Frequently Asked Questions

We offer individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy services for a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues. 

We also offer comprehensive diagnostic assessments with optional cognitive and psychoeducational evaluations as needed. We specialize in neurodiversity-affirming assessments for hard-to-spot profiles of ADHD and Autism and co-occurring diagnoses.

We also offer consultation and coaching services in addition to supervision to licensed and pre-licensed professionals and pre-licensed providers looking to expand their skillset in a number of areas or acquiring hours toward licensure.

Learn more about our services and read our clinicians' bios. 

Individual psychotherapy sessions are 50 minutes long, with options for longer sessions depending on the specific needs of the client. 

Couples and family sessions are between 60-90 minutes long.

Additional time is billed based on your clinician's hourly rate.

The cost of services depends on your provider, their specialty, the type of service being rendered, and the time of each session. You can learn more about therapy rates here and assessment services here. 

Nouveau is considered an out-of-network provider with all insurance companies. 

This means that you are responsible for the full cost of services at the time they are provided, and may choose to pursue partial or full reimbursement (depending on your specific plan/benefits). We can provide you with a Superbill upon request, that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. 

We recommend checking with your insurance company prior to engaging in therapy or assessment services to clarify your out-of-pocket responsibilities, as we do not engage with insurance companies on your behalf.

Clients may opt in to services such as Thrizer (for therapy services only) in order to facilitate easier claim processing for plans with out-of-network (OON) benefits (see Insurance Reimbursement for more information). Other claim submission companies such as Reimbursify and Mentaya may also be used. Nouveau is not formally affiliated with these services, and clients who opt to use them do so at their own risk. 

**NOTE: We are not able to provide Superbills for Medicaid, Medicare or Tricare recipients.

A clinical psychologist is a doctoral-level mental health professional with extensive training in research, assessment and treatment of a wide range of complex mental health conditions. 

Clinical psychologists (Ph.D.s and Psy.D.s) complete 5 to 7 years of rigorous pre-and-postgraduate education and training. 

This training includes multiple years of supervised clinical experiences in a variety of treatment settings, where they work directly with clients under the supervision of licensed psychologists. Their training concludes with a full-time clinical internship experience, with further specialization obtained through an optional postdoctoral fellowship. All of our clinicians have completed this advanced pre-and postdoctoral training. 

In addition to their clinical training, clinical psychologists complete a dissertation, a rigorous multi-year process of investigation and analysis, designed to contribute original research to the field of psychology. 

This combination of in-depth academic study, clinical practice, and research equips clinical psychologists to offer comprehensive psychological services, including therapy and psychological assessments for complex mental health issues.

Depending on the needs of the client and the associated battery of tests required, evaluations typically take 6-8 weeks following the first scheduled appointment before the feedback session.

The process begins with a 2-hour interview with the client and/or any informants. We typically send out additional symptom measures 2 weeks following the interview session, and begin writing the report once the assessment has been paid in full. 

We schedule a feedback session at the conclusion of the testing process to review the findings and discuss recommendations and next steps, and in most cases, we send the final written report within 5-7 business days following this appointment. 

Additional sessions can be scheduled to process results in further detail, upon request.

The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT®) is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries:

The states currently participating in PSYPACT are: 

AL, AZ, AR, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

*CA, LA, MA, MT, NM and NY are not included. You must be located in a participating state at the time of sessions. 

We see clients in person at our office in Rosslyn (1530 Wilson Blvd, Suite 360, Arlington, VA 22209). 

The building is located next to Target and across from the Safeway grocery store. 

We are a short walk up the hill (approximately 5 minutes) from the Rosslyn metro station. 

Street parking is available on Wilson and Clarendon Blvds, with garage parking available for $15. 

Our building is locked after 6pm and on weekends. 

A Good Faith Estimate (GFE) is a document that provides you with an upfront estimate of the expected costs for therapy services. 

 GFEs are provided to individuals who are uninsured or who are not planning to submit for insurance reimbursement.

This estimate is part of a federal requirement aimed at promoting transparency in healthcare pricing, helping you make informed decisions about your treatment.

Following the intake session(s), you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of what the charges will be for your sessions. This estimate will outline the anticipated costs for your planned course of therapy or assessment and any additional services that may be recommended.

It’s important to note that a Good Faith Estimate is not a bill. It is a projection of costs based on the information available at the time and the specifics of your treatment plan. Actual costs may vary depending on factors such as changes in the length of treatment, the frequency of sessions, or the need for additional services.

You will receive a GFE upon request or at the time of scheduling, and you should keep this document for your records.

If your statement is more than $400 beyond the estimate provided on your GFE for specific services rendered, you have the right to dispute the charges. 

You can learn more about your right to a GFE here. 

