Telehealth therapy · Anywhere in Florida
Frequently Asked Questions
What people usually ask before booking
- Florida LCSW, license SW27230
- Secure video sessions
- In network with Aetna, Cigna, Medicare, and more
Getting started
How do I book my first session?
Pick a time on my scheduling page (opens in a new tab). The steps are the same whether you’re using insurance or paying privately. If you’d rather ask a few questions first, call 754.400.0824 or send me a message.
What happens in the first session?
Mostly, we get to know each other. You don’t have to arrive with your thoughts organized or a speech about your whole life ready to go. We start with whatever is weighing on you most right now and talk about what you’d like to be different. By the time we wrap up, we’ll have a couple of places to start, and you’ll have a sense of whether the way I work suits you.
What ages do you work with?
Adults, from young adults through older adults (65+), anywhere in Florida. Sessions are individual, one-on-one therapy, just you and me.
What is an LCSW?
LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It means I have a master’s degree in social work and a state license to provide therapy. If you like to check things for yourself, you can verify my license (SW27230) with the Florida Department of Health (opens in a new tab).
Do you diagnose mental health conditions?
Yes. As a Florida Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I’m qualified to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions within my scope of practice.
A diagnosis can be useful for making sense of what’s going on and what to try. Insurance may also require one before it will reimburse.
Whatever ends up on the paperwork, I care more about how your days are actually going than about the code.
Insurance and cost
Do you take my insurance?
I’m in network with several plans, and more are on the way. The Insurance page keeps the current list. You’ll add your insurance when you book.
What if I don’t see my plan listed?
Private pay may be an option. Give me a call or send a message and we’ll talk it through. If you pay for therapy yourself, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of what it will cost. The Insurance page has the details.
Do you take Medicare?
Yes. I’m a participating provider with Original Medicare (Part B). Once you’ve met the Part B deductible, you pay 20%, and a Medigap plan may cover some or all of that. Medicare Advantage plans are still in progress. The Medicare page walks through the rest.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please give me at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. A late cancellation or missed session has a $50 fee. The policy is the same for everyone, whatever your insurance, and insurance and Medicare never pay this fee. The Fees page has the details.
What will I actually pay?
That comes down to your plan’s copay, coinsurance, and deductible. The Fees page breaks each one down with an example and lists the questions worth asking your insurance company.
Sessions
How does telehealth work?
Every session happens over secure video. You’ll need a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera, a steady internet connection, and somewhere private, like a bedroom or home office where you can close the door and won’t be overheard.
There’s more on the online therapy in Florida page.
Where do I need to be located?
Anywhere in Florida. My license is a Florida license, so you need to be physically in the state for every session. Anywhere from the Panhandle to the Keys works.
When are appointments available?
Weekdays, during the day plus some evenings. Whatever’s open shows up on my scheduling page (opens in a new tab), and you can book from there.
How long are sessions, and how often will we meet?
We figure that out together, based on what you need and what your schedule can handle. If things change, we change it.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. I’m a psychotherapist, not a psychiatrist, so prescribing isn’t part of what I do. If you take medication, or wonder whether it would help, your doctor or psychiatrist stays in charge of that part.
Can we meet while I’m traveling?
Only if the trip keeps you in Florida. I’m licensed in Florida, and Florida hasn’t joined the Social Work Licensure Compact, so I can’t see you while you’re in another state, even for one session from your sister’s couch in Atlanta. The telehealth page has more.
Working together
How will I know if therapy is working?
Early on, we get specific about what you want to be different. Then we keep checking in on it as we go.
Some progress is easy to spot. Other progress is quieter, like getting through a rough week without it flattening you the way it used to.
If it feels like we’re spinning our wheels, we say so and change the plan.
What if we’re not a good fit?
We talk about it openly.
Therapy is a relationship on top of being a clinical service, and no therapist is the right match for everyone, me included.
I’d rather have an honest conversation about what isn’t working than have you spend three months politely sitting through therapy you hate.
Where I can, I’ll help you sort out what kind of provider or treatment might be a better match.
Are you going to give me homework?
Sometimes.
But this isn’t school.
Our sessions are a small slice of your week. Most of your life happens in the hours in between.
So if there’s something worth practicing, noticing, tracking, or trying between sessions, we might use it.
Anything I suggest should have a reason behind it. I don’t hand out worksheets just to justify owning a printer.
Will everything come back to my childhood?
No.
Your past comes up when it helps explain what’s going on now.
The thing that matters might have happened twenty years ago.
Or the most pressing problem might be the email your manager sent Tuesday morning.
We can work on whichever one it is, or both.
What if I swear in therapy?
Go ahead. Nobody is calling the therapy police.
Talk how you talk.
Why are there no testimonials or reviews here?
Social work ethics don’t allow me to ask clients for testimonials. I also don’t reply to online reviews, because even confirming that someone is my client would break confidentiality.
Privacy and safety
Is therapy confidential?
Yes, with a few exceptions required by law, such as when someone is at serious risk of harm. I walk you through those at the very beginning so nothing catches you off guard.
How do I share private or clinical information?
Use my secure, HIPAA compliant Spruce line at (754) 254-2193 or the secure messaging inbox (opens in a new tab). Please keep that kind of information out of the contact form and email.
What if I am in crisis?
Call or text 988, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger. I am not an emergency service and cannot always respond right away.
Where can I read how you protect my health information?
It’s all in my Notice of Privacy Practices. For how this website handles information, see the Privacy Policy.
Ready when you are
Pick a time on my scheduling page and add your insurance while you’re there, or book as private pay. It’s the same process either way. If you’d like to ask something first, call 754.400.0824 or send me a message. The plans I accept are on the Insurance page.
What it costs: your plan’s copay or coinsurance if I’m in network, 20% after the deductible with Original Medicare, or the private pay rate if you’re paying yourself. See costs
This website is not for emergencies. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.