In-person therapy available at all three of our VA office locations: Fairfax, Virginia Beach, and Newport News!

Flyout Menu
Main Menu
Book a Consult
Frequently Asked Questions

Fees & FAQS

Counseling in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fees & Insurance Reimbursement

  • $125 per hour with Student Interns
  • $175 per hour with Therapists 
  • $225 per hour with Specialty Certified Therapists 
  • $425 per hour with Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky

Marriage Intensives are a two-day experience (often on weekends) which can take place in person or via online. A benefit of marriage intensives is that they are often cost-effective because: 1) They skip the catching up time that is often the start of weekly counseling sessions, and 2) They often allow you to go deeper, faster, and therefore speeding up the process of therapy.

  • $1,500 per 2-Day Intensive with Student Interns
  • $2,100 per 2-Day Intensive with Therapists 
  • $2,700 per 2-Day Intensive with Specialty Certified Therapists 
  • $5,100 per 2-Day Intensive for Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky

We do not take insurance and are not connected with Military One Source or the VA. All providers are out-of-network providers, which means that they do not bill insurance. We are happy to offer you the necessary paperwork (superbill) to file with your insurance provider for possible partial or full reimbursement. ​Please know that not all insurance plans offer reimbursement and that some may have a deductible or an allowable amount. It is best to call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a representative about what your specific benefits are. In addition, insurance companies typically only reimburse if the client has a diagnosable mental health condition. Your provider can talk this through with you at any time.

Medicare: Communicate & Connect Counseling does not participate in any health insurance plans, HMO plans or panels, and cannot accept Medicare in any form. Clients of Communicate & Connect Counseling cannot attempt reimbursement of services through Medicare. Services provided by Communicate & Connect Counseling are not covered under Medicare and no Medicare payment will be made or accepted for any reason.

Have questions about using your insurance for therapy? It is best to call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a representative about what your specific benefits are.

There should be a number on the back of your insurance card that you can call to ask questions about out-of-network (OON) reimbursement. In general, most PPO plans (not HMO) have OON benefits. Our providers would be considered OON providers, and you would be receiving individual counseling or family therapy, out-patient mental health services with either a licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, or pre-licensed therapist under supervision. Good questions to ask them include: 

1.     Are mental/behavioral health services (Current Procedural Terminology/CPT codes 90834 and 90837 for individual therapy, or 90846 and 90847 for family and couples therapy) covered by my out-of-network benefits? 

2.    What is my out-of-network deductible? 

3.    How much of my out-of-network deductible has already been met? 

4.    What is my policy period? 

5.    How much of the fee is reimbursed for out-of-network providers? 

6.    Are services provided by pre-licensed therapists covered under my plan?

7.    How do I submit for reimbursement and how long do I have to submit my Superbill? 

8.    How long will it take to be reimbursed for sessions after I have submitted my claims? 

9.    Is approval required from my primary care physician? 

10.  Will you reimburse for multiple sessions in a week? (for specialty programs)

Most insurance companies have a way to submit claims through their website or client portal. A lot of our clients like using Reimbursify which is an online service that will do your out-of-network billing for you. They charge $1.99 per reimbursement claim (you receive a check in the mail if your reimbursement is accepted). However, if your claim is rejected by your insurance company, Reimbursify will help you to resolve it, and there is never any additional charge if you need to resubmit an updated claim for the visit.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. Client right include: 

  • You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
  • Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
  • If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
  • Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

Do you qualify for Reimbursement?

We have partnered with Mentaya to help clients use their out-of-network benefits to save money on therapy. Use this tool below to see if you qualify for reimbursement for our services.
Check Benefits
A digital form titled "Check your insurance benefits" with fields for counseling therapist, service, name, date of birth, insurance, and member ID, plus a "Check Benefits" button.

Scheduling & Cancellation Policies

We ask all clients to come to therapy once a week. Research shows that weekly sessions are the best way to make real progress and reach your goals. Meeting every week helps you and your therapist stay on track and keep building on the work you’ve already done. Some people even choose to come twice a week when they want faster results. In some cases, we may also suggest more intensive options, like several sessions in a week or a weekend program, to help speed up the process.

When you begin counseling, you are given a recurring weekly appointment time that is reserved just for you. Consistent weekly sessions are the most effective for counseling results, and some clients even benefit from meeting twice per week.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. Cancellations or changes with less notice, or missed (no-show) appointments, are charged the full session fee. In rare situations, your therapist may choose to waive the late cancellation fee one time per calendar year at their discretion.

If more than two sessions are missed within six months, your therapist may talk with you about whether this is the right time for counseling, and your weekly spot may be offered to another client who can attend more regularly.

The exception is Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky who only works with clients who are willing to be videotaped for training purposes. She works with clients on a weekly basis and has a reschedule only policy. We are happy to provide more information about this should you wish to work with her.

For individuals requiring intensive counseling, rescheduling is allowed up to two weeks before your date, and your non-refundable deposit will be applied to your new date. Cancellations after the two-week window are charged the full cost of the intensive.