Because we are not able to fill a previously-scheduled therapy or assessment session with short notice, clients must cancel or reschedule sessions no later than one full business day (24hrs on weekdays) prior to their scheduled appointment. 

The full cost of the session will be charged for late cancellations.

More information about late cancellations and associated fees is provided in our informed consent policies. 

NOTE: Insurance does not reimburse for late cancellations or no-shows.

Our therapy practice is private pay and does not work directly with insurance companies to ensure the highest quality of care and maintain client confidentiality. 

Insurance companies often impose very strict restrictions on treatment, limiting the length and frequency of sessions, and can further compromise your privacy by regularly auditing your provider's treatment records. They also require that a formal diagnosis be assigned in order to justify coverage. 

Additionally, the rate of insurance reimbursements do not allow clinicians to earn a reasonable salary for their expertise and time. The administrative burden of processing claims and pursuing payment for services also takes valuable time away from client care. 

By operating independently, we can focus entirely on your needs and provide the personalized, effective therapy you deserve. 

Many insurance plans include out-of-network benefits which allow clients to submit claims on their own for partial or full reimbursement of the cost of therapy or assessment services. 

Our assessments are designed to provide a well-rounded understanding of your strengths, needs, and overall functioning. It typically includes:

• Answering the referral question(s) – Addressing the specific concerns that brought you in for testing.
• A broad snapshot of functioning – Looking at functioning in multiple areas (e.g., emotional, behavioral, social) rather than focusing on just one symptom or issue.
• Screening for additional or alternative diagnoses – Formally identifying alternative and/or additional diagnoses, including noting any conditions that could be explored or confirmed in future assessments.
• Personalized recommendations – Practical, supportive next steps for ongoing care, based on your profile and needs
  

We utilize a combination of methods to develop a comprehensive, well-rounded understanding of your experiences from multiple data sources. These include a thorough clinical interview, a number of standardized tests and specific symptom screeners, input from any informants involved, and integration of additional materials (e.g., past evaluations).

• Our evaluations are designed to be strengths-based, person-centered, and collaborative. We aim to understand the whole person within the context of their environment, including cultural identity and other lived experiences, rather than focusing on disorder or deficits.

• Our goal is to establish clarity around your specific presentation and support needs, providing you with the tools to better understand yourself and your treatment needs based on your specific goals.

• We stay on top of the latest research and assessment tools to ensure our evaluations account for the various ways in which individuals present with these conditions. This includes a thorough interpretation of data that may be based on measures that do not yet reflect a more representative patient population.  

• We maintain a trauma-informed approach to the testing process, meaning that our clinicians remain mindful of clients’ experiences and how that often affects their comfort level with the assessment process. 

• We provide individualized recommendations drawn from the latest neurodiversity-affirming sources, adapted for your preferred learning style.

• As much as possible, the process of our evaluations are designed to support accessibility needs (e.g., virtual sessions, comfortable office space, alternative means of information sharing, multiple learning formats).

• We do our best to ensure that the results (including written reports) are communicated in clear and supportive language, so both the individual and their support team can more easily understand the findings and understand appropriate next steps.

• We offer additional sessions following the evaluation for clients who would like to continue learning about the findings and next steps. These sessions can include others involved in the client’s care, including family members and their treatment team.

•  You can learn more about neurodiversity-affirming evaluations here and the broader neurodiversity paradigm here. 

We are aware of recent statements by the federal government regarding the possibility of maintaining a national database or registry of individuals diagnosed with autism. If you choose to complete your assessment as a private-pay client and do not submit documentation to your insurance company or other third-party agencies, it is highly unlikely that we will be required to share your results—unless mandated by a court order or other legal requirement.

There are a few situations where disclosure may be necessary, including:

• Insurance reimbursement: If you seek reimbursement from your insurance company, diagnostic information will be shared with them.
  
• Agencies or programs: Schools, workplaces, disability services, or other agencies may require all or part of your evaluation to approve accommodations or benefits.
  
• Legal requirements: We may be compelled to release information in certain legal circumstances, such as court orders, and in accordance with HIPAA, state law, and our professional code of ethics.
  
• Security clearances: Individuals applying for or maintaining certain clearances may need to disclose medical records.
  
• International travel or immigration: Some countries have restrictions related to certain diagnoses.
  
• State or federal databases: Some states—and potentially the federal government—maintain databases of individuals with certain diagnoses, including autism. These are generally used to track prevalence rates, plan services, allocate resources, and inform research and policy. Participation requirements vary by jurisdiction, so we encourage you to familiarize yourself with state and federal laws regarding such databases.
  

You can learn more about existing federal and state programs here:

• CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network
• State-by-State Autism Database Information

All assessment materials—including your report, test scores, and diagnoses—are documented in your confidential medical file. Nouveau follows strict HIPAA standards to protect your privacy. Please feel free to discuss any concerns about disclosure with your clinician.