Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy
Is therapy for me? How can it help?
I’m probably biased, being a therapist and all, but I think that therapy is generally a great idea for most people. It’s not only an investment in yourself and your well-being, but it’s an act of self-compassion and self-advocacy that can have far-reaching effects on your life, the people you surround yourself with, your friendships, your family, and your community at large.
In therapy, we have a unique opportunity to confront and process through challenges and difficult emotions. It gives us access to tools that help us manage our feelings. It can also help us improve our ability to cope with all of the curveballs life throws our way, while helping us build insight into ourselves. All of this combined gives us the chance to create meaningful, lasting changes that help connect more deeply to our most authentic selves.
That said, therapy is often a longer-term investment. It works best when you are invested in the process. That means being willing to stick with it even when it gets uncomfortable or brings up difficult, edgy subjects. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to find the therapist & type of therapy that works best for you.
What can I expect from therapy?
Our first few appointments together will include a review of your history, your biggest concerns, and what you’re coming to therapy for. We’ll talk about your goals for therapy, which we review together often throughout treatment. We will talk about informed consent (making sure you know what you’re getting into), including your rights to confidentiality, and I will answer any initial questions you may have—about me, my practice, or about therapy in general.
Ongoing therapy sessions will be a unique experience that are tailored to fit your needs and the goals we identified together during our first several sessions. Our time together will likely include a blend of talk therapy (like what you see on TV), somatic therapies (these include the body-based therapies like EMDR and Brainspotting), learning and practicing new skills, and mindfulness work.
The length of time you’re in therapy with me will depend of a variety of things, including:
your financial capacity/insurance coverage
the severity of your symptoms or intensity of need
whether you’re looking to solve a single issue or work on multiple, deeper issues
how much time you’re able to dedicate to working on skills between sessions
What are your hours?
I offer Online Only therapy in Indiana, and In Person or Online therapy in Michigan during the following hours:
Tuesdays through Fridays
First session begins at 10am EST
Last session begins at 4pm EST
Break/no sessions between 1pm-2pm each day
How do I schedule a session with you?
If you’re a new client, please schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to determine if I’m the right fit for you: Click here to schedule a call.
If you are a returning client and need to schedule or reschedule a follow-up, you can do so on the Client Portal.
How much does it cost?
Individual Sessions are $140 - $160 per 50-minute session.
Individual services consist of our intake session (first session together) and any subsequent follow-up sessions. All sessions are 50-55 minutes in length unless we’ve discussed and agreed upon an alternative together.
My rate is on a scale of $140 - $160 to make sessions accessible at a range of prices. We will discuss which price point best matches your level of financial accessibility during our consultation call/intake appointment.
Please see the fees & insurance page to see fees for all services available (individual, couple’s and EMDR intensives).
Do you accept insurance?
For Michigan clients, I am in network with Anthem BCBS, and am in the process of getting paneled with Anthem BCN and Priority Health (expected in-network by early spring, 2026).
For Indiana clients, I am only in network with Caresource Marketplace of Indiana.
For all other insurance plans, I am considered an out of network provider. I offer superbills for those who would like to seek potential out-of-network reimbursement. Please contact your insurance plan administrator to determine whether you’re eligible for out-of-network benefits.
What are your payment policies?
Payment is expected at the time of service. This includes the fee for self-pay clients and any co-payments for insurance clients.
I use the integrated Stripe processor on Sessions Health to process payments.
I require all clients to keep at least one valid form of payment on file. Your card information will be securely kept on file with Sessions Health. This will allow me to instantly process your payment after each session. I do not have access to payment information other than the last four digits of the card you keep on file.
What happens if I need to cancel a session?
I have a cancellation policy in place, which protects the time I set aside specifically for you, as my client, and ensures that I have a consistent schedule that allows me to do my best work possible. See below for the full cancellation policy.
What happens if I need to reschedule a session?
If you reschedule more than 2 days/48 hours hours in advance, you will not be charged a fee.
Reschedule requests made with less than 2 days/48 hours hours may be subject to the 75% of the fee for the originally scheduled session. Insurance clients will be charged 75% of the contracted rate I have with their insurance provider for late cancellations.
Current clients may reschedule their appointments by emailing me at meg [at] hinterlandcounseling [.] com
My Full Cancellation Policy
I require 2 day’s notice (48 hours) to cancel sessions. I ask that you give me as much advance notice as possible when canceling a session.
