Frequently Asked Questions
How long are sessions?
A typical therapy session is 50-minutes long. Longer sessions are available upon request and if scheduling permits.
What is the session fee?
- A 50-minute individual therapy session is $110.
- A 50-minute couples therapy session is $120.
- I accept payment in the forms of cash, checks, debit/credit cards, and HSA/FSA cards.
Good Faith Estimate (Required Notice):
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees (not a part of psychotherapy). You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is 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 questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit http://www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
When are appointments avaliable?
My office hours are 11:00 AM- 7:00 PM Sunday-Thursday. I see clients for in-person and telehealth sessions Sunday-Wednesday, and for telehealth sessions only on Thursdays.
Therapy sessions are typically scheduled weekly or bi-weekly at a consistent day and time that aligns with our schedules until you have accomplished your initial treatment goals. For less consistent scheduling, I operate on a first-come-first-serve basis.
If 3 sessions are canceled within a 3-month period (with or without 24-hour notice), I will unfortunately no longer be able to reserve a specific time slot for you.
Do you take insurance?
Currently, I do not accept medical insurance as a form of payment, and I am considered an out-of-network provider.
I can provide a superbill at the end of each month for you to submit to your insurance provider. To find out if your health insurance or your employee benefit plan will reimburse some or all of the cost of an out-of-networker provider, you can contact your insurance company and ask them these questions:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- Do I have coverage for an out-of-network provider?
- What is my deductible, and has it been met?
- How many therapy sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
- What is the coverage per therapy session?
- Do I need approval from my primary care physician?
I accept health savings (HSA) as a form of payment. If you plan to pay for sessions with an HSA debit card, please know that I also require you to have a valid credit card on file upon starting treatment.
California Victim Compensation Board
The only insurance I accept is CalVCB (California Victim Compensation Board). To qualify for CalVCB, a person must have been the survivor of a qualifying crime involving physical injury, the threat of physical injury or death, and with certain crimes, emotional injury alone is all that needs to be sustained.
Qualifying crimes include: assault with a deadly weapon, battery (when there is injury or threat of injury), child abuse, child sexual assault, child endangerment and abandonment, domestic violence, driving under the influence, elder abuse, hate crimes, homicide, human trafficking, hit and run, murder, online harassment, robbery, sexual assault, stalking, sexual battery, terrorism, unlawful sexual intercourse (where there is injury or threat of injury), vehicular manslaughter, and other crimes that result in physical injury or a threat of physical injury to the victim.
You can learn more about CalVCB by visiting their website at https://victims.ca.gov/for-vicrims/who-is-eligible/
How long does it take for therapy to work?
It’s not uncommon for people to come into therapy looking for immediate relief. Please know that I sincerely want you to get healing in whatever you are going through. I understand how debilitating and overwhelming you may feel at the onset of starting therapy. Unfortunately, I cannot offer a quick fix to complex issues that have been developing and compounding for quite some time. Just as our problems so often increase and worsen over time, healing from them will also take time.
I intend to provide services that will assist you in reaching your therapy goals. Based on the information you provide me and the specifics of your situation, I will provide recommendations regarding your treatment. Whether or not therapy is successful depends on many factors, including your specific goals, how much you would like to accomplish in our sessions together, your willingness to actively participate in therapy, your commitment to change, and the therapeutic relationship you and I are able to develop.
Early signs that therapy is helping may include the following:
- Your relationship with yourself and others is improving.
- You feel more present and stable in your everyday life.
- When you get triggered, you can emotionally regulate.
- You have more energy.
- You can set healthy boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.
- You’re less reactive and more responsive.
- Knowing they will eventually pass, you can identify and work through uncomfortable feelings.
- You notice an increase in your self-worth, self-esteem, and self-acceptance.
- You utilize honest, respectful, and direct communication skills when having challenging conversations.
- You experience better overall functioning in various aspects of your life.
What are the risk and benefits of therapy?
Participation in therapy can result in emotional discomfort as challenging topics are discussed and processed. Some clients may temporarily feel worse before they improve and find that participating in therapy results in changes they didn’t expect at the outset. Remember that it may have taken time for your struggles to develop, and it may also take time for you to begin to feel better. While there are some risks, many benefits are typically experienced due to therapy.
Therapy can help clarify your understanding of yourself, your values, and your goals. It can provide a fresh perspective on a complex problem and help point you in the right direction. Therapy can help you process and heal from trauma in a safe, organized, and helpful way. It can help you increase your positive self-talk, increase your coping skills, and lead to greater emotional stability. Furthermore, therapy can result in improved relationships with others and a deeper and stronger relationship with yourself.
Specific therapeutic outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
A word on telehealth therapy:
There are specific risks and limitations uniquely related to telehealth therapy. Before beginning telehealth treatment, I will go over these specific risks with you as a part of informed consent.
Is what we talk about in sessions confidential?
All communication between us will be held in strict confidence unless:
- You authorize a release of information with your signature.
- If a court of law orders the release of specific information.
- You present as a danger to yourself.
- You present as a danger to someone else.
- There is the disclosure of suspected abuse and/or neglect done to a child, elder, or dependent adult.
In the latter two cases, I am a mandated reporter and required by law to inform potential victims and legal authorities so that protective measures can be taken.
There are some other situations defined in state and federal law where I may break confidentiality. California has more than 20 such situations defined in state law which you can learn more about by visiting: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=56.10.
HIPPA Notice:
What is the cancellation policy?
If you reschedule or cancel a scheduled appointment, you are expected to notify me at least 24- hours before your appointment time.
You will be charged the full session fee if you do not notify me within 24 hours of a scheduled appointment. After 15 minutes have passed for a scheduled appointment and you do not show, I will charge the full session fee.
If 3 sessions are canceled within a 3-month period (with or without 24-hour notice), I will unfortunately no longer be able to reserve a specific time slot for you.
A valid credit card will be required to keep on file at the start of treatment.
Where is your office located?
My office is located at The Place Within, a counseling center in Roseville, CA.
I primarily offer in-person sessions to clients living in Northern California in Loomis, Penryn, Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Antelope, Folsom, and Granite Bay.
I also offer teletherapy sessions to clients residing anywhere in the state of California.
What can I expect in our first session?
Our first session is an opportunity for you to share what brings you into therapy and see how I can best support you moving forward. I’ll gather information about your family/relationship history, the history of the problems and concerns you are struggling with, assess what your goals for treatment are, and offer you some immediate symptom-relief techniques.
The first session also serves as an opportunity for us to get to know each other. It’s a chance for you to see if I’m what you’re looking for in a therapist and if you believe we would work well together. It is also an opportunity for me to assess if I have the competence and training to help you meet your desired treatment goals.
It is really important to me that you find the right fit, and I understand that not everyone “clicks” with everyone. If, after our first session, you don’t feel like I’m a good fit for you, that is okay. You are under no obligation to continue seeing me for sessions. Please let me know if you’d like to try a different therapist at the end of our first session, and I will be happy to reach out to other trusted therapists in the area to help you find the perfect fit.
Ready to get started? Schedule your free consultation today.
Do you have a question not covered above? Send me a message at support@janellestepper.com.