alex@communicationforcouples.com

15 East Main St, Ste 302

Westminster, MD  21157

(443) 974-8868 

 

Counseling for Couples and Families

           Alexandra Goerl Rickeman, LCMFT

Counselor in Westminster, MD providing marriage counseling and family therapy

...helping you stop fighting and start talking...

You can call me at (443) 974-8868  or email me at alex@communicationforcouples.com. We can discuss your hopes for therapy and whether I am the therapist who is best suited to help you. 

I offer sessions that are 50- minutes in length.

 

I also offer extended couples sessions that are 90-minutes in length.

FAQs

Yes.    This website will soon include a calendar showing my availability.   Until then, you can call or email me regarding the dates and times I have openings.

 

Do you have evening or weekend hours available for counseling appointments?

How long are your counseling sessions ?

What is your fee ?

As a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), I have been specifically trained in understanding the ways in which individuals are affected by and function with each other.  I work with the belief that all individuals function within various systems that affect them.  Examples can be: the neighborhood, the work environment, extended family, nuclear family, children’s school, faith organization, etc. 

Included in this systems perspective is the view of the couple relationship as a system that is constantly changing from the interaction of the individuals, personality characteristics, work, family history, past experiences, and current circumstances. 

When I work with individuals, my point of view remains as I see all individuals as part of a larger relational, familial, and social system.

A “Marriage and Family Therapist”(LCMFT) is different than a Professional Counselor (LCPC) or Social Worker ( LCSW-C).  A “Marriage and Family Therapist” is different than a LCPC or LCSW-C who specializes in couple counseling and family therapy.  The training we receive as Marriage and Family Therapists differs in significant ways.  If you are curious about the differences, please feel free to ask me during our phone consultation.

If you would like to know about Marriage and Family Therapists, please visit the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Frequently Asked Questions page.  This site provides a great deal of information about the training, practice, and qualifications of MFTs as well as information about the nature, outcomes, and quality of the therapy MFTs provide.

You are a Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT). What does that mean and how is it different than other therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrist, etc?

My fee for 50-minute sessions is 100 dollars.

My fee for extended 90-minute couples sessions is 155 dollars.  I offer this discounted rate for extended sessions in order to encourage couples to choose these sessions.  In my experience, this length of time is more effective and helpful for couples wishing to improve their ability to communicate.

 

 

 

 

How can I figure out whether or not you can help me?

Do you accept insurance to cover the costs of counseling?

As a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT), costs of counseling services will be eligible for reimbursement through your “out of network benefits.”   I am considered an “out of network provider.”   While I will not bill your insurance directly, I can provide a summary sheet for you to submit for reimbursement from your insurance company and/or for reimbursement from your Flex Spending Account if you have this benefit through your employer. 

 

I do not bill insurance directly for several important reasons.  I want you to be informed about the risks and benefits of using your insurance for therapy services.

1) Insurance companies commonly do not cover the cost of couples counseling under “in network benefits.”

2) In order to bill your insurance, I would have to give you (or your partner or child, depending on the circumstances) a mental disorder diagnosis.

3) Commonly, it is not possible for me to diagnose someone with a mental disorder.  The majority of the couples and families I help do not have mental disorder diagnoses.  Instead, they have difficulty communicating, solving problems, and getting along.

4) I would also need to communicate with the insurance company about a) your mental disorder diagnosis, b) your progress, and c) your continued need for therapy.  Then someone or several people at the insurance company would decide whether or not to cover the cost.  

5) I value the confidentiality that counseling provides to you and I am not comfortable with the idea of the insurance company knowing about our discussions and experiences in counseling.   I believe that your concerns and progress are ‘our business’ and, as such, do not participate in the “in network provider” system of insurance companies.