FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Absolutely. While our therapists are out-of-network providers, we can help you submit claims to your insurance company for them to reimburse you. Many of our clients receive reimbursement rates between 60% to 80% of each session after meeting their deductible. 

If you’re interested in how to use your out-of-network benefits, we’ve outlined the step-by-step process on our Insurance and Billing page.  

Please visit our Insurance and Billing page where you can enter your insurance information into the benefits checker and see how much you can get reimbursed for therapy.

Please note, this is an estimate and is not a guarantee of reimbursement. You should always confirm the estimated reimbursement amount directly with your insurance company, as they have the most up-to-date information. If you're unsure what exactly to ask your insurance company, look below at the next question.

Individual psychotherapy sessions are between $150 - $215, depending on the experience and specialities of the therapist you work with.

In order to start therapy, we have to have a credit or debit card on file. Your card will be charged after each session, typically within a week’s time. We also accept Zelle, checks, and HSA/FSA cards.  

Sometimes people wonder why therapists don't take insurance. This is a completely reasonable question–paying out-of-pocket is a bigger financial investment and it may limit the therapists you’re able to work with. That's why we want to be transparent and upfront about why we are an out-of-network practice.


Confidentiality. Insurance companies typically require therapists to submit claims using a platform called an Electronic Health Record. Sharing private information with this type of third party (or an insurance provider in general) raises the risk of your data being hacked, leaked, or exposed. Plus, if you ever require a federal background check (i.e. if you join the military, become a pilot, etc), your personal information may be accessed through these insurance records. Bypassing insurance helps ensure the highest level of protection for your private mental health information.

Humanity. Insurance companies also require therapists to submit their claims with a diagnostic code attached to each patient. That means that your therapist would have to choose a code, even if it is not entirely appropriate or accurate. When you're separated from this code, you can be treated as a human being as opposed to a series of letters and numbers.

Collaboration. Insurance companies can be very hands-on when it comes to how therapy is conducted. Sometimes, they dictate terms of treatment, such as limiting how many months you can see a therapist, the number of sessions, or duration of each session. They can also determine when therapy is "no longer necessary" with little to no explanation or forewarning. Obviously, we want to avoid this. We would rather collaborate with you on what kind of treatment is most effective, instead of working around the demands of a corporation.

Focus. Insurance is a complicated maze to navigate. If a therapist submits a claim to insurance, it's not guaranteed when that reimbursement will come, if at all. It's not uncommon for therapists to spend hours on the phone listening to hold music and sending faxes (yes, actual faxes) into the insurance abyss to track down payments and negotiate client care. This creates an undue financial strain for the therapist and a giant headache for both therapist and client. The goal of LightLine Therapy is to focus on you as much as possible without the distraction and exhaustion of insurance bureaucracy creeping into the therapy room.

Insurance is an intentionally complicated maze to navigate. Our glossary is meant to shed some light on what everything means. 

If you’re using your out-of-network benefits and getting reimbursed by your insurance, a diagnosis and other basic information (such as name, date of birth, address, etc) will have to be attached to your claims.

If you are not using out of network benefits, then no information will be shared with any third parties.

We’re happy to see clients virtually or in-person. Our office address is 276 Fifth Ave, Suite 605, New York, NY 10001. 

We'll meet once per week, ideally at the same time each week. In our experience, people see the best results when therapy is a weekly commitment. 

It might seem like if we meet every other week or monthly then you'll get the most bang for your buck, but it actually tends to just delay progress. It's harder for us to get into a rhythm of doing the work and it takes longer for trust to build between us.

Sessions are 45-minutes long. If you’re interested in longer sessions, please reach out and we can discuss meeting twice per week. 

Please give 48 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. If you give less than 48 hours notice, you will be charged the full rate of your session. If we’re able to reschedule within the same week, then the fee is waived. 

The goal of this cancellation policy is to maintain consistency and respect for each other’s time and busy schedules. And of course, we understand serious medical reasons or circumstances outside of your control happen, so these will be taken into consideration.

All billing information can be accessed in your client portal. 

Maybe you feel stuck. Maybe you feel trapped or are constantly running away from certain issues. If you’ve tried to make changes on your own and found little success, therapy might be able to help.

