Question 1

What are your office hours and location?

Accepted Answer

My office is located in the daylight basement of a house on North Capitol Hill in Seattle, and my business hours are:

Monday 1–5:30 PM
Tuesday 1–5:30 PM
Wednesday 1:30–5 PM
Thursday 1–5:30 PM
Friday 9 AM–12 PM

Question 2

What are your fees for therapy services?

Accepted Answer

I charge $155 for a standard 45-minute therapy session and $175 for a 50-minute intake appointment. For other services that take longer than 10 minutes, such as care coordination with other professionals, school observations or home visits (including travel time), and nonstandard-length appointments, I prorate my standard fee (e.g., $31 per 10 min.).

Prior to starting therapy, clients review and sign a Financial Agreement detailing fees for services to avoid any surprises.

Question 3

Do you offer reduced fees?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I offer reduced fee services for a limited number of clients. If you are interested, please discuss this option with me during your free consultation. Fee reductions are agreed to and recorded in your Financial Agreement prior to starting therapy.

Question 4

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

I currently do not accept insurance. However, I can provide you with a superbill to submit for potential reimbursement. Please contact your insurance carrier to determine your out-of-network benefits for psychotherapy.

Question 5

What is the process to begin therapy?

Accepted Answer

The first step is to schedule a free 10-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs, my services, fees, and scheduling. The next step is to schedule a 50-minute intake appointment, which can be at my office or via telehealth. Prior to the intake appointment, I will give you access to an online Client Portal, where you will be able to review and sign important practice documents.

If the primary client is a child, only the parents/legal guardians should be present at the intake. After the intake appointment, therapy with the child can begin on a regular schedule.

Question 6

What happens at an intake appointment?

Accepted Answer

The intake appointment lays an important foundation for therapy, giving us time to go over important information, discuss your situation more in depth, and establish some workable goals for therapy. If the intake appointment is for a child client, I orient parents to the play therapy process and help them prepare their child for the first appointment.

Question 7

Are parents involved in child therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Therapy with children is generally more effective when their caregivers are involved in the process, learning, reflecting, and growing too. Parents can expect to meet with me alone for consultation and support every 4-6 weeks, or more frequently depending on the treatment plan. In some cases, parents may participate with their child(ren) in weekly sessions in my playroom. I love supporting parents!

Question 8

In cases of divorce or separation, do both parents need to consent to child therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All legal guardians with decision-making rights need to provide written consent for me to treat their child, and all court-related documents and parenting plans must be shared with me before the first child session.

Question 9

How frequent are appointments?

Accepted Answer

I typically meet with therapy clients for one 50-minute session each week. Weekly sessions, particularly at the beginning of treatment, help establish the trust and consistency necessary to achieve the best results from therapy. Ideally, sessions will happen at the same time each week. Monthly or semi-monthly parent support sessions, if part of treatment, may need to be on a different schedule.

Question 10

What is your cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

I have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Clients who cancel less than 24 hours before an appointment, or who don’t show up for a scheduled session, will be charged a no-show/late cancellation fee of half the amount of the session fee. I understand that unexpected things happen, and therefore I offer each client/family two free late cancellations per calendar year for illness or emergency.

Question 11

What are your COVID-19 precautions?

Accepted Answer

I ask clients to agree to not come to my office if they are experiencing any symptoms of a contagious illness, have experienced symptoms within the 24 hours prior to a scheduled appointment, or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. As added precautions, I have disposable masks available for clients, air purifiers running in my office, and keep a clean and sanitary playroom.

Question 12

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

I accept most credit/debit cards and checks. Payment is due at the time of service. My standard practice is to securely store clients’ credit/debit card information using my HIPAA-compliant practice management software, SimplePractice, which processes payments through Stripe following each service.

Question 13

Do you make diagnoses?

Accepted Answer

My therapeutic approach does not require me to make a formal diagnosis in order to effectively treat individuals and families. However, mental health diagnoses are required for insurance reimbursements, certain academic accommodations, and more. If you think you or your child would benefit from having a diagnosis, we can discuss what diagnosis is most appropriate and the potential benefits and drawbacks of receiving that diagnosis.

Question 14

Do you provide emergency or crisis services?

Accepted Answer

No. I see clients by appointment only. If you or a child needs emergency medical care, dial 911. For non-emergent crises, dial 711 to connect with the 24-hour Crisis Line.

Question 15

Do you offer couples counseling?

Accepted Answer

No. If I am working with a family and it appears that couples counseling would be an appropriate treatment or adjunct to treatment, I can provide a referral.

Question 16

Do you do therapy in person or via telehealth?

Accepted Answer

I do both, but I strongly prefer to work with children in person. There are numerous therapeutic advantages for children when they can have their sessions with me in my playroom. That said, I can offer telehealth play therapy appointments when family illness or emergency prevents children from coming to my office. By contrast, adult psychotherapy and parent support sessions often work well via telehealth videoconference.

Frequently Asked Questions