FAQs

Do you accept insurance?

I do not accept insurance. Wait, before you close the page, let me explain why I have not chosen the insurance path!

1. If I take insurance, I have to diagnose you with a ‘mental illness’. When I diagnose you, it becomes part of your medical record. When it becomes part of your record, you risk stigmatization and possible bias in professional endeavors.

2. I work from a wellness stance. I do not see you as ill. You may have already received a diagnosis, and you may indeed have and meet all the criteria for said diagnosis. Our work together may address All those elements. Insurance limits me however to Those concerns. We have to write treatment goals and a plan that address those concerns specifically. THOSE concerns may not be the work you really need to do.

3. Insurance often limits sessions. I ethically am unwilling to fabricate what is happening in our sessions to serve the insurance boards granting You what You Want, or need.

4. I do not disagree that a diagnosis can be assistive to counseling clients to help normalize experiences, have a clearer understanding of what is happening to them, and a myriad of other reasons. If you reside in a state within which I am a licensed counselor, in our work together, we can absolutely discuss what diagnosis your symptoms most closely mirror so you can do your own research. I may even encourage doing so! If we are working together in a capacity other than counseling and you have received a past diagnosis, we can discuss your thoughts and feelings about it and I can offer other resources or referrals should you want to specifically pursue counseling for your diagnosis.

See Resources page for more information on To Diagnosis or Not to Diagnose. See Here

I want counseling, but don’t live in CA, CO, MO, or WI. Can I still work with you?

Yes of course you can! What it means is that I will be your coach not your counselor if you do not reside in one of the states in which I am specifically licensed to provide mental health counseling. Hopefully by early 2023 I will be able to extend the reach of my counseling practice to more states via the Counseling Compact. As your coach I will work with you much the same as I would if we were counseling, particularly since I do not diagnose even my counseling clients! I will follow the ACA Code of Ethics regardless of what work we do including mandated reporting guidelines.

Can I pay for counselling with my FSA/HRA/HSA account?

Possibly, and obviously only if you live in a state in which I am licensed. You will want to contact your administrator to see what is required for reimbursement. I can provide receipts, super bills, and Only with your permission abbreviated session notes.