You can expect your sessions to be collaborative and interactive – it’s an open conversation, not an interview. In the beginning, it will be helpful to understand what you’d like to achieve in therapy, your background, and what has worked for you in the past.

If you have questions about how therapy works or what to expect down the line, we’re happy to discuss them so our work starts as transparently as possible.

Finding the right therapist for you is one of the most important parts of the therapeutic process. Our therapists adapt their styles depending on your needs, your preferred form of engagement, and what is most successful in guiding you towards your goals.

This means your sessions may be more conversational and active. Or, your therapist may step back and give you more space to work through what you’re feeling. It’s hard to predict what any one session will bring up (and if that gives you a feeling of deep discomfort, then that’s definitely something we should explore together in session!).

Sometimes progress will show up in distinct ways, such as a noticeable increase in mood or a decrease in depressive symptoms. Other times, it may be more nuanced. LightLine therapists adopt a strength-based approach to identify and bring attention to these positive changes, small or large.

After all, the small steps pave the way for larger ones. The evidence of growth and change will be most apparent when there is a trusting, authentic relationship between you and your therapist.

This is a hard question and there really isn’t a straightforward answer (such an unsatisfying response, we know). Because every person comes into therapy with unique concerns/life experiences, and we don’t follow a prescribed step-by-step program, therapy is going to take a different length of time for everyone to see progress–and everyone is going to have a different definition of what progress looks like. 

To put a concrete number to this question, we typically work with people who are ready to commit to therapy for at least six months. Usually, clients choose to continue beyond their original issue and use therapy for ongoing self-exploration and growth. 

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. There’s no contract that forces you to stay, and we certainly won’t try to keep you here if you don’t seem to be getting anything out of it. 

Therapy is a gift you give yourself. At any point, you can take an exit ramp when you’re ready to get off the highway. You can always get back on down the road. 

If you’re searching for a therapist, you’ve probably come across phrases like “doing the work” and “processing what happened” countless times. If these phrases make you want to hit the website tab X so hard you’ll probably hurt your finger, we get it. But stay with us… 

Here’s how we we see those phrases and what they mean to us:

If you want to see real growth, you can't just go through the motions. The “work” is actively engaging in looking inwards, questioning established ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and being curious about yourself.

The “work” is also letting somebody else in and allowing them to really get to know you–every part of you, including those parts that you might tend to avoid acknowledging yourself.

It’s also about doing things that are unfamiliar or downright terrifying. That could be sitting with uncomfortable emotions instead of pushing them away, or practicing new ways of communicating and setting boundaries. Or maybe trying new coping tools outside of therapy that seem childish or stupid, but if you actually lean into them, could change everything for you.

It’s about acknowledging the things that are hard or uncomfortable, and doing them anyway. 

Yes, there are plenty of issues that we do not specialize in (to learn more about the issues we can help with and the types of people we tend to help, see our Specialties page). If these issues come up in an initial consultation, we’ll be able to provide referrals to other therapists who may be in a position to help you more. 

Additionally, if you're looking for medication, we’re not going to be the best fit for you. If you already have a psychiatrist (or are planning on working with one for medication), we’re happy to collaborate with them for a more well-rounded treatment plan. 

At this time, we do not provide documentation to certify your pet as an emotional support animal (ESA). If you’re looking for this service, you will likely be able to find other companies online that specialize in this process.

They each come with their pros and cons, so you’ll have to make the decision that’s right for you (and work with your therapist on this too).

No disruptive and annoying technical issues

You can develop a deeper relationship with your therapist faster when you can see their body language and nonverbal cues

There’s an energy from in-person connection that you just can’t get through a computer screen

You don’t have to miss sessions while traveling

You can meet from the comfort of your home 

You can’t beat the convenience 

Online therapy

In-person therapy

The closer we can make online therapy to in-person therapy, the better and more satisfying your sessions will be. This means a few things:

Privacy
Please make sure you're in a quiet, private space that is free of distractions. If others are around you or you're moving around, it can be distracting for both you and your therapist.

Video vs Audio
Please keep your video on for the entire session. If it is unavoidable, we can talk on the phone or have video off, but this typically does create a barrier to the communication that is critical in therapy. It’s much harder to understand one another without seeing body language, facial expressions, and other non-audible cues.