PST is now located in The Fine Arts Building of Downtown Portland:

1017 SW Morrison St
Suite 312
Portland, OR 97205

There is also a distinct possibility that PST will move again this year. I know, I know; 2020 changed many of the plans I had to establish in a building more permanently. PST's current office was a little too good to pass up, but may not be the permanent base of operations after 2021. Of course all changes in physical location will be announced long before they occur so in-person session goers have plenty of time to acclimate. I understand that having this many changes is not ideal and I appreciate everyone's patience.

Secondly, PST has no intention of getting rid of telehealth sessions. I understand how many of you have found seeing me online to be convenient for your schedules and how many more people from across Oregon and Washington have been able to see me because of my video availability. Telehealth sessions will continue to be available Monday through Thursday, 11:30am - 6:30pm.

Lastly, in-person sessions will have a couple of limitations:

• In-person sessions will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only
• It is highly recommended that folx who attend in-person sessions be fully vaccinated (two weeks after your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or your single dose of Johnson and Johnson)
• PST will have an in-person procedures document and your signed acknowledgement and compliance with said document is a requirement to be seen in person. The document will be sent to all current clients through the client portal and will be provided to new clients in their intake paperwork.
• Consultations for potential clients will continue to be offered exclusively over video.

I am so looking forward to seeing you all, whether that is in-person or online. Best wishes until we see each other again.

It is with a deep sense of grief that I write this update for all of you. At the time of this post, California, Oregon and Washington are experiencing devastating wildfires that have been minimally contained and are contributing to terrible air quality across the West Coast.

People are losing their homes, their livelihoods, many are experiencing acute symptoms of smoke inhalation and are unable to evacuate.

Despite these circumstances, Portland Sex Therapy will be operating normally to the greatest extent possible (as all clients are being seen online). However, I understand that online accessibility is only one component to being able to engage with me.

If you are a current client being impacted by the fires, or you fear you will soon be impacted by the fires, please let me know. I am waiving all cancellation fees for clients at this time and would be happy to work out a reduced rate for clients who want to continue to see me but no longer have financial stability.

Above all, your safety and security is my number one concern. 

Wishing everyone safety in these trying and scary times.

Telehealth Appointments:

• I am happy to switch your in-person appointment with me to a telehealth appointment for any reason. If you would like to do telehealth with me, the client portal will send you a link to the platform for your telehealth appointment where we will be able to connect securely. You will need a strong internet connection and a private space free from distractions for our appointment. For my couples and relationship groups know that you can connect from multiple locations using the same link should you need to. You are also able to request telehealth appointments through the client portal. It will be listed as "Video Office" under your location options.

Changes to My Cancellation Policy:

• If you are ill or believe it would be best to cancel your appointment because you have been exposed, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can cancel your appointment. 
• During this time I will be waiving the late cancellation fee in the event of illness, regardless of when you cancel. If you believe you have been exposed but are not ill, our first option would be to switch to telehealth over cancelling. If you have been exposed, are not ill, and would still like to cancel please know that my late cancellation policy will remain in effect - please cancel your appointment through the client portal or provide me with 24 hours notice. Any cancellations within 24 hours of your appointment that are not due to illness will be charged the full amount, per my policy.

As always, you will not be charged for any sick days taken or cancellations made by me.

​Some Further Precautions:

• Both of my in-person offices have soap for handwashing in the restroom and I have hand sanitizer upon request.
• I will be sitting further away from you while we are in the office to practice social distancing
• I will also be wiping down frequently touched surfaces in my office between clients and all surfaces at the end of the day.
• Remember to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze to avoid transmission of germs! A tissue that you then throw away is preferred, the inside of your elbow is your next best option.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about our sessions or the above changes.

Yes, I am still open at this time and I am both adding new folks to my wait list and letting people know when I have a spot open in my practice.

Due to the CDC's recommendation that we practice social distancing, I would prefer to see potential new clients via video. When a spot opens up in my practice I will provide you with instructions on how we can access the video platform that we will use to connect. I understand that for some this is not the ideal situation and meeting a therapist over video may feel strange, but these are strange times.

