Counseling can help many couples in finding a more secure connection and increased trust and intimacy.

However, there are times when individual therapy may be more appropriate than marriage counseling. These times include:

• If one or both partners have an active addiction.

• If there is an ongoing active affair.​

• If you are unable to be in the same space for a length of time and remain civil.

• If there is active violence in the relationship.

Léargas’ services would not be appropriate if you are moving toward separation or divorce.

All sessions are by appointment; sessions typically take place during the following times:

Monday, 10am - 5pm

Tuesday, 7:30am - 4pm

Wednesday, 10am - 5pm

Thursday, 9am - 1pm

Counseling is an investment into your life and future. Emotionally Focused Therapy can be a short term (8-20 weekly sessions) for a relatively healthy couple; however, for couples or individuals experiencing crisis or the impact of trauma, longer term work should be expected.

Clients are scheduled weekly, with possibility of reducing frequency as progress is made.

• $175 per session for 50 - 60 minutes of therapy

• $250 per session for 90 minutes of therapy

• Late cancellation or missed appointment: $175 (24-hour cancellation notice is required).

Premarital Counseling and Marriage Intensive packages are also available.

Rates are reviewed annually and are subject to change with at least 60 days notice for current clients. A Good Faith Estimate of expected charges is available and can be requested.

Léargas uses IvyPay for our credit card processing. IvyPay accepts client debit, credit, HSA or FSA card. Session fees will be automatically charged on the morning of your session. If for some reason your card does not authorize payment, you will be contacted for a new form of payment to be submitted prior to our scheduled session.

Léargas is a private pay provider meaning that we do not accept insurance or interact with insurance carriers. If you have Out-of-Network benefits, we will provide a receipt that you may be able to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Ultimately, insurance reimbursement is a contract between you and your carrier; we can not accept responsibility for you collecting an insurance claim.

Every insurance company is different in regards to their coverage for mental health and marriage therapy. You have the right to identify a therapist in-network with your provider. We recommend contacting your insurance agency prior to our first session to inquire about your coverage.

Note: Medicare will not approve reimbursement for private pay/out-of-network providers. Léargas has opted-out as a Medicare provider.

1. Cost savings. If you have good out-of-network benefits, your insurance company may reimburse you as much as 80% of each session fee, depending on your plan and the counselor’s rate. This means that in some situations, using your out-of-network (OON) benefits can actually be more affordable or comparable to your standard copay to see an in-network therapist. We encourage you to check with your insurance company for their out-of-network reimbursement rates.

2. Less Finger Pointing. When working with couples and families for insurance reimbursement, counselors must assign a diagnosis to one member of the couple or family. That person becomes the "identified client" or person with the problem and is assigned a diagnosis. Diagnoses are placed in people’s permanent medical record with their insurance company. Permanently labeling one individual as the problem may create an environment that breeds resentment, rather than restoration.

3. Finding the right counselor is critical to reaching your goals. At the end of the day, research has shown over and over that the relationship between you and your counselor is one of the most important aspects of the healing process. Choosing an in-network therapist who doesn’t make you feel comfortable or doesn’t specialize in the areas you’re struggling with solely because they’re in-network can be a waste of your time and your money. A great match leads to you meeting your therapy goals faster and increases your ability to make real changes.

4. Privacy. When you submit for OON reimbursement, the receipt must include a diagnosis / diagnostic code. This means that no matter the reason that brings you counseling - if you submit for reimbursement, a diagnosis MUST be assigned. Some diagnoses can cause insurance companies to quote or charge you higher premiums.

   OON counselors utilize diagnoses to craft individualized treatment plans for their clients, but unless a client submits for reimbursement, that diagnosis is kept privately and not shared with your insurance company, remaining on your insurance record forever.

5. You want highly personalized services. If a counselor isn’t constrained by only providing insurance-approved services, they are often able to spend more time and creativity crafting the perfect treatment plan for you. OON counselors can offer longer or more frequent sessions than insurance might cover, and also explore out-of-the-box solutions.

