Find Answers

Many people have questions regarding the various therapy services ICFT provides. For brief answers to the questions we hear the most, click on any of the questions listed below:

Margaret “Charlie” Knerr - $350-600 per 50- minute session

Mike Knerr – $350 per 50- minute session

Melanie McClellan - $280 per 50- minute session

Erin Schaeffer - $280 per 50- minute session

Court Consultation - $1000 per hour, $8000 per day

Please note, these rates are for individual and couple therapy.

Rates for intensive therapy, clinical presentations with a high degree of clinical complexity, complex family therapy or extended family therapy will be quoted on a case-by-case basis.

Payment Options

ICFT collects payment via our Electronic Medical Record System, Simple Practice. Clients can use credit cards, HSA and FSA cards.

ICFT is an "Out of Network" Provider for all insurance plans. Many people think that if a practice is not "in-network" with their insurance, they are not able to seek services at that practice. However, this is not the case. You may still be able to apply some of your insurance benefits to the cost of therapy. Being “out of network” means that ICFT has chosen to conduct therapy without signing any contracts with health insurance companies. At ICFT, clients pay for their services in full at each session.

Marriage and Family Therapists are trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and are licensed to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and relational disorders. They service a wide range of serious clinical problems including: depression, marital/couple problems, anxiety, individual psychological issues, and child/adolescent/young adult struggles.

In a recent study, consumers report that marriage and family therapists are the mental health professionals they would most likely recommend to friends. Over 98 percent of clients of marriage and family therapists report therapy services as good or excellent. Clients report marked improvement in work productivity, co-worker relationships, family relationships, partner relationships, emotional health, overall health, social life, and community involvement. Marriage and family therapy's prominence in the mental health field has increased due to our family-centered approach and its demonstrated effectiveness.

Marriage & Family Therapists are licensed by the State of Ohio and recognized as a "core" mental health profession, along with psychiatry, psychology, social work, and psychiatric nursing.

If you find yourself thinking things like, "I just don't know what else to do." "I feel like we've tried everything else." Or if people around you have suggested therapy, then it's probably time to make a call.

Just because one partner is skeptical about therapy or refuses to attend does not mean that therapy is a waste of time. Starting with one partner can also bring about change to the relationship.

Teletherapy is a convenient, easy to use way to access mental health care without having to travel to a therapy office. With our system, you will receive a link to your appointment two days before your appointment as well as the same day. You simply click on this link and it will open your video session. You will see a video screen much like other video applications, a big window with your therapists video and then a smaller box with a picture of your video. 

After you text, call, or email us, our intake coordinator will get back to you to tell you more about our services, answer any questions you may have, and help you get scheduled. 

Appointments are available from 8am to 8pm Monday - Thursday. 8am-5pm Friday. Saturday and Sunday appointments are typically held for emergencies or intensive therapy.  

For in-person sessions, our office is located at 6135 Memorial Dr. Suite 104 Dublin OH 43017

ICFT office

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.

  • 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.
  • You can ask your health care 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.
  • For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, please call or email our office manager or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Cost is not the only factor to consider when seeking therapy for you or your loved one! Even if it is a bit more expensive to see an “out of network” therapist, there still may be several compelling reasons to do so.

Selecting an "out of network" provider allows you:

1. To have a therapist with the expertise and therapeutic approach you prefer.

If the therapist is an expert in providing treatment for your specific situation, this can save an enormous amount of time, energy, frustration, and money over the long run. 

Parents come to ICFT because they know that ICFT will work with their child in partnership with them. This means parents are well-informed about their child's treatment. Couples and families engage ICFT because the therapists at ICFT apply a systemic perspective in treating couples and families. This is something unique to choosing a Marriage & Family Therapist.

The therapists at ICFT know that one treatment approach will not help everyone.  They customize treatment for each situation; taking into consideration an individual’s strengths and struggles, lifestyle, home, work, and school demands.

2. To protect mental health information about you or your loved one.

In order for a therapist to be reimbursed by an insurance company and be “in-network”, the therapist enters into a business relationship with the insurance company. Insurance plans then require the therapist to complete a treatment plan for each client which could include any of the following: listing multiple diagnoses, describing the presenting problem, listing current symptoms, etc. The insurance company can review all records at their discretion.

As “out of network” providers, ICFT provides a receipt with only one diagnosis code. ICFT is under no obligation to reveal the details of your situation to insurance companies. Even if you choose to submit your receipts, because ICFT is out of network, the insurance company is only getting that one diagnosis code. This gives you more control over the mental health record for you and your loved one. 

3. To work with a therapist that was recommended by someone you trust.

Many clients are referred to ICFT by their physicians, friends, clergy members, and/ or school personnel. When someone you trust recommends an “out of network” therapist, you can relax knowing that the quality of your treatment will be what you need. There is a confidence that comes from seeing a recommended provider, rather than simply choosing a therapist off of a list of possible providers in your network.

Perhaps, you or your loved one will not need to be seen as often as you are expecting. Typically, sessions are more frequent during the assessment and stabilization phase, but then the frequency is reduced. Remember, when everyone in the system is working toward a solution, treatment at ICFT can end up being very cost effective!

Perhaps, there is something else about insurance coding and reimbursement that you could try. Over the years, ICFT has learned a lot from our clients about this process. Please call to discuss your concerns about insurance reimbursement.

Perhaps, using your health savings account would be an option for you or claiming these medical expenses on your tax return would help.

Perhaps, you would want to seek therapy from another independently licensed marriage and family therapist that is in your insurance network. Contact ICFT to get the names of other qualified therapists.

Perhaps a systemic perspective is not critical to the treatment of the situation you are presenting. ICFT has a deep appreciation for the work of psychologists, professional clinical counselors, and independently licensed social workers. Maybe another professional in your insurance network would be fine for your current situation.

Perhaps, you would be willing to be seen at the OSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic. This clinic is staffed by PhD students, but supervised by therapists with equal experience as those at ICFT. The OSU clinic operates on a sliding scale.

Perhaps you could see if a therapist in your area, and possibly at ICFT, has openings at Open Path Psychotherapy Collective.

Please contact us to ask more about these options.

Most health insurance plans have a way to seek “out-of-network” reimbursement and some clients choose to use this benefit. Once a diagnosis has been made and payment has been received, ICFT provides a receipt which clients may then choose to submit to their insurance provider for “out-of-network” reimbursement. The insurance company then sends the reimbursement for the “out-of-network” benefit directly to the client.

Although ICFT does not guarantee reimbursement from insurance providers, most clients report obtaining 60-100% coverage for “out-of-network” services. For example, if you pay $200 and if there is no deductible for “out of network” services and if the insurance company reimburses 80 percent of this fee, the final out of pocket expense is $40. While "out-of-network" benefits vary, many clients report that in the end, "out-of-network" coverage is comparable to "in-network" coverage.

If a client is interested in using their “out of network” benefits, it is recommended that they check with their insurance company about their coverage before starting services. Please see questions to ask your insurance company below.

Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company

The therapists at ICFT do understand that dealing with insurance plans can be challenging, especially when you are already worried about the mental health issues you or a loved one are experiencing. The following are some questions to research with your insurance company either on-line or by phone:

  • Are there dollar limits, visit limits, or other coverage limits for my out of network mental health benefits? What about with in-network treatment?
  • Is there a deductible I have to meet before any service is covered? If so, what is the deductible?
  • What percentage of an out of network provider's fee for therapy do you cover after the deductible is met?
  • Is there a form I need to complete to receive my "out of network" benefits? If so, where can I find the form?
  • How long will it take to get reimbursed for my out of pocket expenses?