FAQ

FAQ

Confidentiality

All sessions are private and confidential, with the exception that you are a danger to yourself or others, or if there's any sign of child or elder abuse. Your therapist will send you our confidentiality agreement to sign before your session.

None of our appointments are ever recorded or stored.

We're serious about protecting your privacy. Just like a face-to-face appointment, your virtual therapy (teletherapy) appointment is absolutely private and confidential.

Credentials

State regulations regarding Telehealth sessions are ever-evolving and often vary depending on your therapist's credentials. Please advise your therapist if you plan to travel out of state so that you can explore your options for therapy while you're away.

You may have noticed that some of our therapists have different credentials. All credentials allow them to practice psychotherapy in the state of New York and differ in the years of experience and training requirements from the state. Mental health counselors (LMHCs), clinical social workers (LCSWs), and marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) all hold masters-level degrees and provide psychotherapy for a range of issues. A psychologist has a doctorate in psychology or philosophy and also can provide psychotherapy. A psychiatrist, unlike any of our providers, has a medical degree and can prescribe medication. If you’re not sure which type of provider you need, we suggest searching through our provider profiles and choosing the provider that seems like they might be the best fit based on speciality and therapy style. If you’re still not sure, we suggest you take our Therapist Matching Questionnaire. See this helpful blog post for a more detailed discussion on the topic.

All of our therapists are qualified and licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of New York. Please visit our About page to view each of our associates and their specific credentials.

Hiring

Candidates who are contacted for an interview will first speak with a member of our operations team. Those who are invited for a second interview will speak with with Dr. Logan Jones, Head of Practice.

Candidates who are contacted for an interview will typically be interviewed first by 1-2 senior associate therapists. Candidates who are invited for a second interview will be introduced to Dr. Logan Jones, the Head of Practice.

We do our best to reply to each applicant within 24-48 hours.

We create job listings as the need arises so please check back with us periodically.

Your resume must be in one of the following formats: JPG, PDF, or PNG and cannot be more than 4MB of data.

Insurance + Billing

  • Allowed Amount: Or “negotiated rate,” is the maximum amount that your insurance company will pay for a covered service based on your plan. If the allowed amount your plan pays for mental health services is $100, for example, and your therapist charges $125 per session, you would be responsible for paying $25. This is also known as "Balance Billing.
  • Balance Billing: The difference in the allowed amount the insurance company pays and what the provider charges. See example under “Allowed Amount.”
  • CMS 1500 Form: This is the form used to submit services rendered to insurance companies.
  • Co-Payment: This is a fixed amount that you are responsible for paying when receiving health care services that are covered by insurance. You may also see the term co-insurance, this is essentially the same as a co-payment, but is often reflected as a percentage. For example, a 20% co-insurance means that you would pay 20% of the allowed amount and the insurance company would pay the rest, if you’ve reached your deductible.
  • Deductible: This is the amount you have to pay for health care services before your insurance begins any reimbursement. So for example, let’s say your insurance covers 50% for each psychotherapy session, but only after you reach a $1,000 deductible. If each session is $200, you would have to pay for 5 sessions before you reach your deductible ($200 per session x 5 sessions = $1,000). In this case, after reaching your deductible your insurance would reimburse $100 (50% of $200) and you would be responsible for a $100 balance.
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO): A plan where services are only covered by doctors, specialists, or hospitals that in the plan’s network, except in the event of an emergency.
  • Family Deductible: If you are under a family plan, the family must collectively reach a certain amount before getting reimbursed by the insurance company.
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): A plan that typically limits the services covered by health care professionals who work for or are in contract with the HMO, usually not covering out-of-network services (except in an emergency). Although this type of plan is more restricted, premiums are often much lower and have either low or no deductible.
  • Individual Deductible: If you have an individual insurance plan, this is the amount you must reach before your insurance company begins reimbursing you.
  • In-Network Providers: These are health care providers that have a contract with your insurance company.
  • Out-of-Network Providers: Health care providers who are not contracted with your insurance company.
  • Out-of-pocket Maximum: This is the most you will spend on covered services during the policy year, after which your insurance will pay for 100% of the services covered under the plan.
  • Point of Service (POS): A plan where you pay less to see a health care providers in the plan’s network. This plan requires that you obtain a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) to see a specialist.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): Like a POS plan, a PPO plan allows you to pay less to see a health care provider in the plan’s network. You may also see an out-of-network provider under this plan without needing a referral, but for an additional cost.
  • Premium: The amount you pay the insurance company each month depending on your plan.
  • Superbill: This is an itemized form that reflects the services providers, similar to a receipt.
  • UCR (Usual, Customary, and Reasonable): This is the amount paid for services based on your geographic location. For example, in New York City, the UCR rate for out-of-pocket psychotherapy is typically between $200 and $300.

