FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We understand that you would like to use your health insurance (after all you pay a high premium to have it) for your relational care at The Center for Relationships. However, we had to make the hard decision to not be “in-network” for any of the major insurance companies in Texas. This is primarily because relational care (especially couples and family therapy) is not covered by most insurance plans. In order to accept insurance, we would also need to diagnose one of you with a major psychological disorder in order to qualify for reimbursement and we often find that our work is not focused on diagnoses or pathology but on helping people solve problems of living that cause stress and distress without any underlying mental illness. We honor the fact that psychological disorders are real and people need help and treatment for them. However our focus is strengths-based, relational in paradigm and collaborative in approach which means that we don’t provide medical treatment for individual pathology.

Another reason we do not bill health insurance is because it requires a lot of advance verification of benefits, billing and re-submitting for denials, and managing insurance contracts. We are a small collaborative practice where we do not have the volume of insurance work or the staff to handle the workload. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask your therapist about this.

What if your insurance will reimburse for “out-of-network” (OON) benefits? Please reach out to your insurance company directly to find out what procedures and codes they will reimburse for and how much. Often OON amounts are less than 50% of the cost and require your therapist to give one or both of you a diagnosis, focus treatment on the diagnosis, and are subject to audits and detailed scrutiny of records. You might want to consider whether you want your relational care to become part of your medical record which might affect future health decisions or costs.

We understand this can be frustrating and disappointing. This is why we offer sliding scale and low cost therapy suited to your budget. Our trained interns can see you for same cost as your out of pocket costs on most insurance plans. Please note that only fully licensed therapists can give you a superbill for their services and insurance companies do not reimburse for licensed associates or graduate interns..

Our rates typically fall between $85-$200/hour depending on the licensure, training, and years of experience. Dr. Vagdevi Meunier, our founder and licensed psychologist charges substantially more for her sessions. Please email support@drvagdevi.com for specific information on her rates. All associates at The Center for Relationships negotiate their own fees with their clients so please make sure to ask about their fees and sliding scale slots during your first consultation meeting.

Yes, we do. Our associates set their own fees and are able to offer a lower fee if they have openings. Please ask your therapist at the first consultation meeting. Additionally, you may choose to work with one of our trained Graduate Interns at a more affordable rate. If you require financial assistance, please reach out to our intake coordinator at contact@thecenter4relationships.com for more information.

Yes. As long as your HSA card can be run like a traditional credit card, you can use it to pay for your appointments.

Yes, many of our therapists have availability in the evenings and on the weekends. If this is something you are interested in, please let our intake coordinator or your therapist know about your wish to have an evening or weekend appointment. These are highly sought after time slots so please make sure to book recurring appointments with your therapist to hold theses spots for you.

In most cases the first session is a 30-minute free consultation. If you would like to book a full paid session, please let us know when completing your registration and we will set it up for you. The first consultation is your opportunity to meet the therapist who you have been matched with, discuss the process of therapy, go over paperwork and fees, and discuss your hopes and goals for therapy. Please bring up any questions or concerns you might have so you can make sure your therapist is a good fit for your needs. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the fit or approach of your therapist during the first consultation, please reach out and request to be matched with a different therapist (we don’t take it personally!) We want you to feel safe, comfortable, and well matched with a therapist who can help with your unique needs.

Yes. All of our therapists offer virtual sessions via telehealth. Learn more about our telehealth services here.

Some of our therapists take appointments in person. We currently have two office locations in Austin, TX in Westlake, and Northwest Austin. We also have a part-time office in Houston. As we expand and grow, we will be adding more in-person offices. Please indicate your preference for in-person sessions and your preferred location on your intake paperwork.

Yes. Please indicate your preference on your intake form. If you would like some help choosing a therapist, or the therapist you would like to work with isn’t available, we are happy to help you find your best match. Rates and availability vary for each therapist. Visit our team page to learn more about all of our therapists.

Graduate Student Intern: A Graduate Student Intern is a therapist who is currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited college or university. They are working towards completing 300 hours of counseling in a supervised practicum experience. All of our graduate interns are well trained and supervised by highly experienced therapists.

Post Graduate Licensed Associate: Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFT-A). A post graduate associate is a therapist who has completed a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited college or university and is working towards full licensure under the guidance of board-approved licensed supervisor. Many of our post-graduate associates bring 2-3 years of experience in counseling or a related field before they become part of our team.

LPC or LMFT Therapist: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). An LPC/LMFT is a therapist who has 3 or more years of experience. Fully licensed therapists are independent practitioners which means they no longer need supervision, can set their own schedule, and typically specialize in one ore more modalities of therapy.

Licensed Psychologist: A licensed psychologist has completed a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) and several years of clinical practice prior to licensure. Licensed psychologists have advance education, training, and expertise in more serious psychological conditions.