My expectation for our work together is that we’ll meet weekly at at a consistent appointment time and work toward your treatment goals. Each session will last for about 50-55 minutes. I encourage meeting with me for 3 appointments to see if we feel like a good fit. It’s important to find the best therapist for you, and I want to support you in finding this. I am happy to provide referrals to therapists who align more with your style and needs.

Once we are scheduled, I will send you an invite from Simple Practice, which is the portal I use for paperwork. Before we can meet, you’ll be asked to complete consent forms and a questionnaire about what brings you in for therapy - those forms typically take about 20 minutes for new clients.

For billing, I use either Simple Practice (for those with BCBS & United/Optum), or Headway (for those with Cigna & Aetna). If you have Cigna or Aetna, I’d send you an additional portal invite from Headway to enter your insurance information.

If weekly attendance is challenging, we can move to biweekly appointments once we’ve built a strong therapeutic relationship. As you move closer to your goals, some clients choose to continue with weekly sessions for ongoing support, while others prefer to transition to biweekly appointments, or schedule appointments as needed. My hope is to offer flexibility and prioritize your mental health needs, while honoring both of our schedules.

Feel free to email me through this website, Psychology Today, or directly (elizabeth@songbirdcounseling.net). I’ll get back to you to let you know if I have any openings and we can see if our schedules align. From there, we can schedule your first session and explore the best approach to support your needs.

Most clients use their insurance to help make therapy more affordable. You can check your behavioral health benefits to see if you have a copay or co-insurance. I currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, and United HealthCare/Optum. Most co-pays range from $10-50/session, and it fully depends on your insurance plan.

If you do not have insurance or will not be covered at the start of therapy, the out-of-pocket cost is $150 for the first two sessions, then $135 for the rest of sessions. If you have any questions or concerns about affording therapy, please reach out so we can explore options that best meet your financial needs.

I accept PPO plans from the following insurances:

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)

Aetna

Cigna

United Health Care (UHC) / Optum

For your first session, it can be helpful to think about what brought you to therapy, any goals you might have, or questions you’d like to ask. I typically spend the first session understanding your goals, current concerns, and your mental health history. We’d also create a plan for therapy that feels safe and supportive for you.

Prior to your first session, you’ll need to complete all of your intake paperwork at least 48 hours in advance. We’ll review a few parts of the paperwork when we meet.

Please reach out to me via email (elizabeth@songbirdcounseling.net) to let me know if you need to cancel for the week and/or would like to see if it’s possible to reschedule. I am only able to offer rescheduling options when I have a cancellation, so it is widely variable each week. Therefore, please let me know if you need to cancel or reschedule with as much notice as possible so I can try to accommodate your schedule, but be aware that I cannot guarantee the option to reschedule in any given week.

My cancellation policy is outlined in the section at the top of the page. A late cancellation or no-show (defined as cancelling with less than 24 hrs notice), without rescheduling within the same week, will result in a $80 charge. Please see separate page at the top of this site to learn more details.

Oak Brook: 1550 Spring Rd, Ste 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523

Oak Park: 1100 Lake St, Ste 255A, Oak Park, IL 60301