Each therapist handles rescheduling appointments differently. Please reach out to your therapist directly in order to cancel and schedule a new appointment. Please note that the Clarity Therapy’s policy is that if you reschedule within the same week, there will not be a cancellation fee. If you do need to cancel, we ask that you please do so with 24 hours notice. Otherwise, you may be charged for the full rate of the session, excluding serious medical reasons and other circumstances outside of your control.

Absolutely. We’ve optimized the process so you can access all documents in the client portal. We can also send and re-send documents directly to you at your request or at a designated interval time.

This is the amount you have to pay for health care services before your insurance begins any reimbursement. For example, let’s say your insurance covers 50% of each psychotherapy session, but only after you reach a $1,000 deductible. If each session is $200, you would have to pay for 5 sessions before you reach your deductible ($200 per session x 5 sessions = $1,000). In this case, after reaching your deductible, your insurance would reimburse $100 (50% of $200) and you would be responsible for a $100 balance.

Therapists at our practice are all out-of-network providers. This means that your insurance company typically will reimburse you directly after you've met your deductible. We provide courtesy billing where we submit claims to your insurance company on your behalf.Being out-of-network provides you with more privacy and confidentiality, while in-network providers are required to share more information with insurance companies, such as session notes. Visit our How Insurance Works page to learn more. We're able to work with your out-of-network insurance benefits for most major insurance companies. Please note at this time we're unable to support the following plans:

  • 1199SEIU Funds
  • Medicare/Medicaid plans
  • Exclusive Provider Organization plans (EPO)
  • Health Maintenance Organization plans (HMO)

This is a requirement when submitting claims to insurance companies as it is viewed as a medical service. For insurance companies to reimburse therapy services, a diagnosis must be assigned.

A diagnosis must be assigned, as well as other basic information, such as name, date of birth, address, etc.

For eligible clients, we offer courtesy claims submission where we submit claims for you, or provide an invoice, also known as a “Superbill” at the end of each month that you can submit to your health insurance company for reimbursement. At the time of registration, our team will determine whether or not your insurance plan is eligible for courtesy claims submission. Not all insurance companies support courtesy claims submission, we encourage you to whether or not your provider is listed as an unsupported provider at the bottom of this page. If we're unable to support your plan, our team will provide you with a monthly superbill. If you have any concerns with billing or charges to your credit card, please speak to your therapist before disputing the charge. If you choose to dispute a charge, you may be compromising the privacy and confidentiality of your Protected Health Information. We can easily reimburse any incorrect credit card charge, so please consider this option first.

Payment should be painless. We accept cash, check, and debit and credit card payments through your secure online client portal.

Therapy is an investment, however, costs should never get in the way of therapy. Therapy rates start at $125/hour depending on the therapist. Please reach out so we can work together to determine what would be reasonable for you.

All of our forms are digital and will be shared with you to fill out upon registration through our our client portal.

Yes! We work with clients insured by insurance companies through their out-of-network benefits. Companies include: Aetna, Emblem Health GHI, BCBS, and others. Although we are not "in-network" providers, we offer out-of-network services, and we provide courtesy billing so that you don't have to. This means clients don’t shoulder the burden of filing claims. Being out-of-network providers also allows us more privacy and confidentiality, while in-network providers are required to share more information with insurance companies, such as session notes.

We know that dealing with insurance companies can be a bit complex and not very fun. Visit https://www.claritytherapynyc.com/how-insurance-works/ for a step-by-step breakdown of the overall process. If you have questions, feel free to ask your therapist during your initial consultation.  

Online Counseling + Therapy

After you schedule your free 30-minute consultation with a therapist of your choice in the client portal, you’ll receive a confirmation email of your appointment with some forms to review. Once you’ve submitted your completed forms, your therapist will call you on your appointment date at the scheduled time. To book future sessions, you can simply schedule your appointments through your client portal. Your therapist will be able to contact you through the preferred method of your choice (FaceTime, Skype, phone call, etc.).

