Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy
POLICIES AND FORMS
How long is a therapy session, and what does it cost?
A typical therapy session is 45-50 minutes long and ranges in price from $195-225, depending on which therapist you choose. The assessment process will include a parent/couple/family session (for child and family cases), an individual session, and a session to discuss the assessment. The first assessment session costs between $225 and $300. For couples therapy and family therapy, your therapist may recommend longer sessions. 60 minute sessions cost between $225-315 and 75-90 minute sessions cost $325-375.
As of January 2022 you are entitled to receive a good faith estimate of the costs of 12 months of therapy services. This does NOT mean that therapy will take 12 months. It often does not. If the cost of therapy exceeds the good faith estimate by more than $400, you have the right to dispute the charges. Please click here to start a dispute or see a detailed description of the dispute process.
Do you accept insurance for psychotherapy?
We are out of network providers for all insurance. This means that you will pay us directly and file a claim for reimbursement. Your coverage amount will vary based on your plan. Please contact your insurance to check how your plan reimburses for out-of-network psychotherapy services. We are currently working to connect with a service that can file your claims for you, and will update this page when this resource is in place.
Seeking reimbursement for couples therapy? Find more information in this blog post.
How much will my insurance plan really cover? Ask these questions to find out!
What are the reimbursement rates for CPT codes 90791 (Diagnostic Evaluation), 90834 (Individual Therapy), 90847 (Family Therapy), and 90846 (Family Session Without Identified Client) when these services are provided by a licensed master’s level therapist, such as LCSW-C, LCPC, or LCMFT. Does my health insurance plan include out of network mental health benefits?
Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
Does my plan limit how many sessions I can have per calendar year? If so, what is the limit?
Do I need pre-authorization from my primary care physician for therapy to be covered?
Are you currently covering telehealth services at the same rate as in person services, or do the rates differ?
What forms of payment do you accept for psychotherapy?
Payment is due at the time of service via debit or credit card. We will provide you with Superbill receipts and/or CMS 1500 forms that contain all the required information for standard insurance claims. Your insurance plan will reimburse you directly for the portion of cost that is covered by your insurance.
What is your therapy cancellation policy?
Scheduling an appointment reserves the therapist’s time for you. If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 48 hours in advance. Weekly attendance is highly recommended to maximize the benefit of therapy, and is required in all after school and weekend timeslots. We allow every other week or monthly appointments between the hours of 9am-3pm, provided that the type of care the client needs can be provided bimonthly or monthly.
Are there forms I need to complete for therapy?
Our intake forms for new clients are available in the Client Portal. If you have already spoken with us, you should have received an email link to the portal account created for you. If not, visit our services page to request a call, or call us directly at 240-242-5185.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO THERAPY IS FOR
How can therapy help my parent/child relationship?
Our therapy training has helped us to be better parents, and we’d like to pass that wisdom on to you (without you needing to go to graduate school). By attending therapy to talk about your parenting, you can become a therapeutic resource for your children. You’ll be able to help them grow into emotionally healthy adults.
Attending therapy yourself and sharing what you’ve learned can often be the most efficient way to teach your child new coping skills. They will have your expertise every day (not just for an hour a week). Plus, when you can experience and process your own emotions effectively, you naturally model that for your child.
When should I see a therapist?
When you aren’t feeling positive about your day to day life and you’re ready for a change.
When you reflect on what you’re doing and think “I want to do better.”
When you’re going through a major life change (moving, new career or school, engagement/marriage, parenting, divorce).
When you have a major loss (change in health status, death, or separation/divorce)... especially if you hope to handle the loss differently than your parents did!
You should seek help immediately if you or your child is feeling suicidal, has hallucinations or delusions, injures him/herself on purpose, has intense emotional outbursts, or is not interested in hobbies or social activities. These are all signs of significant distress.
My partner and I are having problems. Should we go to individual counseling or attend marriage counseling or couples therapy?
We’re glad you asked! Talk with your partner about coming to therapy together. Let him/her/them know that you’d like the relationship to grow, and you think this could help. The therapist won’t take sides or blame either one of you. We’re here to help you love each other to the best of your ability
Couples therapy should always start with both partners present. This helps to establish mutual goals and trust. Couples therapy may later involve individual sessions for each of you. This only happens after both of you have a trusting relationship with the therapist.
