for you. I understand if this billing practice is not a good fit for you and your needs. If this be the case, please let me know and I will help you get connected to a clinician that accepts your health insurance.
Some of the advantages of paying out of pocket
- Increased freedom of choice for client, as they do not have to stay within the “in-network” providers and can choose a clinician based on fit.
- Focus on client, as clinician does not have to spend time submitting insurance claims and resubmitting denied claims. There may be a large percentage of claims that are denied and need to be resubmitted, though not due to a fault or mistake on the clinician’s part.
- Flexibility, due to health insurance not dictating length of session, amount of sessions approved/covered etc.
- Privacy, as nothing regarding your treatment with your clinician would be attached to your medical record, nor shared with anyone without written permission by client or as otherwise allowed by law.
- Direct Billing, as there are no surprises regarding coverage or fees owed. It is straight forward.
- Cheaper (sometimes), for example if you have a high deductible (e.g. $6000), you will likely be paying the full session fee for a considerable amount of time, without meeting deductible). Note: Self-pay payments often do not count towards your health insurance deductible
The decision of being a self-pay was difficult and has its pros/cons (as discussed). However, I believe that this will help me offer the highest quality of services and create a valuable experience for my clients.
