Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance do you take?
I am currently out-of-network (OON) with all insurance companies. Therefore, I do not directly bill insurance. I can provide you with a monthly superbill or billing statement you can submit to your insurance company to receive direct reimbursement. Please contact your insurance company to get specific guidance on OON (out-of-network) providers and teletherapy. You will be responsible for payment at the end of each session regardless if your insurance company reimburses you for part or none of the session fee.
Why don’t you take insurance?
After working in and out of non-profit organizations and community mental health clinics, I decided to take time off as I neared burnout. Although I am grateful for my experiences and the support I received, I wanted to return to a place of connection to my spirit by returning to personal therapy, making time for my daughters, husband, and life’s joys. I recognized that meeting with 20-plus clients a week is a disservice to my clients, my family, and myself. Although I entered a great group private practice with a supportive owner/employer at the beginning of the pandemic, toward the end of my almost 3 years stay with that group practice, it ended the same, with little possibility for financial growth (although the cost of living in the Portland, OR area had increased), and once again the pressure to increase my caseload. As I connected with other clinicians, I was hearing basically the same, which will inevitably lead to burnout. Therefore, in order to provide you with the care you deserve, I must first put on the proverbial oxygen mask. Too often as women, and especially as black and brown women, we are asked to do more and put the needs and profit of others before our own physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial well-being. This may come easy to us, albeit with grave consequences, due to typically taking on that role in our family of origin, the imposter syndrome we walk around with, and our attempt to prove to others that we have worth by doing more. With time I have gained the clarity to prioritize what is important in my life and therefore began my journey in private practice. Although challenging, I am in charge of balancing life and work to provide the best of me to my family and friends, and to clients and colleagues.
Learn more about why I no longer accept insurance.
Are you available on weekends?
No, spending time with my family and friends on the weekends is very important to my overall well-being and that of my daughters. I want to make creating and cultivating time with the people I love a priority since it is a privilege that my own mother did not have as she worked throughout the week and on weekends away from home in order to support my siblings and me. Taking time to rest is a privilege that my ancestors worked tirelessly to allow me to have. Additionally, I will not respond to calls, messages, or emails starting at 2 p.m. on Friday. However, I will do my best to respond within 48 business hours (Monday - Friday).
What should I ask my insurance company?
Here are some questions you may want to ask your insurance company:
Does my plan include out-of-network (OON) mental health benefits?
Can I use my OON benefits to work with a Licensed Professional Counselor/ Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Oregon/Washington?
Does my plan cover telehealth services?
What is my OON deductible? What is my policy period?
Is there a limit to the number of OON sessions my plan will cover per year?
How much does my plan cover? What is my co-insurance/member cost share?
Does my plan cover the full billed charges or only the insurance company’s allowable amount?
Does my plan require pre-authorization for psychotherapy? (Rare)
How do I submit a claim for reimbursement? Do I need to submit a special form along with the superbill?
Can I get a name and reference number for this call? (Helpful for documentation)
If I file a claim with my insurance company will a diagnosis be needed?
Yes, most insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis to fulfill payment.
Are teletherapy sessions HIPPA compliant?
Yes, all sessions are conducted through Simple Practice, which is a secure HIPPA-compliant and confidential telehealth platform.
Are sessions recorded and what is the purpose?
Some sessions may be recorded with your prior consent. I am currently working toward EMDR certification, which requires me to record sessions. Only my consultant, Lori Kucharski, PhD, LMFT, LPC, CEDS-C, and myself will view the recording, which will be destroyed shortly after being viewed. Those sessions will be recorded through Google Meet and stored on the HIPPA-compliant Google Drive. You have the right to refuse to record any session.
Do you offer 24-hour crisis response or stabilization?
No, Your Spirit Heals You Psychotherapy, LLC does not offer 24-hour crisis response or stabilization. This is due to your provider being away from the office or attending to another client.
Dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
If you are in an emergency dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
What is considered a crisis?
Are you feeling overwhelming anger, frustration, hurt, and emotional pain?
Your traumatized fight or flight parts may seek relief through non-suicidal self-harm.
Sometimes, self-harm stimulates the body’s endorphins or pain-killing hormones, which will temporarily raise your mood.
Your traumatized flight parts are ready to escape the emotional pain through distraction such as moving your attention toward certain behaviors (restricting, binging, purging, substance use, cutting, and other forms of self-injury.).
Your traumatized fight parts may be more impulsive and ready for action to end the emotional pain altogether and direct you to death by suicide.
Are you feeling emotionally numb? Like you’re not “real” or disconnected?
Your traumatized freeze parts may have adapted with emotional numbing, especially if you’re unsure how to manage your emotions or you learned to hide your feelings as a child. You may have the urge to hurt yourself to bring you back to the present moment.
When you feel the urge to hurt yourself, keep in mind:
You can tolerate the urge to self-injure and you can remind those parts of this fact.
Self-compassion is key. These parts truly believe they are doing their best to protect you and don’t realize all the new resources you have learned as an adult.
This is how they learned to survive distressing life events when they were young and didn’t have a safe adult to teach them to feel emotions without hurting themselves or others. Thank them for wanting to step in and assure them that, You’ve got this!
You have capable parts (spirit/inherent wisdom, going on with life parts) and the resources to adapt to challenging situations.
What are my options?
Reach out to one of the crisis lines by pressing the button below for additional numbers in your area. Remember, you have options beyond what the traumatized parts may suggest.
Meet with your psychotherapist regularly or reach out to one to continue your road toward healing