FAQ
Therapy Clients
How long does it take to schedule my first appointment with a therapist?
We do our best to match you with a therapist who fits your needs. The time it takes to schedule your first appointment depends on factors like insurance, your preferences, therapist specialties, and therapist availability. It takes approximately 3 days to a week to coordinate your initial appointment, which we attempt to schedule within 1-2 weeks after your initial contact with our intake department.
What can I expect from my initial consultation (first appointment) with my therapist?
The purpose for the initial consultation is to further determine that Bhava Therapy Group can meet your needs. During the time together, the therapist will gather more information from you about your current situation and your history so they can learn more about you. The initial consultation is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the therapist and how they work to determine if this is the best fit for you.
What happens during my first meeting with the therapist?
In the first meeting, the therapist will ask you questions to learn more about your current situation and background. They want to understand you better.
What if I don’t feel a connection with my assigned therapist? Can I switch to another therapist?
If you’re not connecting well with your assigned therapist, you may have the option to make a change. We strongly encourage you to talk to your therapist about what you feel is missing, and then reach out to our intake team to explore switching therapists. We’ll do our best to help, whether it means referring you to another therapist within our practice or suggesting a mental health professional outside our practice if needed.
How long will I be in therapy for?
The length of therapy is different for everyone. It depends on what you’re seeking help for, your goals, and how long the issue has been going on. Some people may only need a few months of therapy, while others might continue for a year or more. It’s important to regularly check in with your therapist to see how you’re doing and adjust your goals and treatment plan as needed.
Who do I contact if I am having technical issues regarding my virtual therapy appointment?
If you are experiencing technical issues regarding your teletherapy/virtual session, please contact your individual therapist right away and let them know. Their contact information will be provided to you in the initial session confirmation email.
Who do I contact if I am having any billing or payment issues?
Tiffany C. is our Director of Billing Services and she can be contacted via email at Tiffany@bhavatherapygroup.com or by calling our main phone number 646-389-5801 and selecting Option #2
Do you provide therapy in languages other than English?
Yes, we have therapists who are part of our team who are bilingual in the following languages: Spanish, Hebrew (and soon, French & Russian)
Do you accept my insurance?
We have therapists who are in network with the following health insurances: Aetna, Cigna, Healthfirst and Metroplus.
What is the difference between “In-Network” and “Out-of-Network”
Being “in-network” means that a therapist has an agreement or contract with your insurance company. This agreement allows the therapist to provide services to you at a reduced cost or with a portion of the fees covered by your insurance plan. In other words, if a therapist is in-network, it typically means they have a partnership with your insurance company to make therapy more affordable for you.
When a therapist is “out-of-network,” it means they don’t have a contract or agreement with your insurance company. This means that if you choose to see an out-of-network therapist, you will have to pay the full cost of the therapy sessions yourself. Some insurance plans allow you to submit a claim with a “superbill” to receive partial reimbursement for the expenses, but it’s important that you check with your insurance provider regarding their out-of-network coverage and reimbursement policies.
How do I learn what type of insurance coverage I have?
It is important for you, the client, to be informed about your health insurance coverage by calling your insurance company prior to seeking therapeutic services and ask the following questions:
Does my plan cover therapy or mental health services “in-network”?
If yes, do I have an “in-network” deductible (the amount I need to pay before insurance coverage kicks in)?
If I have an “in-network” deductible, What percentage of the therapy costs will be covered by my plan once the deductible is met?
How many sessions are covered per year?
Do I need pre-authorization for mental health services?
What is the “allowed amount” (the amount that an insurance company is willing to pay for a specific medical service)?
If your services are not “in-network” with my insurance plan, what is my “out-of-network” deductible (the amount I need to pay before my plan begins to reimburse)?
What percentage of the therapy costs will be covered once my deductible is met?
How do I submit claims for out-of-network services, and what is the process for reimbursement?
What is the cancellation policy?
If you or your child can’t make it to the scheduled appointment, please let your therapist know at least 48 hours ahead of time. If you cancel or reschedule with less than 48 hours’ notice, you will be responsible for a fee of $80 for individual sessions and $120 for couples or family sessions billed to the credit card on file, this includes cancellations for the initial appointment/consultation. If you do not show up for your appointment without giving any prior notice (no-show), you will be responsible for the same fee. We understand that emergencies can happen, so please inform us as soon as possible if you cannot make it. Understand that insurance does not cover cancelations and no-shows.
