What can I expect in the beginning?
Paperwork/Insurance/Payment. Since each psychologist operates independently, each provider varies in terms of paperwork, insurance participation and fee structure. We encourage you to communicate with your provider about the arrangement you have with them on these matters.
Typically, during your first visit, we review your paperwork. If you are using insurance, please contact your insurance provider ahead of time to verify your benefits (copay, deductible, HSA). Clients are responsible for understanding their behavioral health benefits and copays are collected at the visit. If you are paying out of pocket, most psychologists accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards. Some of the providers are willing to keep your credit card information on file and run a charge following the visit. Superbills can be printed for submission to flex plans or insurance for reimbursement. Communicate with your individual provider on these matters.
Appointments. Your first few visits are an opportunity to identify goodness of fit and provide the psychologist with information about your background and treatment goals. We encourage our clients to view therapy as an investment in their future well-being, as the foundation for healthy living is built through weekly visits. While we can provide you with short-term consultation and problem solving approaches, we have seen the most success with clients that spend time working through underlying issues and develop new ways of living over the course of many months.
We encourage you to make time in your schedule for regular therapy, just as you would for other priorities, like exercise or self-care. This will provide you will the most success in therapy and will provide you with lasting change. The more effort you put in, the more you will get out of the experience and the quicker you will achieve your goals.
Self-care. Since we value personal growth, each psychologist has experienced many hours of therapy as a client as well. And so, we are familiar with all the emotions, time and challenge that effective therapy requires. During this process, we recommend that you make self care a priority. Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and setting boundaries around your time will be very helpful.
Do you accept insurance?
Most patients prefer the privacy of self pay. Still others want to use their health insurance benefits. We encourage you to call your insurance company to verify your benefits ahead of time. It is important to know that if you choose to bill insurance, the insurance company has a right to request records of your sessions. Complete confidentiality occurs only with self pay. Some of the psychologists also accept payment using HSA, HRA, Flex and other health plans.
If you are unsure of your insurance benefits, we recommend you call your insurance provider prior to your first appointment.
The following questions may be helpful to ask your insurance provider:
-Do my insurance benefits cover outpatient mental health services?
-Do I have a deductible to meet first or a required copay per session?
-What will it cost me per outpatient therapy session?
When verifying your benefits with your insurance company, refer to our psychologists by name:
Michelle (Shelley) Dennis, PhD, ABPP
Sean Harrell, PsyD
Paul Hewitt, PsyD
Andrea Rotzien, PhD
Jordan Stricklen, PsyD
Kristin Vanden Hoek, PsyD
Robin Ward, PsyD
Self Pay
In order to maintain the highest level of privacy, many of our patients elect self pay. Most providers accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards as well as HSA and other savings cards as payment. Your provider is happy to assist you in determining the rate for your specific need. Since each provider practices independently, please clarify fee structure and agreement with your psychologist.
Paperwork/Insurance/Payment. Since each psychologist operates independently, each provider varies in terms of paperwork, insurance participation and fee structure. We encourage you to communicate with your provider about the arrangement you have with them on these matters.
Typically, during your first visit, we review your paperwork. If you are using insurance, please contact your insurance provider ahead of time to verify your benefits (copay, deductible, HSA). Clients are responsible for understanding their behavioral health benefits and copays are collected at the visit. If you are paying out of pocket, most psychologists accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards. Some of the providers are willing to keep your credit card information on file and run a charge following the visit. Superbills can be printed for submission to flex plans or insurance for reimbursement. Communicate with your individual provider on these matters.
Appointments. Your first few visits are an opportunity to identify goodness of fit and provide the psychologist with information about your background and treatment goals. We encourage our clients to view therapy as an investment in their future well-being, as the foundation for healthy living is built through weekly visits. While we can provide you with short-term consultation and problem solving approaches, we have seen the most success with clients that spend time working through underlying issues and develop new ways of living over the course of many months.
We encourage you to make time in your schedule for regular therapy, just as you would for other priorities, like exercise or self-care. This will provide you will the most success in therapy and will provide you with lasting change. The more effort you put in, the more you will get out of the experience and the quicker you will achieve your goals.
Self-care. Since we value personal growth, each psychologist has experienced many hours of therapy as a client as well. And so, we are familiar with all the emotions, time and challenge that effective therapy requires. During this process, we recommend that you make self care a priority. Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and setting boundaries around your time will be very helpful.
Do you accept insurance?
Most patients prefer the privacy of self pay. Still others want to use their health insurance benefits. We encourage you to call your insurance company to verify your benefits ahead of time. It is important to know that if you choose to bill insurance, the insurance company has a right to request records of your sessions. Complete confidentiality occurs only with self pay. Some of the psychologists also accept payment using HSA, HRA, Flex and other health plans.
If you are unsure of your insurance benefits, we recommend you call your insurance provider prior to your first appointment.
The following questions may be helpful to ask your insurance provider:
-Do my insurance benefits cover outpatient mental health services?
-Do I have a deductible to meet first or a required copay per session?
-What will it cost me per outpatient therapy session?
When verifying your benefits with your insurance company, refer to our psychologists by name:
Michelle (Shelley) Dennis, PhD, ABPP
Sean Harrell, PsyD
Paul Hewitt, PsyD
Andrea Rotzien, PhD
Jordan Stricklen, PsyD
Kristin Vanden Hoek, PsyD
Robin Ward, PsyD
Self Pay
In order to maintain the highest level of privacy, many of our patients elect self pay. Most providers accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards as well as HSA and other savings cards as payment. Your provider is happy to assist you in determining the rate for your specific need. Since each provider practices independently, please clarify fee structure and agreement with your psychologist.
833 Kenmoor SE, Suite A | Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
616.551.4690 | eastsidepsychgr@gmail.com
616.551.4690 | eastsidepsychgr@gmail.com
