Frequently Asked Questions
Therapy
How do I schedule an appointment?
New or previous clients are welcome to reach out via phone, email, or our contact form to get started.
Current clients usually schedule their next session directly with their therapist on a recurring or as-you-go basis. If you don’t have an appointment set up and would like to, please connect with your therapist. You are also welcome to call or email our office and we’ll help you there.
What can I expect for my first session?
Intake sessions start by your provider highlighting some of the particularly important legal and ethical matters covered in your intake paperwork. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions, share more about yourself, and collaborate with your therapist on identifying your goals for therapy. Your first appointment is also the start to your therapeutic relationship, which we find essential to the therapeutic process.
How long are sessions and how frequently do we meet?
Sessions are about 55-minutes in length. The service code for insurance purposes is 90837 and we encourage clients to verify coverage for that service. Sessions of different lengths are offered as determined by you and your therapist. Insurance coverage of those sessions varies.
We start by meeting weekly to get a good sense of your goals, what you’re experiencing, and to build the therapeutic relationship. Most clients continue weekly and begin tapering down in frequency as their goals are met. Some folks prefer to meet more or less frequently to meet individual needs.
How long will I be in therapy?
The length of therapy can vary widely and depends on a range of factors, like the issues you’d like to work on, how many goals you have, how frequently you can attend sessions, and your engagement with and commitment to the therapeutic process. Therapy is always your choice, and you’re free to stop whenever you feel it’s no longer helpful or if you’re ready to move on. Your therapist may also suggest ending sessions or make a referral if they believe it’s in your best interest. On the other hand, even after reaching your initial goals, you’re more than welcome to continue utilizing therapy as a consistent resource for continued growth and support.
How do I know if therapy is helping?
Therapy can be a powerful source of healing, though, like any healing process, it’s rarely linear. There may be times when it feels like you’re taking steps backward, even if the overall path is moving forward. Some types of therapy may feel like “things get worse before they get better,” as you work through difficult memories or emotions to find relief and healing. If you ever feel unsure about your progress or notice discomfort that feels beyond the natural ups and downs of therapy, don’t hesitate to talk with your therapist. Together, you can check in and adjust as needed to ensure the process is right for you.
What if I need urgent support in-between sessions?
If you feel you need more immediate support due to unforeseen events or an acute worry, you are welcome to reach out to your therapist and see if they have availability for an earlier session. It’s not guaranteed that your therapist will have an earlier opening, but we do our best to make things work.
If there is an emergency or you need immediate support, please refer to emergency services such as Mobile Crisis Mental Health Services, NAMI Minnesota, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or going to an emergency room (or ask someone to take you if needed).
How do confidentiality and privacy work with therapy?
Mental health providers are obligated under state and Federal law to protect your confidentiality fully except in a number of circumstances.
The exceptions to this are related to our duties as mandated reporters. This means that if you are at serious risk of harming yourself or others, if abuse of minors or vulnerable adults is disclosed, or if there is a court order, your therapist may be legally obligated to talk with someone else to ensure your or someone else’s safety. Your therapist will talk with you if such a situation arises and will complete safety assessments as needed in order to determine whether or not a report needs to be made. This is particularly important for clients to feel safe expressing thoughts about self harm or suicidal ideation without that automatically warranting a report.
Additionally, if you want to use a third party payer, such as insurance, to pay for therapy, they typically have the right to access information like treatment plans, diagnoses, and progress notes.
What is your cancelation policy?
We ask for 48-hours notice for cancelations. If a session is canceled 48 hours or less from its scheduled time or if you don’t attend your session, we charge a $50 fee. This fee helps us pay our therapists for the time they expected to be working and encourages folks to give enough notice that providers may be able to fill that time with another client. We try to make reasonable accommodations or exceptions for illnesses and emergencies and will enforce our cancelation fee policy as deemed appropriate.
Billing / Insurance
Common Insurance Terms
Claim: The bill that healthcare providers submit to insurance companies.
Contractual Allowance: The difference between the full cost of a service and the amount that is allowed for the service by the insurance company.
Copay / Coinsurance: This is the up-front amount owed by clients for services covered by insurance. A copay is typically a set dollar amounts and coinsurance is a percentage of the bill. Copays are billed at the time of service, while coinsurance often requires a claim to be processed in order to bill the appropriate amount.
Credentialed Provider: Providers must be credentialed in order to accept that insurance. Not all providers are legally allowed to accept all insurances. If you change insurance plans, we encourage you to ensure that your provider is credentialed with your new insurance company, otherwise they will not be able to bill insurance directly for services and you may be responsible for the full cost.
Deductible: This is the amount you are responsible for paying before your insurance plan helps cover costs. Once insurance coverage begins, you may still be responsible for a copay or coinsurance. Deductibles typically reset at the start of the calendar year.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB): This is a document provided by your insurance company after a healthcare provider submits a claim for services provided to you. It will typically include the following information: that your insurance received a claim from your provider, what discounts were applied to the total cost of the service as dictated by insurance contracts, any amount your insurance plan paid toward the cost of the service, and what amount for which you are responsible (this is the amount we bill you directly).