To check your coverage benefits:

The back of your insurance card has a contact number you can call to ask questions about your coverage, including out-of-network (OON) reimbursement. In general, most PPO plans (not HMO) have OON benefits.

With Léargas, you would be receiving individual or couple/family therapy, out-patient mental health services with a licensed professional counselor.

Here are a few questions you could ask your insurance:

1. Are mental/behavioral health services (CPT codes 90834 and 90837 for individual therapy, or 90846 and 90847 for couples therapy) covered by my out-of-network benefits?

2. What is my out-of-network deductible?

3. How much of my out-of-network deductible has already been met?

4. What is my policy period?

5. How much of the fee is reimbursed for out-of-network providers?

6. How do I submit for reimbursement?

7. How long do I have to submit my Suberbill?

8. How long will it take to be reimbursed for sessions after I have submitted my claims?

9. Is approval required from my primary care physician?

10. Will you reimburse for 2 sessions in a week?

Most insurance companies have a way to submit claims through their website or client portal. Reimbursify is an online service that will do your out-of-network billing for you. They charge $3.99 per reimbursement claim (you receive a check in the mail if your reimbursement is accepted). However, if you do have OON benefits and your claim is rejected by your insurance compay, Reimbursify will help you to resolve any issues and resubmit without additional charge.

Note: Medicare will not approve reimbursement for private pay/out-of-network providers. Léargas has opted-out as a Medicare provider.

Léargas is physically located in Virginia Beach, VA; however, all sessions meet online via Google Meet.

Why meet online?

Teletherapy - or online therapy - has made scheduling an appointment easier and less intrusive in your day, eliminating the need to battle traffic to and from your therapist's office and the time spent in the waiting room.

Being able to grab a cup of coffee, step into a private room for the scheduled therapy session, and ready to return fairly soon to ‘work-mode’ is a much more viable solution. And it is not just about convenience. Research has also shown teletherapy is just as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy for many clients.

(HIPAA compliant encryption for safety and confidentiality.)

Dr. Ladd is licensed in the state of Virginia, which means you also need to be in Virginia for your sessions. Otherwise, you simply need a private and safe space with strong internet. For couples sessions, you and your partner should be in the same location.

Here are some things to consider.

Is the space private? Can you lock the door?

If not, will others who have access to the space respect your request for privacy and not enter the room? Can you/have you had a conversation with them? Were they receptive?

Can others outside the room hear you talking?

If so, can you create white noise with a fan or other form of background noise? (Preferably placed outside the doorway of the room you’re in)

Consider using headphones or earbuds so that your provider’s voice is kept private and is only hearable by you

If you have a hard time finding confidential space, here are some examples that others have used: laundry room, walk-in closet, basement, or attic . These are not ideal, but should be considered secondary choices if an ideal setup is not available.

If you use any of these, please make sure that the space is comfortable to you. Being comfortable is also highly important.

Actual last resort: your car parked in a safe, private spot. (We want to emphasize that private does not mean secluded. Please do make sure you are in a safe location.)

(Adapted from Person-Centered Tech)

A laptop or desktop computer are ideal — preferably the biggest screen size that you have available to you (that you can also have in a comfortable, confidential space).

You will need a functioning microphone and camera on your device.

If you’re using a tablet or phone, please prop up the device so that it is stable and that the camera is about level with your eyes.

Whatever device you’re using, please make sure that the camera is about level with your eyes. It may require propping up your device or monitor on other items, such as books.

Please make sure that you’re well lit and don’t have a bright light source directly behind you.

Be sure to move your computer as close as you can to your WiFi router (the box that makes the WiFi.) Or better yet — plug your computer into the router with an ethernet cable.

After that, you’ll want to close out of any programs you don’t need which use your Internet connection. (This article will explain more on this.)

(Adapted from Person-Centered Tech)

You can contact Léargas at info@leargas.llc or 757.250.2522.

You can also schedule a free 20-minute consult at this link.

If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, please call:

• 911, or go to your nearest emergency room.

• 988 by phone or text to reach the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or visiting 988lifeline.org; if you are trying to reach a 988 call center in Virginia using an out-of-state area code, you can call 703-752-5263.

• the National Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.