Question 1

How does seeing an out of network therapist work with my insurance plan?

Accepted Answer

I provide the necessary documentation - called a Superbill - for you to submit to your insurance company in order to receive any possible reimbursement for the session cost. This Superbill will be uploaded to your patient portal for you to access at anytime with your secure login. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to know exactly what, if any reimbursement you would receive, but calling ahead and asking a few simple questions will clarify:

1.) Explain that you are interested in seeing an out-of-network provider and that you would like to know what your specific “out of network benefits” are for “individual outpatient therapy in an office”. The CPT code (billing code) for this service is 90837.

2.) It will be important to know if you need to meet an “out of network deductible” before your insurance company will provide reimbursement.

3.) You will also want to know if you have an “out of network copay” (a specific dollar amount that you pay for the service) or an “out of network co-insurance” (a % split of the costs between you and the insurance company).

4.) Get instruction on how to submit your Superbill - electronically or post mail.

Question 2

How does payment for services work?

Accepted Answer

During our initial session, I will ask that you keep a credit, debit, or HSA/FSA card on file. After each session, I will charge your card for services rendered. My fee is $225 per 50-minute session. By keeping a card on file, we don’t need to take away from your session time dealing with payment. If requested, I am happy to discuss an alternate payment schedule.

Question 3

How do I know if a therapist is the right fit for me?

Accepted Answer

I offer a free 15-20 min phone (or video, if requested) consultation to determine just this.
There are 3 main components to figuring this out for yourself.

1.) Does the therapist have experience, knowledge, and comfortability with the issues you want to work on. Maybe they even have expertise in a specific area that speaks to your concerns.

2.) Is there a “vibe”? While it’s hard to determine in such a brief call, you should feel that there is some sort of connection, a good communication cadence, and a general sense of comfort that would allow you to open up and talk about hard things.

3.) Logistics. Can you financially budget the cost of the sessions? Does the therapist have the availability that matches your schedule? And, if you are seeing the therapist in-person, is the commute doable?

Question 4

What should I expect in a first session?

Accepted Answer

In our first session, called an intake, we will complete any outstanding documentation. The goal of the intake is to determine what issues or concerns brought you to me and what you hope to work on and why. I will also be asking more questions in this session than in future sessions in order to obtain your background information and history, and to get the facts straight. Lastly, we will outline of your treatment goals, objectives, and strategies.

Question 5

How does someone know that it’s time for them to see a therapist?

Accepted Answer

This is a very individualized question in that the reason people seek out therapy varies from person to person. However, there are a few common reasons:

1.) You have experienced a sudden change or life impacting event (i.e.break-up, divorce, moving, new baby, marriage, empty-nester).

2.) You feel STUCK... in your relationship, in your career, or just generally in life.

3.) You are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental health concerns.

4.) You realize that you are having reactions to events, interpersonal or otherwise, that seem bigger than they “should”.

5.) You can’t seem to stop repeating the same patterns in your life, even when you know that behavior is unhealthy or doesn’t serve you.

6.) You feel pretty good, but want to increase your insight, self-reflective ability, and emotional intelligence.

Question 6

How do I know when it’s time to take a break from therapy?

Accepted Answer

Taking a break from therapy is a normal part of the therapeutic process. I periodically check in with my patients about their initial stated treatment goals - what progress they’ve made, what they feel they want to continue working on, and anything new that’s popped up along the way. At some point - when you are feeling like you’ve accomplished your goals and are feeling good, you may want to take a break. Other times, patients wish to continue on a less frequent schedule for “maintenance”, as they see our sessions as part of their continued recipe of health.

Question 7

Are the things I talk about really kept confidential?

Accepted Answer

YES! I don’t want to talk about work outside of work. What we discuss is very sacred and not gossip. Even when I consult about clinical issues with colleagues, I never provide any identifying patient information. There are a few situations in which therapists will have to, by ethical and legal standards, break confidentiality.

1.) A patient is actively suicidal with a plan, means to a plan, and intent to carry out their plan.

2.) A patient is actively homicidal with with a plan, means to a plan, and intent to carry out their plan. And, if the patient has identified whom they wish to harm, the therapist has a duty to warn this person if possible.

3.) Any active threat of child or elder abuse will be reported. In order to provide more clarity, I have this conversation with all of my new patients in our initial intake session.

Question 8

Is there a cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I ask that patients give me 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. If patients fail to do so, outside of illness or emergency, patients are charged the full session fee of $225. Communication is important!

Question 9

What’s the best way to reach Dr. McGillis once we establish ongoing treatment?

Accepted Answer

Texting me with NON-CLINICAL, logistic only information is encouraged, and this will get you the quickest response. Clinical issues are best kept for our sessions.

Sometimes patients email me clinical issues ahead of our sessions as a way to put a pin in our jumping off point.

Question 10

Why do therapists typically do a “50-minute hour”?

Accepted Answer

The 10 minutes between each session allows me to document our session in your record, “close your file” in my brain, and potentially refill my water and use the restroom. While it’s only a short amount of time, I use it wisely to really reset myself for my next patient.

Question 11

How often would I meet with Dr. McGillis?

Accepted Answer

Ideally, we would start out meeting weekly. This allows us to build connection, rapport, and get into a working groove. However, sometimes this just can’t be financially budgeted. In these cases, I start with patients every-other week. Overtime, we may decide to titrate our frequency to monthly maintenance sessions.

Question 12

Building info and parking instructions

Accepted Answer

The 2835 Sheffield Professional Building is located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Parking is available in the valet lot just north and adjacent to the office building. You’ll just need to let the attendant know that you are there for Dr. McGillis in Suite 212. We ask that you please only use the lot while at your appointment and promptly move your car after the session, allowing for the next patient to utilize the space. Once at the building, you can walk in and up (stairs or elevator) to the second floor. Make yourself comfortable in the waiting area and Dr. McGillis will greet you at your scheduled time.

Contact
Dr. McGillis

Contact me to schedule an initial consultation

FAQ

How does seeing an out of network therapist work with my insurance plan?

How does payment for services work?

How do I know if a therapist is the right fit for me?

What should I expect in a first session?

How does someone know that it’s time for them to see a therapist?

How do I know when it’s time to take a break from therapy?

Are the things I talk about really kept confidential?

Is there a cancellation policy?

What’s the best way to reach Dr. McGillis once we establish ongoing treatment?

Why do therapists typically do a “50-minute hour”?

How often would I meet with Dr. McGillis?

Building info and parking instructions

Contact Dr. McGillis

Contact me to schedule an initial consultation

FAQ

How does seeing an out of network therapist work with my insurance plan?

How does payment for services work?

How do I know if a therapist is the right fit for me?

What should I expect in a first session?

How does someone know that it’s time for them to see a therapist?

How do I know when it’s time to take a break from therapy?

Are the things I talk about really kept confidential?

Is there a cancellation policy?

What’s the best way to reach Dr. McGillis once we establish ongoing treatment?

Why do therapists typically do a “50-minute hour”?

How often would I meet with Dr. McGillis?

Building info and parking instructions

Contact
Dr. McGillis