What is therapy?

Therapy can also be known as counseling or psychotherapy and is a resource for people and their families to learn new tools for improving their relationships with one another. Individual and group counseling include a variety of treatments used to treat behavioral health problems. Counseling and more specialized psychotherapies seek to change behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and how people see and understand situations (SAMSHA). Find out more on SAMSHA's website about the different orientations, or schools of thought, regarding how these services are provided. 

What is online therapy?

Online Counseling, Telehealth, eTherapy, Online Therapy, Telemedicine, Telemental Health, virtual therapy. You may have heard of all of these terms. They are all essentially the same service with different names. The online world is quickly evolving and there is not one uniform term for providing mental health services online at this time. Online therapy provides you the opportunity to experience the benefits of therapy from wherever you are without needing to add extra time to get to an office location. We meet using a secured, video-based therapy platform and you will still experience all of the same benefits of face-to-face therapy. All sessions are conducted under a HIPAA-compliant platform to ensure confidentiality. I will email you a link before each session and you will use that link to join our video session. Sessions can also be done over the phone if video is not available.

**Online therapy may not be the most appropriate mode of service if you are experiencing higher risk factors including suicidal ideation, self-harm behaviors, urgent crisis or emergency situations, current substance use, and other potential risks that would better benefit from having a therapist that is face to face and in your local area. Please contact me for a free consultation to determine if online therapy is for you.

Are you accepting new clients?

Yes! Please call (559) 238-7861 or email Michelle@GoldenOwlFTS.com or click HERE to schedule an initial phone consultation. After we connect I will email you an intake packet and once that is completed your appointment will be set. I look forward to hearing from you!

What am I paying for?

What you are paying for is a contained space to work on your goals and symptoms with an educated, trained, and skilled therapist with clinical training, multiple specialized trainings, and many continuing education credits to be able to help you in a very specific and therapeutic way. The cost for therapy is an investment in yourself and a commitment to work on your goals. Time outside of the session is spent on ongoing education, processing billing, completing documentation, and business practices.

What are your rates and do you take insurance?

Sessions are $150 for a 50-minute individual session. I do not currently take any insurance.

Will I be surprised by the fees for my services?

No. You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health 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 expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. 

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a 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.

Why would I want to pay privately for my services?

By choosing to pay privately for your therapy services, you may find more flexibility, convenience, and privacy with regard to your medical health records.

Flexibility: It is quite common for people to seek therapy to better themselves personally and professionally, and you do not have to have a mental health diagnosis to benefit from therapy. Maybe you do not have a full-blown mental health diagnosis and are just in need of life skills-building or a safe place to process difficult educational, work, or family changes. If you would like the focus of your sessions to be about your own goals and not ones that are dictated by insurance requirements, this may be the best option for you.

Convenience: Many insurance companies require that you select a provider that has been approved by them. You have the option of seeking your own service provider that is compatible with your needs, specialty, and comfort level. 

Privacy: Last, by choosing to pay privately for your services, you are electing to seek more confidentiality for you or your loved one as your private health information is not required to be shared with insurance if you are not paying for services through them. Some people also choose private pay when they are worried about having a pre-existing condition on their health record and just want some support with relationships or life skills and not mental health treatment.