What do you do when your partner won’t go to counseling?
If your partner isn’t ready for couples work, you can still work through relationship problems on your own. Be sure to work with a qualified couples therapist, though. Someone with expertise in relationships will help you navigate the challenges in ways that help rather than harm your relationship.
It is very important to seek this kind of help from a therapist that is trained in couple and family therapy (like the therapists at Better Together). In Maryland, therapists licensed to practice couple and family therapy always have LGMFT or LCMFT after their name. Other types of therapists may or may not have training in couples therapy. Contact us for help to figure out who can best help you.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THERAPY IS LIKE
How do I talk to my child about coming to therapy?
Try this: “We go to therapy to learn about our feelings and how to take care of them. The therapist is like a teacher or coach. She helps us learn about ourselves and each other. She helps our family act as a good team. I’m excited to go to therapy with you and be the best mom/dad I can be!”
If you have a specific behavior you want your child to work on, let them know without judging or criticizing. You might say, “I’ve noticed that you get really upset when your friends play with someone else. A therapist can help you to feel better.” Or you might say “Your teacher has been saying it’s hard for you to get your work done. A therapist will have ideas for how we can help you with that.”
Does seeing a therapist mean I’m crazy?
Not at all! People who ask for help are the strongest people we know. We’re honored to be the ones helping you grow even stronger. See our article What Your Therapist Sees in You to discover what coming to therapy says about you (or your child).
How is therapy different from friendship?
Good friends are an important source of emotional support in your day to day life. Therapists are specially trained to help you grow and heal. Your therapist will listen without judging you. She will help you find your strengths. She’ll help you respond differently to stress and move toward the future you want. Most importantly, therapy is 100% confidential. And you won’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings by saying what is on your mind.
How long does therapy take to work?
The first step is a consultation. At this appointment, we’ll gather information from you to make sure we understand what is happening. We’ll make sure we are the right therapists for the job. If you choose to work with us, we’ll make a plan together.
We want you to reach your goals as quickly as possible. We’ll be honest about how long and how much work we expect it to take. You’ll make your own decision about when and how to do the work. A typical course of therapy begins with weekly appointments that are 45-50 minutes long. When you are meeting your goals, we may switch to bimonthly or monthly appointments. This helps you get into “maintenance mode” until you feel comfortable on your own.
What happens during a therapy session?
You (or your child or family) will tell your therapist about the concerns that brought you to therapy. Your therapist will be warm and supportive. She’ll offer strategies you can try to make things better. The choice to try these strategies (or not) is always yours!
For child therapy or family therapy sessions, your therapist may use puppets, toys, games, and art materials. This helps children act out scenarios and practice new skills. You’ll take the new skills you’ve learned in therapy and practice them at home. Doing this helps you to reach your goals more quickly. Over time, these skills will feel more natural to you. If your child attends therapy alone, the therapist will also talk with you briefly. She’ll share about the skills practiced in therapy and suggest ways for you to practice together at home.
Will my therapist recommend medication for my child?
We will always seek to address your concerns through therapy first. However, sometimes we see a problem that isn’t getting better with therapy alone. If that happens, we’ll let you know. And we might suggest meeting with a Psychiatrist.
This is like meeting with any other doctor. A Psychiatrist will ask some questions and make suggestions. You will decide how to use the information the doctor gives you. If the Psychiatrist suggests medication, we recommend asking:
Are there other medicines that help with this? Why do you think we should try this one first?
If we decided to stop taking this medicine, can we stop immediately or will we need to gradually decrease the dose?
What changes should we expect to see if the medicine is working? How soon would we see them?
What are the possible side effects? If my child experiences side effects, how do we reach you to discuss next steps?
What if I don’t like my therapist?
Just let us know! A good fit between therapist and client is necessary for therapy to be effective. You should always tell your therapist if you aren’t comfortable or feel like things aren’t working out. We recommend you try another therapist before deciding if therapy is or isn’t for you. We’re always happy to help you find the right fit… whether it’s here or somewhere else.
How do I make an appointment?
Visit our services page to read about the different types of therapy we offer. When you find one that sounds like a good fit, click the appointment request button on the page for that service. Or visit our therapists page to read about our wonderful clinicians and choose the one you like the best.