​I would much prefer to see if I can be the right therapist for you, while protecting our community from the exponential spread of the coronavirus, than to contribute to the pandemic or to not see you at all!

When a client comes to see me for a free consultation, inevitably the question gets asked:

​Many people don't realize that in order to use your mental health insurance benefits you have to be diagnosed with an illness. Insurance companies call this "medical necessity" and if you and I can't prove to the insurance company that you need the treatment you are seeking, they can deny your request to use your insurance.

Even if you made it past the initial request, I would have to consistently prove to your insurance company that it was important for me to continue to see you, otherwise they may deny you further sessions.

​Beyond that, all diagnoses go on your medical record and could be considered pre-existing conditions in the years to come.

Pre-existing conditions can have a significant impact on your ability to secure any health insurance coverage in the future. And even if you are able to obtain insurance with a diagnosis on your record, your insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pays are likely to be much higher, as protections for pre-existing conditions have been, to say the least, scaled back.

​I don't want to take that kind of risk with your well-being.

​Did you know the average insurance claim passes through fourteen people on its way to being approved?

Fourteen people...

Now remember, in order to use your insurance, I have to diagnose you with a condition relevant to the treatment you would receive from me. That means upwards of fourteen people could find out that you're suffering from a sexual dysfunction, are struggling with a sexual concern, or have a problem in your marriage or partnership.

It's embarrassing enough to have to reach out and talk to someone about your concerns, and the last thing I want is for everyone at your insurance company to know your problems and be the judge of when you should stop seeing me.

And ultimately, if I take your insurance directly, that's what we would do.

​Talk about a lack of control over your own situation.

​More often than not, couples and relationship counseling is not covered when you use your insurance.

I know a lot of insurance companies say they cover couples or relationship therapy, but there is no such thing as a couple's therapy code for insurance claims, nor is there a diagnosis I could give a couple that would qualify for mental health treatment.

What insurance companies really mean is the person who gets a diagnosis for an individual mental health concern can have their partner present in session while we work on their diagnosis.

But sometimes, even if you meet all the criteria to have your partner present while we work on your depression, low libido, or erectile dysfunction, having your partner in session may not be considered "medically necessary" and so your claim for couples therapy would be denied.

​I get that you're frustrated, and until I feel that the insurance companies I might contract with are safeguarding your mental health and allowing us to do the work we need to do, I won't be taking your insurance directly.

But let's look at the positives! Not a lot of people realize that, because I don't take insurance right now, I can do a lot of amazing things like:

• Respond to clients within a couple of hours of their email or phone call
• Give every one of my clients personalized attention
• Offer 90-minute sessions (seriously, your insurance would never cover that)
• Go to cool trainings to become a better and more experienced therapist

And it's all because I don't have to spend my off hours talking to insurance companies and seeing people who aren't committed to doing the hard work of therapy.

​Right now, I do not take insurance plans directly, but you have options if you want to see me and possibly use your insurance benefits:

I take cash, cards and checks for all services.

I am able to take Flexible Spending Account cards and Health Savings Account cards.

• I will provide you with documentation of services for your records after each session if you choose to use your FSA or HSA to cover my services. I can send this documentation to you via email (which is not considered secure) or provide a copy to you in session. Sometimes 90-minute sessions are not covered on your insurance plan, be sure to check on this with your plan if that length of time for sessions is something you are interested in.

​
​While being an out-of-network provider for all insurance plans means I do not file with your insurance directly, I can provide you with what is called a superbill, which you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
But be warned that:

• Most of the time couples therapy is not eligible for reimbursement
• HMO plans do not provide out-of-network coverage
• And if you have a high deductible, your deductible will need to be met before you are eligible to receive reimbursement.

If you want to try to use some of your insurance benefits for my services, the best thing you can do is call your health insurance company and ask about reimbursement for outpatient mental health services with out-of-network therapists.

I hope that spending some time explaining why I do not take insurance right now was helpful and informative. If you have any questions about it, please feel free to email or call me with further questions. I would also recommend checking out my Fees & Insurance page for my current rates.

If you think you may be ready to take the leap into therapy with me, head on over to my Contact page.