75. Financial & Billing Conversations in Therapy: Expert Tips from Jordan and Steve

11/13/24 • 44 min

Welcome to the Therapist Thrival Guide! In this episode we are joined by clinic directors Jordan Mealey, LPCC and Steve Drzewoszewski, LICSW.

Our guests share valuable insights on how therapists can comfortably handle financial discussions with clients, the importance of early and consistent communication, and tips for ensuring both therapist and client are on the same page.

Learn about effective strategies, the significance of understanding insurance plans, and how to navigate difficult conversations, ensuring financial clarity without compromising the therapeutic relationship. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 02:34 Billing and Balances: An Essential Discussion 03:24 Navigating Insurance and Administrative Tasks 08:28 Therapists' Worth and Financial Conversations 16:24 Clinic Policies and Client Communication 22:36 Navigating Insurance Challenges with New Clients 23:03 Proactive Communication Strategies 24:07 Importance of Early Insurance Verification 25:58 Handling High Deductible Plans 26:18 Approaching Difficult Conversations 27:12 End-of-Year Reviews and Insurance Changes 28:49 Supporting Therapists in Financial Discussions 31:16 Practical Tips for Financial Conversations 40:06 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's still a bit new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from ⁠Ellie Mental Health⁠. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. Ellie will be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide with new clinics opening each week. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mentalhealth

Welcome to the Therapist Thrival Guide! In this episode we are joined by clinic directors Jordan Mealey, LPCC and Steve Drzewoszewski, LICSW.

Previous Episode

74. The Science of Gratitude: How It Transforms Mental Health

In this episode of Therapist Thrival Guide, therapists Miranda and Letisha delve into the science of gratitude. As Thanksgiving approaches, they discuss research studies that showcase the significant mental health benefits of gratitude practices, including:

improved mood
reduced anxiety and depression
better sleep

We're sharing practical ways therapists can infuse gratitude into their sessions, and offer tips for families and individuals to incorporate gratitude into daily life. The episode highlights various gratitude exercises, journaling techniques, and meaningful activities to promote a positive mindset.

Links:

Gratitude is My Superpower Book

Gratitude Jar Book

Science of Gratitude Article

Watch this interview on Youtube

Gratitude 5 Senses Meditation

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of THRIVING by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for over three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life and at Ellie. She's the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from ⁠Ellie Mental Health⁠. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. Ellie will be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide with new clinics opening each week. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mentalhealth

Next Episode

76. Eating Disorders: Myths, Realities, and Treatment Approaches

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Robyn Janssen, Vice President of Clinical Programs at Ellie, and guest Tiffany Farrar, a certified eating disorder specialist and owner of Confluence Counseling.

The discussion revolves around:

Recognizing the symptoms of disordered eating and eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID, and effective treatment modalities.

Insights on family-based treatment and the importance of collaboration with dietitians and other healthcare providers.

Practical advice for therapists on approaching clients with disordered eating patterns is also discussed.

OUR GUESTS

Dr. Robyn Janssen PsyD, LP, has over 20 years experience in the mental health field. She has extensive clinical experience in outpatient, intensive programming, residential and inpatient levels of care. Dr. Janssen is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and a National Registered Health Service Psychologist. Her clinical interests are anxiety disorders, eating disorders and OCD. Dr. Janssen is certified in Exposure Response Prevention by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. She also is passionate about leadership development, teaching, facilitating trainings and CEUs, and program development.

Tiffany Farrar, LPCC has over thirteen years of experience in the mental health field working with adolescents and adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Tiffany earned her bachelor’s degree in Community Sports and Recreation, and has a Master's of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, both from Henderson State University. Additionally, she has a Master’s in Applied Sport Psychology at Adams State University with the goal of becoming a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Tiffany has a passion for working with athletes of all types on developing mental strength. She is also available to work collaboratively with teams on mental performance and building mental strength.

In her spare time, Tiffany is an avid trail runner, enjoys spending time with her dogs, and loves playing board games with her family.

This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's still a bit new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from ⁠Ellie Mental Health⁠. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with an office in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. Ellie will be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide with new clinics opening each week. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mentalhealth⁠