Out-of-Pocket Maximum: This is the most you’ll pay for care during the plan or calendar year, depending on your plan. This cost usually includes your deductible, coinsurance and copays. After you’ve reached the out-of-pocket maximum, most plans will pay 100 percent of your in-network eligible health care costs, although you will still be responsible for your insurance premiums.
How does billing work?
We collect payment for any copay or coinsurance at the time of your appointment. We then submit a claim to your insurance company for the service provided. After your insurance carrier responds and provides their payment portion (this takes anywhere between 5 to 90 days) we will bill you for any additional patient responsibility.
We require a credit card to be kept on file in our secure records system. You are welcome to pay with cash, check, or HSA/FSA card, otherwise your credit card on file will be charged for the balance owed on a weekly basis.
If paying with cash, please plan on providing the exact amount as we cannot guarantee having appropriate change. We will always ensure you ultimately pay only the correct amount owed, but it may take some time for us to process cash payments outside of the exact amount.
If paying with check, please indicate the client and date of service in the memo section so we can ensure the payment is allocated to the correct service.
If you have an HSA or FSA card on file, we will try automatically billing that before your credit card. We still require a credit card on file because certain fees aren’t allowable for those accounts and sometimes the accounts don’t have the appropriate funds.
How will I know my payment responsibility?
You will receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) from your insurance carrier that explains exactly how much of your healthcare bill is your responsibility and how much insurance has paid, along with any contractual adjustments. If you have any further questions about your benefits or your payment responsibility, you will need to contact your insurance company. We cannot legally go over your insurance benefits with you, only your insurance company can.
You may access your individual invoices and receipts through our client portal, which we set up for you when you become a client (and is most likely where you completed your intake forms).
What if I think there is an error with my bill?
We will always work with you to resolve any issues and will refund you if we have made a billing error. We will only charge the amount indicated by your insurance company, including, but not limited to, copays, deductibles, and rejected claims.
If you disagree with how your insurance company processed the claim, you will need to contact them directly. We are not allowed to act as an intermediary between clients and insurance providers, but will always attempt to provide any documentation that may help support a client’s claim to coverage.
Why does how frequently I am billed and how much I am billed vary?
We only bill you for your portion of the service cost after insurance has processed your claim. This can take anywhere from 5 to 90 days. We typically only charge for copays on the day of your appointment.
The amount you are charged at any given time fluctuates for a variety of reasons:
- You may have been charged for more than one service at a time. This is because insurance often processes more than one date of service at one time.
- You may have met your deductible and now only owe a smaller copay or coinsurance. Similarly, your insurance plan year may have restarted and you are now responsible for a higher deductible.
- You may have a different coinsurance depending on the service provided because insurance reimbursement rates vary between different services.
Miscellaneous
What are your hours?
Each provider sees clients at different times. Overall, we see clients Monday through Friday, morning, afternoon, and early evening. Our office responds to emails and phone calls as quickly as possible Monday through Friday, typically between 9:00am and 5:00pm. We cannot guarantee calls during those times will answered immediately so please feel free to leave a voicemail or email us instead.
Where are you located?
Our physical office is located in Edina, allowing us to serve much of the Twin Cities area including Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Eagan, St. Louis Park, and beyond. We are conveniently located near the intersection of I-494 and Hwy 100:
5275 Edina Industrial Blvd, STE 220, Edina, MN 55439
We also serve folks throughout the state of Minnesota via telehealth (secure video conferencing).
What do the letters after my provider's name mean and what are the differences?
Therapists bring different kinds of training and credentials to their work, reflected in their various licenses. These licenses highlight a provider’s background and approach. Some therapists, like those with an LAMFT or LGSW license, are considered pre-licensed and work under the supervision of an experienced, fully licensed provider as they gain the hours needed to be independently licensed. Once they complete these requirements, they’re eligible to become fully licensed themselves.
Licenses also vary across fields like social work, clinical counseling, and marriage and family therapy, each with a unique approach to mental health and relationships. For example, family therapists—like those with LMFT or LAMFT designations—are specially trained to work with couples and families. They focus on relational dynamics and complete half of their clinical training hours with families and couples to develop strong skills in these areas.
Additionally, therapists may pursue extra certifications, such as Registered Play Therapist or AASECT training for sex therapy, which are specialized fields of expertise on top of their main license. This combination of licenses and certifications means that each therapist brings a unique blend of training to their clients, offering support tailored to different needs and backgrounds.
Some of the common designations you may see are:
MA or MS: indicate the provider has completed a master’s degree (Master’s of Arts or Master’s of Science)
PhD, PsyD, or EdD: indicate the provider possesses a doctoral degree (Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Psychology, or Doctor of Education)
LAMFT: Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
LGSW: Licensed Graduate Social Worker
LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LP: Licensed Psychologist
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
LPCC: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
If you have any further questions, please contact us so we can either help find an answer or point you in the right direction!
Ready to make a ripple in your life?