FAQS

Physically, I am located in Peoria, Illinois in my home office. I offer online therapy sessions throughout Illinois and PSYPACT participating states. See below for more information on PSYPACT. 

Flexibly and easily! Once we confirm we are the right fit for each other, you will receive an email from my secure telehealth platform (Simple Practice - HIPPA compliant). You will create a log in to your client portal. Simple Practice is where you will log on to our sessions, access any necessary paperwork, and where you can securely message me if needed. 

In order for our online therapy to be most effective, I ask that you are in a private, quiet, and safe space (with a stable Wi-Fi/internet connection) to fully and appropriately engage in our session.

At this time, I only provide online therapy services. 

Therapy is an investment. And the return on that investment? Claiming a version of you that feels more like you than ever before? Priceless. 

Currently, appointments are $300 per 50-minute session and can be paid with all major credit cards including Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) cards. I require a credit card number to hold the initial session. During our work together, you will keep a credit card on file through my secure payment processor (HIPAA compliant). Payments are processed automatically after each session.

Therapy also costs a willingness to go deeper, the discomfort of being perceived by another human (I mean really seen), and a commitment to keep showing up for yourself. 

I believe in keeping my practice relatively small (approximately 14 clients a week as opposed to the 20-30 many therapists will see) to ensure you get really individualized and intentional work with me each time we meet. 

A small caseload also ensures that I’m taking care of myself so I can be my best and most present self when I’m with you during our sessions. 

I will refrain from getting on a soap box and screaming into the (metaphorical void) about this and (try to) keep it short and sweet: 

Private-pay therapy keeps us from having to justify the healing space we are creating for you. It also provides extra layers of privacy and autonomy we wouldn’t have with your insurance company. This allows me to work with you and not for your insurance company. 

That being said, while I am not in-network with any insurance companies and do not directly accept insurance, I am an insurance friendly practice. That means I will provide a monthly superbill for any client who requests one (please see below for more information about superbills). 

Short answer: yes. I will provide a monthly superbill for any client who requests one.

Longer answer:  some insurance companies will provide out-of-network (OON) benefits and reimburse you for costs related to attending therapy. This is dependent on your individual insurance provider. I highly encourage you to call the number on the back of your insurance card to find out what your OON benefits are just so there aren’t any scary financial surprises.

Since I am not an in-network provider for any insurance company, any reimbursement from your insurance happens because you’ve submitted claims to them directly. I require you to pay all fees up front. 

A monthly superbill is a statement of all the fees paid, services provided, and other necessary information. A superbill also requires me to provide you with a mental health diagnosis which will be added to your medical record. Additionally, if you choose to utilize OON benefits, you should know that your insurance company is allowed access to your clinical records.

Requiring a mental health diagnosis, access to your clinical records, and limiting “approved” therapy services are some of the many reasons people enjoy the privacy and full confidentiality afforded with private-pay therapy.

Please ask me about this process if you are unfamiliar with how it works.

As disappointing as it is to not work together, I truly believe you are better served by working with a therapist you can see as frequently as needed, as opposed to one whose fee would cause you financial hardship.

If you want to work on it, it’s “good enough” for therapy. If it’s bothering you enough to want to work on it, you can. If it matters to you, it matters to me. It’s allowed to take up space – both yours and mine. And if you’ve read this far, it might be bothering you more than you’d like to admit. 

I offer a free consultation to all potential clients, before setting up our first appointment. It is important for us to get a feel for each other and confirm we’d work well together (or if we wouldn’t - I’m not the right therapist for everyone). You can schedule your free consultation here.

If you don’t see a time that works, email me at drlori@drlorinabors.com or call me at 309.220.6862 and we can schedule something that aligns with our schedules.

After our initial consultation, and confirmation we’d work well together, we can schedule your first session immediately.

I encourage clients to commit to three initial sessions so we can actually slow down, get to know each other, and give you some room to show up without feeling like you need to unload everything at once. 

We’ll start to go deeper into what brings you into therapy than we did during our initial consult call. We’ll begin to explore your relationships, work stress, family dynamics, your identity, substance use, and more. We’ll talk about any prior therapy experiences you may have had, including what worked (and what didn’t) and what kind of support you’re looking for now. 

I’ll also answer any questions you have about me or the therapy process. We will also review confidentiality, privacy, and other practice policies. 

After our initial three sessions, ongoing therapy sessions may look and feel slightly different as our therapy relationship and work together unfolds. However, you can generally expect a dedicated 50-minute weekly space for you. 

I’m a human just like you, so I show up that way in the room. Our relationship is the foundation of our therapeutic work. We will check in on it often and figure this shit out together. 

