Frequently Asked Questions
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Getting started is easy!
Step 1: Reach out through our contact form. You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation call, ask any questions you have, or move right on to step 2!
Step 2: Complete the consent forms and intake questionnaire in your client portal (your therapist will set this up for you and you’ll receive an emailed link). This is also where you can provide insurance information so we can run an initial estimate on your behalf!
Step 3: Your therapist will reach out to you with current availability for an intake appointment and get it added to the calendar!
Step 4: You’ll start to receive appointment reminders from our system, Simple Practice, a few days before your scheduled appointment. We encourage clients to add their appointments to their personal calendar, just in case Simple Practice ever has a glitch and doesn’t send the reminders like it usually would.
The unique telehealth link will be sent to you a few minutes before the appointment start time.
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You can reach out anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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That’s completely okay and normal! No therapist can be the best fit for every single client, but communication is key. At Barker Counseling, we strongly value honesty in the therapeutic relationship—if something isn’t working for you or you need more/less of a certain thing, let’s talk about it! We want to support your self-advocacy and are happy to accommodate your needs wherever possible. If for some reason your therapist is not able to meet a need, our goal is to support your connection to another therapist or resource that can!
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Virtual therapy allows you to access specialized support from the familiarity and privacy of your own space.
Online therapy offers:
Convenient scheduling
Secure, confidential sessions
Access to a specialized provider, regardless of your location
Greater flexibility for busy professionals, students, and parents
Tools tailored to your specific environmental triggers, as your therapist can work on them with you in real time
Consistent support without additional stressors like travel time, traffic, or public waiting rooms
Research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health concerns, including the specialty areas we work with at Barker Counseling!
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Yes! We provide complimentary 15-minute phone consultations upon request, though they aren’t required! Due to the highly personal nature of therapy, it may take time to assess if your therapist is a good fit. However, our priority is to ensure you feel comfortable moving forward in the process. If you would like to schedule a phone consultation, please indicate this on your contact form.
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During our first session, we’ll start by reviewing some admin details of working together, including confidentiality, forms of communication, timing of sessions, etc.
Then we’ll get into the “Q&A” portion, where we review more of your background, relational/family history, and what’s bringing you to therapy at this time.
We’ll begin to set your short and long-term goals for therapy and explore what may have worked well (or not) for you in any past therapeutic experiences.
Ultimately, the first session is all about getting to know you and building a safe and trusting rapport as you begin your therapeutic journey. You’re also welcome to ask any questions you have of your provider!
*While first impressions can be important, they aren’t always a complete picture. An intake session is a good start to creating a therapeutic relationship, but it can be hard to determine if we’re a good fit based on this session alone—especially since most of it will need to be spent reviewing your personal history and what’s bringing you into therapy currently. It shouldn’t take months to determine if we’re a good fit, but it can be helpful to give it at least a session or two after the intake appointment before making this decision. You’re also more than welcome to communicate any needs, changes, or preferences to your provider so they can tailor the therapy space more personally to you—communication is key!
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Intake appointment. $185
Follow-up appointments $160
Extended appointments $175-$290
*We review our fees periodically and will make you aware of any fee increases at least 30 calendar days in advance
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We are able to accept all major credit cards, Flexible Spending Account funds (FSAs), and Health Savings Account funds (HSAs). Payment is due at time of service, and will be charged to the card on file*.
*If you need to update/change the card on file at any point, you’re able to do so in your client portal on your own or you can let your provider know and they can update it on your behalf.
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Aetna
Anthem
Blue Cross Blue Shield
BCBS Excellus
Blue Advantage
Blue Care Network
Blue Value
Cigna/Evernorth
Classic Blue
Meritain Health
NC State Health Plan
*We are happy to run an initial check and provide you with an estimate on your insurance coverage; however, this is not a guarantee and your coverage is ultimately determined by what comes back from the insurance claim we file. Some insurance plans no longer have live provider representatives that allow us to run this initial check to determine in-network status or get an estimate of your coverage. When this happens, it’s necessary for you to call the member line yourself (expand the drop-downs for using insurance under “investment options” below for a list of questions to ask when you call).
You are ultimately responsible for knowing your individual plan’s benefits and providing us with full and accurate insurance information prior to your first appointment and throughout our work together!
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Yes! Self-pay services allow you to pay directly for therapy rather than using insurance. Many clients choose self-pay for greater privacy, as insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis and access to certain treatment information in order to cover services. Depending on the diagnosis(es) on your medical record, some insurance carriers may raise your monthly insurance premium rate. Choosing self-pay can also provide more flexibility, including longer sessions, more frequent appointments, and treatment that is guided by your needs rather than insurance requirements or limitations. This option gives you and your therapist greater freedom to create a care plan that best supports your goals.
