How does counseling work?

There are three questions I am most interested in:

  • What brings you to counseling at this point in time?
  • What do you think may happen if things don’t change or you don’t get the support or help you need?
  • What do you see getting better in your life as a result of a successful therapy experience?

My goal is for you to leave the initial therapy session feeling understood with a sense of hope and direction.

What else happens in therapy?

We’ll talk about your situation. I want to hear your story. I’ll listen to your history and current challenges. We’ll collaborate to help you reach your goals.

As a seasoned therapist who is committed to providing the best counseling I can offer, I still see you as the expert on your life.

While I may ride along with you in the car for a while and share my road map; you are in the driver’s seat.

Any decisions or willingness to follow suggestions, that’s your call. I respect your ability to make choices.

I’m here to help you sort it out so you can be in a better place moving forward.

Rates, Insurance for Therapy:

Therapy is an investment in your life, health, relationships, family, and future. Please note, this is a boutique style private solo therapy practice not a large group or national VC funded tech company owned therapy practice. I am not in-network with any insurance plans by choice.

Counseling Pricing

For a standard 50 min. session:

Individual or Couple Therapy $395.

The initial session is $425. If requested, a longer initial therapy session can be scheduled per rates below.

85 min. extended therapy sessions are available and slightly discounted to $575.

Some busy professionals and business owners prefer longer therapy sessions to work on specific issues. This may be a good choice if you need relief fast or have a hectic schedule or commitments where longer less frequent sessions are preferred or necessary.

For couples, these longer counseling sessions can be more effective and can act as a jump start if you feel stuck in negative patterns or if your relationship is in trouble. An 85. min. session length is sometimes best for marriage therapy or couples counseling, especially in the beginning of therapy.

*I offer free therapy to military and military family members through the Give an Hour program.

Insurance for Therapy

If you choose to use insurance for counseling reimbursement, I may be able to work with you as an out of network provider. If you wish to get reimbursed through OON benefits, first check your plan to determine coverage for licensed professional counselors as OON providers, if there’s a deductible and if it has been met, and what percentage, if any, they reimburse for psychotherapy and if the % is of my full rate or what they decide is reasonable and customary (R&C) based on zip code 19118. Codes to inquire about include 90791 for initial session then 90834, 90837 or 90847.

If requested, I can provide you with a monthly receipt called a Superbill with the necessary info of what you paid me. You may submit that to obtain any available counseling or therapy fee reimbursement based on your plan. Please look into this before contacting me.

If finances are a critical part of your decision making, seeing an in- network therapy provider is a good choice. You can find info on in network therapists on your plan’s website or directories such as Psychology Today. You can text me and once I know what you are looking for, I can suggest a few lower fee colleagues to consider if paying out of pocket.

Using a Health Savings Account, Flex Account, or HRA/HSA for therapy

You can use a pre-tax Flex or Health Savings Account for therapy. Unlike using your health insurance for therapy, this route does not require me to provide a mental health diagnosis on any forms.

I’m able to directly charge credit cards associated with your HSA (Health Savings Account; Flex Spending Account) type account.

Per the No Surprises Act, if you do not intend to submit to insurance for possible OON reimbursement, you are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate. You decide the length and frequency of sessions, when to begin or end treatment, and I do not bill, so there are no surprises. Still, a GFE outlines the projected cost of therapy at my rate for up to one year by simply calculating my fee times the number of sessions you expect over a period of time. See details on forms you complete prior to beginning therapy and we can discuss this. Learn more on the NSA: Consumers | CMS

I currently provide virtual, hybrid, and In Person sessions in my therapy office in Chestnut Hill.

How often will we meet for counseling?

Consistency brings the best results.

Most therapy clients come weekly at least in the first month or so. It’s best to schedule a set time each week but about half of my clients have schedule demands where we choose availability each time. Committing to and prioritizing that time is ideal and may equate to a better outcome.

Occasionally, people attend therapy more often and may come twice a week for a period of time.  Others prefer less frequent or longer sessions. Many reduce counseling frequency once things improve and attend every other week then monthly to maintain gains.

Some people have responsibilities that require flexibility in scheduling their therapy sessions. I can usually accommodate such needs.

Longer sessions are an option for those looking to get a jump start on the individual or couples counseling process or if there’s a need for more intensive work for a period of time.

Extended sessions are helpful for busy clients with schedules or travel obligations that don’t allow for weekly therapy sessions to occur.

What is the duration of therapy?

It depends. About half of my clients come for just a few or for several months for support through a difficult time, to focus on a specific concern, or until they feel they are bouncing back or moving forward.

This is considered shorter term therapy or counseling.  I am happy to work on a short- term basis when it’s appropriate.

Others benefit from longer term counseling. They may have long standing issues, childhood experiences or traumas that are interfering with their lives or legacy, or on-going stressors or changes in their career, relationships, health, recovery, or families. These issues often require a longer period of therapy, usually for about a year or sometimes longer.

Some clients or couples may attend therapy for a few years as they continue to benefit from on-going or intermittent counseling.

Others use therapy for a period of time, take a break, and return when they are ready, something comes up, they need to do more work or for a few booster or tune up therapy sessions.

There are lots of options and flexibility depending on what works best for you. While I love to see people commit to the process, I trust clients to make their decisions about length of time in counseling, hopefully with my input.

What type of therapy do you use?

Each person is unique. I tailor the counseling approach to what works best. Sometimes this means employing evidenced based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, Psycho-dynamic, and Emotionally Focused Therapy or EFT or the Gottman method for relationship or marriage therapy, or any number of counseling approaches. The model I use for Marriage Counseling or Couples Therapy relies on research proven approaches I am trained in such as the Emotionally Focused Therapy or EFT and Gottman.

Since I’ve had a wide range of therapist training and experience, I can use tools and strategies within a framework that fits for you. It’s a collaboration.

The “room” of therapy can be a safe place to talk through what’s going on and that process can be helpful in and of itself.

While this may be a challenging time in your life, I’m solution focused and “strength based”, not focused on so called psychopathology, meaning I recognize you have skills and resources to tap into as well.

While you may have hit a few stumbling blocks in your life or relationships, together we’ll work on solutions which allow you to leverage your resilience and develop the skills you need.

I want to help you overcome obstacles to lead the healthier and happier life that you deserve.

How do we get started?

I know it is not easy to seek therapy. I do my best to make the process user friendly.

Currently, I offer in-person therapy sessions at my Chestnut Hill, 19118 office, on-line, or a hybrid of both types of counseling.

Here’s 3 ways to connect with me:

  1. 215-802-6521
  2. debowenscounseling@gmail.com
  3. Click the Let’s Get Started button

Contact me, if you have any questions or to book a complimentary 10-15 min. phone consultation to see if this is a good fit.

Therapist & Counselor serving Montgomery County area including Blue Bell and Fort Washington.  Chestnut Hill counseling office is near regional rail from surrounding areas including Center City.