Question 1

Are you accepting new clients?

Accepted Answer

Check the rainbow bar at the top of this website - this is updated regularly.
Note that when I'm not accepting new clients "officially," I occasionally have shifts in my schedule that allow me to take on one new client at a time. If you'd like to get on my waitlist, I am booking intro calls for prospective clients and can also support you in finding a therapist with availability in the meantime if you'd like to share any relevant information in an email.

Question 2

Do you offer in-person therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I hold sessions in my Ontario, CA office by request for those who prefer either exclusively in-person sessions or a "hybrid" combination of virtual and in-office therapy. Currently, I only hold in-person sessions on Tuesdays. My telehealth clients who live out of the area and find themselves in the Greater Los Angeles area are always welcome to set up a one-off in-person session as well.

Question 3

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

The short answer: Yes.

In Pennsylvania, I am in-network with Aetna, Independence Blue Cross (IBX), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. In California, I am in-network with Carelon Behavioral Health.

Please not that while Carelon administers mental health benefits for many Medi-Cal plans, I cannot take Medi-Cal and am only able to accept commercial Carelon plans. If you're not sure whether I take your insurance, you're welcome to send me your information so I can check.

The long answer:

Some healthcare companies outsource their mental health benefits administration to other companies, so you may be covered and not know it. Check the back of your insurance card to see if it specifies a mental health carrier, and if not, call the member line to ask "Do my mental health benefits go through your company directly, or is there a third-party administrator?" (E.g.  If you plan to use insurance, please let me know that in your inquiry so I can send you a link to verify your benefits and co-pay.

For all other insurance plans, I am an out-of-network provider and do not accept or interact with insurance directly. That means that if you have a PPO plan with out-of-network benefits, I can provide you with a "super bill" that you can submit to your insurance for partial reimbursement.

This can be a confusing process, and though I do not interact with insurance directly, I can support you in understanding how to best use your benefits.

First, ensure you have a PPO. If you have an HMO, Medi-Cal, or an insurance company that maintains its own provider network like Kaiser, you will be limited to either paying out of pocket without reimbursement or to finding a therapist who is in-network.

If you do have out-of-network benefits, you will pay your full rate to me up front, and I will give you a super bill either after every session or at regular intervals (e.g. monthly, quarterly, etc.), based on your preference (how often you want to fill out insurance paperwork).

You will submit a claim with the super bill attached. Most insurance companies have an online form you can submit, though some require you to mail in paper copies. "What is your process for submitting out of network claims?" is a good question to ask your insurance company when verifying your benefits before getting started with therapy.

The amount of money you receive back from your insurance company will be based on two things: 
1) The percentage of out-of-network outpatient mental health services covered by your plan after your deductible is met (this should be accessible to you when you log in to your insurance company's website, or you can call the customer service number on your card and ask)
2) The "allowed amount" the insurance company sets - this is the amount they think therapy should cost, which is unfortunately often set at rates much lower than the average rate for your area.

For example, if your plan pays for 60% of out-of-network therapy after your deductible is met, it would not matter if my rate were $225 or $1000 - if the company's "allowed amount" is set at $150, you will receive a check from them for $90 per session.

Insurance companies are not legally required to publish their allowed amount, nor do they have to share the metrics used to calculate it, though some will disclose this when asked. Regardless, it may not be possible to accurately predict exactly how much you will receive in reimbursement prior to our first session. If you would like to have one session, submit a claim, and wait for it to be processed before moving forward with therapy to ensure it's within your budget, I can hold your space for up to a month while you wait.

Please contact your insurance company for specifics about your deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and reimbursement percentage. This blog does a good job of outlining the information you'll need from them.

Keep in mind that insurance companies require a qualifying diagnosis to receive reimbursement for services. While I have complex beliefs about the utility of diagnosis and pathology, I will prioritize access to care. it is my policy to discuss diagnosis with clients before documenting anything, and we will talk through the implications of reporting more stigmatized diagnoses to insurance and troubleshoot any privacy concerns that may come up.

Question 4

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Accepted Answer

I do! About 50 percent of my caseload at a time is dedicated to reduced fee slots to increase accessibility for multiply marginalized neurodivergent folks.

I maintain a set number of slots below my full fee of $250 at three tiers: "low"($100-145), "medium" ($150-175), and "high" ($175-200) levels, understanding that even when the slot you might be able to best afford is full, even $5 lower can make a difference week-to-week.

The numbers are re-evaluated twice a year so that I'm able to ensure I'm offering as low a rate as my practice can financially sustain to those who need it. When I am able, I will also offer time-limited slides and/or payment plans to current clients based on circumstances (e.g. unforeseeable financial burden of unemployment, medical emergency, etc.). Money can be a difficult thing to talk about, and it's important to me to foster a relationship based on transparency that makes it feel safe to talk through your needs.

