SMDC PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FAQ

SMDC is in-network with various insurance companies.  Medicare, Medicaid, Molina, and UnitedHealthcare to name a few.  

SMDC is happy to work with you should you wish to seek reimbursement from your health insurance for out-of-network services.

Please message us through the "Contact" tab or schedule an introductory meeting to inquire about your specific insurance. 

SMDC Accepts major credit cards - Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover - as well as debit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.  

SMDC does NOT: Assess or evaluate for SSI, W-2, parent-child interaction; accept regulatory referrals as with DOT (Department of Transportation) for (SAP) Substance Abuse Professional and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory) SAE (Substance Abuse Expert, or write letters for service animals / emotional support animals.  If you are seeking an assessment/evaluation, letter, or sign-off for another purpose, PLEASE ask about it during the introductory meeting to avoid later disappointment.

IF SMDC is willing to write a letter for a particular purpose, there may be a charge imposed that is equal to the session fee posted on the website.  

One of the differences between a life coach and a therapist is that life coaching focuses on accountability rather than healing.  A life coach encourages you to take control of your life and find the most effective strategies to reach your goals.  A therapist treats mental health challenges and may assist you in discovering your barriers to reaching your goals so you may work on reducing or eliminating those barriers to move forward positively.  There are benefits to both approaches.  Fortunately, the SMDC principal consultant is both a fully licensed therapist and trained life coach.  She can assess which service/s might best suit your needs and preferences and make a recommendation.

Therapy sessions are dynamically connected and build on one another.  Given this, the best results occur when appointments are consistently scheduled and regularly attended.    If, for any reason, an appointment cannot be kept, SMDC must be notified no less than 24 hours in advance by phone, text or email.  If this does not occur, the patient will be responsible for payment of the usual and customary fee for the entire session as posted on the website.

The information obtained from you will remain confidential and will not be shared with anyone except under the following conditions: 1) perceived risks to commit serious harm to self or others; 2) information indicating the abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable others; 3) minimum information necessary to assist with your emergency medical assistance; 4) an order from the court to disclose information.  5) peer consultation - fully licensed therapists must periodically consult with peers as a component of best practice.  All efforts are made to protect confidentiality while honoring the quality of the consult.

SMDC requires that you are 18 years old or older, have an email address, a confidential place to speak, and a phone or computer with a reliable way to connect to audio & visual. 

SMDC is available by appointment only.  Appointments are available at various times throughout the day on weekdays and on some weekend mornings.

SMDC provides services virtually and in-person at the SMDC office. In-person services are primarily reserved for minors with their caregivers.