Why do you have a 48 hours cancellation policy?
Timely cancellations are important as they allow the therapist to offer the available appointment time to other patients/clients who may be waiting for an appointment. Similarly, when another patient/client fails to cancel within the 48-hour period or doesn’t show up, it impacts our ability to offer you an appointment.
What if I had a last minute emergency and couldn’t make it to my appointment?
We understand that unexpected things happen. If there’s an emergency or something urgent, please contact your therapist right away. Your therapist will do their best to work something out on a case-by-case basis, (contingent upon management approval)
What if I can’t commit to weekly therapy appointments right now?
It’s important for you to come to your appointments regularly so we can help you make progress. Meeting routinely gives you and your therapist a chance to build your therapeutic relationship and provides consistency to the work you are doing together. At times, after making some progress, you may wish to decrease the frequency of your therapy appointments. At such a time, please make sure to discuss the possibility of decreasing the frequency of your sessions with your therapist.
I lost my password to sign into the teletherapy portal, how do I reset it?
If you need a password reset to your therapy portal account, please contact your therapist right away. Your therapist will be able to send you a password reset email.
What is the No-Surprises Act and “Good Faith Estimate”?
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance to pay for their therapy an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) explaining how much your medical care will cost. Please email our Director of Billing, Tiffany Carter at Tiffany@bhavatherapygroup.com to receive a GFE worksheet.
Support Groups
How does an online support group work?
All participants who register for a particular online support group will receive a password protected Zoom link to join the support group from the comfort of their own home at the designated day and time. We ask all participants to keep their videos on during the duration of the group, which can be anywhere from 60-75 minutes, to enhance their sense of connection and build their relationship with other group members and the group leader.
Who do I contact to learn more about the Support Groups?
Send an email to supportgroups@bhavatherapygroup.com or call her direct line (551) 579-4053.
What if I want to sign up but can’t commit to attending all of the sessions?
In order to build connections with support group participants, and therefore enhance your experience in the support group, we ask that you do your best to attend every group session. If you have more specific questions, please connect support at the contact info above.
Can I use my health insurance coverage for the support group fee?
Health insurance is not accepted for support groups. While our support groups are led by licensed mental health clinicians, our support groups are led in a coaching format. This allows our support groups to be virtual and accessible to individuals across the country.
Do I have to be in therapy to join a support group?
No, you do not have to be in therapy to join a support group! Support groups are a safe space to explore your emotions and our groups are oftentimes geared towards a specific age group or topic that you have in common. If you have additional mental health support outside of the group that is great, though it is not a requirement to join a group.
Are payment plans available?
Yes, payment plans are available and can be discussed when you sign up for the group. Depending on each group, 1 or 2 sliding scale spots are also available if the full cost of the group is inaccessible.
Workshops
What is a workshop?
A workshop is a meeting that is devoted to the intensive exploration and study of a particular topic, issue or theme. All workshops hosted by Bhava Therapy Group are led by a licensed and skilled professional. Most workshops are scheduled for one meeting, but on occasion, a workshop might have two parts, meeting at two different times in entirety. A workshop on a specific focus provides participants the chance to enrich and deepen their understanding of that particular topic, learn new skills or practices and connect with others who have similar experiences and interests.
Who are workshops designed for?
Bhava Therapy workshops are designed for any member of the general population who would benefit from the deeper exploration of topics offered.
How does a workshop differ from a support group?
While both support groups and workshops offer the chance for participants to learn, grow and connect and heal, support groups meet regularly over a longer period of time requiring more of a commitment whereas a workshop meets just once, or at the most, twice.
Can I earn continuing education (CE) credit for a workshop?
Workshops are not approved, intended or designed to provide CE credit to any mental health professional who attends a workshop. Bhava Therapy Group is an accredited provider of continuing education nationally by the ASWB and NBCC, and in New York State by the NYSED, where such credit is awarded on the grounds that certain criteria are met in the development of each class. Our full list of continuing education classes can be found here https://www.bhavatherapygroup.com/continuing-education/
Do I have to be in therapy to join a support group?
No, you do not have to be in therapy to join a support group! Support groups are a safe space to explore your emotions and our groups are oftentimes geared towards a specific age group or topic that you have in common. If you have additional mental health support outside of the group that is great, though it is not a requirement to join a group.
What is the cancellation policy?
