75. Financial & Billing Conversations in Therapy: Expert Tips from Jordan and Steve

Welcome to the Therapist Thrival Guide! In this episode we are joined by clinic directors Jordan Mealey, LPCC and Steve Drzewoszewski, LICSW.

Our guests share valuable insights on how therapists can comfortably handle financial discussions with clients, the importance of early and consistent communication, and tips for ensuring both therapist and client are on the same page.

Learn about effective strategies, the significance of understanding insurance plans, and how to navigate difficult conversations, ensuring financial clarity without compromising the therapeutic relationship. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 02:34 Billing and Balances: An Essential Discussion 03:24 Navigating Insurance and Administrative Tasks 08:28 Therapists' Worth and Financial Conversations 16:24 Clinic Policies and Client Communication 22:36 Navigating Insurance Challenges with New Clients 23:03 Proactive Communication Strategies 24:07 Importance of Early Insurance Verification 25:58 Handling High Deductible Plans 26:18 Approaching Difficult Conversations 27:12 End-of-Year Reviews and Insurance Changes 28:49 Supporting Therapists in Financial Discussions 31:16 Practical Tips for Financial Conversations 40:06 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of THRIVING by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you!

This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's still a bit new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from ⁠Ellie Mental Health⁠. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. Ellie will be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide with new clinics opening each week. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mentalhealth