Get Your Questions Answered…
Even when life feels easy, knowing what to expect is helpful. When you are struggling, this knowledge can give you the confidence to reach out for help.
When you choose Purposeful Path for your therapy, we want to walk with you every step of the way. On this page, we hope to help you understand what you can expect as a client at our practice.
Explore or use the menu below to choose a section.
What To Expect As A Client…
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Finding the right fit with a therapist can be a game changer. Do they align with my values? Do I feel like I can trust them? Do they have the skills and training to offer what I’m looking for? Our 15-20 minute complimentary consultation calls or video chats allow you to ask questions and get a feel for your therapist. If it’s not a good fit, the therapist will offer you referrals so you can find someone who is! If it IS a good fit, your therapist will help you schedule your first appointment.
If you would rather not do a consultation and just want to schedule your first appointment, some of our therapists will allow you to do that! Check the button in each of their bios to see your options.
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Once you decide which therapist fits your needs, you will schedule your first appointment (called an intake). You will also be emailed paperwork through Simple Practice, our HIPAA-compliant, private Electronic Health Records software. You can be sure that your personal information can only be seen by those directly involved with your care at the practice. You will read our practice’s policies around treatment, billing, consent for services, and privacy, and you will put a credit card or HSA card on file (but it will not be charged until you have a session).
NOTE: Your paperwork must be signed before your intake session. If it is not, your therapist might need to reschedule your appointment, or you will need to use part of your session to fill it out. Please reach out with any questions while filling out your paperwork!
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In mental health services, the first appointment is called an “intake.” This appointment is a full hour long and allows your provider to get to know you, answer your questions, and learn what brings you to therapy. If a diagnosis is appropriate, you will discuss that at this appointment, and you will make goals with your therapist that will help form your treatment plan, which you will revisit throughout therapy. At the end of this session, you will schedule your next session and/or schedule a standing weekly or bi-weekly appointment. You and your therapist will decide together how often to meet.
Want to know more about how to find us and what the office is like? Here you go!
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You and your therapist are a team, and you will work together so you ensure individualized and compassionate care. You will decide how often to meet with your therapist and what your sessions look like. Sometimes therapy can be difficult or uncomfortable. Sometimes the way we heal is by delving into the past, which can hurt. But your therapist will never force you to discuss anything you don’t want to, and you are always in charge of the direction your treatment takes. You and your provider will revisit your treatment plan often to see how you are feeling, change or update goals as needed, and continue to tailor your session to meet your needs.
Rates & Insurance
Do You Accept My Health Insurance?
Purposeful Path Counseling is an out-of-network mental health provider. That means that we do not accept health insurance for payment of services. We accept all major credit cards and HSA/FSA cards for direct payment. Upon request, we can also provide you with the information you need to get reimbursed by your insurance company if you have out-of-network mental health benefits (it’s called a superbill).
We choose not to accept insurance for a few reasons, and we want to be transparent about our decision:
Insurance companies often limit the number of sessions you can have, the treatment you can get that they will cover, or what type of therapy must be provided for certain issues. That results in insurance companies choosing how to care for you instead of your therapist.
Insurance companies have all kinds of rules about what they will and will not reimburse for, and sometimes that ties a therapists’s hands regarding appropriate care; none of our therapists like to be put in that position. We want to deal directly with you in offering treatment.
Insurance companies require us to provide them with a mental health diagnosis for you, regardless of your reasons for seeking therapy, and this becomes a permanent part of the health record. We as therapists want to protect your private health information; however, you own your information and can choose whom to divulge it to, including your insurance company with superbills.
Being an out-of-network provider allows us to keep our practice small and allow our energy to be used for keeping up with new research in psychotherapy, attending conferences and trainings, and collaborating with colleagues we trust, instead of arguing with insurance companies about your care…no one likes fighting with insurance companies, even therapists!
If your insurance company does provide out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits, we are happy to provide you with a superbill to get reimbursed for as much of the cost of each session as possible!
What is a Superbill?
A Superbill is a document you can request to seek reimbursement from your insurance company for out-of-network benefits they provide. We can provide this document directly to you. It details your services for a given period of time (one session, a month, or a whole year of sessions). It will contain your name and identifying information (which your insurance company already has), the dates of your sessions, how much you paid, and a diagnosis, which insurance companies require in order to process claims. If you request this document, it is your choice whether to disclose this information to a third party like insurance.
When we give you a superbill, you send it to your insurance company to request reimbursement for the investment you’ve made in your mental health care. Your insurance company will reimburse you directly. We are happy to provide superbills to you free of charge upon request. We do not deal with insurance companies directly.
How Do I know if I have Out-of-Network Benefits?
There are a few ways to find this out. (But please note that Medicaid, Medicare, and HMOs plans do not have OON benefits.)
You can call your insurance company and ask the following question:
“Can you tell me what my coverage is for out-of-network mental health providers?”
They will provide you with a percentage between 0-100%, which represents the percentage of the cost that they will cover/reimburse you for if you provide them with a superbill. Note that mental health benefits are listed separately from other healthcare services like a doctor’s office visit. You will be receiving outpatient psychotherapy (usually CPT code 90834 or 90837, but confirm with your provider).
You can use Mentaya, which is a third party service that helps you get reimbursement. You can sign up for free, and the service costs 5% of whatever your claim is ($6-7 per session). You do not have to submit a superbill or talk directly with your insurance company. Note: We do not work with Mentaya or endorse them, but some clients find it helpful! Once you sign up, you can put in your insurance information and see what your reimbursement would be for each session with a Purposeful Path therapist.