I currently am only taking on clients who are willing to come at a minimum once a week. If you’re looking to meet less frequently, I am not your therapist.

I have found that therapy outcomes are best when clients can commit to meeting weekly. This is a relationship that requires not only commitment to showing up, but a willingness and curiosity to go deeper. Meeting less often slows down your relief and progress, as well as deeper insights for long-term meaningful change. I have tried meeting less frequently with clients in the past and felt it negatively impacted the care and value clients were receiving. 

I see clients Monday-Thursdays in the mornings and afternoons. Standard sessions are 50 minutes and are generally scheduled for the same day/time each week. Extended sessions (75 and 90 minutes) may be available and will be prorated accordingly. 

Short answer: as long as you want. 

Long answer: it depends. My hope is that you will eventually feel confident enough to live the loudest, fullest, and most authentic version of you (without the past / old patterns running the show). How long this takes can vary quite a bit and may depend on your life experiences that brought you to therapy. For some clients, it takes six months. For others, it takes a few years (or more). Many clients find value in continued, deeper work with me even after they have moved past the initial thing that brought them to therapy. 

Additionally, I am never for making someone do therapeutic work that they cannot or do not want to do. We will regularly check in to see how you are feeling about things. Our relationship is paramount.

You can end therapy at any time you would like. Generally speaking, ending therapy is an intentional and thoughtful process. Often, I meet with clients for at least a handful of sessions processing the end of our work together prior to completely terminating therapy. During that time, we typically reflect on our therapy relationship, how you met your goals, if you would like alternative support, and how to sustain your healing progress.

While the majority of my clients are women, I also work with men and gender-expansive humans who find me and my practice to be a great fit for their current therapy needs. Schedule a free consultation to see if I am the right therapist for you.

I have a consistency policy. What this means: 

I commit to reserving a space for you in my schedule every week for the duration of our relationship. And you commit to paying for that space, regardless of attendance. 

Sessions you cancel with notice can be rescheduled within the week before, during, or the week after the date of your cancellation (subject to mutual availability). We will further discuss this policy during our initial session(s). 

You are never charged for sessions that I cancel. 

Absolutely! Your confidentiality is super important and I take all possible measures to keep your personal information private and confidential. Aside from a few legal exceptions related to safety (which we will review in our initial session), everything we discuss is confidential. 

Depends what we mean by “homework.” Long-term, meaningful change happens when insight is paired with action. Some weeks, clients might be processing more about what was brought up for them between sessions and gaining new insights. How clients process is very individualized to each person. Other weeks, clients may decide actions they want to take over the next week. However, it is entirely up to you and your needs and goals. 

If we mean sit down worksheets, writing, or something “assigned” to practice between sessions, that does often come along with the more structured treatments I am trained in (e.g., CPT, CBT SUD). We will always discuss the reasoning, the “homework,” and your reactions to it if this is a treatment option you have decided to pursue. 

I encourage you to reach out so we can further discuss what you are looking for. If I do not have competence in an area of your needs, I will let you know and discuss referral options. 

The fancy answer: PSYPACT is an interstate compact that facilitates the practice of online therapy across state lines, thus increasing access to mental health care. 

The less fancy answer: as a PSYCPACT authorized holder, I can offer therapy to clients who live in any PSYPACT-participating state—not just the ones where I’m licensed (Illinois & Wisconsin). If you travel often, live in another state, or have recently moved, we can still work together as long as your state is part of the compact. You can check the full list of participating states here.

That is Hope, the dog (she came with that name from the shelter - how could we possibly have changed it??).  She is a lover of snacks, walks, playing keep away in the yard, dad, more snacks, deep puppy sighs, and having more toys than she knows what to do with (which she chaotically takes out of her bin but refuses to put away). She is not a trained therapy or service dog so she will not make appearances during our sessions (unless you specifically ask to briefly say hello to her at the beginning or end of our time together). 

I do not provide 24-hour crisis services.

If you need someone to talk to immediately, you may call or text the SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE at 988. “The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.”

You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor for free 24/7 support.

In the event that you are feeling unsafe or require immediate medical or psychiatric assistance, you should call 911 or get a safe person to help you go to the nearest emergency room.

Additionally, if you are not in crisis but are in need of emotional or mental support in my absence, a Warm Line is available Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm (except holidays) for anyone in Illinois. You can call or text: Warm Line at 866-359-7953.

You can also visit https://www.warmline.org/ to find a Warm Line near you. 

In accordance with the No Surprises Act, healthcare providers are required to provide patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services for the year, including psychotherapy services. This is called a Good Faith Estimate. 

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.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one 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.

Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For any questions please reach out to me or visit: www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. You can contact me through my contact page here, email me at drlori@drlorinabors.com, or call me at 309.220.6862.