It is hard to know how long therapy will take as many things impact how quickly progress can be made. Ultimately it is up to you how long you are in counseling. We will only continue if you are feeling that the therapy is helping you. For most couples, EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) takes about 1 to 2 years of weekly sessions. Sessions can be either 50 minutes or 80 minutes long, depending on what you and your therapist decide works best. This amount of time gives you the chance to work through all three stages of EFT and make lasting changes in your relationship. If there has been a big betrayal, like an affair, or if there are serious mental health concerns, it may take longer. Many couples start to notice positive changes within the first 6 months. If you don’t see progress by then, it’s important to talk with your therapist so you can adjust the plan together.

Because we work with many military couples who may be about to PCS or face deployment, we understand that long‑term weekly therapy isn’t always possible. If you aren’t able to commit to ongoing counseling, you may want to consider our 10‑week Hold Me Tight® program, which is a shorter, structured option designed to help couples strengthen their bond in a focused time frame.

We understand that military life can be unpredictable, and sometimes a regular weekly appointment just isn’t realistic, especially with deployments, training, or PCS moves on the horizon. If you’re pressed for time but still want to strengthen your relationship, you might consider one of our Weekend Marriage Intensives.

Our marriage intensives are designed for couples who want to make meaningful progress in a shorter period of time. Over the course of a weekend, you and your partner will work closely with one of our therapists in a focused, structured way to explore your relationship dynamics, rebuild connection, and create a clear plan for moving forward together.

It’s an ideal option for military and veteran couples who want the benefits of counseling but need something that fits their demanding schedules.

Life happens, and we know your calendar can be unpredictable. We will hold the dates for your intensive for one week. By that time, we need your paperwork completed in the client portal. Included in the paperwork, we’ll need your credit card information for a non-refundable deposit for half the amount of your total intensive cost. You will not be charged any additional service fees for running the credit card. Make sure you have the correct and most current credit card you want us to run in the client portal.

If you have not completed paperwork by one week after booking the intensive, your dates will be released and available to other potential clients. Your card will be run for the non-refundable deposit (half of the total intensive cost) as soon as we have your credit card information.

If you need to reschedule your intensive, you can do so up to 2 weeks before and the non-refundable deposit will be used toward your rescheduled date. If you cancel after the 2-week window, you’ll be charged the entire amount of the intensive cost. 

Counseling FAQs

The first few sessions will be spent getting to know one another, and making sure you and your therapist are both clear about what you are hoping to get out of the experience. You’ll talk lot about feelings to help you get clarity and work through any painful feelings keeping you stuck. Your therapist will also help you clarify what you want out of relationships and how to communicate clearly about your needs. Through this process you’ll be learning tools to use in your day-to-day life. If needed, your therapist will offer referrals to other disciplines, such as psychiatry, primary care, etc. Most of all, your therapist will hold space for you to have all of your experiences versus just trying to work through them on your own. 

Your first session will be spent getting to know one another, discussing what’s led you to therapy, and giving you an opportunity to ask questions. Your therapist will then meet with each partner individually to learn about each person’s family history, relationship history, and your individual concerns about the relationship. After that, all sessions will be with both partners present.

Weekly counseling sessions are a combination of conversation, skill building, and communication practice while talking about your relationship concerns. You’ll talk lot about feelings so that way you can learn to communicate your feelings with each other in a way that can be understood and help you both feel ore productive. Through this process you’ll be learning tools to use in your day-to-day life. If needed, your therapist will offer referrals to other disciplines, such as psychiatry, primary care, individual therapy, etc. Most of all, your therapist will hold space for you both to practice open, honest, and kind communication.

There are times when individual therapy may be more appropriate than marriage counseling. These times include:

  • Couples in which one or both partners have an active addiction.
  • If there is an ongoing affair that hasn’t ended yet.
  • If being in the same room for a long time is too triggering (potential trauma reaction) or you haven’t been able to be in the same space without being civil in a period of time – this format will not be productive.
  • If there is active intimate partner violence, this is not an option.

Sex therapy and sexuality counseling are types of talk therapy to help your work through sex and sexuality concerns. The first few sessions will be spent getting to know one another, and making sure you and your therapist are both clear about what you are hoping to get out of the experience. You’ll talk lot about feelings to help you get clarity and work through any emotional reactions and limiting beliefs keeping you stuck. Your therapist will also help you clarify what you want out of your sex life and sexual relationship, and how to communicate clearly about your needs with your sexual partner. Through this process you’ll be learning tools to use in your day-to-day life. If needed, your therapist will offer referrals to other disciplines, such as psychiatry, primary care, etc. Most of all, your therapist will hold a non-judgmental and supportive space for you to explore your concerns around your sex life and sexuality. 

*** Sex therapy does not involve any sexual touching or online sexual interactions between the therapist and clients.

Marriage Intensive FAQs

Marriage Intensives are a two-day experience (often on weekends) which can take place in person or via online. A benefit of marriage intensives is that they are often cost-effective because: 1) They skip the catching up time that is often the start of weekly counseling sessions, and 2) They often allow you to go deeper, faster, and therefore speeding up the process of therapy.

