Our fees/Insurance information

Our standard fee for service is $170 for an initial evaluation, $150 for a 60 minute therapy session, and $130 for a 45 minute therapy session. We are an in-network providers with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Blue Choice PPO, Aetna PPO, Cigna PPO, First Health, and Lyra. If we are an in-network provider for your insurance, you will only be responsible for payments going towards your deductible at the contracted rate, or a co-pay. We submit claims to insurance for you and will only charge the out of pocket amount according to your policy.

We are not in network with any Blue Cross Blue Shield HMOs. We are not able to bill Medicare, Medicaid, or any of the Medicaid managed care plans.

We accept payments by cash, debit, or credit card through our electronic medical records system.

We see clients by appointment only. We reserve the right to charge $50 for missed sessions that were not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance.

Our mission is to provide high quality, accessible, evidence-based counseling services to the community. We believe everyone has value and we love being able to connect with people who fear they are not going to be seen or heard.

We are a team of diverse therapists who can understand people with a variety of lived experiences. We provide both in-person and telehealth sessions (online counseling) to individuals in the state of Illinois.

Our therapists are licensed in Illinois only and generally can not provide services to individuals who are not physically located in the state of Illinois at the time of service.

Why is Shift Counseling, PC “intentionally small?”

Our goal is quality, not quantity. As a client of our practice, you are not just a number.  You have a physical presence, a name, and a story.  At Shift Counseling, PC, our counselors have been carefully chosen due to our similar ideals. We share a passion for service, a deep respect for our clients, and a willingness to meet people where they are at. It is very important to our founder that Shift Counseling, PC is a good place for our therapists to work, as well as a good place for clients to get help. We have no interest in growing to the point where we can no longer work this way.

What is the definition of “high quality services?”

One of the most important characteristics of an effective counselor is their ability to correctly understand the needs of each client and to make sure that their treatment goals are aligned with the goals of the client. At Shift Counseling, PC, our counselors understand that every client has their own needs and moves at their own pace. We celebrate our client’s individuality. We also share a desire to continually educate ourselves and a passion to learn more about the best ways to help people.

What does “accessible” mean?

In order to make treatment more affordable and easy to access, we have chosen to become in-network providers for several insurance plans, which improves our ability to meet the needs of the community. The reality is that access to quality mental health treatment is not equal, but we are trying to do our part to expand this access. We are in network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice PPO, most Aetna plans, Lyra, Cigna/Evernorth, and First Health plans. We also accept HRA/FSA/HSA cards to pay for out of pocket therapy costs. We have an office location that is easy to physically access, and we also provide telehealth (online counseling sessions) as well as in-person sessions.

Why choose to provide “evidence-based” treatment?

In short, evidence-based treatments are treatment techniques that have shown proven results in multiple scientific trials. At Shift Counseling, PC, we draw from a variety of different evidence based treatment techniques, but our foundational approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR Therapy), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).  While we ground our practice in evidence based treatment techniques, the secret of our success comes from our ability to apply these strategies flexibly in ways that meet the needs of each individual client.

What do we mean by “the community?”

On one level the community means the neighborhood- our location is easily accessible by several diverse communities including North Riverside, Broadview, Maywood, Forest Park, Riverside, Brookfield, Westchester, and Berwyn.  However, through telehealth (online counseling sessions), we have been able to expand the reach of our services to anyone who is located in the state of Illinois. Telehealth is here to stay and we fully embrace this opportunity to meet the needs of individuals who are not in our immediate area. Our counselors are only licensed in the state of Illinois. We cannot provide treatment to individuals who are not located in Illinois.

Right to a Good Faith Estimate

If we are an in-network provider for your insurance company, we will only bill what you owe according to your policy. Every policy is different regarding co-pays, deductibles and co-insurance. If you are using your insurance to pay for services and you have chosen an in-network provider, the No Surprises Act does not apply.

If we are an out-of-network provider or you are choosing not to use your insurance, the No Surprises Act applies. If you are choosing not to use your insurance, then you must indicate this using the Client Insurance Form (in the client portal.) You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost per session. Because we cannot determine the length of treatment at the onset of behavioral health treatment, our Good Faith Estimate will show how much you can expect to pay per session. Generally sessions are once a week, but the frequency can be more or less often depending on the needs of the client. All treatment is voluntary and you have the right to change the frequency of your sessions or end treatment at any time. Please speak to your provider if you would like to make changes in your treatment plan.

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.

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

We will upload a copy of your Good Faith Estimate to the client portal so you have easy access to your GFE.