Garden City Therapy LCSW PLLC answers frequently asked questions about psychotherapy services

You can complete an appointment request form Here page. The form includes basic information, some billing details so we can check your insurance if we accept it, and the reason for your visit.

After we receive your form, we will reach out by email and offer you an appointment. Once a time is agreed upon, we will quote your billing information and send a required intake and billing form to complete in order to confirm the appointment.

Once the completed document is returned, we will send a confirmation email with the appointment details and any telehealth link if applicable.

See more details on our Insurance & Fees page.

The first meeting is an Intake session that runs about 50 minutes. Your therapist will ask more about what brings you to therapy and begin exploring this with you. While some aspects of therapy may occur in this first meeting, they will also ask structured questions to gain a broader picture and ensure important areas are covered.

At your following sessions, your therapist will get to know you further and therapy will begin to unfold more naturally. Although all therapists treat routine mental health concerns and practice similar treatment modalities, they each bring their own personality, experience, and pace.

Over time they may tailor aspects of their style if they feel it may help — and please feel free to let them know what may work better for you.

For reputable information on psychotherapy in general, you may visit:
• National Institute of Mental Health – Psychotherapies
• American Psychological Association – About Psychotherapy

Yes. As long as we feel we remain an appropriate overall fit and have availability, you may ask to meet with a different therapist. You can ask the therapist directly or reach out to scheduling.

While many clients prefer staying with their first therapist — and while the newness of therapy can sometimes feel awkward — we believe it is important to feel a “click.”

You can view our clinicians here:
Meet Our Team

Appointments are 45 minutes and usually once a week. If you would like to meet more than once weekly, you can ask your therapist for their thoughts — they may feel it is best to build toward that gradually — and we would also need to see if they have availability and if your insurance allows it.

For cost or insurance limits, visit: Insurance & Fees.

One of our goals at Garden City Therapy is to make therapy as financially accessible as possible. Our private-pay rate is $80 per session, which is significantly lower than typical private practice fees in many parts of Long Island and New York City.

If you will be using insurance, we work with many commercial plans and managed Medicaid plans. We also aim to be mindful of budget, consistency, and sustainability, and can help you understand what to expect financially before you commit to ongoing sessions.

If cost is a concern, you can mention this on your appointment request form so we can walk you through your options. For more information, please see our Insurance & Fees page.

We accept many commercial insurance plans (such as various Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, United/Oxford/UMR/Optum, Aetna, Cigna, and others), as well as certain managed Medicaid plans such as Healthfirst and Fidelis.

Once you send us your insurance information through the appointment request form, we verify your benefits and explain what your copay, coinsurance, or deductible responsibility will be before your first session.

If you have an out-of-network plan, we can help you understand your reimbursement options so you can make an informed decision about how to use your benefits.

It often can be. Many people are surprised to learn that their out-of-network benefits (for example with NYSHIP or certain PPO plans) can significantly reduce their cost. In some cases, your final cost after reimbursement can be similar to an in-network copay and for this insurance we can usually match your copay.

If you have out-of-network coverage, we can help you check your deductible, estimate your per-session cost, and understand how reimbursement might work. We can also help you submit claims when appropriate so you can use your benefits as easily as possible.

For a general overview of health insurance terms, you can visit our page on Understanding Insurance Deductibles and Copays