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The Fine Print

My Approach

Most psychotherapy approaches are based on the medical model of physical illness or injury: you see a professional, tell them your symptoms and history of the problem, get treatment and hopefully get better.

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My approach is based on what I call the healing model: we all inherently have the ability to heal, and my job is to support each person's organic healing process by both of us listening carefully for what works for you.

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Solution Focused Therapy is the talk therapy I do, and it starts by discussing the changes a person wants in their life and the impact those changes would have. In the course of our conversations during our sessions, we'll be exploring how positive change happens in any area of your life, bringing it into greater awareness and making it easier to continue making those changes.

 

TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique) is a mind-body therapy that uses acupressure points on the body to access the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic aspects of you and the problem. Physically holding these points while the problem is in your awareness and listening to statements about the healing process can result in longstanding problems being shifted and processed more effectively than with talk therapy alone.

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EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques or tapping) is a mind-body therapy that also uses acupressure points on the body, and we physically tap on those points with the fingers of our hand to activate the energy, access the unconscious and uncouple the automatic survival response and distressing emotions from the memory of an event. It's very effective in working through trauma, overcoming phobias and fears, addressing procrastination and avoidance, and working through intense emotions. It can even help your pets with physical and emotional problems!

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Polyvagal Theory is a framework for understanding our nervous system and how its automatic survival responses drive our everyday thoughts, feelings and actions. Everyone's nervous system is a little different. We'll use Polyvagal Theory to understand your nervous system, learn how to work with it, and discover how to get out of feeling stuck, be more resilient, and enjoy your life more.

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All of these mind-body approaches are safe and effective, and they are respectful of the pace each person needs to work with challenging experiences. You always have the choice not to engage with these approaches but I believe I am at my best when using my intuition to work with the mind and body in this way.

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How Out-of-Network Benefits Work

When a therapist is out of network with your insurance plan, it means your insurance may cover part of the sessions if your plan has out-of-network benefits (not all plans do). If you work with an out-of-network therapist, you will pay more per session than if you worked with an in-network therapist.

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How it works is: You pay the full fee for each session, then submit a claim to your insurance company (I can tell you how to fill this out), and the insurance company will then reimburse you the amount that they cover.

 

You will need to contact your insurance company to see if you have out-of-network benefits. Located on the back of your insurance card is a toll-free number to call for your mental health/behavioral health benefits.

 

Please use "Margaret Hattori, LCSW" when asking your insurance company about working with me.

 

Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company for Out-of-Network Benefits


I am calling to get information on my out-of-network health benefits.

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  • Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?

  • Do my out-of-network mental health benefits cover telehealth sessions?

  • Are CPT Codes 90791 (first session), 90837 (60-minute session) and 90834 (45-minute session) covered?

  • Do I have an out-of-network deductible?

        If yes, ask the following questions:

  • What is my out-of-network deductible? 

  • How much of my out-of-network deductible has been met this year?

  • What is the start/end date for my specific mental health plan?

  • What percentage do I get reimbursed for out-of-network mental health services?

  • How do I submit a superbill for reimbursement?

  • Do I need a preauthorization for outpatient mental health services/office visits?

Good Faith Estimates

If you are not using insurance, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your mental health care will cost.

Under the law, anyone not using insurance can ask any health care provider for a Good Faith Estimate before you attend an appointment for services. They are required to provide this information before your first appointment.


If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, based on the same number and type of estimated sessions, you can dispute the bill.



For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Privacy Policies and Practices

You have the right to know how I manage your confidential information before you decide to work with me. Click here to see my privacy policies and practices.

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