FAQ and Fees

The first step is to schedule your twenty minute free introductory phone call.  I encourage you to start with this call, because it helps both of us determine if we’re a good fit.  Counseling works best when you and I connect well and have potential to build a trusting relationship.  I want to make sure I’m the best counselor to meet your needs, and I want you to make sure you feel comfortable with me and my counseling style.  This is a no pressure phone call where you decide at the end whether you want to move forward with scheduling, take more time to make a decision, or let me know that it doesn’t feel like a good fit.

During our phone call, I’ll ask you a few questions about why you’ve decided to start therapy.  I want to hear a little about what’s going on in your life that you’d like to change or explore.  Don’t worry – if you aren’t ready to go too deep, we can save that for our first few sessions.  I might ask a little about any history you have with seeking counseling or similar services.  Then I’ll tell you a little about the counseling process and my therapeutic style.  Finally, you can ask any questions about the counseling process and about getting started.

This call is a chance for you to get to know what it feels like to talk to me and if you feel like it might be a good fit for us to work together.  I’m also using the call to make sure we’re a good fit – I keep a small caseload focused on clients who fit well with my specialties and if by chance I don’t feel I’m the best fit for you I’ll give you a few tailored referrals to what you are hoping to explore in counseling.

After our call, I’ll send you a link to schedule your first appointment if you’re ready to get started.  If you decide we’re not a good fit, just let me know I’ll be happy to give you a few referrals to help you in your search.

After our introductory call, I’ll give you access to book your first appointment through my online scheduler.  You’ll also be prompted to sign a few documents, fill out a questionnaire, and provide credit card information to keep on file for billing purposes.  I’ll set aside some time at our first session to go over everything you signed to make sure you understand everything.

If you are new to therapy, I will make sure during our introductory call and first few sessions that I am clear on the process.  Starting therapy for the first time can be anxiety-provoking, so I am glad you are willing to take that step in order to move towards a more fulfilling life!  For people who are first-timers to therapy, I take extra time to explain areas you might be curious about, such as the length of therapy, what happens in a counseling session, and how therapy can help.  We’ll talk about how sessions will be structured and what goals we’ll be working towards.  You can read a little bit about all of this in “The Counseling Process” section later in this FAQ as well.  And if you have been to therapy before – I want to hear what worked and what didn’t in your previous therapy experiences so that I can help you get the most out of your work with me.

I have chosen not to join or participate in any health insurance plans or panels.  Since I do not work directly with insurance companies, I am responsible only to you and can focus all my attention on providing you the best possible care.  I also believe that insurance companies do not provide a reimbursement structure to therapists that is adequate to foster quality care for you and to prevent therapist burnout in me.  I am very appreciative of therapists who do have the capacity to take insurance and I’m happy to connect you with a few great providers if that’s what you are looking for.

If you participate in a health insurance plan, your health insurance company may pay a part of my fees directly to you through out-of-network coverage.  This process involves you first paying me out of pocket for our sessions and then filing paperwork with your insurance company in order to receive a full or partial reimbursement from them.  If you choose to use your insurance on an out-of-network basis, I will not file claims for you, but I will give you a receipt for my services with the information the insurers need to pay you back if allowed by your contract. This receipt will include a mental health diagnosis, so it’s up to you if you feel comfortable with that being shared with your insurance provider in order to receive reimbursement.  Please contact your insurance company directly to ask about your out of network coverage for counseling sessions.

I partner with the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective to offer a reduced rates to a few clients in financial need.   If you feel you may qualify for the Open Path program, please view my profile on Open Path’s site to see if I am currently accepting new clients.  If I’m not listed as accepting new Open Path clients, I recommend browsing their directory of therapists for low cost options.

The length of counseling can vary depending on what you want to work on.  Most of my clients benefit from starting our work together by coming weekly for about six to eight weeks.  After that, we re-evaluate together whether weekly sessions are still helpful, and then we may decide to continue with weekly sessions or to start spacing out sessions to bi-weekly or monthly.  Some clients find meeting weekly for a longer period is useful and prefer the opportunity for deeper work that this entails.  Some clients like to come back for periodic “tune-up” sessions from time to time after they’ve stopped coming regularly.  I will work collaboratively with you to figure out how long will be best for your unique goals for counseling, but for most clients I recommend at least making an initial commitment of six to eight weeks of weekly counseling.  I encourage you to take a look at your budget and schedule to make sure you can commit to the length of therapy that will be useful for you.  I want you to get the best possible experience out of therapy, and for many people that involves making a commitment to weekly sessions at least for the beginning of our work together.

I offer video sessions via a secure telehealth platform to residents of Texas.  You can learn more about online therapy here

I also offer in-person sessions at my office in the Houston Heights neighborhood.  My therapy office is at 231 W 17th Street Houston, TX 77008.  My office is in a beautiful home that has been converted into offices for therapists.  You can see photos of my office on the Connect page.

I ask that you please notify me as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule a session.  This allows other clients a chance to schedule for the time you have reserved.  You can notify me by email, text, or phone call.

I do have a 24 hour cancellation policy, which means if you cancel a session less than 24 hours before your scheduled time, I will charge you half the session fee.  If you cancel at the session time or later (or don’t inform me that you can’t make it) I’ll charge the full fee for the session.  I ask that you keep a credit card on file to hold an appointment.

Please reach out and ask!  You can schedule an introductory call or email me at ashley@hammcounseling.com.