Get Your Questions Answered

Question 1

Do you accept insurance? How much does a session cost?

Accepted Answer

We accept several major insurance plans. The plans we accept change over time, so please reach out to find out whether we are in-network and currently accepting your plan. If we don’t accept your plan, sessions are self-pay and we can provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.

Question 2

How long are sessions? How often would we meet?

Accepted Answer

Sessions usually last around 50–55 minutes. How often we meet depends on what we are working on and what we decide together. For most clients, it’s once per week. Sometimes we’ll start off meeting twice per week, especially when it’s helpful for clients who need to learn and practice new skills quickly, and then adjust to once per week. After we’ve done a lot of the main work and things are going well, sessions can occur less often, like every other week. We’ll discuss this together on an ongoing basis.

Question 3

How long does therapy typically last?

Accepted Answer

This depends and will be based on the treatment plan that we establish together and ongoing conversations about how therapy is progressing. We’ve worked with clients for several months to address specific problems using a specialized intervention and conclude therapy after that because clients feel much better and symptoms have improved. We’ve also worked with clients for years who have ongoing stressors or more chronic difficulties. We’ll discuss this together, and ultimately it is your decision.

Question 4

How do I know if we are going to be a good fit?

Accepted Answer

A good therapeutic alliance is the strongest predictor of positive outcomes in therapy, so it is very important that you feel comfortable with your therapist and confident that you’ll work well together. That’s why we offer a consultation first, where we can learn about each other and get an initial sense of what it might be like if we worked together. Even after we decide to work together, we’ll check in on an ongoing basis to discuss how things are going. If we’re not a good fit, that’s perfectly fine and you can seek care elsewhere or we can offer recommendations.

Question 5

Do you offer diagnostic evaluations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer formal diagnostic evaluations, which are separate from therapy. We are trained, certified, and experienced in many gold-standard clinical interviews. We select interviews and questionnaires based on your specific experiences and the reasons you are seeking an evaluation. Common assessments we use are the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Diagnoses (SCID-5) and the Structured Interview for Psychosis Risk Syndromes (SIPS). All formal diagnostic evaluations will be followed by a feedback session where we share results and recommendations.

Question 6

I need documentation of my symptoms and functional impairment for school, work, or disability benefits. Do you provide that?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we work with many clients who need documentation of their care for various reasons and are happy to assist with this.

Question 7

Is family ever involved, especially for teenagers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it’s important for many clients that we include family members who can help support treatment. Sometimes that means providing updates on treatment progress, and other times it means having some joint sessions with family members. For adults, we will only work with family members if you give your explicit permission, as our work together is confidential.

Question 8

Do you offer medication management?

Accepted Answer

No, but we can recommend medication providers and offer guidance on how to find a prescriber who is a good fit for you.

Question 9

Can you see me if I live outside of NJ?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Dr. DiGiovanni is licensed to see clients in NJ and NY, and can see clients virtually in most states that are part of PSYPACT. Check here to see if your state is included: PSYPACT map.

Question 10

Do you offer in-person or online sessions?

Accepted Answer

We currently offer virtual sessions only. Many clients find it more convenient, and research shows telehealth is just as effective as in-person therapy.

Question 11

What is BEGIN and do I have to participate in it?

Accepted Answer

BEGIN is a 5-session educational therapy developed and researched by Dr. DiGiovanni specifically for adolescents and young adults at risk for psychosis. If you are a good fit for BEGIN, we’ll let you know and you can decide to integrate this into your treatment if you’d like.

Question 12

What areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We offer online therapy throughout Bergen County, including Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Paramus, Fair Lawn, and surrounding communities as well as throughout New Jersey and New York, with additional availability in eligible PSYPACT states.

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