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At Barker Counseling, we require 48 business hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Any cancellations or requests to reschedule received within 48 business hours of your scheduled appointment’s start time will incur a late cancellation fee. For insurance clients, the fee is determined by your insurance company’s contract with us (also known as the “deductible rate”) and your provider will let you know what that rate is, depending on your insurance carrier. For self-pay clients, the fee is your provider’s current self-pay fee.
If you have questions about the cancellation policy, please feel free to email us!
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Outpatient private practice typically uses a fee-for-service model, which means your therapist reserves a specific appointment time exclusively for you. That time is held for you even if another client requests it, and on short notice it often cannot be filled if you cancel. A late cancellation fee helps account for the reserved time and the lost opportunity to provide care to someone else who may have needed that appointment. It’s never intended to be a punishment, but does allow smaller practices to continue to cover operational expenses while maintaining smaller caseloads in order for you can get the individually-tailored care you deserve without being rushed through your appointment.
Investment Options:
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We are an in-network provider with Aetna, NC State Health Plan, Cigna, and most Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans. Prior to scheduling, we’ll verify if we’re in network with your specific plan and get an estimate on what your coverage is*.
*We always recommend that you also call to verify your coverage, as insurance representatives can sometimes give different information to providers and members, and are more likely to give you (their member) the correct details!
Here are some questions to ask when you call your insurance carrier to determine your plan’s specific in-network coverage:
Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
Is Lauren Barker considered in network with my plan (they may ask for my NPI number to look this up, which is 1568194249)?
Do I have a copay for mental health services? Is this copay the same for telehealth services using a HIPAA-compliant platform?
What is my deductible and has it been met?
Do I have coinsurance after meeting the deductible (and what is the amount/percentage of coinsurance)?
When does my deductible reset for the year?
How many mental health visits does my health insurance cover per year?
Are any pre-authorizations required for insurance to cover outpatient mental health services (sometimes they will ask what CPT codes are being used—I use 90791 and 90837)?
What is the first name and last initial of the representative you spoke with (Example: Jane D.)?
Is there a reference number for the call (this is particularly important to save, as it allows for verification of your call later on if your insurance doesn’t end up covering services in the same way you were told during your call!)?
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With the exception of Medicare and Medicaid, we are an out-of-network provider with all other insurances than the ones listed under “in network”. Many plans have out-of-network benefits just as they have in-network benefits, though the coverage might not be as comprehensive. If you have out-of-network benefits that you’d like to use, you’d pay the current out of pocket rate at the time of service, and we would provide a superbill that can be submitted to your insurance for potential reimbursement (according to your specific benefits). Prior to scheduling, we’ll get an estimate on what your out-of-network coverage is.
*We always recommend that you also call to verify your coverage, as insurance representatives can sometimes give different information to providers and members, and are more likely to give you (their member) the correct details!
Here are some questions to ask when you call your insurance carrier to determine your plan’s specific out-of-network coverage:
Do I have out-of-network mental health insurance benefits?
Do I have a copay for out-of-network mental health services? Is this copay the same for telehealth services using a HIPAA-compliant platform?
What is my out-of-network deductible and has it been met?
Do I have coinsurance after meeting the out-of-network deductible (and what is the amount/percentage of coinsurance)?
When does my out-of-network deductible reset for the year?
How many mental health visits does my health insurance cover per year?
Are any pre-authorizations required for insurance to cover outpatient mental health services (sometimes they will ask what CPT codes are being used—I use 90791 and 90837)?
What is the first name and last initial of the representative you spoke with (Example: Jane D.)?
Is there a reference number for the call (this is particularly important to save, as it allows for verification of your call later on if your insurance doesn’t end up covering services in the same way you were told during your call!)?
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We accept self-pay for clients who don’t have insurance, who have insurance we’re not in network with but don’t want to use out-of-network benefits, and who prefer to not use their insurance due to privacy concerns or scheduling limitations.
Intake appointment $185
Follow-up appointments $160
Extended follow-up appointments $175-$290
*for intensives or groups, please fill out the designated contact form to receive updated availability and rates
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We are committed to keeping therapy affordable and accessible, so we do offer a limited number of sliding scale spots. If our rates are truly out of range for you, please reach out and we can discuss a more personalized pricing structure or we can make an appropriate referral. Our sliding scale model is based on the intensity of need for services, which means our sliding scale rate for clients needing to meet on a weekly basis will be lower than our rate for clients needing to meet on a biweekly or monthly basis. Sliding scale spots are on a first come/first served basis!
Good Faith Estimate: Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers must provide clients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance a billing estimate for healthcare services. You are entitled to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.