Frequently Asked Questions About online therapy

How does Online therapy for women work?

My role as a therapist isn’t to give you advice or tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. You know yourself best. Ultimately, you are the expert on you! My role is to work alongside you to help you process and overcome the challenges and struggles that are impacting your mental and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, we need someone to help us look at things in a different way or identify patterns or emotions that we can’t see in ourselves. Therapy is a collaborative effort between you as the client and me as your therapist. Together, we set specific goals that you want to focus on in our work together.

What can I expect for my first Online therapy appointment?

Usually, the first couple of sessions are spent discussing your history and reviewing the intake form that you completed before the first appointment. Spending time getting to know and understand you better helps give me a clearer picture of your situation. It helps us both identify the specific goals you want to address in your sessions. 

How long do appointments last?

Appointments are scheduled hourly and typically last about 55 minutes.

How often do we meet for therapy appointments?

I have found that meeting with clients once a week has been the most beneficial for most as they work toward meeting their counseling goals. Together, we will find a time and day that works with your schedule and meet every week. Occasionally, if a client is going through a particularly difficult time and wants additional support we may decide together to schedule more than one appointment per week. As clients begin to make progress toward their goals, sometimes we will start spacing out appointments to every other week if that feels like a better fit. 

How much do Online counseling sessions cost?

The initial appointment is $165. All sessions after the initial appointment are $150.

Effective January 1, 2023 initial appointments will be $170. All sessions after the initial appointment will be $155.

Does insurance cover online therapy?

More and more insurance companies are offering coverage for telehealth counseling sessions. In my professional experience, insurance plans cover online therapy more often than not. Every insurance plan I accept covers telehealth and online counseling sessions. 

What insurance plans do you accept?

Louisiana: Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Tricare East (Humana Military)

Hawaii: HMSA, UHA (University Health Alliance), Tricare West, HMAA

Colorado: Tricare Insurance

Florida: Tricare East (Humana Military)

What if I want to use my insurance benefit but you don’t accept it?

 If your insurance plan is not listed as one that I accept, then I am considered an Out of Network (OON) Provider with that health insurance plan. Most plans do provide OON benefits. However, it is always best to verify with your insurance company that you have this OON benefit and that they cover online therapy (telehealth). 

If you would like to use your OON benefits, you will pay my full fee at the time of your appointment. At the end of the appointment, I will provide you with a receipt called a Superbill. Many insurance plans with OON benefits will provide at least partial reimbursement to clients and may allow you to use your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to cover your payments. When you verify your OON benefits with your insurance company, it is good to also get clarification about what reimbursement for OON services looks like.

As a courtesy to my clients, I work with Reimbursify, a program that does the work for you by directly submitting your OON claims to your insurance company. This will allow you to track your OON claims and receive reimbursement payments more quickly and easily. I can assist you in getting set up with Reimbusify if you want to use your OON benefits. 

Do I have to use my insurance benefits for therapy sessions?    

Nope! I offer a self-pay option for counseling appointments if you choose to opt out of using your insurance benefits. Choosing to not use your insurance to cover therapy can have several advantages. Using insurance to cover counseling requires a therapist to evaluate and provide a mental health diagnosis to the insurance company. For some, receiving a mental health diagnosis can have certain consequences in their career field.  

Some insurance plans also limit the number of counseling sessions a client can have and require that sessions be focused on certain types of treatment. Choosing to opt out of using your insurance and private paying instead removes a lot of the requirements imposed by insurance plans and gives you more freedom and privacy in your work with your therapist. 

Do you offer reduced rates or sliding scale rates for appointments?

 If you find yourself without insurance and are in financial need, please ask about a reduced rate in your initial consultation. I do keep a certain amount of appointments for clients with reduced rate needs, so if I have a reduced rate appointment time open, I can offer that to a client in need.

If I don’t have any available, I will help you find a therapist who can work with you for a reduced rate. 

How does online therapy work?

I use a platform called Simple Practice to meet with clients for online therapy. Each week, you will receive an appointment reminder with a link for you to click at the time of your scheduled appointment. You do not have to download any extra applications or software. A computer, smart phone, or tablet will work for your video therapy sessions. If you have a set of headphones with a microphone, those can be helpful as they help to cut out background noise and also provide an extra level of privacy for you.

Since you work with clients online, can you Do Online Therapy with Clients in any state?

No, at this time, I am licensed in the states of Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida, and Colorado, which allows me to work with clients who live in any of those three states. Occasionally, states will make exceptions or allowances for therapists to work with clients who live in a state that they are not licensed in, but this is not a typical practice. If you live in a state other than Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii, or Colorado and are interested in working with me for therapy, feel free to contact me and we can discuss if this is an option for you. 

Do you also Provide Therapy to clients in a traditional office setting?

While I used to have an office-based counseling practice, right now my practice is completely online. I have found that online therapy gives my clients easier access to counseling services. Meeting online eliminates the struggle of having to deal with traffic to and from appointments, takes away the issue of needing childcare, and allows you to meet with me at a time and in a place that works specifically for you. 

I’m concerned about my privacy with online therapy. How can I ensure my therapy appointments are private and confidential?

As a licensed clinical social worker, I am bound by an ethical code of conduct that requires me to maintain client confidentiality and privacy, whether I’m working with clients in person or online. Therefore, when I meet with my clients, I ensure that I am alone in my private home office, away from anyone else, and I use a white noise machine to help block out any sounds. I also wear headphones to ensure that nothing you say can be heard by anyone else. The platform I use for sessions, Simple Practice, is HIPAA compliant and encrypted, which ensures the highest level of protection and privacy for you. 

It is also important for you to consider what steps you need to take in order to maintain your own privacy when we meet for your online therapy appointments. You will want to make sure that you are in a place that other people will not overhear our conversation. One of the greatest benefits of online therapy is that it allows you to meet with your therapist at a time and place that works for you. But, it is also very important for you to consider who may be around or nearby when you meet with me. Anticipating this and thinking through these concerns ahead of time will help to ensure that our sessions together are completely confidential. Wearing headphones adds a level of privacy for you as they prevent the things I say from being heard by anyone other than you. 

Begin online Therapy with Ashley Clark Comegys

If you want to talk about the struggles of being a woman, a wife, and a mother, I am here for you. I help anxious women find healing so they can live a happier life. Follow these easy steps to begin online therapy with me:

1.     Schedule a no cost, 15-minute consultation phone or video call

2.     Learn more about the ways I can help you overcome anxiety in online therapy

3.     Find meaning and purpose in your busy life as a woman!

Mental Health Services Offered By Ashley Clark-Comegys LCSW

I provide a variety of online counseling services to women in Hawaii, Louisiana, Florida, and Colorado. My mental health services include individual counseling for women, online postpartum and anxiety counseling, online anxiety counseling, online depression treatment, online therapy for grief and loss, online counseling for military spouses, online therapy for moms, and online trauma therapy for women.