I’m interested in seeking treatment. What’s next?

We’d love to hear from you! Please submit an inquiry here, or leave us a confidential voicemail at 253-434-4220. Within about one week, you will hear back from our intake team to do an initial phone screen (about 15-20 minutes), where we can gather a bit more information about what you are seeking help with and we can answer questions you have about our program. If you are interested in our services after that initial call, and if we believe we are well-suited to helping with your needs, we will schedule an initial intake appointment (either via zoom or in-person) for 90 minutes to complete a thorough assessment, and then we will match you to one of our clinicians.

The first 2-4 sessions are assessment and treatment planning, and you will be provided extensive information about DBT so that you can make an informed decision prior to committing to the program. We encourage you to ask questions to determine whether DBT generally, our program specifically, and your assigned individual clinician are good fits for you.

Do you take insurance?

The current healthcare system makes access to sustainable, effective healthcare extremely difficult for clients and deeply undervalues the time, emotional labor, and massive financial investments made by clinicians to provide therapy. Further, DBT is a highly specialized treatment, requiring extensive training and elements of treatment that are not standard in other outpatient models, including therapist consultation team and as-needed phone coaching. Therefore, in order to pay our clinicians a living wage and a wage that honors their hard work and specialization, we are unable to be paneled with any insurance companies. Therefore, the clinic and your individual clinician are considered “out-of-network” providers.

However, you may be reimbursed by your insurance company for a substantial portion of therapy costs. You may also use an HSA or FSA card, if you have one, to pay for services at DBT Center of Tacoma.

Some clients are able to advocate to their insurance company to be reimbursed for comprehensive DBT at in-network rates, which is called a single case agreement or benefit level exception, based on the reality that there are in some cases no and in most cases very limited comprehensive DBT provided in-network with insurance (due to the factors described above). Our program was founded by DBT-LBC certified clinicians. You can find helpful resources for advocating to insurance here.

We strongly encourage you to consult with your insurance coverage prior to seeking care. Below are some relevant billing (procedure) codes:​

90791: Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation

90837: 55-60 minutes of psychotherapy

90853: Group therapy

90849: Multifamily Group therapy

Questions to ask your insurance company:

• Am I eligible for out-of-network therapy? 

• (If relevant) Am I eligible for these services to be delivered via telehealth (i.e., modifier 95 after the above codes)?

• What is my deductible?

• Will you reimburse for services provided by a clinician with an associate license (LMHCA or LSWAIC) under the supervision of a licensed psychologist?

• What percentage of the provider’s fee is reimbursed?

• Do I have any limits to my out-of-network coverage (e.g., # visits)?

• What is the allowable amount for each procedure code?
  

What are your fees?

Intake evaluation (90 minutes): $300

Individual therapy session (typically 55 minutes) fees depend on the clinician you see:

• Master’s interns (current pursuing their degree): $85

• Master’s fellows (post-degree, have associate license): $150

• Post-doctoral fellows (have doctoral degree and associate license): $175

• Independently licensed clinician: $175-200

• Founders (Dr. Hunter and Dr. LoTempio): $300

Adult skills group (2 hours): $125

Multifamily skills group (2 hours): $200 (covers tuition for adolescent and 1-2 parents/guardians)

You will receive a detailed Fee Agreement with additional information during the informed consent process.

​For comprehensive DBT you can anticipate weekly individual therapy and weekly skills group for 6-12 months. You will receive a Good Faith Estimate covering expected total costs in the early phase of treatment.

Do you provide in-person services? Do you offer telehealth/virtual services (such as via zoom)?

We are able to offer both in-person services in Ruston, WA for those who are able to reach our office, and we are also able to provide HIPAA-secure telehealth services via Zoom (or similar platform) for those who prefer this option. We know that one way of doing therapy doesn’t work for everyone. Part of our mission is to increase the accessibility of DBT, which is a highly specialized treatment that has historically been unavailable to most Washington residents due to geographical limitations. As long as you are located in the state of Washington, we would be happy to work with you virtually.

What ages do you work with?

We are able to work with clients 13 and up, including adults of all ages.

Do you prescribe medications?

We do not currently have a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner on staff for medication management. However, we are happy to provide referrals and to work in conjunction with your medical treatment team throughout your therapy.