We understand that life is dynamic and things happen. As such, we provide a 24 hour cancellation policy for anyone who is registered that cannot make the scheduled workshop. In order to cancel your registration, please email info@bhavatherapygroup.com to indicate your need to cancel.
What is the refund policy if I can’t attend a workshop I already signed up for?
If you are unable to attend a workshop you have registered and paid for, please email info@bhavatherapygroup.com to submit your cancellation and refund request. We are able to provide a refund for the course fee however, we cannot refund any processing fees associated with the purchase of the workshop. Any cancellations or non-attendance to the workshop without a 24 hour notice will not be refunded.
What if I don’t have a credit card or paypal account to pay for the workshop?
To register for a workshop, payment is made at the time of registration and processed through paypal in which you are welcome to use either a credit card or a paypal account. If you do know you do not have either a credit card or a paypal account, please email Tiffany@bhavatherapygroup.com and she will further assist you in processing your registration.
CE Clients
How do I gain access to and sign up for continuing education classes?
All of our CE courses – Live Virtual & Pre-Recorded Self-Paced classes – are hosted on an online class platform called “THINKIFIC” This is a secure, password protected hosting platform that allows for protection and easy access to all of the courses and your course completion certificates you earn through your learning with us. The URL for the Bhava Therapy Group CE program is: https://bhava-therapy.thinkific.com/
Will I need to have a Thinkific account to take classes?
Yes. When you sign up for your first class with us, whether it is a Live-Virtual class or a Pre-recorded class, you will be prompted to enter a valid email address. The email address you use at this first point of registration and class purchase will be saved as your “username”. You will then be prompted to create a password. Save this email address and password, this will be your access to our online CE program.
Will I be able to see my past courses and future courses?
Yes, every class that you have taken and completed as well as future, upcoming courses you have registered will be saved in your personal, secure, password protected online class account.
I did not receive a link to the video session for the online class. How do I access the online Zoom class?
The Zoom link for the CE class is stored as a module within the class framework on the online class platform, so you will not receive an email with a Zoom link. You must sign into the Thinkific class platform at https://bhava-therapy.thinkific.com/ with your username and password. You will be prompted to read through each module and click complete before moving on to the next module. Once you reach the Zoom link module, it will be accessible from within the online course platform.
What if I lost my username and password to enter the online class platform?
Your password is what you designated as such at the time that you registered for the continuing education course. If you cannot remember your Password, please select the FORGOT PASSWORD button in the lower right corner of the SIGN UP page and follow the prompts.
If you cannot remember your Username, please email ce@bhavatherapygroup.com for further assistance.
I logged into the online course platform but can’t find the class(s) I’ve registered for?
If, once you go to the url https://bhava-therapy.thinkific.com/ and you do not see your name in the upper righthand corner of the page, please login again where it says SIGN IN in the upper righthand corner of the page and enter your username and password. Then select MY DASHBOARD from the menu which will bring you to the list of courses you have registered for.
I don’t know how to access either the posttest or the course evaluation?
Both the posttest and the course evaluation are included as individual modules in the course accessible through the link. You will return to the online course platform by visiting this url https://bhava-therapy.thinkific.com/ and using your personal email/username and password to sign in. Then you will select MY DASHBOARD to see a list of classes in your profile that you have either already completed, are in process or planned for the future. Select the course you need to complete the posttest and course evaluation for and then select RESUME COURSE. This will bring you back to the last course module you were active in. Press the COMPLETE AND CONTINUE button at the bottom to lead you to the next module to complete. You must COMPLETE AND CONTINUE on all previous modules prior to accessing the posttest and the course evaluation.
How do I obtain my certificate of completion after the course has ended?
After finishing both the Posttest and the Course Evaluation, you will receive a message congratulating you for completing the course and at the bottom of that message you can click the GET YOUR CERTIFICATE button and your CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION will be viewable, and you can choose to either COPY LINK or DOWNLOAD your Certificate of Completion. It will also be stored in your Personal Password Protected Bhava Therapy/Thinkific CE Course Account. You will also receive an email with a link to you certificate of completion.
What if I am licensed in two different states including NY and another state – Do I have to register twice?
If you are registered in NY as well as another state, please email our CE course administrator at ce@bhavatherapygroup.com so they can further assist you in obtaining dual certificates of completion, one for NY state and one for the other state you are licensed to practice in.