Tips to ensure a great first online therapy session:

  • Create a Private Environment: Identify a suitable room or area of your home that is quiet, private, and free of distractions.
  • Eliminate Noise & Distractions: Make sure to close any doors, shut windows, turn off the television, and keep loud pets in another room if possible. Unless you’re using your phone for the session, consider turning it on silent and setting it aside.
  • Improve Sound Quality: Consider using headphones if there’s background or ambient noise where you are. This will improve the sound quality and make it easier for you and your therapist to hear each other.
  • Check Your Video: If you plan to use video during your session, make sure there’s ample lighting so your therapist can see you clearly.
  • Identify Goals: Think about what you want to get out of therapy. Do you need help working through a specific stressful situation, or are you hoping for a more long-term relationship where you can explore issues as they arise? Identify what you'd like to gain or accomplish through the therapy process so together you and your therapist can track your progress toward success.

Remember that social distancing doesn't have to mean social isolation. Online counseling and therapy is a great way to stay connected to a source of support from your own home. You may feel anxious, depressed, worried, or unsettled, and have difficulty managing these feelings in your daily life. If you find that you're having trouble coping or feeling better on your own, talking with a therapist can help. Online therapy is a great option for you if you're unable to leave your home, or if you're looking for added convenience, comfort, and privacy when it comes to your therapy sessions.

SimplePractice, LLC is our practice management software for scheduling, case management, teletherapy, and documentation. The platform uses a HIPAA-compliant software, which ensures your information is secure.

This is provided on a limited basis as long as your therapist is licensed to practice in your state of residence. If you have questions about this, we encourage you to speak with your therapist directly.

Here are some steps you can take that can improve your connection quality:

  • Move closer to your router if you experience a choppy audio and video connection. If your connection doesn’t improve, you can try using wired ethernet instead of wifi. Wired ethernet will provide more consistent internet quality.
  • Test your connection speed by searching “internet speed test,“ or using a free tool like www.speedtest.net. If it’s under 10mbps and you’re using wifi, try connecting your ethernet or restarting your router.
  • Close programs running in the background. This should improve your overall connection quality. Make sure you’re not downloading any large files, as this can also impede your connection.

Prospective Clients

We're not the best fit if you're looking for medication management only. We're happy to collaborate with your outside providers if you work with an outside psychiatrist however. To learn more about the issues we can help with, visit our Specialties page.

We do not offer group therapy at this time.

Yes, please visit our Therapy for Adolescents and Families page to learn more.

Yes, we work with individuals and couples, including LGBTQ+ couples.

Yes, we work with individuals from all walks of life, especially people struggling with anxiety, depression, intimacy concerns, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, entrepreneurs, and young adults. We also offer limited weekend therapy appointments.

The clients we see are typically motivated or have the desire to change but might not know how or where to start. These clients understand that therapy is an investment and are willing to make the commitment through self-reflection and taking steps to create a richer life. If you'd like to know more about a certain issue we have experience with, we invite you to explore our Specialties page.

Services

Yes, we're happy to collaborate with your medical provider(s) to maintain the most effective and consistent treatment.

It's important that we know about other providers you're currently receiving care from so we can coordinate with them if necessary. Perhaps you're currently seeing a psychiatrist, couples therapist, or life coach and would like to use individual therapy to explore new or different issues. Additionally, if your current provider is retiring or will no longer be practicing, we're able to help you transition to a new therapist.

As a rule, we generally do not write documentation for ESAs. Feel free to speak with your therapist if you have any questions about this policy.

No, but we can help you find a professional who does.

No, we are not psychiatrists, but we have affiliate psychiatrists on our team we can happily refer you to.

Therapy

Because it's okay to ask for help. Because no one should have to suffer alone. If working through issues alone helped most people, no one would be in therapy. The research shows the importance and effectiveness of talk therapy. Trust in the process and invest in creating a more vibrant life!

Therapy not only provides a safe space, but also allows you to discover more about yourself and make meaningful change. Ask yourself if you are leading the life you want. If not, what could change or be better? Even if you are in a comfortable and stable place in life, is your life flourishing? If it's helpful, consider writing down a few things you might want to explore with your therapist or goals you’d like to reach. Feel free to explore our Specialties page to see a list of all of the different issues we can help with.

Therapy is personalized to each person, depending on their concerns and issues they may be facing. Sometimes, major progress can be made in a few minutes. However, it is not uncommon for therapy to last weeks or months in order to develop meaningful change. This can be discussed during the initial consultation and at any point throughout the course of the work with your therapist. Many people continue therapy beyond their initial chief complaint and use the therapeutic space for exploration and growth. Typically, sessions are anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Initial “intake” sessions are often longer. For example, many therapists set an initial intake session at 60 minutes for individuals and 90 minutes for couples, subsequent sessions may be 45 minutes for individuals and 60 minutes for couples. For more information, please speak to your therapist.

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