Frequently AsKED QUESTIONS

The puppers shown with me in my profile picture is Scooby and was adopted by my family in 2022. Although he has occasionally  joined me at the office, he is not a regular visitor. Scooby would love to come to work with me everyday, however his incessant need to bark at every little noise he hears can be disruptive to the therapy process. He would like you to know that he is with us in spirit during our sessions though, and likely casting you some shade from his warm bed at home.

My office if location in old West Des Moines at 1913 Grand Ave. I practice alongside another therapist in a house that was remodeled to be a business (we do not live here). This provides a calm, quiet, homey space for your healing process. We also have a large yard that is semi-private for those wishing to be outside when the weather is nicer. My personal office space also offers a rocking chair and a massage chair which may enhance the therapeutic process.

Therapy is a process by which people can work through their emotional, behavioral, and relational difficulties.  Therapy begins with building a secure, healthy relationship between the therapist and the client, and then we work from there to address whatever concerns you may be having.  Depending on what you are struggling with, therapy may look very different, but therapy can be very helpful for many kinds of concerns such as family conflict, marriage difficulties, relationship problems, depressed mood, anxiety, attention difficulties, impulse control problems, stress management, parenting, feeling overwhelmed, substance use, difficulties with coping, and many more concerns.

There are many things that therapy can be helpful for, but it may not be for everyone.  First, the individual has to be ready, willing, and able to make change.  This may be a slow process, but there may be factors that get in the way of a person's readiness, willingness, and ability to make change.  We have to respect that therapy may not be as helpful if there are things getting in the way.  For example, it would not be possible to run a marathon with an injured foot.  You may need to wait until a better time for therapy to help, or you may need to adjust the therapy process so it meets your needs and available resources.  Also, there are some things therapy may not be able to help with, although this is pretty rare.  If therapy would not be helpful for your concerns, a clinician should be very honest with you about that and let you know what else might be helpful for you going forward.  Additionally, sometimes people need something different than the type of care/therapy a particular clinician can offer.  This does not mean that said clinician doesn't want to work with you, but that the clinician wants everyone to get the best care possible.  For example, sometimes substance use difficulties are best treated in a different type of setting for the most effective treatment.  It is most ethical and appropriate for a clinician to refer you elsewhere if your concerns are likely to respond best to something other than the care they can offer you.  So, this may be frustrating, but it's actually really good care.

I currently utilize an electronic health records (EHR) system for all forms. This allows me to send you secure electronic forms to complete prior to your first session. Once we have connected and scheduled an appointment you will receive an e-mail link to access these forms. This reduces the need for printing forms and additional administrative time processing paper forms. If you wish to have paper forms, please let me know so this can be arranged. 

I am currently in-network for Wellmark/BlueCross BlueShield/Anthem/Premera and Midlands Choice. I am not currently contracted with United Healthcare (UMR), Cigna, Aetna, Medicare, or any of the Medicaid community plans or MCO’s. I am also not contracted with HealthPartners of MN, however some of these plans are actually under Midlands Choice with HealthPartners as the administrator. Please check the front and back of your card for the Midlands Choice logo. If you are unsure, please contact the customer service number on your card to see if I am considered “in-network.” 

If I am not an in-network provider, AKA out-of-network provider; I do not bill insurance companies directly. However, some plans offer reimbursement for using a provider that is out-of-network. In these situations I can provide a superbill so you can request to use your out-of-network benefits. When using out-of-network benefits you are required to pay the private pay fee at time of service and then work with your insurance company to get all or a portion of that fee back. I recommend contacting your insurance company prior to scheduling your appointment to see what, if any, requirements they may have for use of out-of-network benefits and how much they would reimburse. This will help ensure that you don’t have any unexpected financial obligations. 

Another little not so fun fact about insurance. There are many plans that utilize higher deductibles instead of co-pays or co-insurance. In these cases, the deductible often resets on January 1st of each year. Deductible plans mean you will be required to pay the full contracted rate at the time of your service. Your insurance company will apply this to your deductible and that will accumulate throughout the year. If you have reached your deductible at the time of billing, your account will be credited to either be applied to co-insurance or reimbursed if you have met your out-of-pocket max. More information on this will be detailed in your explanation of benefits when your insurance processes the claim.

I also accept private pay, however I am not able to offer a sliding scale fee at this time. Please reach out for current rates.

The No Surprises Act is a law that outlines your right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.