Appointments/ Office Hours
Office hours are Monday thru Friday from 7am-7pm.
Therapy appointments will be scheduled in 50-minute increments during the above times. Divorce Mediation appointments will be scheduled in one hour increments. Please be advised that weekend appointments are not available.
Walk-in appointments are not available.
Cancellation
Because your appointment time is set aside specifically for you, please notify me by telephone (407-415-1175) at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Without such notice I will charge your regular session fee for the missed appointment. Please note that Monday appointments need to be cancelled by 5pm on the Friday before. I do not accept text or e-mail cancellations at this time.
Fees/ Insurance
Fees are $120 per 50-minute session for individuals and $200 per session for couples and families. All fees are due at the beginning of your session and can be paid in cash or Venmo. Major credit cards and health savings account cards are able to be accepted for an additional $5 per transaction fee. Divorce Mediation Fees will be discussed over the phone.
At this time I am in-network for a limited number of insurance companies. If I am in-network for your insurance company, I will submit the paperwork for reimbursement for your treatment through a third party billing service, Headway and your copays will also be processed through this system. If for any reason your insurance company does not pay, you are responsible for full payment. If I am out-of-network for your Insurance Plans, I will provide a receipt that you may submit to your insurance company for reimbursement, or you may want to inquire about “out of network” benefits, which some insurance companies provide. If you are covered for mental health services with out-of-network benefits you will be responsible to pay your fees in full and submit your paid bill to your insurance provider for reimbursement to you. During the first consultation we will discuss financial arrangements. In cases of financial hardship, a reduced fee may be arranged if appropriate for those paying privately.
Based on my commitment to care for a diverse group of clients, I have limited “sliding-scale” fee appointment slots available. I encourage you to inquire about sliding scale fees if you are in need of accommodation, and if I do not have any available slots, I will gladly assist you in finding appropriate resources.
If you are seeking a “sliding scale” rate, I will need to see copies of your last 3 pay stubs or proof of financial hardship.
Telephone/ Email
Telephone calls are returned during normal business hours. I do not answer the phone if I am with another client, colleague, or if I am in a meeting or conference. I check my voicemail frequently and am usually able to answer phone calls within in 24 hours if during normal business hours. I generally do not return phone calls after 8pm on business days or on weekends. I do not provide emergency services, if you are in need of emergency services, please dial 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Room. If I am unavailable for any extended period of time, I will provide the name and number of another clinician whom you may contact if need be.
Please keep in mind that email does not always protect your confidentiality. I do not accept cancellations or changes to your appointment via email or text, only phone calls.
Record Keeping/ Legal Proceedings
I am required both by law and by the standards of my profession to keep appropriate treatment records. These include diagnosis, therapy goals, progress in treatment, documentation of mandated disclosures (child abuse etc.) and any other information. You have the right to review and/or receive a copy of your records at any time unless I feel that by doing so, may cause substantial emotional harm, endanger your life in any way, or pose a significant risk or harm to another individual. Alternatively, I can prepare a treatment summary of these records. Due to language used in these records, if you would like to review your records or treatment summary, I suggest you do so in my presence, so that I can clarify or answer any questions you may have. Records can only be released to another individual, therapist, doctor etc. with your written permission. If you were involved in couple of family therapy, all adults involved would also have to sign the release.
If you ever become involved in a custody or other legal dispute, I do not provide evaluations or expert testimony in court. You should hire a different mental health professional for any evaluations or testimony you require. This position is based on two reasons: (1) My statements will be seen as biased in your favor because we have had a therapy relationship, and (2) The testimony might affect our therapy relationship, and I must put this relationship first. For any legal preparation my fee is $250/hour.
Miscellaneous
All files are confidential and are kept in a locked file cabinet. Even after the end of your treatment, files will be kept for at least 7 years as stated by Florida Department of Health Statutes.
Any electronic files will be password protected to keep confidentiality.