Lunden Psychological Services, Inc.  
  Restoring life through a holistic solution-focused approach  

Office Policies

Getting Started

To make an appointment, call my office at 727-240-1922. If I do not answer, please leave a message and I will call you back within the business day or after business hours. When leaving a message to make an appointment, please state your name and phone number clearly.

For your first appointment, please arrive 20 minutes early to fill out necessary paperwork and required forms for treatment, or you may chose to download forms from the Contact Us tab and fill out paperwork prior to your first appointment. Please make yourself comfortable in the waiting room until we are ready to receive you.

Paying for Therapy

Free Consultation: The initial consultation with Dr. Lunden is free of charge. This consultation does not constitute an agreement to treat, but only helps determine if you will become a client. If we mutually agree that treatment should be initiated, a client intake packet must be completed after this consultation in order to contract for treatment. THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINIATION, OR TREATMENT.

Fees: In our area, licensed clinical psychologists normally charge between $80 and $120 for a standard therapy hour. Clinicians who specialize may even charge more. With the desire to make her services affordable, Dr. Lunden’s fee is $80 for a standard 50-minute session. Fees are established before the first appointment or during the initial session and are paid at the conclusion of each session by cash, check, debit or credit card. Having payments ready in advance avoids using therapy time for processing.

Reduced Fee Services: Reduced fee services are available on a case-by-case basis. If you believe you may be eligible for a reduced fee, please bring in your most recent tax return to prove income and number of dependents.

Insurance: I do not accept insurance at this time. There are advantages you will receive by not using insurance. By paying directly for services you will:

  • Preserve complete privacy and your treatment will not become part of your permanent health record.
  • Most insurance companies will only pay for a portion of the cost for a limited number of sessions. By paying directly, you and your clinician get to decide together when you come, and how many sessions you will need.
  • Most insurance companies require a diagnosis to reimburse costs. This means that to participate with insurance payouts, a clinician must assign a diagnostic medical label to you. With self-pay, you would receive a psychiatric diagnosis only when it is relevant to your treatment.

Additionally, many insurance companies will reimburse for out-of-network providers and HAS or FSA funds can be used to pay for our clinical services. If you would like to know if your insurance company will reimburse, please contact them and ask if you have out-of-network benefits, if you need to meet a deductible, and what percentage of the cost they will reimburse you for.     Click for More Information

  Dr. Lunden is considered an “out-of-network provider,” also referred to as a “point of service.” If you would like to use insurance, then you must seek insurance reimbursement on your own from your insurance company. If you will be seeking insurance reimbursement for your treatment, you are responsible for filing the billing statement given, and following up on reimbursement. If you intend to do this, we can, upon request, provide a billing statement that contains necessary codes and provider (therapist) information for insurance processing. The length of time it takes to be reimbursed varies with each insurance company and is not under our control. If you expect to use insurance please check your coverage carefully before initiating therapy. Be sure to ask the following questions of your health insurance company:
  • Do I have mental health benefits with my plan?
  • Are there some diagnoses my plan does not cover?
  • What is my deductible and has it been met?
  • How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
  • If it is a family plan, how many sessions are covered per family member per calendar year?
  • When does my calendar year start and end?
  • How much do you pay for an out-of-network provider?
  • Do I need preauthorization?
  • Are there additional forms my provider (psychologist) needs to complete besides a coded billing statement and receipt in order for me to be reimbursed (depending on the extent of forms needed Lunden Psychological Services may not be able to comply).

It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly how much mental health coverage is available when seeing a in-network psychologist. Due to the rising costs of health care, insurance benefits have increasingly become more complex in their contractual restrictions to in-network providers.     Click for More Information

  “Managed Health Care” plans such as HMOs and PPOs often require authorization before they provide reimbursement for mental health services. These plans are often limited to short-term treatment approaches designed to work out specific problems that interfere with a person’s usual level of functioning. It may be necessary to seek approval for more therapy after a certain number of sessions. While a lot can be accomplished in short-term therapy, some patients feel that they need more services after insurance benefits end.

Cancellation Policy:If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified the office at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.