Paying for Counseling

Fee: My fee is a sliding-scale ($120 to $80), with discounts for incomes below $100,000/year. The first session is half-price (e.g., $60). The fee is per-session, not per-person (for up to three people present in a session).

Methods of Payment: I accept Cash, Check or online payment via Dwolla (see below). I do not accept credit cards or health insurance, but I can provide monthly statements you can use for potential insurance reimbursement. Note that using health insurance (directly or indirectly) for counseling requires that you meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis, which then becomes a permanent part of your medical record. Checks should be made out to “Transitions Counseling,” and payment is due at the beginning of each session. If possible please make your check out (or pay online) prior to your visit in order to save time during your session.

Mailing Payment: Please mail checks (e.g., for Distance Counseling) to:

Transitions Counseling
250 East Market Street
Suite D
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801

Note: Most banks offer free online Bill Pay services, which usually includes the option to have the bank mail a physical check.

Pay Online (via Dwolla)

Dwolla is a financial company (based in the US) which enables you to pay for counseling sessions online (or via your smartphone). You create a Dwolla account, connect your bank account to Dwolla, and then Dwolla facilitates the secure transfer of funds from your account to mine. Transitions never sees or stores your bank details—everything is securely handled by Dwolla. Once you have created a Dwolla account you can pay for sessions online (below).

Create Dwolla Account and Connect Your Bank Account

  1. First you must go to Dwolla’s website to create a Dwolla account.
  2. After you have created your account and logged in to Dwolla, Dwolla will guide you through the process of how to connect your bank account to your Dwolla account. You will be able to search for your bank or choose it from a list. If your bank does not appear in search results, simply click the “Add any bank” button to provide your routing and account numbers. Some banks will have the ability for you to simply login to your bank account via Dwolla and thus verify your bank account ownership that way (this is usually called “Instant Account Verification”). Other banks will require you to use “Micro Deposit Account Verification,” which involves Dwolla sending two small deposits to your bank account, and then you logging into Dwolla (a few days later, once those deposits arrive in your bank account) to enter those numbers in Dwolla to verify you own that bank account. You will need your bank account number and bank routing number for this method of verification. If you have any trouble adding or verifying your bank please consult this Dwolla help article, or contact Dwolla Support.
  3. Please email me ○, or talk to me at your next counseling session, to inform me of your desire to pay for counseling sessions via Dwolla.

Dwolla for Mobile Devices


Pay for Counseling via Dwolla

Paying for counseling sessions via Dwolla works in the following manner:

  1. On the evening before (or the day of) your counseling session I will initiate (via my Dwolla business account) a “request” for payment, which will send you an email via Dwolla indicating the amount of the request.
  2. You will be able to click on the “Pay Now” link in the Dwolla email to login to your Dwolla account, and then easily pay for your counseling session (by authorizing the payment request). If possible, please complete payment prior to your counseling session that day.
  3. Completing the “payment request” will then (using Dwolla’s secure process) transfer the designated amount from your bank account to my Dwolla business account (over the span of several days). Note that you can only make payment via Dwolla by responding to a “payment request”—there is currently no method for you to initiate a payment independently. Also, you must be sure to complete the payment request—the transfer process does not begin until you authorize the payment via your Dwolla account.
  4. If you have any technical issues with Dwolla, please contact Dwolla Support.