Yes, if you are based in California, you can use your HSA and PPO insurance benefits at our office. If you are based outside of California, you can only use your HSA to pay for services.

If you have a health savings account (HSA), just let us know when you book your first appointment and we'll charge your sessions to your HSA account.

For California clients, if you'd like to use your PPO insurance, please call your insurance company and ask what your rate of reimbursement is when you work with Dr. Kathy Nickerson, licensed psychologist - PSY20446. If you have an HMO or other type of insurance, you might have marriage counseling benefits. Please call your insurance company and ask what coverage you have to see an out-of-network provider. They will let you know what your options are at that time.

How using your insurance works:

We will chat and at the end of the session, you will be responsible for payment. We will then email you a superbill that you can print and send directly to your insurance company. Your insurance company will then reimburse you at the rate they discussed with you when you called them. Superbills are only available to clients within California.

Important privacy note:

Please know that when you use your insurance benefits, I am required to give you a diagnosis on the superbill that goes to your insurance company. I almost always give the following diagnosis to couples who see me for couples counseling: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z63.0 - Problems in relationship with spouse or partner.

Why some therapists don't take insurance directly:

Many therapists do not take health care insurance and there are several reasons why. Insurance companies require therapists to give you a mental disorder diagnosis in order to pay for your counseling. Most people don't have a mental disorder, so many therapists feel it is unethical to give them a diagnosis. Insurance companies also put profound restrictions on what types of services they will cover, many do not cover marriage counseling or family counseling. Insurance companies also regulate how many sessions you may have, what types of treatment you should have in those sessions, and the companies often reserve the right to review your medical record. Most therapists find these practices to be very inappropriate. A final reason why many therapists decline to take insurance is because the diagnosis they are required to give you becomes a permanent part of your medical record and that medical record may be accessed by anyone who has the legal right to see it. This severely jeopardizes your confidentiality. I'm happy to chat with you further about this if you'd like to know more, just ask me.