Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to what to expect in session, and how insurance, fees, and payment work at Liben Psychotherapy.

What if I have to cancel or reschedule?

Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance. You will be responsible for the entire fee if cancellation is less than 24 hours. The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 45 minutes. It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 45-minute session needs to be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance.

A $10.00 service charge will be charged for any checks returned for any reason for special handling. Cancellations will be subject to a full charge if not received at least 24 hours in advance. This 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 I am able to reschedule your cancelled session within the same week, then I will not charge you for the cancelled session. There will be one unexcused cancellation per year, unless otherwise agreed. Additional cancellations must be paid for or rescheduled. This is to ensure that your weekly time slot is kept available for you.

What is considered confidential?

Client confidentiality is strictly maintained according to parameters established by New York State HIPAA laws.

Are we available over the phone?

If you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a message on my voice mail. I am often not immediately available, however, I will attempt to return your call within 24 hours. Please note that face-to-face sessions are highly preferable to phone sessions. However, in the event that you are out of town, sick or need additional support, phone sessions are available.

If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911 or any local emergency room.

Where do we stand on social media?

Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.

If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it.

Do we text?

I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.

Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the Internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered telemedicine by the State of New York. Telemedicine is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another.

If you and your therapist choose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that:

You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled.
All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable.
Your access to all medical information transmitted during a telemedicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee.
Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the telemedicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent.

What happens when we are done?

Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment.

I will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, I will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.

Should you fail to schedule an appointment for three consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, I must consider the professional relationship discontinued. This agreement replaces any pre-existing practice policies.

Good Faith Estimate Notice

As of January 1st, 2022:

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises, dfs.ny.gov, or call (800) 985-3059.

Do you accept insurance?

Liben Psychotherapy Group is an out-of-network practice for most insurance plans. We are pleased to accept Wellfleet Student Insurance for NYU students.

If you plan to use out-of-network benefits, we encourage you to contact your insurance provider before getting started. We recommend asking the following:

Does my plan include out-of-network coverage for mental or behavioral health services?
Do I have an annual deductible, and how much of it has been met?
After my deductible is met, what is the reimbursement rate for individual therapy?
What information is required to submit claims for reimbursement?

For clients using out-of-network benefits, we provide monthly superbills that can be submitted directly to your insurance company for reimbursement. Many of our clients receive partial reimbursement for their sessions, depending on their plan.

If you have questions about using your insurance benefits, we’re happy to help you understand your options.

Please note that we do not accept Medicare or Medicaid.

What are your fees for therapy?

Fees are discussed individually. Please contact us directly to learn more about our therapists and their rates.

How do I pay for sessions?

Payments for sessions are due at the time of each session. Payments are done by credit card on our HIPAA compliant electronic health record system, Simple Practice, using Stripe.

How long are therapy sessions?

Session length may vary slightly depending on the provider, but generally:

Individual therapy sessions are 45–50 minutes
Couples and family sessions range from 50–60 minutes

What is the No Surprises Act?

The No Surprises Act requires that your health care provider give you the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of what your services may cost.

Under the law (Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act), health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have a right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services. You can ask our practice for a Good Faith Estimate in writing before you schedule a service.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than the Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate. For more information visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Good Faith Estimate Notice

As of January 1st, 2022:

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises, dfs.ny.gov, or call (800) 985-3059.

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In Their Own Words

Hear From Our Therapists

Straight answers about what therapy is like at Liben, from the people who do the work.

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Our sessions are traditional talk therapy, so I like to start by checking in and asking what’s been on your mind and what feels most important to focus on that day. Through our conversation, we’ll start to connect the dots, explore internal tensions, recognize patterns and understand why the past is playing a role in your present. When it’s helpful, we might introduce skills or strategies to help you regulate tough emotions, manage stressful situations, or respond more effectively in interpersonal dynamics.

You do not need to be at rock bottom or have one specific problem to start therapy. In fact, beginning when you are not in crisis can be invaluable to laying a sturdy therapeutic foundation for when adversity inevitably shows up. Even if nothing is acutely wrong, or maybe you’re trying to convince yourself that things are fine, or you’re fed up with feeling chronically burned out, this is where therapy can help. It can help you understand yourself better, change patterns that are no longer serving you, and give you a place to slow down and check in with yourself, even when you cannot point to one specific problem.

Patients always ask this question, and I empathize with your frustration that I cannot give you a definitive answer. The reason why the length of therapy varies is because therapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. Our interventions are customized for each individual and evolve as your needs, goals, and circumstances change. That said, we recognize that the goal of therapy is to take what you learn as quickly as possible and bring it into your life, so you can live a vibrant life of purpose and meaning outside the treatment room.

Our therapy style is a combination of psychodynamic psychotherapy, which is traditional talk therapy, mixed with CBT and DBT skills. We find this hybrid is the most effective combination, because it allows you to have tools in your toolbox to address symptoms in the moment, while at the same time, the talk therapy can help you heal from the inside out.

I believe therapy can make a real difference when you’re willing to be curious about yourself and open to doing the work. The goal is not just to feel better in the treatment room, but to take what you learn into your everyday life so you can respond differently, feel more grounded, and create a life that feels rich with purpose and meaning.

All of our brilliant therapists share the values that guide our practice. They are trained in evidence-based approaches and bring a commitment to understanding the whole person, not just the problem that brings you into therapy. Each clinician brings their own clinical perspective and lived experience to the work, along with ongoing training, supervision, and a commitment to continuing to grow as therapists.

We also believe that finding the right therapist matters. Our clinicians are part of a practice where we can collaborate, consult with one another, and thoughtfully match you with someone whose experience and approach fit your needs. You’re not just getting a name from a directory. You’re investing in a thoughtful, personalized therapeutic experience with a team that cares deeply about the quality of the work.

We are a great fit for those who are high-functioning in most areas of life, but still feeling overwhelmed, burned out, anxious and depressed. If you’re trapped in cycles of perfectionism, compulsive productivity, or if you feel like you’re the only one who can do it right, you’re in the right place.

We’re probably not the best fit if you’re looking for a therapist who simply agrees with everything you say, or a life coach who is going to tell you how to live your life. We listen, get curious with you, and when it’s helpful, we’ll challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors.

Not every therapist is the right fit for every patient, and not every patient is right for every form of therapy. Sometimes not clicking with a therapist in the beginning can actually be a sign that the treatment is going well, because therapy can bring up feelings, patterns, or dynamics that are important to explore rather than avoid. If there are ruptures, we consider that a valuable part of the work too, because learning how to talk about what feels uncomfortable, repair what feels off, and build trust is part of what therapy is about. If there is a mismatch and a different clinician would be a better fit, then we will be honest about that and help you find the right person.

If therapy hasn’t helped in the past, that doesn’t mean therapy can’t work for you. The therapist, approach, timing, or relationship may not have been the right fit, and sometimes it takes finding the right combination to make the work feel meaningful and useful.

Online therapy can feel surprisingly personal because we’re meeting you in your own environment, where you’re often more comfortable and able to bring your real life into the room. I always consider it a privilege to be invited into your home and get to experience the vulnerable spaces of your life, sometimes meeting the important players along the way, like your kids or your pets. For some people, that added glimpse into their world can make the work feel even more connected and real.

NYC Psychotherapy

Virtual across New York state | In Person: 85 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10003