  • $1,500 per 2-Day Intensive with Student Interns
  • $2,100 per 2-Day Intensive with Therapists 
  • $2,700 per 2-Day Intensive with Specialty Certified Therapists 
  • $5,100 per 2-Day Intensive for Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky

Life happens, and we know your calendar can be unpredictable. We will hold the dates for your intensive for one week. By that time, we need your paperwork completed in the client portal. Included in the paperwork, we’ll need your credit card information for a non-refundable deposit for half the amount of your total intensive cost. You will not be charged any additional service fees for running the credit card. Make sure you have the correct and most current credit card you want us to run in the client portal.

If you have not completed paperwork by one week after booking the intensive, your dates will be released and available to other potential clients. Your card will be run for the non-refundable deposit (half of the total intensive cost) as soon as we have your credit card information.

If you need to reschedule your intensive, you can do so up to 2 weeks before and the non-refundable deposit will be used toward your rescheduled date. If you cancel after the 2-week window, you’ll be charged the entire amount of the intensive cost. 

At this time, intensives are online though zoom. The day is somewhat flexible and you’ll take breaks as needed. A typical schedule might look like:

Day 1:

9 – 10: Couple Assessment

10 – 11: Individual Assessment

11 – 12: Individual Assessment

12 – 1:00: Lunch

1 – 3:00: 2 Hour Session

3:00 – 3:15: Break

3:15 – 4:00: 45 Minute Wrap Up

Day 2:

9 – 10:30: 90-Minute Session

10:30 – 10:45: Break

10:45 – 12:15: 90-Minute Session

12:15 – 1:30: Lunch

1:30 – 3:00: 90-Minute Session

3:00 – 3:15: Break

3:15 – 4:00: 45 Minute Wrap Up

Marriage Intensives may be right for you:

  • If you are in a crisis – but both partners want to try to make it work.
  • If you are stuck in a negative interactive pattern and just can’t seem to stop fighting. 
  • If you feel distant, almost like roommates and don’t know how to be close again. 
  • If you just can’t a make weekly counseling work with demanding schedules and/ or the childcare shuffle. 
  • If you’re a current client and you want to deep dive into healing from a betrayal. 

Marriage Intensives are not appropriate when: 

  • Couples in which one or both partners have an active addiction.
  • If there is an ongoing affair that hasn’t ended yet. 
  • If you and your partner do not have the same goal for therapy, this isn’t a good format for you. In other words, if one partner wants to work on the marriage and the other doesn’t – an intensive isn’t the place to decide if you want to work on the marriage. When a couple has the same goal, an intensive can be very rewarding. 
  • If being in the same room for a long time is too triggering (potential trauma reaction) or you haven’t been able to be in the same space without being civil in a period of time – this format will not be productive, 

If there is active intimate partner violence, this is not an option. ​

Follow up work is key to making the investment last and to ensure you don’t regress. You may be able to do follow up work with your intensive therapist. This could look like weekly sessions or a series of intensives. If scheduling doesn’t work for you to do your follow-up care with your intensive therapist, they can help match you with another therapist.

We offer 1-Day Premarital Intensives; 2-Day Deployment Preparation and 2-Day Post-Deployment Reconnection Intensives, as well 2 Day Family Intensives for adult children and their parents. If you are interested in a special type of intensive experience, please schedule a consultation so we can address your unique needs. 

Click on the Book Now button to book your initial 20-minute free consultation. You’ll chat with your selected therapist to see if they are a good fit for your needs. If so, they will book an intake session where they can get to know you and your concerns more in depth.

Therapist Supervision & Consultation FAQs

EFIT, EFCT, and EFFT Individual Supervision:

  • $225 per hour for individual supervision. Occasionally dyadic supervision is available and can be counted as individual supervision. 

EFCT Group Supervision:

  • $150 per month for 4 hours of group supervision ($37.5 per hour).
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy Supervision toward ICEEFT Certification (EFIT, EFCT, EFFT)
  • General Marriage and Family Therapy Consultation
  • LCSW, LMFT, and LPC Licensure Supervision for Employees (Want to work with us? Apply here!)
  • EFT Supervision: to really learn the model, it’s recommended that you attend supervision on a regular weekly or bi-weekly basis.
  • Licensure Supervision: The number of hours required for licensure supervision is typically a weekly commitment but this will depend on your states licensing board requirements. 

If you need to reschedule individual supervision, you must reschedule with at least a 48-hour notice.

At this time, supervision sessions are online though zoom. Our practice use the ACES and HEARTS model of supervision in both EFT and licensure supervision, which has a growth oriented and experiential focus. This model incorporates focus on supervisor-supervisee alliance, conceptualization based on theory, experiential learning through role plays and video tape review, and an exploration of self-of-therapist experiences as they arise through the therapy process. 

Click on the button below to book your initial 20 minute free consultation!

Your First Step Towards Healing

You don’t have to keep feeling lonely in your relationships.

We can help you feel close, comfortable, and connected again. 

Book Now
Contact Us