I will update availability periodically. As of 5/1/2024 I do not have any current openings. See FAQ question below for more on finding therapist referrals.

A general resource I recommend is the Psychology Today online directory. This directory is helpful because it lets you filter by criteria including location, insurance, specialty and population focus. Many therapists will indicate if they are accepting new clients in their profile. I find that therapists may update their listings on this directory more frequently than they do their individual insurance directories.

For EMDR specific therapy, EMDRIA hosts a “Find an EMDR Therapist Directory” that you can search by location.

If you would like to use your insurance benefits, please look up whether your plan requires you to meet a deductible, as this will greatly vary what you can expect to pay out of pocket. Please call the member benefits line on the back of your health insurance card, or login online to your insurer portal, to estimate expected costs.

Many employers now default to “high deductible plans,” meaning members need to pay costs up front of $1,500 or more before the insurer reimburses for the service. When you are in the process of paying down your deductible, the session fee is set by the contract rate for each insurer. This is based on the length of time we meet (60/45/30 minutes) as well as my designation as a Masters-level clinician. I will inform you of what the contract rate is before we meet. Once the deductible is met, your insurance may cover 100% of the cost of the session, or you may have a set co-pay per session.

If you have a more “traditional” health care plan your benefits may not rely on a deductible and you can expect to only pay the co-pay amount. For example, the CT state employee Anthem plans operate this way.

This opinion piece from a psychologist summarizes the key points.

Below are some things I’ve either experienced in my practice and/or have been reported by other clinicians in the state.

—It has become increasingly difficult to access live phone support for denied claims or other issues. Often times once an issue has been recorded, clinicians are told the insurer has a 45-90 business day window in which to resolve it. This can result in lengthy gaps in treatment.

—Insurers have the right to request records for sessions as part of a utilization review process, and make a determination if the services provided were “medically necessary” or not. If the insurer decides they were not, they can “recoup” the fee from the clinician— no matter if it was medically necessary in the professional opinion of the clinician, or whether the client felt treatment helped their symptoms. And this can take place months to years after the session occurred. These are referred to as “clawbacks.”

—Many therapists work in solo practices and do their own billing. Very large institutions have dedicated administrative staff that exist just to deal with the issues that insurance presents, and they also have the clout and market share to put pressure on getting issues resolved. (You may have received letters in the last few years when high-profile negotiations were going on between insurers and medical groups warning your insurer might possibly no longer be considered in-network).

—It is my intention to continue being paneled with insurance companies as long as it is feasible. If an insurer makes changes that I feel are counter to the ethical or clinical standards of care I hold for my clients I would need to weigh that against the accessibility considerations. I will communicate in advance to clients by at least 90 days in the event I decide to leave a panel.

Please note: as of 5/1/2024 I am no longer working with Anthem BCBS insurance.

Currently I am in-network with Aetna, Cigna, Optum/UnitedHealth*, and Medicaid (Husky).

*The Optum network includes some other insurances such as HarvardPilgrim and ConnectiCare. I am usually considered in-network for these but sometimes need to take extra steps to confirm with the company.

If I am not in-network with your insurance provider you will pay the set session fee at the time of service, what is typically known as “self pay.” My 2024 fee for self-pay is $135 for a 60 minute session. However, it is very much worthwhile to check the “out-of-network benefits” for your particular insurance plan. I can provide statements monthly for you to submit to insurers out-of-network that could result in you receiving reimbursement.

Yes! Psychiatric care is an IRS-Qualified medical expense. You can use HSA money to pay for therapy costs whether I’m in network, out of network, or you are a self-pay client.

You are eligible for an HSA account if you are enrolled in a high-deductible insurance plan. For a more detailed explanation of HSAs, this is a comprehensive article. The HSA institution will issue you a debit card and/or a checkbook, I can accept either form of payment.

If a claim is returned as denied I work to trouble-shoot it with the tools I have available to me. However, if I am not able to find a resolution and you feel the insurer has made an error, filing a complaint with the state is often the best avenue of recourse. The State of CT Insurance Department allows you to file a complaint or ask a question online. You would be responsible for paying the amount owed that was not covered by insurance.