Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Therapy

How mental health insurance claims work — and what you need to know before your first session

Using insurance for therapy can feel confusing and, at times, frustrating. Our goal is to make the process as transparent and smooth as possible so you can focus on your care — not billing surprises.

One of the most important things to understand is that insurance coverage is determined by your insurance company, not by your therapist or our practice. While we are happy to submit claims as a courtesy, final decisions about coverage and payment are always made by your insurance provider.

Insurance Is a Contract Between You and Your Insurance Company

Your health insurance policy is a legal agreement between you (the member) and your insurance company. Because of this, insurance companies require members to verify their own benefits and coverage details directly.

Even when we provide services that are clinically appropriate, your insurance company may decide:

• Whether a service is covered

• How much they will pay

• Whether you have met your deductible

• Whether you owe a copay or coinsurance

• Whether authorization is required

These decisions are outside of our control.

Why We Ask Clients to Call Insurance First

We ask all clients planning to use insurance to verify their mental health benefits before starting services. This protects you from unexpected costs and gives you the most accurate information about your financial responsibility. Insurance representatives can see details about your specific policy that providers cannot access.

When you call, ask these questions:

• Do I have outpatient mental health benefits?

• What is my deductible, and has it been met?

• What is my copay or coinsurance per session?

• Do I need prior authorization for therapy?

• Is there a limit on the number of sessions per year?

• Is my provider in-network for outpatient mental health?

Write down the representative’s name and a reference number for the call if they provide one.

Important: Benefit Quotes Are Not Guarantees

Even when benefits are verified, insurance companies may process claims differently over time. Coverage can change, and payments are never guaranteed until the claim is finalized.

If your insurance does not pay a claim, the balance becomes the client’s responsibility according to your insurance policy. We know this can feel stressful, and we want you to be informed upfront rather than surprised later.

How We Support You

While we cannot control insurance decisions, we do support you by:

✔ Submitting claims to your insurance company

✔ Providing receipts or superbills when needed

✔ Helping you understand billing statements

✔ Guiding you on next steps if a claim is denied

However, we are unable to call insurance companies on a client’s behalf to verify benefits or dispute coverage decisions. Insurance companies typically require the member to handle those conversations directly.

Our Focus Is Your Care

We believe financial transparency is part of ethical, supportive care. Understanding your benefits ahead of time allows therapy to stay focused where it belongs — on your growth, healing, and goals.

If you have questions about fees, billing, or using out-of-network benefits, our team is always happy to help you understand your options. 

New Year, New Beginnings: Dreaming Big with Intention

By Sandra I. Beekmann, MS, NCC, LCMHC

The start of a new year often arrives with a mix of hope, reflection, and quiet pressure. It is a natural pause point—a moment when many of us look back on what has been and wonder what could be. While the phrase “New Year, New You” can feel overwhelming or unrealistic, a new year does offer something meaningful: an opportunity to begin again with greater intention, clarity, and self-compassion.

Rather than focusing on rigid resolutions, this season invites us to consider new beginnings as gentle shifts—small, purposeful steps toward a life that feels more aligned with our values and well-being.

A Fresh Start Does Not Require Perfection

New beginnings are not about erasing the past or becoming someone entirely different. They are about learning from where you have been and choosing how you want to move forward. Growth is rarely linear, and meaningful change often comes from consistency, not intensity.

If last year was challenging, that does not disqualify you from hope—it strengthens it. Difficult experiences can clarify what matters most and highlight areas where support, boundaries, or healing are needed.

New Opportunities Come in Many Forms

When we think about opportunities, we often imagine big external changes: a new job, a move, or a major life decision. While those can be powerful, many opportunities are internal:

·      The opportunity to respond differently to stress

·      The opportunity to prioritize mental health without guilt

·      The opportunity to let go of patterns that no longer serve you

·      The opportunity to ask for help and accept support

These quieter opportunities can be just as transformative as the visible ones—and often more sustainable.

Dream Big, Start Grounded

Dreaming big does not mean setting unrealistic expectations. It means allowing yourself to imagine a future that feels meaningful and aligned with who you truly are.

Instead of asking, “What should I accomplish this year?” consider asking: - How do I want to feel this year? - What do I want more of in my life? - What would support my emotional and mental well-being?

From there, dreams can be translated into values-driven goals—ones that honor both ambition and balance.

A Mental Health–Centered Approach to the New Year

Approaching the new year through a mental health lens means recognizing that rest, boundaries, and self-awareness are not obstacles to success—they are foundations for it.

This year, growth might look like: - Practicing self-compassion instead of self-criticism - Building coping skills rather than pushing through burnout - Strengthening relationships through honest communication - Investing in therapy or personal development

These choices may not always be visible to others, but they create lasting change from the inside out.

Moving Forward, One Step at a Time

New beginnings do not require January 1st perfection or immediate clarity. They unfold over time, through reflection, courage, and patience. Every step—no matter how small—is part of the process.

As this new year begins, give yourself permission to dream, to grow, and to move forward at your own pace. New opportunities are not something you have to chase—they often emerge when you create space for them.

If you are seeking support as you step into this next chapter, therapy can be a powerful place to explore goals, process challenges, and build a life that feels more grounded and fulfilling.

Here’s to a new year rooted in intention, resilience, and hope.

Reframing Unhelpful Thoughts

By Jade Caswell, MA, LMHC

            As we step into a new year, I'd like to challenge you to take a closer look at your thoughts and how they shape your perspective- on yourself, the world, and others. Most people experience thousands of thoughts per day- some positive, most negative. Looking at how humans developed, this makes sense: our brains are wired to remember, and respond more strongly to threats to survival, which makes negative experiences feel more frequent than positive ones. While this may be a biological fact, it is also true that we can learn to cultivate positive thinking by learning to analyze our thoughts and reframe those pesky negative ones. In fact, cognitive reframing is a common technique that therapists use when practicing CBT to encourage more positive thinking. Let's take a closer look at how to practice this!

1. Identify your unhelpful thoughts

The first step involves recognizing negative thoughts. These may sound like, "I'm no good" or "I'll never amount to anything."  Try looking for any cognitive distortions that may be arising, such as catastrophizing, jumping to conclusions or disqualifying the positive.

2. Challenge the thought

This step involves pumping the breaks on the negative thought and taking a minute to evaluate it. Ask yourself if there is evidence to support the thought. Is there another way to see the situation? Zoom out to see the larger picture- negative thoughts often cause us to have tunnel vision.

3. Reframe & replace your thought

Take the negative thought and find a way to reframe it, ideally to one that is more balanced, or neutral. Practicing this can assist in looking at the situation more realistically. Take a look at the example below for guidance:

Negative Thought: "I will never be good enough."

Reframed Thought: "While I may feel this way right now, I can't overlook my accomplishments and positive qualities"

4. Notice the shift

Focusing on shifting our unhelpful thoughts can lead to a noticeable difference in our perspective, often fostering gratitude and a positive mood. Remember: thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Keeping a journal can be a great way to take inventory of thoughts and feelings and even assist in catching and reframing those negative thoughts.

Need help navigating negative thoughts? Please call us today at 813-335-9794. We look forward to hearing from you!