PSYCHOTHERAPY FAQ

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CONFIDENTIALITY AND RECORDS

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The records I keep for clients include the following:    

• Initial data, including contact information for the client and for someone to contact in the event a client is experiencing an emergency and needs assistance
• Notes taken from the first 1-3 visits, as I am getting to know clients and asking about details of clients’ history and experiences to assess clients’ needs
• The dates of office visits and general themes discussed (example: “Discussed present work-related problem”), specific worksheets reviewed (example: “Reviewed ‘Goals and Values’ worksheet”) or exercises (example: “Practiced visualization exercise”)
• Correspondence between clients and myself

Your records, as well as what we discuss in treatment, are all confidential, meaning that I alone have access to them, although there are some limitations to this: If you choose to use insurance benefits to help cover the costs of treatment, I will need to provide dates of attendance, a diagnosis code, and in some cases, a periodic treatment summary of what we have worked on.  In cases of longer treatments, some insurance companies require therapists to discuss the treatment more in-depth with a company representative to determine on-going coverage. If you give me reason to believe that you are presenting imminent risk to your safety or to the safety of someone else, I am required to assist you in accessing emergency psychiatric services for further assessment.  This might include directing or escorting you to the nearest emergency room, or calling Emergency Medical Services to your location, and speaking with appropriate staff about your disclosures related to risk of harm. If you disclose to me information indicating maltreatment of a child, I am required to notify the New York State Central Registry, which may result in an investigation into the safety of that child. If I am subpoenaed by a court of law, I am required to provide the written records I have kept (described above).

PAYMENT AND INSURANCE

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My fees are $200 for 45-min. individual sessions.  In a limited number of cases, I may offer a “sliding scale,” though such an arrangement would be agreed upon following an assessment about an individual’s financial need and available resources. Payment can be made by cash (in person), check or money order (in person or by mail to my office address), or through the use of the Cash App ($kaerensacraft) or PayPal (kaerensa@kaerensacraft.com). If using Paypal, please add 30 cents and 2.9% of the bill's total to cover Paypal's applicable fees.

Cancellation Policy

Upon agreeing to meet at a regular day and time each week, I ask patients to maintain financial responsibility for the session times, whether attended or not. This includes for planned absences discussed in advance, as well as unforeseen absences (e.g., illness). If you know in advance that you won’t be able to attend, and would like to try to reschedule the time, I will be happy to offer you whatever other times I may have available. However, I can’t guarantee that I will have another time available, or that I will have a time that works for your schedule. (I can offer phone sessions and/or online video sessions, either at the time of your session or for a rescheduled time, if you cannot attend in person.) For patients utilizing insurance to help pay for treatment, please be advised that I am not allowed to bill insurance companies for missed or canceled sessions. If you are unable to attend a session and we cannot find an alternative time, you will be responsible for the full cost of the session.

Insurance

I currently accept Medicare, Oxford, United HealthCare, United Behavioral Health, Optum, OSCAR, and SEIU1199. For all other insurance plans, I am an “out-of-network” provider, which means that your insurance plan needs to include out-of-network mental health benefits (also referred to as “behavioral health” benefits) to be applied to my services.  (Please note that some plans require initial authorization for treatment from your insurance company.  You may also be required to obtain periodic re-authorization. You should ask about this when you call to check your benefits, and to ask for initial authorization if that's required.)

OFFICE HOURS AND LOCATIONS

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Office hours are by appointment only. My office address is 1133 Broadway (at the southwest corner of 26th Street in Manhattan).  It is conveniently located in the Flatiron area of Manhattan, adjacent to Chelsea, Gramercy, and Midtown. The closest subway stop is the R/W at 28th Street and Broadway, followed by the 6 train at 28th Street and Park Avenue; the 1 train at 28th Street and 7th Avenue; and the M, F and Path trains at 23rd Street and 6th Avenue.  

ABOUT ME

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Throughout life, I have been interested in personality development and how we come to think and feel about ourselves and others in our lives.  With these issues in mind, I have steadily moved along a trajectory that has included interest in people and relationships. In 1995, I graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, focusing on social and demographic studies.  While there, I had the opportunity to participate in research projects examining conditions of a homeless community in Los Angeles.  Talking with people and hearing about their lives came very easily to me and became emotionally compelling. In 1999, I completed a Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University, concentrating in social policy affecting families and children while providing support services to families in the foster care system.  Over the next few years, I continued to work with people affected by social systems, particularly legal systems addressing issues of domestic abuse.  During this time, I had the unique experience of providing educational, mental health, and support services to both victims and perpetrators of relationship abuse, and gained a multi-faceted perspective about the dynamics of relationships, both healthy and unhealthy.  Since that time, I have continued to provide consultation services around working with victims and perpetrators of relationship abuse to various preventive services agencies and treatment programs around NYC. In 2002, I began working with individuals struggling with alcohol and chemical dependency problems at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, where I gained considerable clinical training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, and Motivational Interviewing with an excellent team of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. In 2008, I completed the requirements for Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC).  Since 2009, I have worked on various research studies investigating moderation-focused psychotherapy interventions for alcohol use disorders. To gain complementary perspectives and training, I pursued and completed a 2-year training program in 2005 in psychodynamic psychotherapy of adults at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education at NYU School of Medicine.  In 2014, I completed 3 years of intensive studies with the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies. In an effort to gain complementary perspectives and training, I pursued and completed a 2-year training program in 2005 in psychodynamic psychotherapy of adults at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education at NYU School of Medicine.  In the fall of 2011, I began studying at the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies, where I am presently engaged in continuing education.