As slots become available, they are offered to new or existing clients on a waitlist. Feel free to ask about what is available or how long the waitlist is prior to setting up a consultation if this is a must for you. However, I cannot typically predict length of treatment with enough accuracy to give a precise timeframe if an opening is not immediately available and will recommend seeking out another provider if you are in need of therapy ASAP (see resources).

If you’re interested in working together in another capacity, consider a one-time case management consultation for personalized referrals and discussion of what goals you might benefit from working on with another provider. Or, if you’re seeking support with an eating disorder and are either autistic or an ADHDer, sign up here for the monthly free peer support group I facilitate via Zoom for adults located anywhere.

Question 5

Would you be open to a single case agreement with my insurance company?

Accepted Answer

Similar to my policy around sliding scale slots, it depends on my capacity (both financially and energetically) at any given time. Before working with an insurance company to negotiate a single case agreement rate, I ask that you: a) Have contacted your insurance company yourself first to ask about this process and ensure you are eligible; b) Have a consultation call with me first to ensure that we both feel we are a good clinical fit; c) Have explored in-network options first and have found that you are unable to find an equivalent fit (I am also happy to help with referrals); d) Complete a release of information for exchange of personal health information between Autonomous Minds Therapy and your insurance company.

Please note that most insurance companies will not inform me of what rate they are offering to pay until we have gone through their application process. It is possible that they may come back to us with an amount that is far below what I can afford to accept. However, I still believe that if the above conditions are met, it's worth a try!

Question 6

How are you working to make therapy more accessible?

Accepted Answer

As a client myself, I used to feel irritated when I'd see therapists claim that the reason they didn't take insurance was for my benefit. It seemed like cloaking greed in social justice language. It's not new that I believe mental health care must be both accessible and ethical. But having grown in my career and my understanding of the ethical pitfalls of managed care, I now understand that insurance-based care virtually always requires therapists to justify or limit treatment based on criteria that prioritizes cost savings over needs. Insurance dictates what counts as "success" and does not make space for clients to decide that therapy is helping them in ways that aren't quantifiable and measurable. It essentially acts as a parent paying for therapy for their child might in its entitlement to dictate who, what, how long, and whether it's working, and that is simply contrary to the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics to which I am beholden, specifically the self-determination section: "Social workers respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals."

That said, I do currently take some insurance plans that I became credentialed with prior to the evolution of my perspective on managed care and plan to do so unless I personally experience a demand to violate to my own integrity or the dignity of my clients from an insurance company. This has not yet occurred, though I remain vigilant. I will never collude with a payer at your expense.

Whether I am working with someone whose insurance is the payer or who has another third-party payer, like a family member or a non-profit, I am committed to ensuring fully informed consent, in line with my code of ethics. That means I will help you to understand how the risks and limits of therapy are different than they otherwise would be due to financial dynamics as well as your right to refuse or withdraw consent, and I will ensure non-insurance payers are aware that their agreement to finance therapy does not constitute entitlement to a say in treatment content. Just because someone must operate under conditional systems to access support doesn't mean they should throw away support altogether - we can make it work within all of our boundaries.

In addition to taking a few insurance plans and using plain language to de-mystify the process of using your out-of-network benefits (see the insurance question in the "logistics" section of these FAQs), I increase accessibility by keeping an average of 60% of my caseload at sliding scale rates, creating free educational resources, and hosting a free monthly support group for ADHDers and autistic folks with eating disorders so that as many people as possible can receive care without gatekeeping or external control.

Question 7

What is your availability like?

Accepted Answer

I see clients Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 6pm PST. I see the majority of my clients in pre-scheduled weekly or biweekly time slots, so when I have an opening, it will be because one of those slots has opened up, and I don’t have much flexibility beyond that.

I will do my best to work with prospective clients to make your ideal time work, but to protect my own energetic boundaries, I can’t meet every specific request. If your schedule is very limited, please specify in your inquiry when you would be available to meet so I can check it against my own schedule.

If you have a schedule that is unpredictable or fluctuates frequently, I do offer the option to check in at the beginning of each week to see what openings might be available in lieu of sticking to a set time slot, but this cannot be guaranteed.

I do not provide out-of-session skills coaching.

Question 8

What's your cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

As a courtesy to both me and other clients who may be waiting on an opening, I ask that whenever possible, you inform me 24 hours ahead of our scheduled session time that you won’t be able to make it. Late cancellations and no shows will be charged the full session fee, barring an unforeseeable emergency (this includes chronic illness flare-ups).

