Deepa Karmakar, LCSW (she/hers)
Frequently Asked Questions
Session Fees & Forms of Payment
My fee is $225 for 50-minute individual sessions.
My fee is $250 for 50-minute couple sessions.
I do offer 75-minute sessions and 90-minute sessions if you are in need of additional support.
I accept credit card payments through a system called Stripe.
Cancellation Policy
To cancel or reschedule an appointment, I require at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment. You will be responsible for your full session fee if cancellation is not received at least 24 hours in advance.
Insurance
Frequency of Sessions
Sliding Scale
I have a certain number of sliding scale slots available at any given time. Please reach out to find out if you're eligible. If I'm unable to accommodate your financial needs, I'm more than happy to either add you to my waiting list or provide you with additional referrals. Don’t be afraid to ask if this is something you’re in need of!
I do not file with insurance, but I can provide you with a monthly statement for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please reach out to your insurance company to check if your sessions will be covered, and their policies on reimbursement. The following questions may be helpful when contacting your insurance company:
​
-
What is my out-of-pocket deductible and has it been met?
-
How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
-
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
-
Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Each session is 50 minutes. How often a person should come to therapy is dependent on the individual. Most individuals attend therapy once per week, especially in the beginning of our work together. When things feel significantly distressful, twice per week is an option as well. It is not uncommon to step down to biweekly, or even monthly sessions as the 'work' lessens.
GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE
Under section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, mental health care providers are required to provide a "Good Faith Estimate" (GFE) to individuals not enrolled in an insurance plan or who plan to use their out of network benefits. A good faith estimate enumerates the expenses you can reasonably expect to pay for psychotherapy services provided by me.
​
A GFE must be furnished within 1 business day of scheduling an appointment with me. If you schedule an appointment at least 10 business days in advance, you are entitled to receive the GFE within 3 business days after scheduling. A GFE must be provided within 3 business days UPON REQUEST.
​
A GFE shows the costs of non-emergency psychotherapy services that are reasonably expected for your mental health needs and the estimate is based upon information known at the time the estimate was created. This does not include no-shows, late cancellations, or other services related to crisis care, which by definition are unexpected and cannot be predicted for the purpose of compiling a Good Faith Estimate in advance.
​
A GFE may also include consultations with client collateral contacts, fees related to paperwork requests, court appearances, and other legal and administrative fees related to client care, when such items are scheduled in advance.
​
In my practice, I offer Good Faith Estimates that project out 6 months in advance. Essentially, your estimate will give you a reasonable idea what to expect in terms of therapy costs for 6 months based on my current rates as well as the frequency of sessions that we mutually agree upon in advance.
​
As the GFE does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment, you could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur. Should this happen and your bill exceeds $400 or more than the GFE, federal law allows you to dispute the bill with the Department of Health and Human Services. You must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days of the date on the original bill. There is a fee to use the dispute process. I encourage you to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, click here.
If there's a question that you have about my practice or about the therapeutic process that hasn't been answered, please reach out.
