Practice policies

Therapy sessions & payment

The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 53 minutes unless otherwise agreed upon. Requests to change the 53-minute session need to be discussed with us for an appropriate time to be scheduled in advance.

Please present your insurance card and photo ID prior to your appointment time if we do not have it on file. If you have had a change to your insurance, please notify us prior to your appointment.

We will bill your insurance company(ies) as a courtesy to you; however, it is your responsibility to be sure you are eligible for the insurance benefits. You are responsible for seeing that services rendered by our office are paid regardless of insurance eligibility.

All copays, coinsurance, and deductible amounts must be paid at the time services are rendered or before your scheduled appointment time. Payment is required unless other arrangements have been made in advance.

If you are a self-paid client, the full amount is due at the time of service. A reduced rate option is available — you must qualify for this; ask the front office staff for an application.

Our regular fees for covered services submitted to your insurance range from $180 to $220 per session. If you prefer to self-pay (not submitted to insurance), the rate is $100 per session. We accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards. If payment is not made by the date of the session, the appointment may be cancelled.

Any account with a returned check will be charged a $35 non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee. Clients with an outstanding balance of 60 days or more overdue must make payment arrangements prior to scheduling future appointments. If your account becomes past due 90 days or more, your account will be sent to collections, and you will be charged $75 or 35% (whichever is greater) of the total balance to cover collection efforts.

We will need your social security number on file for the purpose of claims processing. If you are a minor, a parent or guardian's social security number must be on file. If a social security number is not on file with Hope's Beacon, the client will need to pay for the cost of the service prior to it being provided.

Cancellations

Once an appointment has been scheduled for you, it is your responsibility to attend. If you are unable to make it, please provide at least 24 hours' notice.

Cancellations without at least 24 hours' notice will be charged a $50 late cancellation fee. You may cancel an appointment at least 24 hours in advance without any charges.

If you do not cancel and do not attend your session, you will be charged the full session amount as a no-show fee. This fee is not reimbursable through insurance — you are responsible for paying it. This policy is necessary because a time commitment is made to you and is held exclusively for you.

If you are late for a session, you may lose some of that session time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will need to reschedule and will be charged a $50 late cancellation fee.

After three no-shows, three late cancellations, excessive cancellations, or two months of inactivity in counseling, for legal and ethical reasons, you will be discharged from care.

We are flexible to schedule sessions outside of normal office hours with prior notice. Our voicemail systems are confidential and private — we will attempt to return your call within 24 business hours. You may also message us through your patient portal account, which is HIPAA-compliant.

While we accept email and text messages, these are not considered HIPAA-compliant. Please do not use these methods to discuss therapeutic content or request emergency assistance.

Social media

Due to the importance of your confidentiality and minimizing dual relationships, individual staff do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on personal social networking sites (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). However, you are welcome to follow Hope's Beacon's official social media pages.

Minors

Any minor child aged 12 or younger must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the session, available to the provider in case of emergency.

Any minor child under the age of 18 but over the age of 12 who is being dropped off, or driving themselves, must have a parent or legal guardian available by telephone for the duration of the session. If a parent or legal guardian will be unavailable, a secondary contact needs to be identified and a Release of Information must be signed, or the session will be cancelled.

If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. We will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive, and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

Termination

We may end treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a proper termination process if we determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment.

If therapy is terminated or you request another therapist, we will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.

Fee schedule

Holiday closures

Our office is closed on the following days:

• Thursday, January 1, 2026 New Year's Day
• Monday, January 19, 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Monday, February 16, 2026 Presidents' Day
• Monday, May 25, 2026 Memorial Day
• Friday, June 19, 2026 Juneteenth
• Friday, July 3, 2026 Independence Day (observed)
• Monday, September 7, 2026 Labor Day
• Wednesday, November 11, 2026 Veterans Day
• Thursday, November 26, 2026 Thanksgiving Day
• Friday, November 27, 2026 Day after Thanksgiving
• Friday, December 25, 2026 Christmas Day