Sessions canceled less than 2 days before the scheduled session time will be considered late cancellations and you will be responsible for the 75% of your session fee, or 75% of the contracted rate I have with your insurance provider.
No Call/No Show Policy
If we have a session scheduled and you do not contact me to cancel or reschedule, and you do not show up to the session, the full fee of the session will be charged.
This policy is in place for a few reasons:
It helps me keep my schedule more consistent, which allows me to show up from a space of being centered and grounded while I am in session with my clients. This makes my business more sustainable over the long term, which allows me to show up with consistency for the clients I work with.
It helps us stay on track with your therapy. I take your treatment very seriously and prioritize consistency in our sessions, because this is one of the biggest vehicles for positive outcomes, outside of the relationship you and I build and the level of involvement you have both in session, and in the work you do between sessions. Frequent cancellations and inconsistent sessions often lead to inconsistent results.
It helps me better plan and predict need within my schedule, which allows me to appropriately allocate time and space for administrative and documentation tasks, rescheduling other clients, planning my continued education, involvement in trainings, and tending to other non-client tasks and duties.
A note about me missing sessions:
While I do my absolute best to not miss appointments, I am also human and may need to cancel or reschedule a session with you throughout our time together.
If I, your therapist, am not able to attend a session, I will also do my best to give as much advance notice as possible—you will NOT be charged the fee for me canceling sessions, even if I cancel the day-of. I will also make my best effort possible at offering a reasonable time to reschedule the missed appointment.
I do not cancel sessions frivolously and don’t take the decision to do so lightly. If I cancel a session, especially with less than 3 day’s notice, please know that I only do that with great consideration for your time and our work together, and that I only do it when absolutely necessary.
Do you offer in-person services?
Yes! Clients who live in or near Grand Rapids, Michigan can come see me at my office location near downtown Grand Rapids. Clients who don’t live close to GR, or clients who live in Indiana, can work with me virtually.
Are you available after hours?
Information about my regular business hours:
I see clients during the following times:
Tuesdays from 10:00am - 1:00pm, and from 2:00pm until 5:00pm (break from 1pm - 2pm)
Wednesdays from 10:00am - 1:00pm, and from 2:00pm until 5:00pm (break from 1pm - 2pm)
Thursdays from 10:00am - 1:00pm, and from 2:00pm until 5:00pm (break from 1pm - 2pm)
Fridays from 10:00am - 1:00pm, and from 2:00pm until 5:00pm (break from 1pm - 2pm)
I am often “in office” approximately 30 minutes before and after my business hours, however this is not guaranteed.
I do my best to respond to non-emergency contacts within two business days, however I am not always able to do so. Please know that I will get back to you as soon as I am able.
A note about my “after hours” availability:
I do not guarantee a response to phone calls, emails or texts prior to 10am or after 5pm on work days (Tuesday - Thursday).
I do not guarantee a response to phone calls, emails, or texts after 5pm on Thursdays until 10am on Tuesdays (meaning, I may not be available to respond to you from Thursday afternoon through the weekend until the following Tuesday morning).
I do not provide on-call or emergency mental health services. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Will the things I talk about stay private?
Yes! Because mental health services are healthcare, personal health information (PHI) that you share with me during our work together is protected under HIPAA laws and regulations. What we talk about will remain confidential and private. I am only able to share your information if you give me written & signed permission to do so.
However, there are a few situations where I must break confidentiality, where I don’t need to get your permission first.
Some of those situations include:
If I have reason to believe you may seriously injure or kill yourself, or if you tell me you have intentions to injure or kill yourself
If I have reason to believe you may seriously injure or kill someone else, or if you tell me you have intentions to injure or kill someone else
If you inform me of a child or vulnerable/dependent adult who is being abused
When I am ordered by a judge to do so
Please note: I can only ensure confidentiality when it comes to my end of things. If you are attending virtual therapy in a common space in your home, in public, or in any other area where others may be able to see or hear you, I cannot guarantee your confidentiality in those spaces. This is why I recommend finding a spot that is quiet and where you can close a door between yourself and others in your home/environment.
How do I get started?
As with any relationship, it’s important that you find the right fit when choosing your next therapist. I offer a free 15-20 minute consultation for us to explore how I can support you, and so you can determine whether you feel like I’m the right fit for you.
Click here to schedule your free consultation call.
*Notice in accordance with the No Surprises Act, effective 1/1/2022 You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises