Session Fee

For an online teletherapy session I charge $130 for a 1 hour meeting; $175 for 1 ½ hours and EMDR sessions; and $220 for two hours. Live meetings in my office are $150.00 per hour; $225 for 1 1/2 hours and EMDR sessions; and $300 for a 2 hour session. If you choose one of these times then I will endeavor to adhere to that schedule. However, as a therapy session in my view, may occasionally require more time to accomplish a task, with your permission I will run over the time we agreed on, and there is no additional charge beyond the originally agreed upon schedule. Extended sessions of 3 to 4 or more hours at a time (known as intensive sessions) have proven to be more effective for some problems. I have been trained in, personally experienced, and do intensive sessions which are priced according to the issues being addressed and what therapies are being used.

Reduced Fee Availability

I do not offer a "sliding scale" (reduced fee); however, I do pro bono work on a very limited basis.

Receipts

I am an out of network provider; if your health insurance company allows you to choose an out-of-network provider, I can provide you with the necessary documentation to seek reimbursement. Health plans vary in terms of how much and what kind of mental health treatment they cover. It is helpful to contact your insurance company prior to your first appointment to inquire about your coverage.

Below are some questions to ask your insurance company regarding reimbursement:

- Do I have mental health benefits?
- Do I have out-of-network benefits for outpatient therapy provided by an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Pennsylvania? If the insurance company asks, the individual therapy service code (CPT) is 90837, and my NPI is 1851337315.
- Do I have a deductible that I have to meet before being eligible for reimbursement?
- How much will I be reimbursed for each appointment?
- Are there limits to how many sessions I can be reimbursed for in a calendar year?
- What steps do I need to take to apply for reimbursement?

Please be aware that until I provide you with a receipt, all your information is totally confidential. On the receipt, I am required to give you a mental disorder diagnosis(es), and a list of the dates you saw me and your payments. It is important that you understand the ramifications of this receipt when you submit it to your insurance company. If you are coming to see me to work out problems, develop new skills, or for some other purpose in which you do not have a diagnosable disorder, your insurance company will not honor the receipt. I will not be dishonest in any way, or provide you with a fabricated diagnosis; and, if you do have a disorder, I will enter only an accurate diagnosis.

The diagnosis on your receipt can compromise your confidentiality. If this is not a concern, especially as you’ve been previously diagnosed and the information has already been sent to your insurance company, this is not an important issue. Even a receipt simply containing information such as your name, address, diagnosis and dates of therapy sessions is processed by the insurance company and then stored in a purportedly secure database, which is far more permeable than they would ever admit.

Anyone involved in the processing or handling of your claim has access to your information on the receipt, and anyone who has a legitimate reason (or not) to access the database, such as other insurance companies, future employers, and data-gathering companies, will likely be able to view your information. This violation and misuse/sale of private information is well documented, and there is every reason to expect this trend to increase in the future in all venues, even though it is clearly illegal.

With the risk of information being bought and sold by various entities, there is a realistic potential that an employer or other organization could discriminate against you based on this information, while denying they had any such discriminating information. A common example is denial of an application for life insurance or a security clearance based on a diagnosis of anything from Substance Abuse, Depression or Relationship Problems to severe instances of Psychosis, Trauma, and Personality disorders.

For all of these reasons, as well as the paltry payments made to clinicians (which is why most experienced therapists refuse to accept insurance), and disingenuous behavior of these organizations, I have decided not to accept health insurance directly, and ask that you think carefully about this to be sure you feel comfortable even submitting a receipt to your insurance company.

Hours

I am a full-time therapist, available for scheduling online teletherapy sessions Monday through Friday, with occasional Saturdays. My earliest scheduled sessionI is 9:00 AM, and latest is 5:00 PM. I will of course make exceptions if the client’s problem is serious and their situation prevents them from seeing me within my regular office hours.

Payment

Fees must be paid at each session or payment sent to me within a week’s time. The online platform I use, https://Doxy.me/kevindrab enables me to charge you by a credit or Flex Account card, in a secure manner in which even I don’t know your credit card number. If you would prefer, you can provide me with a check via mail, or pay me with cash. For live in-office sessions, I do not have an electronic system set up for payment at this point, and so can take cash or a cheque (with the latter it is important to use a gel pen to ensure the cheque cannot be altered by scammers.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please do so with no less than 48 hours notice. If you do not keep your appointment, or if you cancel or reschedule without 48 hours notice, you will be charged the full regular fee for that session.

Scheduling an Appointment

After our first appointment, which will probably be scheduled by phone after we have initially spoken at length, you can set up your next appointment at the end of your current session, or you can e-mail, call, or text me for that purpose.