As a fellow ADHDer, I know that sometimes appointment times just slip our minds, and it can be frustrating to encounter this kind of “ADHD tax,” so let’s work together ahead of time to discuss what individualized support I can provide to help you remember, whether that’s additional reminders beyond the standard automated emails, a call 10 minutes into the hour if you’re not there, or another creative solution. This kind of planning can be really beneficial in other areas of our lives, too!

Question 9

I'm  pre-licensed clinician looking to do similar work to yours - do you offer clinical supervision?

Accepted Answer

I am excited to be able to supervise fellow therapists who are specifically interested in specializing in neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder care.

There are two options:

1) Regardless of your location or licensure status, I can provide informal consultation (regular, occasional, or one-time meetings about a specific case, philosophy of the affirming paradigm, countertransference related to lived experience, and more). I also offer this service to dietitians, coaches, and peer support workers.

2) If you are an ASW, AMFT, or APCCs in California or a LSW, LAMFT, or LAPC in Pennsylvania in need of formal supervision of your hours toward licensure through the state's board, I am qualified to provide this if your agency or practice is open to outsourcing supervision to a 1099 contractor.

I do not supervise for the CEDS or any other certification credential. Please reach out to connect and determine whether we would be a good fit. Unfortunately, I'm unable to accept interns and students for formal supervision.

Question 10

Do you offer phone or audio-phone consultations and sessions?

Accepted Answer

Part of my neurodivergent identity includes specific auditory processing needs. This doesn't mean I'm not a good listener; it means I need visual input (e.g. facial expressions, body language, and other visual information) to accompany what I hear to decrease the effort it takes to register, process, synthesize, and comprehend what you're saying. If I don't have that, it takes a tremendous amount of focus and energy for me to engage, and I may or may not have that to give. That means that in order to be the most attuned, responsive version of myself, I need to see you. I recognize that since I exclusively see neurodivergent clients whose processing preferences often vary from my own, competing needs may arise. I can accommodate an occasional session via phone or with your camera off if necessary (e.g. you're having a tech issue or you're in a public place for the sake of privacy), but doing so on a regular basis would require me to give all of my energy to processing, leaving none for my other clients. That's why I am not a good fit for folks who are looking exclusively for audio-only sessions, and I no longer offer free initial consultations unless they're via Zoom.For topics like scheduling and billing that don't require the same cognitive energy, phone calls are typically fine, but since I require all phone calls to be scheduled as a transition and predictability self-accommodation, you're typically better off emailing or texting me for a quicker response. Please note that I do not pick up the phone for any unscheduled calls, including from colleagues, so if you're having a doctor or family member call me to chat about your therapy, please advise them to email or text to schedule that first.

Question 11

Do you text with clients?

Accepted Answer

I invite my clients to info-dump or drop bullet points (and memes) for their therapy session agenda to whatever extent is beneficial to them via text message on the HIPAA-compliant platform I use. However, I am not able to respond to clinical updates or provide any feedback between sessions, so my response will be limited to a “thumbs up” to indicate I received your message, and I will make sure to review it before session. The benefit of this kind of communication is to support you in getting the most out of your therapy hour - if there are tedious details to a story you don’t want to spend time on or you simply expect to forget what happened during the week even though it felt really important in the moment (happens to my ADHD brain all the time!), this can be a great accommodation.

Texting is for non-emergencies only, but I can provide you with both crisis hotlines and supportive "warm lines" (someone to talk to when you're struggling before it becomes an emergency) that do not call the police so that you have them handy.

Stacie Fanelli, LCSW

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you accepting new clients?

Do you offer in-person therapy?

Do you take insurance?

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Would you be open to a single case agreement with my insurance company?

How are you working to make therapy more accessible?

What is your availability like?

What's your cancellation policy?

I'm pre-licensed clinician looking to do similar work to yours - do you offer clinical supervision?

Do you offer phone or audio-phone consultations and sessions?

Do you text with clients?

Autonomous Minds Therapy

CA LCSW #105876
PA LCSW #CW024176

Autonomous Minds Therapy is a DBA of Stacie Fanelli, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Professional Corporation

Menu

Contact

Stacie Fanelli, LCSW

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you accepting new clients?

Do you offer in-person therapy?

Do you take insurance?

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Would you be open to a single case agreement with my insurance company?

How are you working to make therapy more accessible?

What is your availability like?

What's your cancellation policy?

I'm pre-licensed clinician looking to do similar work to yours - do you offer clinical supervision?

Do you offer phone or audio-phone consultations and sessions?

Do you text with clients?

Autonomous Minds Therapy

CA LCSW #105876 PA LCSW #CW024176 Autonomous Minds Therapy is a DBA of Stacie Fanelli, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Professional Corporation

Menu

Contact

CA LCSW #105876
PA LCSW #CW024176

Autonomous Minds Therapy is a DBA of Stacie Fanelli, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Professional Corporation