Counseling/Therapy Service Menu:
Effective 2021
15 minute consultation: FREE
Please get in touch via email, text or phone message, and let me know a good time to reach you.
Intake/Assessment appointment: $95
Required prior to any therapy/counseling. Can be done in person or by video call. Expect to spend about 53m-1.5hrs at an intake appointment.1hr Individual Therapy Session: $150
Includes 53m talk, art therapy, etc. time in person, or by "live" phone or video call, plus my time for documentation & coordination of care.
Family or partners may also be included during individual sessions, as relevant, but only as a means to support the individual client.
Remote session:
~I am able to offer remote video call or phone-based sessions for clients within the State of Oregon.
I might be able to work with you if you're outside of Oregon, but I'll have to check with your State's Licensing Board prior to agreeing to "see" you.
~Video call or phone-based sessions cost the same as in-office sessions, and are treated the same as any other scheduled appointment (including 24-hr notice for cancellations).
~Remote sessions are not "anonymous." You will be asked to fill out intake paperwork and sign informed consent agreements electronically, or be able to print and mail in forms.
~Payment is due at the time of service, unless we have agreed on another arrangement. I can provide a superbill for you to send to your insurance company.
Please note that not all insurances cover remote therapy sessions. Call your insurance company for more info.
Low Income/Uninsured:
Medicaid/OHP - I am contracted to accept Medicaid. I am working to get "in network" with local CCO's (Trillium, PacificSource, Intercommunity Health) in 2021. I can accept Open Card Medicaid directly.
Uninsured, or uncovered- I am able to offer a "Reduced Fee Agreement" to help you be able to come to therapy, if you can't afford my full rate. Typically, most RFA's are between $30-70 per session, based on what you can pay.
You can also find me on Open Path Collective, a regional network of reduced-fee providers, HERE. (If you're an Open Path subscriber, please provide your referral# when contacting me to set up an appointment.)
Therapy Groups/Classes/Workshops/Presentations:
go to this page,
and/or subscribe to my blog
...to get the latest on group or presentation offerings, costs, and how to register.
Want to see me offer a support group, workshop or class on a specific topic? Please email with your suggestion. I might just take you up on it!
Want to have me offer an art therapy/art & healing workshop, class or presentation at your company or organization? Please call or email to discuss. I offer negotiable rates depending on whether you are non-profit, for-profit, or community-based.
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Professional Consultation/Records Management: $25 per hr**
**Clients who only need one copy of their case file for personal use will not be charged an hourly rate, but may be billed for copying & mailing costs.
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Insurance, Billing & Payment Methods
Things to Consider about Insurance, Fees, and Payments
Financial agreement: You will be asked to read and sign a financial agreement if you wish to retain services from me, which will spell out my current rates, methods of payment accepted, expectations, and any other terms & conditions. Please ensure you have read & understand these terms.
Payments Through a Third Party: If someone else (spouse, parent, etc). is paying for your treatment, you may need to sign a payment authorization, which gives me permission to talk to that person about financial matters related to your therapy. This person will be held to the same terms in a financial agreement as you are.
Out of Pocket Payments for the full amount are typically due at the time of service, unless we have both agreed otherwise, such as signing a discounted fee agreement.
Health Savings Accounts: I'm happy to accept payments from HSA's, however some HSA cards do not allow direct credit card transactions. In these cases, I will expect you to pay out-of-pocket, and will provide you a superbill to submit to the HSA for your reimbursement.
Invoices/receipts
These are sent out around the 21st of each month, to the email address you provide. I can mail a physical copy to an address you provide instead, at your request.Ways to Pay:
I can accept cash and personal checks. I can also receive digital/credit card payments either through Paypal, or through Ivy Pay, a confidential mobile payment system.For Paypal: I can run your card during our session, or you can go to the Paypal website HERE to pay online. Please make your payment to serena@sereneabundancemagic.com as a payment to a business.
For Ivy Pay: I use your mobile phone# to send a confidential link to set up your Ivy Pay account, which asks you to place a credit card on file. I can then run the card whenever you have a session or purchase a service.
By Mail: To pay your invoice by mail, please return a copy of the invoice/stub, your payment by check (DO NOT send cash) or your credit card info and payment amount, to the following address:
Serena Appel, LPC
1525 12th St., Suite 8
Florence, OR
97439
Please make sure to note which service or session your payment is going to!
Insurance- billing process
I am covered under most private insurance plans at the out-of-network rate. This is typically between 40-80% of my full fee. The remaining amount is your "co-pay".
As a courtesy, I can help verify what insurance coverage you may have prior to starting therapy. Before your first appointment, please provide:
-Name and phone# of the insurance
-Your name, as it appears on your insurance card
-Member ID#
-Your date of birth
-Your phone#
-If you are covered under a family member, also include their name and ph#
For standard claims, I am willing to bill insurance and navigate claim issues on your behalf. If your insurance can't accept a claim from my office, I will ask that you pay my full fee up front, and I will give you a superbill that you can send your insurance company to get reimbursed.
A word about Medicare
-I regret I CANNOT get paid through Medicare, as they only reimburse for therapists who are Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW).
I MAY be able to bill a secondary insurance plan (Medicaid or private insurance) if you have one in addition to your Medicare plan.
For those who are Medicare-only, CLICK HERE to search for addiction or mental/behavioral health providers in your area.
If you'd like to help advocate for providers like me to be able to bill Medicare, there's a "write your representative" campaign, organized through the American Counseling Association. Read more and add your name HERE.
Questions? Concerns? Feel free to contact me regarding any insurance/fee/payment matters.