How much will each session cost?
A 15-20 minute consultation with one or more of our providers is complimentary so you can get to know us. Your first session, called an intake or diagnostic assessment, costs more at some practices, but we see that as a barrier to care for some, so your rates will be the same for all your sessions of the same type. Each therapist’s rates are listed on their bio page. Meet our team here!
FAQs
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We offer free phone calls or video chats for 10-15 minutes so you can get to know the practice and so we can hear more about what brings you to therapy.
You can book a consult with a specific therapist or with one of the practice owners, who can help you determine the best therapist for you. If you don’t want to do a consult and would prefer to just book an intake session, you may request an appointment and paperwork will be sent to you, which does need to be filled out before your appointment can be confirmed.
Call, email, or book a consultation using the button at the top of this page!
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Your therapist will help tailor therapy to your needs. Once you schedule with a therapist, you will come to the office or meet via telehealth for an intake session, where your provider will get to know you and you will work together to build a treatment plan and answer any questions you still have. Then you will meet as often as you and your therapist decide is right for you.
Your therapist will go at your pace and will walk alongside you on your therapy journey. You may have tough conversations or revisit difficult experiences, but your therapist will be there to support and guide you with empathy and compassion.
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You can call, email, or send a message from the “Let’s Connect” link at the top of this page! We respond to every inquiry. All communication will be answered within 48 business hours.
If you are a current client, use the “Current Clients” tab at the top of this page to access your portal.
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First of all, you’re not broken! So therapy doesn’t need to fix you. What therapy can offer is someone to talk to who has been trained in evidence-based treatments that help people learn to feel their feelings, recognize their needs, and reach their goals. Whatever that looks like for you, we are here to help.
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Yes! We use the Simple Practice telehealth platform, which is a secure, HIPAA-compliant, private place to meet virtually with your therapist. You must be physically in Ohio during your session, and your therapist will establish your location and make sure you have privacy.
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We welcome all people to our practice. Whatever your identity, cultural background, disability, beliefs, and needs, we want to meet you where you are and honor that identity. We are trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ affirming, inclusive of all people, and practice from a humanist and client-centered perspective in all we do. You are safe and welcome here.
Therapy Terms Explained
Have you ever felt confused about the alphabet soup that mental health care seems to involve nowadays? Below is a list of terms mental healthcare providers often use in their bios, refer to in session, or discuss in the scheduling or billing process (with a little help from Psychology Today). Is there a term we missed? Let us know, and we will add it!
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Your first therapist session, in which your therapist learns about your physical and mental health history, hears about what brings you to counseling, and creates a treatment plan with you.
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In private practice, we only have to diagnose if you are asking for out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance company. But sometimes a diagnosis is helpful, reassuring, or necessary to ensure a client’s understanding and commitment to healing. Your therapist will discuss diagnosis with you in your first session. Sometimes therapists use formal assessments to help them diagnose to ensure proper care.
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Developed with you and your therapist, this document is part of your record, and it remains confidential unless we have to disclose it for legal or safety reasons (see HIPAA). It contains your goals for treatment—what you hope to get out of counseling and the changes you hope to see in your life during and after therapy. It will be revisited periodically so your therapist can discuss with you how you are doing and any updates or changes you want to make.
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HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The name is confusing because it does not just apply to insured people. Under HIPAA, all providers of physical and mental health care who collect personal information must protect it from being disclosed to third parties without written consent from the patient (you would sign something called an ROI, or Release of Information). Our privacy practices document that you sign if you decide to get services from us will have more information. Your private information will only be disclosed if legally required of us via a court subpoena or if your life or the life of someone else is in imminent danger.
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See above under Rates and Insurance.
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This can get confusing!
At our practice, we have LPCs and LISWs.
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor): A master’s level clinician with at least two years of clinical training in psychotherapy. LPCs can diagnose, treat, and consult on mental health issues.
LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker): A master’s level clinician with at least two years of clinical training in social work and an additional two years of supervised clinical work diagnosing and treating mental illness.
LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor): An LPC who has at least two years of additional clinical experience treating and diagnosing mental illness.
LSW (Licensed Social Worker): A master’s level clinician with at least two years of clinical training in social work diagnosing and treating mental illness.
MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist): A psychotherapist whose training is tailored to working with couples and families.
Psychologist: A PsyD or PhD (doctoral level) clinician who can diagnose and treat mental illness. Psychologists do offer therapy but are often more involved in diagnosis and assessment of mental illnesses like autism, ADHD, or other behavioral issues. They also often pursue research and publish.
Psychiatrist: A medical doctor (MD) who specializes in mental illness treatment. A psychiatrist is one of only mental health provider types in Ohio who can prescribe medication.
PMH-NP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner): A nurse practitioner with specialized training in mental illness. They are the other type of mental health provider who can prescribe medication.
A note about "Supervision" in therapy:
All good therapists receive consultation and supervision throughout their careers because therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and we are not working from a manual that sees clients as problems to be solved. So we frequently receive supervision from clinicians whose expertise we share or from clinicians who know more about a topic than we do so we can serve our clients using evidence-based therapies. Our practice is supervised by the following clinicians on a regular basis so we can stay at the top of our craft: Julie Labanz, LPCC-S, CST-S (Marielle and Leah), Alison Price, LPCC-S (Christin), Heike Wilson, LPCC-S, Machen Champion, LPCC-S (Becca), Abby Georgilis, LPCC-S (Alexis), and Jeanne Daly, LPCC-S (group supervision and consultation).
