Information for new patients
How to get started
Phone Screen: Please call me at (732) 300-7471 and leave your name, phone number, and good times to reach you. My voicemail is confidential and I only have access to it.
It is best if you can suggest some times to call when you have enough privacy to briefly discuss the issues you hope to work on in therapy.
When I call you back- usually within 24 hours, Monday – Friday, unless you have specified another time- you will have a free phone screen with me which will last roughly 10 – 15 minutes.
No assessment or clinical services will be done on this call. This is just an opportunity for us both to figure out if we should set up an initial intake appointment. We will talk about the problem behavior you or your family are seeking help with. You can ask me questions about my approach, and we will determine whether we might work well together.
Intake assessment session
The First Visit
Intake Assessment Session: If our phone conversation indicates that I feel I can be helpful to you, and you also feel comfortable meeting with me, we will schedule a first session which will be in-person, in my office.
Before your first visit, please review my Notice of Privacy Practices. This form contains very important information about your privacy and I will be asking you to sign a form at the intake session, indicating that you have reviewed the Notice of Privacy Practices.
If you are seeking treatment for your child or adolescent, I will ask that the child AND the parents attend the first session.
The very first time I meet with you (and/or your child/family), we will need to give each other a lot of basic information. For this reason, I usually schedule 1 ½ to 2 hours for the intake assessment.
Following this, we will usually meet for a 45-minute session, once per week. We can schedule meetings at times convenient for both of us. I have daytime and evening availability and some limited availability on Saturdays.
If, after the intake assessment, you or I feel we cannot work together, I will help you to connect with another therapist who works well with your issues. I do not accept clients who I believe I cannot be helpful to, and if this is the case, I will refer you to others who work well with your particular issues.
Fees
Payment
You will be given the option to either pay for each session at the time the session is held, or to pay by the 15th of the following month.
Payment Methods
I accept payment by check or credit/debit card (Visa, American Express, Discover, Mastercard).
Insurance
I do not currently accept insurance and I am considered an out-of-network provider. If you have out-of-network benefits through your insurance company, I can give you a receipt for my services with the information the insurers need to pay you back if allowed by your contract. I can provide you with a monthly billing statement for reimbursement if you wish to submit to your insurance company. The billing statement will include standard diagnostic and procedure codes, the times we met, my charges, and your payments.
It is helpful to call your insurance company in advance of your first visit so that you understand your out-of-network benefits. It is recommended that you ask the following questions:
Do I have out-of-network benefits?
Do I have a deductible? If so, how much?
Is there a separate deductible for mental health treatment?
How many sessions per year are covered?
How much does the insurance company reimburse for each session?
You also may want to look into medical or health savings accounts (MSAs or HSAs) or flexible spending accounts (FSAs), because they can cover psychotherapy costs.
Other Potential Fees
Charges for other services such as school observations, hospital visits, or home visits, will be based on the time involved in providing the service at my regular fee schedule. We can discuss this if these services are warranted. These additional services may not be necessary. We can discuss this when I review our treatment plan, usually after the intake appointment or after the first treatment session.
Cancellations & No-Shows
Once an appointment hour is scheduled, the full session fee is expected unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation and we both agree that you were unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control. If it is possible, I will try to find another time to reschedule the appointment that week.