Question 1

What can I expect during my first appointment?

Accepted Answer

In your first therapy session, you can expect a warm and welcoming space where we'll get to know each other and begin building trust. We'll talk about what brings you to therapy, explore your goals, and discuss any concerns or questions you might have. It’s a chance for you to share your story at your own pace and for me to understand how I can best support you. This session sets the foundation for our future work together and helps establish a safe, open environment for your journey ahead.

Question 2

Do you offer in-person or online therapy?

Accepted Answer

Both! Click this link to set up a free phone consultation.

Question 3

What is the cancellation/missed appointment policy?

Accepted Answer

Late Cancellation is defined to be within 24 hours of your session at the time your session is scheduled to begin.

Your appointment time is reserved specifically for you and/or your family member. To honor this commitment and ensure availability for all clients, a minimum of 24-hours’ notice is required to reschedule or cancel an appointment. If less than 24-hours’ notice is provided, you will be charged a $75 late-cancellation/no-show fee. Payment is expected for all scheduled appointments unless proper notice is given.

Longleaf Counseling recognizes that emergencies and sudden illness can occur. In these situations, I will use discretion in determining whether to waive the cancellation fee. If possible, I will work with you to reschedule your appointment later the same day or within the same week, and in those cases, the fee will not be applied.

Please note that two consecutive missed sessions without notice will be considered a termination of our therapeutic relationship. Any late cancellations or no-shows will result in full fee payment for the missed session.

Question 4

What are your fees?

Accepted Answer

Self-Pay Clients:

Initial Intake Appointment for Individual: $150 
Individual session: $135
Initial Intake Appointment for Couples: $175 
Couples session: $160

All appointments are 55-min unless explicitly discussed with your counselor.

Payment

We accept debit cards (including HSA and FSA), as well as, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards. A card must be on file to schedule appointments. The card will be charged at the end of our session or upon a determination of late cancellation/no show.

Question 5

Do you take insurance for individual therapy sessions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we do. Currently, I take BCBS and Aetna insurance. I am also a preferred provider with the State Health Plan for Aetna (2026). We will submit in-network claims according to your plan.

It is your responsibility to verify coverage. Please call your provider and ask the questions listed below.

Please check your coverage very carefully by asking the following questions of your insurance provider:
Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
What is the coverage amount and co-pay/co-insurance fee per therapy session?
Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?

For all other insurance plans, we do not bill directly. Instead, we can provide you with a Superbill—an invoice that includes a diagnosis—which you can submit to your carrier for possible out-of-network reimbursement. We will review the diagnosis with you before providing the invoice. Please be aware that a Superbill does not guarantee reimbursement, though it may be helpful for tax purposes or for utilizing funds in a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flex Spending Account (FSA).

Payment

We accept debit cards (including HSA and FSA), as well as, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards. A card must be on file to schedule appointments. The card will be charged at the end of our session.

Question 6

Do you accept insurance for couples counseling?

Accepted Answer

At Longleaf Counseling, couples counseling is offered as a self-pay service unless there are specific circumstances where insurance coverage may apply. While I am in-network for individual therapy, insurance companies do not cover counseling to improve elements such as relationship dynamics, communication patters and relational functioning. They only reimburse services that treat an individual’s mental health diagnosis — not the shared work couples do together to strengthen their relationship.

By choosing private pay, you get a more confidential and flexible experience that focuses entirely on your goals as a couple.

Question 7

Why isn’t couples counseling covered by insurance?

Accepted Answer

A troubled relationship can certainly affect your mental health or worsen any preexisting mental illness, but a “troubled relationship” in and of itself is not considered a mental illness. Therefore, counseling for maintaining your relationship(s) is not viewed the same way other types of mental health counseling are.

Insurance requires three things for coverage:
One identified patient
A diagnosis
Treatment focused on that diagnosis

Couples counseling doesn’t meet those criteria because the focus is on the relationship, not on treating one person’s mental health condition. For this reason, insurance classifies couples therapy as a non-covered service.

Because it’s non-covered, insurance contracts allow you to choose whether you’d like to receive it and simply pay privately.

Question 8

What are the benefits of doing couples counseling privately?

Accepted Answer

Many couples appreciate that private pay allows for:

Greater privacy — no diagnosis or relationship concerns added to medical records
Complete flexibility in how we structure sessions
A focus on both partners, not just one identified client
Freedom from insurance limitations, requirements, or audits

This approach lets us create a space that is supportive, tailored, and fully dedicated to the needs of your relationship.

Question 9

What’s a superbill?

Accepted Answer

A superbill is basically a detailed receipt that includes the diagnosis, service code, and provider information insurance companies require when someone wants to ask for out-of-network reimbursement.

It’s not a guarantee of reimbursement — it’s simply the document clients can submit to their insurance company if they want to try to get paid back for individual therapy sessions.

Question 10

Do you give superbills for couples counseling?

Accepted Answer

No — I don’t provide superbills for couples therapy.
Here’s why:
Insurance companies only reimburse services that:
Have one identified patient,
Include a mental health diagnosis, and
Are focused on treating that diagnosis.

True relationship therapy doesn’t meet those requirements. The focus is on the relationship, not treating one person’s mental health condition — which means it’s considered a non-covered service by insurance.

Because it’s not a covered service, insurance companies won’t reimburse it, and therefore I cannot provide a superbill for it.

Question 11

What is a good faith estimate?

Accepted Answer

On January 1, 2022, Congress enacted a "No Surprises Act", which is a "new federal protection against surprise medical bills that take effect in 2022. Surprise medical bills arise when consumers inadvertently receive care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers they did not choose". Under the law, healthcare providers, including mental health providers, must give clients who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your mental health care may cost. Under the No Surprises Act, Longleaf Counseling must provide clients who do not have insurance (uninsured) or who will not be using insurance to pay or reimburse for services (self-pay) an estimate of the total expected costs for services. You can ask Longleaf Counseling for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.

If you receive a bill 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 more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

If you have any questions about how this affects your care, please contact Longleaf Counseling at (980) 397-2519.

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