Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a meeting last?

The first session is a 60 minute meeting where I get to know you or your relationship.

Future sessions are typically 45-55 minutes long.  These are where we get down to the work of counseling.

At times, 90-120 minute sessions may be needed in order to tackle important topics in a sensitive and thorough way.

How soon can we meet?

Many times we have appointments available within 5-10 days. If you’re ready to schedule one, you can get started now by scheduling an appointment online.

Do you offer Evening or Weekend appointments?

Yes, we make evening hours and Saturdays available most weeks.  Of course they are the most in-demand appointment times, so you may need to start on a daytime or evening session at first. Many clients find attending appointments during the lunch hour, before work, or at the end of a workday is extremely convenient as well.

How does payment work?

We accept check and credit card payments (include HSA and FSA accounts). Most of our clients choose to save their credit card to their account for ease, to pay for their copayments on the date of service.

Otherwise, payment may be made at time of service via Credit Card or Check. No cash payments are accepted.

We do not keep account balances.

What insurance plans do you accept?

In-Network

Aetna, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, OhioHealthy and several Employee Assistance Programs for in-network services. Some of our professionals accept United Behavioral Health, Optum, Cigna. If in-network status is important in choosing your provider, please let us know when you call.

    Out-of-Network

    We also will send out-of-network claims to your insurance carrier, on  your behalf. Some of our providers are out of network with United Behavioral Health, Optum, Cigna, The Ohio State University’s (OSU) health plans (Coresource/NGS/United and Primecare).

    Please contact your own insurance carrier to learn of your specific plan’s benefits. Every plan is different.

    All counseling services qualify for HSA/FSA card spending.

    What are your fees?

    One-on-One Counseling in the office and via Online Video 

    All appointments held with Alfa Counseling are $140 per appointment.

    Extended appointments (exceeding 53 minutes) are prorated in 15 minute increments.

     

    Cancellations (with less than 48 hours notice) or No-Shows are billed to your account as $55 per occurrence. Insurance usually does not reimburse this fee.

    Do you prescribe medications?

    No.

    We provide professional counseling and marriage and family therapy services. We offer talk therapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Marriage Counseling, EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Trauma-Focused CBT, and other evidence-based techniques.

    We do happily offer to coordinate your care with your medical professionals.

    My relationship needs help. I'm not sure if my partner will come with me. Can you help, if it's just me?

    Yes. We do provide relationship counseling for one.

    Relationship counseling is very powerful work, even if only one partner is actively involved. Think of yourselves as if you have been doing a relationship dance routine for many years (do you ever get that “here we go again” feeling in your relationship?!).  If even just one of you adds a new move to the dance, the whole routine is affected. Small changes, even by one, can make a big impact.

    How often will we meet?

    Our clients usually attend weekly appointments during the initial phase of therapy (about 1-2 months).

    The pace tends to taper offer to twice per month, then monthly, then quarterly appointments when you and your therapist determine that your needs or your relationship has stabilized and you are actively using your new skills to maintain your progress.

    Do you offer expert court testimony for my divorce or custody?

    At this time, our therapists are not available for expert testimony.

    We offer private, professional counseling and consultation services. We help our clients find more effective ways to cope with difficult situations. We understand that from time-to-time our clients do become involved in disputes that are emotionally taxing and energy draining. During these complex times, we protect our role as our clients’ most trusted confidante. For this reason, we are not available for expert testimony. We do not provide expert determinations related to parenting, custody, competence to stand trial, or any other evaluation for official use.

    Court testimony is by court order or valid subpoena only. When necessary, we testify to facts, and we do not offer opinion on matters such as parental rights, nor offer expert testimony. Our time spent in relation to your court or administrative hearings (whether by your consent or by court order) will be billed to you at $175/hour, plus the cost of our own legal representation ($350/hour) including but not limited to preparation, commuting, waiting, testifying, consultation, and returning to our office. We also require a $1000 per occurrence appearance fee if we are required to appear outside of our office. Medical insurance does not typically reimburse these fees.

    Live audio, video, or transcription of sessions is strictly prohibited, to protect the privacy of all of our clients.

    Do you have a contract with Medicaid or Medicare?

    At this time, no. We are not currently participating in Medicare or Medicaid’s health insurance programs. We also are not set-up to file out of network claims with Medicaid or Medicare.

    We can still help though! Upon request, we will provide you a Superbill for your sessions. You may use this to submit reimbursement requests to your carrier directly.