Frequently Asked Questions

WCS is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield for Louisiana residents only. If you have another insurance provider, I can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement, and coverage will depend on your specific out-of-network benefits. A mental health diagnosis is required for all insurance claims because insurance companies only reimburse for services they consider medically necessary, and this diagnosis becomes part of your medical record. If you prefer not to use insurance, you are welcome to pay privately for sessions instead. Many clients choose to use a debit or credit card or pay with Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds, since counseling is often an eligible medical expense; it is always a good idea to confirm the details with your plan administrator.

When you use insurance for counseling, a mental health diagnosis is required because insurance companies only cover services they consider medically necessary. This diagnosis is submitted with your claims and becomes part of your medical record. Some people feel completely comfortable with this, while others prefer to keep their information more private and choose to pay out of pocket instead. If you have questions or concerns about how diagnosis and insurance work together, we can talk through the options so you can decide what feels best for you.

Therapy is tailored to each individual's or families' needs. Therefore, depending on circumstances, therapy may take longer, or be more brief. We generally say to expect to be in therapy at least 6 months to a year when working through serious issues.

My cash pay rates are $150 for a 60‑minute individual session and $150 for a 60‑minute couples session. I also offer extended sessions when it is helpful to have more time together: 90‑minute sessions are $225, and 2‑hour sessions are $275. You can use a debit or credit card or an HSA/FSA card for payment at the time of your session.

This is generally a much harder question to answer than you may think. There are certain criteria for sexual addiction, similar to other addicitons, but sexual addiction is generally somewhat more difficult compared to other forms of addiction. If you find yourself generally unable to stop a specific sexual behavior, find yourself preoccupied with sex or a sexual behavior in which it intereferes with daily life, or you have unsuccessful efforts to stop an unheathy sexual behavior, you may have a sexual addiciton. You may want to visit sexhelp.com and complete the Sexual Addiction Screening Test to get a better answer to this question.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR emerged in the late 1980’s when Dr. Francine Shapiro realized through happenstance that eye movements appeared to decrease the negative emotion associated with her own distressing memories while walking in the park. Since that time, EMDR has developed into one of the leading modalities of treatment for therapeutic work with trauma victims. EMDR involves an 8 phase process in which basically eye movements are used in order to work through traumatic memories with the client. Studies continue to show more and more that EMDR is one of the most effective, and quickest ways to work through traumatic events compared to other modalities. For more information, please feel free to visit EMDR.com

In general, couples therapy is not covered by insurance. Insurance companies typically require billing and diagnosis codes that focus on one identified individual, which makes it difficult to bill ethically for true couples work. Because of this, and because of the way I approach couples therapy, I do not bill insurance for couples sessions. Couples therapy is private pay only, and you are welcome to use a debit/credit card or HSA/FSA card for these sessions.

Yes. I provide secure online therapy for clients across Louisiana and Texas. Many people prefer virtual counseling because it's flexible, works with their schedule, and feels just as personal as meeting in person. Whether you're in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, or Houston, we can connect from wherever you're comfortable.