FAQ
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Individuals and families come to counseling for a wide range of issues and goals. Therapy can help you address these issues and strengthen yourself and your relationships in the process. Possible benefits of therapy include: reduced stress and anxiety, better relationships, decrease in negative thinking and behavioral issues, improved social, work, and family life functioning, increase in self-confidence, and enhanced decision making and communication.
Some fear the stigma of therapy, worrying that seeking support means that they are broken or in need of fixing. We are here to tell you that you are resilient and taking steps to improve your life is brave! Everyone struggles from time to time and everyone deals with stress and transitions. Therapy can help you build upon your strengths and create positive change in order to live more fully.
Just like going to the gym to get and stay healthy, therapy can help you improve your mental health, address current problem areas, and provide preventative care for future life changes and stressors.
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Please call to discuss rates as we provide services on a sliding scale in order to meet your individual needs. We will discuss the hourly rate before you attend your first session and figure out if you are in need of a reduced fee, based on your income and budget.
Payment is requested at the beginning of session to avoid you feeling rushed or short on time. We accept cash, check, or credit card.
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We are not contracted with any insurance company, but we are able to provide a Superbill for reimbursement from your insurance company if you have PPO Insurance.
If you are wanting to use out-of-network health insurance benefits, please be advised that there are downsides to billing your health insurance. Insurance companies require personal information regarding your treatment, such as a covered diagnosis, for billing and may also access confidential information such as session dates and notes. This information, including a required diagnosis, may impact current or future coverage and become a part of your permanent medical history.
As we value the safety of the therapeutic relationship, we prefer to protect your private information and treatment from insurance involvement which can limit your number of sessions and other aspects of therapy. Also, you may be wanting support for life stress or transitions and may not have a diagnosable mental illness or covered diagnosis.
However, we know your individual needs and budget may help you to decide to go through your insurance. If so, please be sure to check with your member services and ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits as health coverage varies between insurance plans. We are happy to answer any other questions you may have regarding insurance considerations and fees.
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The number of sessions depends on your individual situation and needs. We will go over your goals for therapy in the first session and check on your progress throughout treatment. Once you reach your goals, we will discuss your decision to continue or end treatment. Some wish to continue in therapy to explore other issues, further personal growth, or continue to strengthen their relationships. Others find therapy useful as an additional support and resource in their life. You decide what fits for you.
Sessions are usually scheduled once per week to help you achieve success on your goals. Overall, I use a strength-based approach focused on the present to help you see changes and improvement with fewer therapy sessions.
Individual sessions (child, teen, adult) are 50 minutes.Couple and family sessions are 80 minutes.
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The goal of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is to identify, challenge, and replace unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with healthier thoughts and behaviors. Your thoughts often impact how you feel and what you do. So, your reaction to a situation is based on your thoughts and beliefs about the situation, not what is actually happening.
CBT is directive, teaches you about your patterns of thinking and behaving, and helps you change these patterns. The role of the therapist is to help you identify and change the thoughts and behaviors that keep you stuck. CBT demystifies the process of treatment and empowers you to take an active role in therapy and in life. CBT involves working collaboratively with a therapist to achieve goals and build healthy skills which continue to help you address issues in the future.
Research continues to support the effectiveness of CBT for a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use, chronic pain, family issues, and more. CBT has extensive scientific data supporting its effectiveness and has been shown to improve brain functioning.
Links & References
Beck Institute - What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)?
Beck Institute - CBT FAQSBeck Institute - What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)?
Psychology Today - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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We provide therapeutic services to those located within the state of California but can provide referrals for therapists and organizations in other states. Here are some clinicians we recommend:
Colorado
Courtneyrose Chung, My Denver Therapy
Missouri
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Our offices are located in Santa Monica on 26th and Broadway - across from the Water Garden:
1452 26th Street, Suite 108 & Suite 202
Santa Monica, CA 90404
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Yes we do! According to the No Surprises Act (H.R. 133), under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, out-of-network healthcare providers are required to inform individuals upon request or at the time of scheduling healthcare services, a “Good Faith Estimate” of total expected charges for any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services, for the year. Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are using out-of-network benefits an estimate of the bill for services. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
This Good Faith Estimate is not intended to serve as a recommendation for treatment or a prediction that you may need to attend a specified number of psychotherapy visits. The number of appropriate visits in your case, and the estimated cost for those services, depends on what you need and what you agree to in consultation with your therapist.
Shelby Stone Therapy is out-of-network for all insurance plans. If you have PPO health insurance, as a courtesy, we will provide super bills or electronically submit claims to your insurance upon request. This reimbursement is determined by your specific insurance plan. You will be responsible for the therapist’s full fee at time of service.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.