Choosing a psychotherapist who is right for you is perhaps the most important component of psychotherapy. We generally recommend a commitment of 2-3 consecutive weekly sessions to start, as the initial evaluation and assessment are completed. At that time, your therapist will make their recommendations, you can develop a treatment plan together, and better decide if your therapist is the best match for your needs to help you reach your treatment goals. If we are not a good fit for you, we will be happy to refer you to other providers.

Successful psychotherapy hinges on effort put forth between both the therapist and the patient. Psychotherapy is a process which takes time and motivation on your part. While psychotherapy offers no guarantees, benefits vary widely. You may experience improved relationships, professional growth or transformation, improved self-esteem, and shifts in your self-talk.

You may also experience some uncomfortable emotions as part of the change process. These feelings are important to explore in therapy as they can often be a catalyst for growth and insights. If you have any concerns about your feelings or the process itself, please don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention. This is a relationship in which we build trust to benefit your own growth and development.

You can discontinue psychotherapy with us at any time. If you wish to seek another mental health professional’s opinion, we will refer you to other qualified professionals who may be a better match within Inside Psychotherapy or another provider. As a courtesy, we request that you let your therapist know during a session that you are thinking of stopping. This is in your best interest to discuss what is not working for you, rather than ending therapy abruptly via text or email.

If at any time you have passive thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, please let your therapist know. If you ever feel compelled to act on these feelings, you must go immediately to the nearest emergency room or call 911, before calling your therapist.

If you abuse illegal or prescription drugs and/or alcohol, or drink an unsafe amount of alcohol, or feel you are experiencing withdrawal from any controlled substances, immediately go to an emergency room or call 911.

We maintain brief written records of each session which are stored in a secure location. You have the right to request a copy of your file, which will be made available to you or to any other health care provider in writing. As licensed psychotherapists, we maintain a strict policy of confidentiality. I will not share verbal information or written records about my clients, or even that you are in therapy, without specific written consent by you, or a legal guardian if the client is a minor. You may revoke this consent, in writing, at any time.

The law makes several notable exceptions to confidentiality, which are as follows:

• Duty to Warn and Protect: If a client discloses intentions to harm him/herself/themself or another person, your therapist is required to warn the intended victim and report the threat to legal authorities. If a client discloses or implies a plan for suicide, your therapist is required to notify legal authorities and make reasonable attempts to notify the client’s emergency contact(s).
• Abuse of Children and Vulnerable Adults: If a client states, suggests, or implies that she/he/they is/are abusing, has abused, or is in danger of abusing a child or vulnerable/dependent, your therapist is required to notify the appropriate social service and/or legal authorities.
• Prenatal Exposure to Controlled Substances: Your therapist is required by law to report admitted prenatal exposure to controlled substances that are potentially harmful.
• Minors/Guardianship: Parents or legal guardians of non-emancipated minor clients have the right to access the client’s records. Please note that while email and text communication between us is fine, especially for scheduling purposes, it is not secure. Keep this in mind when communicating sensitive or confidential information to your therapist electronically. We encourage you to use our HIPAA-compliant platform to send your therapist messages confidentially.

We will make a commitment to you as your therapist to help you reach your treatment goals. While we are available for emergent situations and crisis intervention, psychotherapy is most effective with regular and consistent meeting times. We understand that your life is busy and there are circumstances beyond your control that may require you to cancel. However, your therapist holds your scheduled appointment for you, and it is to your benefit that you keep your consistent appointments as scheduled.

• If you cancel your session with less than 24 hours notice, you will be responsible for the full fee of the session.
• If you are late, we will try to allow for the full session time, but please plan for the session to still end at the scheduled time.
• Please note that if you are using your out-of-network insurance benefits, you will not be reimbursed for missed sessions by your insurance company.
• During planned and/or unplanned extended absences your therapist will provide you with a referral to a covering therapist at Inside Psychotherapy or an outside provider.

Inside Psychotherapy sessions run for 45 minutes. Our reduced fees noted below are available on a case-by-case basis depending on need. During your initial free phone consultation, you and your therapist will discuss your goals and frequency of visits and agree to a fee that feels comfortable for you.

• Fees for LMSW therapists range from $120-$200 per session.
• Fees for Alena Gerst range from $225-$300 per session.

All major credit cards are accepted, and paid via a HIPAA compliant payment platform.

As an out-of-network provider, we do not accept payments from insurance companies directly. If your insurance informs you that you have out-of-network benefits, be sure to ask the representative what your mental health coverage is, and what your deductible is.

If you wish to be reimbursed by your insurance company for out-of-network benefits, your therapist will provide you with a diagnosis and treatment code via a monthly statement. You will submit that to your insurance company for reimbursement at their rate. How much you will be reimbursed will depend on each individual’s coverage.

We currently treat adults age 18 and older who are seeking individual psychotherapy.

We offer remote telehealth sessions and in-person. Please reach out to an individual therapist to learn more about their availability.

Please contact us.