Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy with Katie Hargreaves
You have questions. Here are honest answers.
Getting Started
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My approach is unique in that our work will primarily focus on body-based (somatic), evidence-informed therapies. These are approaches to therapy that involve mind-body connection and have been validated by scientific research. The Nervous System Guide for Anxiety explains the clinical framework behind this approach in detail.Results cannot be guaranteed, and I will do my best to support you in meeting your goals.
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The consultation is a 15-minute phone call. I will ask what brings you to therapy, answer your questions about my approach, and we will talk through whether working together is a good fit. If it is, we will book your first session. If it is not, I will do my best to point you toward someone who might be a better match.
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The first session is 60 minutes. We spend it getting oriented: what is bringing you in, what your history with therapy has been, what you are hoping this work will do for you. I will explain how I work and what sessions will look like going forward. It is also your chance to ask anything that did not come up on the consultation call. Most people leave the first session feeling like they have a clearer direction.
If you want to get a feel for how I work before reaching out, the About Katie page and the blog are good starting points.
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California clients: I am actively accepting new clients. Book a free consultation to get started.
North Carolina clients: I am actively accepting new clients. Book a free consultation to get started.
About My Approach
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Somatic therapy works with the body, not just the mind. Most traditional therapy is conversation-based: you talk about what happened, gain insight into your patterns, and try to change your thinking. That can be useful. But if anxiety or trauma is living in your nervous system, insight alone does not resolve it. Your body is still activating even when your mind understands exactly why it should not be.
Somatic therapy works directly with the physiological experience of anxiety and stress. We pay attention to what is happening in your body during a session, use that information to complete stress responses that got stuck, and help your nervous system learn that it is actually safe. This is the work that Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory and Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing are built on. It reaches the places that talk therapy does not.
You can read more on the Somatic Therapy page.
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Yes. The approaches I draw from, including Somatic Experiencing, polyvagal-informed therapy, and body-based nervous system regulation, are supported by research. The work of Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, and Pat Ogden forms the clinical foundation of this practice. These are not fringe approaches. They are increasingly recognized as effective treatments for anxiety, trauma, and stress-related conditions.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works with thought patterns. It is a well-researched approach and it helps a lot of people. Where it has limits is with clients whose anxiety is primarily physiological rather than cognitive. If you have already done CBT, understand your thought patterns, and still feel anxious in your body, that is a signal that the work needs to go deeper than thought-restructuring. Somatic therapy addresses the nervous system level that CBT does not directly target.
If you want to get a feel for how I work before reaching out, the About Katie page and the blog are good starting points.
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I work with individual adults. My clients are typically high-achieving professionals, creatives, people in the entertainment industry, and LGBTQ+ adults who are dealing with anxiety, nervous system dysregulation, or trauma. Many have tried therapy before and felt stuck in a loop of talking about the same things without lasting change. If that sounds familiar, this work is probably a good fit.
I am an LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC affirming practice. You do not have to explain your identity to me.
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Yes. A significant part of my California practice is entertainment industry professionals: actors, writers, directors, and crew who are dealing with performance anxiety, the identity collapse that happens between projects, industry burnout, and the nervous system wear of an unpredictable career. Private pay means no insurance record and no employer access. That matters in an industry where privacy is not a given.
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Sessions are 60 minutes. If you need additional time to ground at the end of a session, we continue for up to 15 minutes at no extra charge. The 50-minute hour is an insurance billing convention, not a clinical one. Somatic work requires enough time to move through activation and land somewhere settled before you close the laptop.
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All sessions are conducted via telehealth on a HIPAA-compliant platform. I see clients throughout California and North Carolina virtually. For most of my clients, telehealth is not a compromise. Your own space is often better for nervous system work than a clinical office. You are already regulated in your environment.
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I can only see clients located in California and North Carolina.
If you want to get a feel for how I work before reaching out, the About Katie page and the blog are good starting points.
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I ask clients to start with weekly sessions for the first six week. Consistency matters early in the work. The nervous system learns through repetition, and weekly contact gives us enough continuity to build real momentum. We can revisit frequency as the work develops.
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It depends on what you are bringing and what you are working toward. Some clients see meaningful shifts in 3 to 4 months. Others do deeper work over a year or more. What I can tell you is that somatic therapy tends to create change faster than talk therapy alone for people whose anxiety is primarily physiological. We will check in regularly on where you are and where you want to go.
About Sessions
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Sessions are $275 in California and $250 in North Carolina. The sessions are 60 minutes with up to 15 additional minutes of grounding at no additional cost.
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No. This practice is private pay. Private pay, to meet your needs, not your insurance company's.
What that means in practice: your diagnosis, treatment plan, and session notes stay between us. Insurance requires a mental health diagnosis to authorize payment and has access to your treatment records. Private pay removes that entirely.
If cost is a concern, there are two ways to make sessions more affordable depending on how your insurance plan works. See the questions below on superbills and Thrizer.
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Yes. HSA and FSA cards are accepted for session payments, in addition to credit and debit cards.
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Yes. A superbill is an itemized receipt you submit directly to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. If your plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, your insurer may reimburse you a portion of the session fee after you meet your deductible. I provide superbills on request. You handle the submission and your insurer determines the reimbursement amount.
This is the straightforward DIY route. If you want someone to handle the insurance side for you, see the question below about Thrizer.
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Thrizer is an optional service that handles your out-of-network insurance claims on your behalf. Instead of paying the full session fee upfront and waiting weeks for a reimbursement check, Thrizer lets you pay only your estimated out-of-pocket portion at the time of the session. Thrizer covers the remainder directly to me and then waits for your insurance to reimburse them. The experience is closer to a copay than a private pay bill.
Here is how it works in practice:
You check your out-of-network benefits through Thrizer's portal before your first session. This is free and takes a few minutes.
Once benefits are confirmed, you pay only your share per session.
Thrizer submits the claim and handles any follow-up with your insurer.
Thrizer is an opt-in service, not the default. Not every insurance plan qualifies, and the benefit check before we start will tell you exactly what to expect. If your plan has strong out-of-network benefits, Thrizer can meaningfully reduce your per-session cost without any of the superbill paperwork.
I recommend checking your benefits before your first session regardless of which route you take. You can do that through Thrizer's free calculator at thrizer.com or by calling the member services number on the back of your insurance card and asking about out-of-network mental health benefits.
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I ask for 48 hours notice for cancellations. No-shows are charged the full session fee, and late cancellations are charged slightly less than full fee. Your session time is held specifically for you.
About Fees and Insurance
Still have a question that is not answered here?
Reach out directly at hello@katiehargreavestherapy.com or book a free consultation and ask on the call.
Good Faith Estimate (GFE) for Therapy in California & North Carolina
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate (GFE)” 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 GFE for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items and services.This includes costs related to medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
Make sure your health care provider gives you a GFE in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service. You can also ask your health care provider and any other provider you choose, for a GFE before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your GFE, you can dispute the bill.
Make sure to save a copy or picture of your GFE. For questions or more information about your right to a GFE, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.