The following is a general accounting of the policies and fees for Barker Therapy Arts. Before entering into our therapeutic relationship, I encourage you to review my Practice Information and Policies document in detail and inform me of any questions or concerns you might have.
Scheduling of Therapy Sessions
Scheduling of therapy appointment times is done on a first come, first served basis, and I am often booking appointments a month or two into the future. I encourage you to schedule at least two months of appointments in advance in order to reserve your most preferred time. My office requires that you confirm your first appointment with a credit card. In the event you do not show for your intake appointment, or cancel late (please see my cancellation policy below), your credit card will be charged a $100 cancelation fee.
Regarding our email reminders: The email appointment reminders provided by our office are offered as a courtesy to you and should not be your only means of keeping track of your appointments. Digital communication can be fickle, so the fact that you may have not have received a reminder does not alleviate you of your financial responsibility for your appointment.
I value your time, and so strive to structure my sessions in a way that allows me to keep to my planned schedule. If I am inadvertently delayed, I will do my best to see that your session is not compromised. If you are late for your appointment, we will probably not be able to meet for your usual session length, as I will most likely have therapy appointments scheduled after yours. If we are unable to meet for the full session time due to your arriving late, you will still be financially responsible for the entire session, as that is the time I have reserved specifically for you.
Cancellation Policy
Scheduling a therapy appointment is my commitment to reserve time for you. I consider our sessions to be very important, and ask that you do the same and take special care to keep your therapy appointments with me. If a situation arises and you must cancel an appointment, your cancellation must be communicated to me by phone or email at least 48-hours in advance of your appointment time, unless the cancellation is due to an unpredictable emergency. A charge of $100 will be applied for any cancellation that does not follow the above guideline, and a charge of the full session fee will be applied for a no show/no call. These fees are typically not covered by insurance.
My Availability Outside of Scheduled Appointments
Because I see clients on a regular basis, I will not always be available when you call, and it will sometimes be necessary for you to leave me a voice message. I check my voice mailbox on a regular basis and will return your call as soon as I am able. Please always include your telephone number in your message.
Emergencies always have a priority; if you have one, please say so. But know that I may not receive your message right away. In the event you feel you are in such distress that you are unable to wait for a return call from my office, your are strongly encouraged to call your general practitioner’s office, dial 911, call the 24-hour Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or go to the nearest emergency room for assistance.
I believe a face-to-face therapy session is the most productive context in which to provide psychotherapy services. If you need to speak with me at length prior to your scheduled appointment I ask that you consider scheduling an earlier appointment so we can address the issue effectively and in a timely manner. However, there may be times when a phone or video therapy session is needed to address a critical issue, and I will try to make myself available for this purpose if and when it is needed, for the prorated charge of $180/hour. Please note that most insurance companies do not reimburse for phone or video therapy sessions.
Fee, Payment and Billing Policy
My current regular fees are as follows. Payment for each session is due at the time of your session. My office accepts cash, checks and all major credit cards (including HSA). Please make your checks payable to Barker Therapy Arts, LLC.
Individual Clients
Initial Evaluation session (1 hour) $225
Ongoing 50-minute sessions $200
Couples
Initial Evaluation session (1 hour) $225
Ongoing 50-minute sessions $200
Ongoing 1.5 hour sessions $300
Intensive Couple Sessions (3 hours) $600
(When available)
Initial 2-hour Discernment Counseling Session $450
Ongoing 1.5 hour Discernment Counseling Sessions $300
All Clients
Phone/Video Session $200/hour, prorated for actual call length
Late Cancel (outside of 48 hour window) $100
No Show/No Call Full Session Fee (regardless of length)
Returned Check $25
Insurance Information
I have made the choice to not contract
with insurance companies
as an in-network (IN) provider. Here is why. However, as an out-of-network (OON) provider, I am happy to provide you a monthly Superbill that you can use to file an OON claim with your insurance company. You will then directly receive whatever OON benefits are guaranteed under your contract.
Keep in mind that OON benefits are typically less robust than those remitted for IN services. I encourage you to call the customer service number on your card to obtain your benefit information if accessing these benefits is important to you.
If you do choose to access your benefits, please also keep in mind the following:
- Filing any type of claim with your insurance company (whether IN or OON) requires that a mental health diagnosis be assigned to you. Depending on your story and experience, I may or may not be able to supply this diagnosis, but I will be happy to do so if your situation warrants.
- Your insurance company may ask for additional documentation to support your claim. If your company contacts me directly requesting this information, I will refer them to you so that you can make a personal decision regarding what to share.
HIPAA regulations give you the right to not use your insurance benefits if that is your preference, so it makes sense to consider all of the above carefully when deciding whether or not to involve your insurance company in your care.
I am willing to discuss any of the above with you prior to beginning our work in order to help you explore your payment options and make an informed decision.
Confidentiality
In all but a few situations, your confidentiality (your privacy) is protected by both state and federal law and by the rules of my profession. To that end, what you say or do during a session will generally not be shared with anyone else without your written permission. There are certain legal exceptions to this policy, the details of which are fully outlined in my Notice of Privacy Practices. Please read this Notice very carefully, and be sure to ask me any questions you might have about its contents.
I will never use your name over the telephone if it is possible someone in or near my office area might hear it. Similarly, I ask you not to disclose the name or identity of any other client you might encounter in my office. I will also refrain from acknowledging you in social situations, not as a personal slight, but to protect your privacy. It will be your choice to greet me or not; either way, it will not affect our relationship.
You have the right to request that I communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location (for instance, that I only call you at a certain phone number, or without reference to our work). Please let me know your communication preferences at our first session.
Statement of Principles
Just as in any other relationship, problems may arise in ours. If you are not satisfied with any area of our work, please bring your concern to me at once. Our therapy work will be slower and harder than it needs to be if your concerns are not communicated and resolved. I will make every effort to really hear any complaint you have and to seek mutually agreeable solutions to it. If you feel that I, or any other therapist, has treated you unfairly or has behaved unprofessionally, please tell me. You can also contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services or the local NASW to receive assistance clarifying your concerns and, if necessary, filing a complaint.
I do not discriminate against clients because of any of these factors: age, sex, gender, marital/family status, race, culture, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, place of residence, veteran status, physical disability, health status, sexual orientation, or criminal record unrelated to present dangerous behavior. This is a personal commitment, as well as being required by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. I will always advance and support the values of equal opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic/cultural diversity. If you believe you have been discriminated against, please bring this matter to my attention immediately.
