• Does Dr. Tani take insurance?

Dr. Tani does not accept insurance; her practice is currently self-pay only.   As an out-of network mental health provider, she gladly provides her clients with the documentation required by insurance companies for reimbursement purposes, such that they may submit it directly to their insurance company.  Insurance companies sometimes call this itemized receipt a 'statement for insurance reimbursement' or 'superbill'.  Please note that reimbursement rates vary significantly depending on insurance company and individual plan, so you might wish to call your insurance company regarding out-of-network mental health benefits on your individual plan.

 

• What ages does Dr. Tani work with?

Dr. Tani is specialized in working with school-age children and adolescents.  In addition, she works with college students and young adults, as well as with individuals who are on the autism spectrum across the life span.  When there is a developmental concern, Dr. Tani is able to consult with parents of toddlers as young as 18 months to assist with behavior management as well as for autism spectrum evaluation.

• What is the cost per session?

• Does Dr. Tani offer a sliding fee or reduced rates?

In addition to working directly with clients, Dr. Tani supervises doctoral level practicum students who have received a Master in Education (M.Ed) degree in School Psychology and are pursuing their PhD studies in School Psychology at Texas A&M University.  These doctoral-level students  are on their final year of coursework at A&M, having received extensive training and direct experience in assessment and treatment of children and adolescents .  They offer therapy/counseling services to school-age clients (after school) for a reduced fee, under her supervision.  For practicum student availability and rates, please contact Dr. Tani.

 

• What is the intake process like/ How do I get started?

Parents (and clients 18 and older) may request an appointment through the contact form.  Prior to requesting a new appointment, please be sure to review information on this page to answer any questions you may have regarding insurance, services and fees.  In response to your new client appointment request, Dr. Tani will reach out to you.  She will send you the intake forms electronically through her secure online client portal, including consent forms and background information questions.  Dr. Tani will thoroughly review this documentation prior to the first session to help make the most efficient use of your time together.

 

• What if I am an adolescent younger than 18 and would like to make an appointment?

 

• How does the intake process work for clients who are 18 or older, including college students and young adults?

If you are 18 or older you may request a new appointment through the contact form.  If you are the parent of a prospective client who is 18 years old or older, please know that the appointment request must be made directly by your child, as they have reached the legal age of consent for counseling.

 

• If the appointment is for a child, who should come to the first appointment?

Generally, if the therapy/assessment is for a child age 12 or younger, only the parents are asked to come to the first appointment.  This is a good time to talk freely without fear of making the child uncomfortable by talking about him/her in their presence.  During the second session, either the parent and the child come in together or the child can come in independently.  Dr. Tani spends all of this second session getting to know the child and helping them feel comfortable in the office. 

If the therapy/assessment is for an adolescent (age 13 to 17), depending on individual circumstances, attending the first session together could work well.  A parent/guardian is required to be present for the first session for clients younger than 18.

 

• What can I expect from my initial session?

During the first session, Dr. Tani will collect detailed information about the reason you are seeking help and about goals you hope to reach working together.  At the end of the first session, she will offer recommendations and/or a plan for how to work on the concern that brought you to her office.  As part of the intake process, Dr. Tani may administer standardized rating scales (parent, teacher, and/or child self-report) to help increase her understanding of the client's levels of functioning across a variety of areas.  Data obtained through rating scales is frequently useful for a variety of purposes, including diagnostic clarification, treatment planning and/or progress monitoring. 

• Do I (or does my child) need to have a clinical diagnosis or a 'severe' problem to make an appointment?

• How long do the sessions last?

A typical first session lasts for 60 minutes. A subsequent session lasts for 50 minutes.  Post session, at least ten minutes are spent on session documentation and treatment planning.