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Frequently asked questions

  • What should I do in an emergency or crisis?
    In the case of an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. In the case of a crisis, please visit the 24-Hour Crisis Line website to find the phone number for your county in Washington State.
  • Does Align Mental Health accept insurance?
    I partner with Mindful Therapy Group to accept the following insurances: Premera, LifeWise, Kaiser Permanente, Cigna, Cigna EAP, Aetna, PacificSource, Regence, Optum, United Healthcare, United Behavioral Health (UBH).
  • What does it mean that Align Mental Health is a partner of Mindful Therapy Group?
    The partnership with Mindful Therapy Group allows Align Mental Health to accept the insurances listed on the website. New intake sessions are also scheduled by Mindful's intake team.
  • I was counting on using insurance but do not see my insurance listed. Are there benefits to paying out of pocket?
    Absolutely! When insurance companies are involved, an official diagnosis must be provided as justification. That diagnosis will be added to your insurance record, and may negatively impact your eligibility for affordable health, disability, and life insurance. This information can also be accessed by government agencies or any position requiring security clearance when conducting a criminal background check.
  • When is my session payment due?
    When setting up your online client profile, your preferred payment method will be encrypted within the system to be used towards your services. Payment is due following each session.
  • How does the sliding scale work?
    We have limited space available for clients paying out of pocket with financial limitations; our ability to accommodate these inquiries is not guaranteed. If you wish to discuss this option, please contact us before booking an appointment. We will work with you to determine your eligibility.
  • What can I expect sessions to look like?
    During the intake session, we will just introduce ourselves and discuss what you need assistance with, what you would like to accomplish, and what your obstacles have been so far. We will also talk about anything needed to make you feel comfortable with how your next sessions will be conducted. Finally, we will agree on reasonable expectations and goals to achieve. Depending on how the intake session goes, some of these topics may need more than one session to be addressed. From then on, you can consider our time together as a safe space where you are invited to express whatever comes to mind. As you become more and more comfortable and ready to approach harder topics, you will naturally start bringing them up without being prompted. It is entirely up to you to decide when you are ready to dive deeper or remain in familiar, safer waters for the time being. After all, I am just here to help, but you have the answers and the drive needed to achieve your goals. My role is to make you feel safe enough to remember that and to trust in your own abilities.
  • Do you offer in-person sessions?
    At this time, we exclusively offer telehealth sessions via phone or video.
  • What counseling approach is used?
    Modern psychoanalytic methods will be used during counseling sessions. This means there will only be talking. Clients typically do most of the talking and it is up to them to choose whichever topic of discussion comes to mind. Psychoanalytic techniques are designed to reach the root of issues rather than only targeting symptoms. However, these techniques can also be applied to help relieve those symptoms.
  • What is the modern psychoanalytic approach?
    You may have heard of psychoanalysis before. The modern psychoanalytic approach is different from the classical psychoanalytic (or Freudian) approach. The classical method is more intense, recommends multiple sessions a week, and confronts clients with interpretations explaining their issues. The modern method is less intrusive, recommends a lighter frequency, and is meant to guide clients to figure out their issues at their own pace. At a more advanced scale, modern psychoanalysts can treat psychotic symptoms such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder just with talk therapy. Overall, psychoanalytic methods take time but lead to deeper and much longer-lasting results.

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© 2021 by Align Mental Health & Wellness PLLC 

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