Notices to Clients as Required By California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Here’s some required info to share with you:

I am licensed through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Marriage and Family Therapist “LMFT”. We renew our licenses every two years, satisfying continuing education requirements and maintaining good standing. My license is #139245 and will be up for renewal 4/30/2027.

I am also licensed through the Virginia Department of Health Professions – Board of Counseling, LMFT #0717002651. My license is in good standing and will be up for renewal 6/30/2027.

I am currently inactive, but in good standing, with the State Bar of California, which licenses attorneys. My Bar number is #233201.

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences has multiple required notices to prospective and ongoing clients, as follows:

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT: The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of (marriage and family therapists, licensed educational psychologists, clinical social workers, or professional clinical counselors). You may contact the board online at http://www.bbs.ca.gov or by calling (916) 574-7830. Board of Behavioral Sciences 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S-200 Sacramento, CA 95834. To file a complaint electronically: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/mainMenu.do

NOTICE OF GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE: Pursuant to the No Surprises Act (HR133, Title 45 Section 149.610), this form is used to provide a current or prospective client with a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) of expected charges for services to be provided. This template is a hybrid of ones recommended by several therapist professional associations.

You are entitled to receive this “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) of what the charges could be for psychotherapy services provided to you. While it is not possible for a psychotherapist to know, in advance, how many psychotherapy sessions may be necessary or appropriate for a given person, the GFE provides an estimate of the cost of services provided. Your total cost of services will depend upon the number of psychotherapy sessions you attend, your individual circumstances, and the type and amount of services that are provided to you. This estimate is not a contract and does not obligate you to obtain any services from the provider(s) listed, nor does it include any services that may be recommended during treatment to you that are not identified here.

The Good Faith Estimate is not intended to serve as a recommendation for treatment or a prediction that you may need to attend a specified number of psychotherapy visits. The number of visits that are appropriate in your case, and the estimated cost for those services, depends on your needs and what you agree to in consultation with your therapist. You are entitled to disagree with any recommendations made to you concerning your treatment and you may discontinue treatment at any time.

The fee for a 50 minute psychotherapy visit (in person or via telehealth) is listed in my Informed Consent document which is part of my intake process. Most clients will attend one psychotherapy visit per week, but the frequency of psychotherapy visits that are appropriate in your case may be more or less than once per week, depending upon your needs.

You have a right to dispute a bill if the actual amount charged to you substantially exceeds the estimated charges stated in your GFE (which means any amount charged per hour that exceeds your therapist’s current hourly rate which holds the status of estimated charges). Initiating the dispute process will not adversely affect the quality of services rendered to you. You may contact the health care provider or facility listed to let them know the billed charges are higher than the GFE. You can ask them to update the bill to match the GFE, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available. You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill. There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this GFE. If the agency disagrees with you, you will have to pay the higher amount. To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to http://www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS at (800) 368-1019. Keep a copy of your GFE in a safe place or take pictures of it. You may need it if you are billed a higher amount.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This website may be construed as “attorney advertising” simply because my credentials note that I have a law degree and inactive membership to the California Bar. Please note that I am no longer practicing law. The transmission of information from this website to and/or from you is not intended to create, nor does it create, an attorney-client relationship between me, Axis Mundi, and you. None of the information contained here constitutes legal advice, and this website is intended solely as marketing for the therapeutic services offered. No legal services are offered or available.