Where is your office located?

My office is conveniently located near the Fox Valley Mall and the MetLife Building in Aurora, approximately at 75^th St. and Ogden Ave/Rt. 34. The exact address is 3675 Darlene Court, Suite B, Aurora, IL 60504; Darlene Court is the street directly across from Still Middle School. The office is tucked in the back of the Meadow Lakes Corporate Park in a small, quiet private office suite building surrounded by a pond in a peaceful, relaxing, naturistic setting.

There is free on-site parking, it is close to public transportation, and it is wheelchair-accessible. I have my own private office suite and think you will find it quite comfy! Here are some pictures of my office to give you a better idea of where our magic will take place!

How much do therapy sessions cost per visit?

My counseling sessions are 45-minutes. For self-pay clients, my evaluation and subsequent counseling visits are $125 for individual therapy, $135 for couples therapy, and $145 for family therapy.

Do you accept insurance to cover my sessions?

I do! I am an in-network provider for many insurance companies:

• Multiplan

• Psychealth

• Unicare

• United Healthcare/United Behavioral Health

• Value Options

I encourage you to contact the claims department of your insurance company (refer to the number on the back of your insurance card) to obtain your benefits for outpatient mental health counseling services. They will inform you of your deductible, copay, and other important information, as well as if a pre-certification will be required before we can initiate services.

If your deductible has not been met for the calendar year, your sessions will cost the full fee of my contracted rate (anywhere from $50-$85 in most cases) with that insurance company; once your deductible has been satisfied, your copay in my experience could run anywhere from $0 to $60, but you will want your insurance company to give you an exact quote of what you could expect since each policy is different. I will take care of all insurance claim submissions for you.

If you do not see your insurance company listed above, I can still see you! I would be considered an out-of-network provider in these cases. Your fee would be my self-pay rate listed in Question #1, and I would furnish you with all the necessary claim forms for you to submit to your insurance company. They will then reimburse you for whatever that company allows for an out-of-network provider. Please consult your claims department for exactly what that rate would be when they quote your benefits.

Why is it to my benefit to self-pay if I can versus using my insurance?

While using your insurance can sometimes help you save money, there are certain drawbacks and liabilities to this particular option. First, some insurance companies can be intrusive into your care and set limits on the type of work that we do and the length of time that they allow. For example, a good majority of insurance companies do not cover couples counseling.

Additionally, managed care can put restrictions on how long we are able to work together, limiting the services we can provide by putting a cap on the number of visits we can have, even before your work is truly finished.

Another issue with using insurance is that I have to provide them with a mental health diagnosis, and your confidentiality could be potentially compromised. A number of people have access to the information put on a claim form or clinical reports that insurance companies may require, including case managers, processors, and customer service representatives.

If you ever choose to apply for life insurance or other forms of coverage, medical records are requested (including mental health records). If you are ever subpoenaed to Court for things such as a divorce, custody hearing, or to be a witness for some other legal matter, your records may also be subpoenaed.

And while HIPPA laws are supposed to protect our privacy regarding health records, these have not been demonstrated to be fool-proof, as evidenced by all the electronic breaches that we see across the country where our personal information and credit card data have been compromised, for example.

Are there any other options for accessing services?

One other possibility you may want to explore is to utilize the counseling services offered by an employee assistance program (EAP). Many companies and businesses offer an EAP in your employment benefits, and free short-term counseling services are often included in these programs.

Sessions are typically of a brief nature for assessment and short-term treatment (the great majority are between 3 to 6 visits, though there are variations).

Contact your employer’s human resources department to determine if you have an EAP with counseling services included. I am a counselor for the following EAPs:

• Mines & Associates

• New Directions

• OneMilitary Source

• Optum

• Perspectives

• State of Illinois employees

• Three Rivers (TRPN)

• Wayne Corporation

• Workplace Options

What can I expect during my first visit?

When you arrive at the office, please have a seat in the waiting room. I will come out promptly at our appointment time to greet you.

Once in the counseling office, I’ll explain to you how the first session is structured, take you through some brief paperwork (please bring your insurance card with you if you’ll be using your health benefits), and begin the interview and assessment.

It’s totally normal to be nervous the first time, so please know that I will guide you through the whole process. I believe you will find me easy to talk with, and you’ll be comfortable in no time!

I’ll be asking you a variety of questions about your presenting issues, concerns, life situation, history, goals, etc. We’ll go at your own pace.

At the end of the session, I’ll be giving you my impressions and recommendations for next steps to help you make a determination on what you’d like to do moving forward.

How long will it take for me to get better?

There is considerable variation in the length of time it can take to begin to experience symptom relief and behavioral change. Everyone is different, and the answer to this question will be dependent on a number of factors, including diagnosis, attendance, motivation and commitment level, history, severity of symptoms, treatment approach used, and goals, just to name a few.

We will strategize together and develop a personalized treatment and action plan to help you achieve your goals and objectives in the most straightforward and targeted way possible. As with anything, what you put into it will directly affect what you get out of it. Improvements are often experienced within the first month in many cases, especially if you complete the homework assignments prescribed and practice the skills you’ll be learning.

My approach is solution-focused, educational, and results-driven.