Fees/Insurance

  • $300 per 55 minutes

  • Not at this time.

  • The fees for intensives, workshops, and events are listed on their corresponding pages.

  • No. My practice is private pay. Payment is due in full at the time of service. We keep your credit card on file and will charge your credit card the day after each appointment.

  • We accept credit cards, debit cards and health savings accounts. Your payment information will be saved on file in your secure and HIPAA compliant client portal. We will charge your card after each therapy appointment session and email you a receipt. We do not accept cash, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle or checks.

  • Submitting a superbill to your health insurance company, requires that a mental health diagnosis be assigned which included in your clinical record.

    If the presenting problems you are working on in therapy do not meet the criteria for a diagnosable condition, then we will not assign a diagnosis, and insurance companies may determine that your sessions are not eligible for reimbursement.

    Some people choose not to submit a superbill to their insurance company for the following reasons:

    • Increased confidentiality. Your personal health information remains between you and your therapist rather than being shared with an insurance company.

    • Limited coverage for relationship work. Most insurance plans do not cover traditional marriage counseling, premarital counseling, discernment counseling or couples therapy.

    • Diagnosis requirements. Insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis in order to authorize or reimburse treatment.

    • Greater flexibility in care. The direction, frequency, and length of treatment are determined by you and your therapist rather than by insurance guidelines.

  • GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE

    Notice of Your Right to a Good Faith EstimateYou have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, healthcare providers need to give clients 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 your healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. The Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your healthcare needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate is created. The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during the course of care. You could be charged more if special circumstances occur. In non-emergency circumstances, you will be provided with an updated Good Faith Estimate for any new expected charges.If you are billed for more than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill under federal law. Specifically, if you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. You may contact the healthcare provider or facility listed to let them know the billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can ask them to update the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available. You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date of the original bill.There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on the Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the healthcare provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.To learn more or to get a form to start the dispute resolution process, go to www.cms.gov/nosuprises or call HHS’ toll free number: 1-877-696-6775.Make sure to keep a copy of your Good Faith Estimate in a safe place or take pictures of it. You may need it if you are billed a higher amount.For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS’ toll free number: 1-877-696-6775.

Get Started/
Appointments

  • Yes, all clients begin with a 20 minute video call. Ideally both partner will attend this call, however, only one partner is required to attend.

  • When beginning couples therapy, we will start with a four-session assessment process. This gives me the opportunity to understand your relationship, the patterns you are experiencing, and how I can best help you move forward.

    Session One: Together
    You and your partner attend together. We will talk about the challenges you are facing, what brings you to therapy, and what you hope will change. This begins to give me a clearer understanding of where you are getting stuck and what you each need from the relationship.

    Session Two: Individual Session
    One partner attends individually. This gives me an opportunity to learn more about your personal history, experiences, and perspective on the relationship.

    Session Three: Individual Session
    The other partner attends individually. As with the previous session, we will explore your personal history, experiences, and perspective so I can develop a fuller understanding of your relationship and how best to help.

    Session Four: Together
    You and your partner return together. I will share what I am seeing, help you better understand the underlying patterns that may be contributing to conflict or disconnection, and provide a map for creating meaningful change.

    We will also decide together whether continuing therapy feels like the right fit. If we choose to move forward, we will discuss scheduling and next steps.

  • Cancellation Policy: Appointments canceled with less than a 48 hour notice will be charged the full session fee.

  • 55 minutes.

    If you are attending discernment counseling, the first appointment lasts for two hours. Then you may attend up to four or five more appointments, each lasting 90 minutes in length.

  • There are many factors that influence session frequency and the length of therapy process. 

    Generally I schedule new clients on a weekly basis in order to support early progress. Over time, some clients decrease frequency to biweekly or monthly sessions.

    My clients are able to end therapy at any time for any reason. Ideally, when ending therapy, we will hold a final session to highlight progress, solidify learning, and I will provide referrals if indicated.

    Discernment counseling is short term and lasts one to five sessions only.

  • Before your first appointment, you and your partner will each receive access to your own separate, secure client portal. Each partner must log in to their individual portal and complete their own intake forms and payment information.

    I will not hold the first appointment unless all forms are complete at least 48 hours before you appointment. If your forms are not completed 48 hours in advance we will cancel the appointment and contact you to reschedule.

    All forms and information are exchanged electronically through our secure, HIPAA-compliant client portal; we do not offer paper forms.

  • Yes, my address is 191 Calle Magdalena, Suite 295, Encinitas, CA 92024.

    I also offer telehealth/virtual therapy for clients physically located in California at the time of their appointment.

  • Our video sessions are hosted on Simple Practice, a HIPAA compliant, secure, and confidential telehealth platform. If we encounter connection problems we may use an alternative such as Google Meet or Zoom which are also HIPAA compliant and secure.

  • 191 Calle Magdalena, Suite 295, Encinitas, CA 92024.

  • Contact Sierra at 760-640-0270 or info@integrativecouplestherapy.com

  • This appointment lasts for two hours and you and your spouse will attend together. Initially, Cristina will meet with the two of you together. Then, you will each take a turn meeting with Cristina one one one. At the end, the two of you return together to share what you learned from your one on one and to decide if you want to schedule another appointment.