Find answers to some of your most frequently asked questions about mental health counseling with me, Carrie Mead, LCPC.
Q: What type of conditions do you treat?
I treat adults with anxiety, ADHD, depression, grief, stress, family conflict, PTSD, marriage conflict, chronic pain, and faith-based challenges. Learn more here.
Q: What are your fees?
My fees depend on the service you request, and they range from $140 to $250 per session. I accept FSA / HSA and credit cards, and payment must be made at the time of service.
Please check your insurance’s out-of-network costs and benefits. Superbills are provided monthly so that you can seek reimbursement.
Q: Where do we meet?
A: We will meet on a secure video platform 1x per week for 50 minutes. The link is sent before our meeting. Learn more.
Q: Tell me about 1st session.
A: The first session is a time for us to get to know one another and for trust to be built. We will meet through secure video, and I will help us create a comfortable and compassionate atmosphere. We will discuss your concerns, symptoms, and mental and physical health history. I will make a clinical assessment and recommendations for further appointments based on my evaluation. We will also discuss office policies, informed consent, and limits of confidentiality.
Q: Will you diagnose me with a mental disorder?
Diagnosis is part of the process of psychotherapy. Knowing your diagnosis will help inform your treatment plan. I will provide psychoeducation on your diagnosis so that you gain empowerment and self-agency.
Q: What happens if I don’t feel comfortable?
A: Not every therapist is right for every client and not every client is right for every therapist. If you aren’t comfortable, for any reason, we can discuss it and a referral can be made. Learn more about me.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: Payment must take place at the time services are rendered. I accept credit card payments only. I do not accept insurance, although you are welcome to seek ‘out of network’ reimbursement from your insurance provider. Many clients also use their FSA or HSA accounts.
Q: What is your cancellation policy?
A: Therapy requires commitment and consistency, but I understand that we all need flexibility occasionally. Therefore, my cancellation policy is clear to avoid any misunderstandings. The late cancellation is waived for the first occurrence, and after that, a late cancellation fee applies when less than 24 hours’ notice is given. When notice is provided, or a client’s no-shows’, the full session fee is charged. We will fully review this policy before commencing therapy.
Q: What’s the difference between psychotherapy, counseling, and therapy?
All these words are interchangeable, and some people prefer one word or another, but all refer to treatment for mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, or trauma
Q: How do I become a Life Coaching client?
Learn more about my life coaching and Reiki business here.
Q: Where can I learn more about your Immigration Evaluations services?
I provide Extreme Hardship Evaluations, Cancellation of Removal, VAWA, U visas, T visas, and Asylum evaluations to immigrants and their US citizen family members. To learn more about these services, please call me at 443. 951. 3986 or read more here.
Q: What is the No Surprises Act?
As of January 1, 2022, state-licensed or certified health care providers need to give a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of healthcare charges to every new and continuing client who is either uninsured or is not planning to submit a claim to their insurance for the healthcare services they seek. In the future, this act could expand to include insured persons, but currently, the law is not written this way.
I have always provided a clear outline of my costs. This information is in your intake paperwork, which you are required to read and sign before our first session. However, the GFE goes one step further by asking me, your provider, to outline how much your entire treatment cycle might cost. Your rights as a consumer can be found here.
There are obvious difficulties with this, as I am providing this before meeting you and therefore my knowledge of your situation is limited to non-existent. Nonetheless, the GFE is intended to protect the consumer from ‘surprise’ medical bills or financial hardship.
Please know that the GFE rules “do not require the good faith estimate (GFE) to include charges for unanticipated items or services that are not reasonably expected, and that could occur due to unforeseen events.” Therefore, if your needs, as an uninsured client, are quite different from what was expected, I can update the GFE to reflect your new treatment plan.
To find out more, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services here.
Q: What if I am in crisis?
A: Your health and safety are of paramount importance. If you feel unsafe, call 911 or 988, or go to an emergency room immediately. Once you are safe, please sign releases for me to speak to your health care professional.
You can also call or text/ chat with a professional at Lifeline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-800-273-8255
Q: Do you offer crisis counseling or 24-hour emergency counseling?
A: I do not offer 24-hour crisis counseling. If you feel that your needs will require late-night calls, check-ins or a deeper level of care than 1x weekly therapy, I will be happy to find you a therapist better suited to your needs.
However, if you are experiencing an emergency and need crisis intervention, you may contact:
The National Suicide Prevention hotline at: 1-800-273-8255
Also, many counties in Maryland offer 24-hour mobile crisis teams to assist you out of hours or in your home.
Just a few resources are listed below:
- Baltimore City: 410- 433-5175
- Baltimore County: 410- 931-2214
- Carroll County: 410- 952- 9552
- Frederick & Washington County: 301- 663- 0011
- Harford County: 410-638- 5248
- Howard County: 410- 531- 6677
- Maryland Crisis Hotline: 1-800-422-0009
Q: Do you accept insurance?
A: To serve you best, I do not participate with insurance companies. Unfortunately, insurance companies set limits on how often we can meet, the length of our sessions, and the reasons for our sessions. Additionally, they often deny claims with no explanation or warning.
Our sessions will be guided by my clinical expertise and my ethical codes as a counselor, not by the desires of your insurer.
You are welcome to use your Out-of-Network benefit for therapy with me and I always provide a monthly Superbill to facilitate this process.
Q: What treatment modalities do you use?
I use a mix of modalities based on your needs and my clinical assessment. A few treatment options are:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness / Meditation
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
- Gottman Therapy for couples
- Trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approaches
Q: Where are you licensed?
I am licensed in the state of Maryland by the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists. I am also licensed to practice in South Carolina
Q: Can I work with you if I live outside of Maryland or South Carolina?
Unfortunately, I can only serve you while you are living and residing in Maryland or South Carolina.
If you travel frequently for work or pleasure, you must always be in the state where I am licensed during our video sessions.
If you are out of state, we cannot hold the session due to the current laws, and you will be charged a late cancellation fee as outlined in my office policies.
Q: How and why does therapy end?
Therapy will end when treatment goals are met, and both the therapist and client feel ready for this transition. There are many pathways to a healthy termination of therapy, and this is something we will discuss and work together on.
Honoring the work you have done in therapy and the progress you have made is an important part of the therapy process. Often, how we end our therapy gives us insight into how to interact in other important relationships. There is always something to learn about ourselves as we say goodbye.
While clients are always free to cancel future sessions by email or simply cancelling the final appointment through the patient portal, this method is strongly discouraged as it does not allow for processing and understanding. Each stage of therapy is important, and this includes the ending.
