Frequently Asked Questions
It’s completely normal to have a lot of questions prior to starting therapy or re-starting therapy with a new therapist. As a collective of therapists, we hope that this page can provide you with some of the answers that you are looking for.
Do I really need to come to therapy?
Sometimes uninvited, obnoxious, hurtful, and intrusive problems enter into our lives without warning. Sometimes problems have held presence in our lives for a while before we grow quite tired of them. Space Between Counseling Services is passionate about helping you identify your strengths and resources in order to empower you to live your best possible life.
As a collective of therapists, we share the belief that you are strong, resilient and self-preserving. We also are under the impression that everyone can benefit from therapy at some points in their lives. You get to decide if now is that time for you to begin your therapeutic journey.
Do you offer free consultations?
Yes! We offer complimentary 15-minute phone consultations for all potential individual clients as well as complimentary 25-minute phone consultations for all potential couples clients {Please ensure both and/or all members of the couple are available for the call.}
Prior to scheduling, we recommend you browse our team page and select which clinician you’d most like to work with. Then you can schedule to speak directly to them through our online scheduling platform. Just be sure to select the appropriate clinician’s name and type of service from the dropdown menus.
Your initial phone call will always be returned by a licensed therapist, or our client care coordinator.
Can I refer my friend / family member / co-worker?
This is a great question. We certainly appreciate your referrals. Keep in mind though, it may not be fitting for your therapist to also see someone you are close to as a client. Luckily, we have an entire team of therapists who may be an ideal fit. Often times the best way for a person to start seeing a therapist is by their own decision as it takes both courage and self-motivation to share their story with someone else. If you have a friend or family member that you feel would benefit from therapy, simply offer them a link to our website.
do you take my insurance?
Clinician fees at SBCS range from $160-$275 per individual 45-minute session. Couples intake sessions range from $275-$650 and $275-$425 per follow-up appointment. Sessions with a graduate student intern range from $0-$75, depending on client need and clinician experience.
SBCS is not paneled with any insurance plans but can offer you what's called, "out of network” (OON) benefits. Not everyone has this as part of their benefits package so please call your healthcare plan and ask these questions:
Do I have out-of-network benefits?
What percentage of my therapist's fee does my plan pay for?
MOST OON Benefits PLANS REIMBURSE BETWEEN 50-90% OF OUR FEES.
At times insurance plans request upfront billing codes I will be using. You can share this list of codes for their approval:
90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Assessment (from 1-4 sessions depending on the problem)
90847 Family Psychotherapy, conjoint psychotherapy with patient present
90834 Psychotherapy, 45 minutes
90832 Psychotherapy, 30 minutes
When using OON benefits your clinician would provide you with a document monthly called a "superbill" which is like an invoice but contains the service codes, dates of treatment, and monies paid during therapy. You would submit this to your plan directly and your plan would reimburse you directly as well.
You can get in-network therapy if this is out of your budget. Your plan can identify providers who are in-network should you need to use your benefits.
HOW ARE MY RECORDS STORED?
We at SBCS utilize a HIPAA compliant, encrypted, electronic medical record called Simple Practice that holds all of our client's mental health records safely in it. You will get a link to a client portal where you fill in demographic information and can access documents like invoices and superbills on your own.
HOW DO I PAY YOU?
Simple Practice has a credit card processing system named Stripe embedded in it. If choosing to work with a therapist at SBCS, you would upload your credit card number and your therapist will charge after each session or late cancelation for the fee. Your therapist will only have access to the last 4 digits of your card and it is completely secured.
DO YOU HAVE A CANCELLATION POLICY?
All clinicians at Space Between Counseling Services have a 24- business hour cancelation policy You will be responsible for an entire session fee ($160-$275/$275-$650) if the change is made in less than 24 business hours' notice. Exceptions may be made for emergencies such as sudden illness or accidents, at your therapist’s discretion. It should be noted that insurance does not reimburse for canceled sessions and HSA and FSA cards can't be used in these cases.
am i welcome at space between counseling services?
Absolutely. Space Between Counseling Services is committed to serving as a holding space for all clients free from any racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist behavior. As a team we are committed to providing culturally competent therapy. Additionally, many members of our collective specialize in LGBTQIAP+ related concerns, sexual health concerns and relationship work.
We recognize that sexual diversity is more than sexual orientation. This includes our sexual and relationship structure, orientation, preferences and practices. All people deserve to meet with a therapist who understands and affirms their relationship identity and sexual practices without unnecessarily making that a focus of treatment. We are a sex-positive community of clinicians who are aware and affirming of sexual diversity, including polyamory, consensual non-monogamy (CNM), kink, BDSM, altsex communities and other sexual identities. Our practice is a safe and inclusive space for all identities.
Do you offer medication management?
In short, no. While no providers in our office can provide you with medication management, if your clinicians believes that medication may be helpful or necessary in your treatment, then they can provide you with a referral to a trusted prescriber.
Once given your signed consent, your therapist is willing to collaborate with local medication management providers in order to help you combat symptoms and reach goals.
What are your fees?
Fees vary based on your chosen clinician and their experience level, session type, and session length. Individual sessions start at $160-275 and Couples work start at $275-650. Learn more about our fees and payment options by visiting our fees page.
What if I cannot Afford those fees at this time?
If you have a financial need for low cost therapy, we recommend the following organizations:
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective connects clients with therapists for discounted fees between $30 and $60 per session.
Pro-Bono Counseling Project connects clients with therapists for discounted session fees up to $30. We are not currently in network with the Pro-Bono Counseling Project.
TurnAround provides no cost counseling for survivors of domestic violence, childhood sexual abuse, and sexual assault.
Women's Growth Center provides counseling for all genders, accepts many insurances, and offers sliding scale services.
The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund provides funds to access to a comprehensive list of mental health professionals across the country providing high quality, culturally competent services to Black women and girls.
Do you assign homework?
The answer to this question may vary based on your individual therapist. However, generally as a collective, we are under the impression that the majority of therapeutic work occurs after you leave our office. We may provide you with supplemental learning or self-exploration activities in order to enhance your experience in therapy. There is no penalty for not completing your homework, but we believe that therapy works well when YOU are actively engaging in pushing edges and comfort zones — within a certain framework and with mindful therapeutic pacing based on content.
How long will I be in Therapy?
It depends. Everyone’s circumstances are unique and the length of time differs based on the individual or the couple. You and your therapist will discuss the frequency of therapy to best fit your needs. Generally, we will begin with weekly visits during the first month in order to build rapport and regularly evaluate progress on our treatment goals. However, after that if you and your therapist believe that you can scale back to bi-weekly or monthly appointments, then that certainly could be an option. Some clients feel as if they complete their therapeutic work in a few months, while others may spend much longer as they find their goals being met and formed into new ones.
Do you offer telehealth sessions?
In light of concerns related to COVID-19, Space Between Counseling Services is now offering video therapy sessions for new and current individual clients who are currently residing in the state of Maryland. These secure, confidential, face-to-face video sessions services are provided through a HIPPA-compliant platform, Simple Practice. Interested in learning more? Visit out Teletherapy Page.
Is there anything else I should know?
If you’re still seeking to learn more about Space Between Counseling Services, or any of our clinicians, we suggest you visit our Know This page, each clinicians individual webpage, or schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to speak directly with any one of our clinicians via our Online Scheduling page.