ONLINE THERAPY AND COUNSELING

Updated April 2023

Schedule a 20-minute free phone consult with me

New Client Paperwork

Returning Client Paperwork

Group Participants

Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an appointment, please email me at Melissa@MelissaLesterLCSW.com or book a 20-minute free telephone consultation above.  I am looking forward to connecting with you.

Telehealth Sessions
I currently offer Online Therapy and Counseling for Women in Georgia via HIPAA Compliant Zoom.  Each time we meet, you will receive a single-use link.  You may need to check your Spam/Junk folders the first time we meet.

In Person Sessions
I plan to return to in person sessions in the near future.  As soon as in person sessions are available to schedule, I will post all the relevant information here.  Thank you for your patience.

Email Communication
I currently use Hushmail, a HIPAA compliant email provider.  In order to receive and send Hushmail, you will need to establish a free account.  As a reminder, your emails are only as secure as your email provider.

Text
SMS texting is not HIPAA compliant.  Please use SMS texting only for schedule arrangements and do not include any private information.  If you choose to include private information in SMS text messages, you understand there can be no expectation of privacy.

Can We Work Together?
You must be a Georgia resident to schedule online or in-person therapy with me. (Currently I offer online appointments only.)
Georgia — Licensed Clinical Social Worker #CSW003082

Scheduling Hours
Weekdays
Monday through Thursday, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Weekends
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Fees and Billing
Planning for your financial investment in therapy is an important part of the process.  The cost should be comfortable and not increase your stress level.  I am happy to meet at any time interval you like, though I encourage you to plan for not less than every 10 – 14 days in the beginning of our work together, and to schedule accordingly.  

You may use Flexible Spending Accounts, Healthcare Savings Accounts, debit cards, or credit cards to make payments.  While I do not accept insurance, I am happy to provide you with a Superbill.  For more about Superbills, please see below.

I use JaneApp and Stripe to process my professional fees.   “ML.LCSW” will appear on your statement. 

Therapy          $240/hr
Forms             $120/hr

How Much Will Your Insurer Reimburse You?
If you have Out-of-Network benefits, contact your insurance company and ask:

  1. Does your policy include Mental Health / Behavioral Health Out-of-Network benefits?
  2. What dollar amount do they consider “Usual & Customary” for a “90837” in your Zip Code?
  3. What percentage of this “Usual & Customary” fee will you be reimbursed?
  4. What is the exact dollar amount you will be reimbursed per session?
  5. How soon can you expect to be reimbursed for each session?

Superbill Instructions
Find any Superbill link above and use it to complete the information and submit to my Billing Manager as directed.  
Superbills are completed and returned on most Mondays.

2-Day | 48 Hour Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy
Please note that I do require a minimum 48-hour notice for cancellations and rescheduling.  Because your appointment time is held exclusively for you, it cannot be made available to others.  Appointments cancelled within 48-hours are billed at full fee.  Please consider whether your particular schedule is compatible with my Cancellation Policy.  I appreciate your understanding. 

Social Media Policy
I maintain a professional presence only on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.  Postings on these platforms are for my professional purposes and your informational purposes only.  For your privacy, safety and protection, I do not accept invitations or connect with clients, potential clients or former clients on social media platforms of any kind.

Live Social Media Policy – I have not, and do not, participate in chat rooms, bulletin boards, Reddit, YouTube Comments or any form of interactive social media.  If you believe you have seen my photo and/or comments on any interactive platforms, unfortunately, these are the result of digital identity theft, fraud and impersonation, a violation of the 1998 US Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act.

Contact Me
For the promptest response, please contact me via HIPAA compliant email (Melissa@MelissaLesterLCSW.com).
You are also welcome to leave me a voice mail (770-313-7768) but this will delay my response time significantly.

Visit me on:

Psychology Today

EFT International

Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology

Time Magazine Online

Tapping for Your Health (Natural Awakenings 1)

New Nonprofit to Promote, Spread EFT (Natural Awakenings 2)

Tapping Classes Offered in Decatur (Natural Awakenings 3)

Melissa Lester, LCSW

© melissalesterlcsw.com 2023

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