What follows are the questions that come up most often, written directly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why no insurance?
Insurance covers therapy only when a diagnosis establishes “medical necessity.” That diagnosis becomes part of your permanent health record, and your insurer then decides how many sessions you get and what treatment qualifies. Private pay keeps your care private and in your hands. Nothing goes to a third party, which matters for professionals with security clearances, licensing boards, or leadership roles. Treatment follows your goals, with no session caps, preauthorizations, or billing-code limits. *I accept a small number of Aetna and Medicare clients. Those spots are limited, so schedule an introductory call to ask about availability.
Can I use my HSA or FSA?
Therapy services are generally HSA/FSA eligible. Coaching-only services typically are not. Check with your plan administrator before using these funds.
Why are sessions ninety to 120 minutes?
The 50-minute session is a scheduling and insurance-billing convention, not a clinical standard. Most practices default to 50 minutes because insurance billing codes cap the session time a clinician can bill and reasonably expect the claim to be approved and paid. Kathie doesn’t, because breakthroughs need deep, uninterrupted focus. The 90-minute format draws on the work of psychiatrist Milton H. Erickson, known for extended sessions, and psychobiologist Ernest Rossi, who studied ultradian rhythms: the natural 90-to-120-minute cycles of focus and recovery the brain moves through during the day. A longer session matches that cycle. You have time to settle in, lower your guard, reach the real issue, and leave with a plan instead of stopping mid-thought.
How often do clients meet?
Every other week is the recommended starting point. Clients may meet weekly during demanding stretches and move to monthly once the work shifts to maintenance. You and Kathie set the cadence together and adjust it as your needs change.
How long do clients typically work with you?
Most clients work with Kathie for six to eighteen months. The work has a clear shape and an endpoint. This isn’t lifelong therapy, though some clients return for occasional maintenance sessions as life changes. Consistent with the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, the goal is your independence, not ongoing reliance on sessions. If you want focused work in a shorter timeframe, The Intensive is a self-contained, two-day engagement. Some clients get what they need from it and never continue, and that’s what it’s designed to do.
ABOUT THE WORK
Do you see couples and families?
The short answer is YES. I recommend coaching for couples and families because it focuses on communication, shared goals, and practical strategy, so everyone moves forward together. In therapy, on the other hand, Kathie works primarily with individuals while keeping the whole family system in view. Couples or family sessions are added when they’ll serve the work.
The Intensive, a 2-day engagement, is also well suited to couples and families who want focused time together.
Do you work with federal employees and clearance holders?
Absolutely. The foundational privacy structure of KHKN Group exists specifically because Kathie understands the high professional stakes her clients face. As a former Supervisory Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Kathie knows exactly how an exposed mental health record can jeopardize a background investigation, a security clearance renewal, or a fitness-for-duty evaluation. KHKN Group provides elite, ultra-discreet care tailored for: Law Enforcement & Intel, Corporate Leadership, Licensed Professionals, High-Profile Individuals, and their loved ones. Your privacy is not just a policy here; it is the core architecture of how Kathie operates.
What is the difference between a therapist, clinician, counselor, and coach?
These words get used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. Coach: Helps you set goals and build a strategy forward. No license is required, and coaches don’t diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Counselor: Helps with specific life challenges through guidance and coping tools. The work is often shorter-term and goal-directed. Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) hold a formal credential. Therapist: A broad term for anyone who provides talk-based mental health treatment. On its own, it doesn’t signal a specific license. Clinician: The most formal of the four. A licensed professional who assesses, diagnoses, and treats, with the emphasis on clinical depth rather than conversation or encouragement.
Where Kathie fits: Most providers fit one of these categories. Kathie covers all four. She is licensed in two states, as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania and a Clinical Professional Counselor in Nevada, and she pairs that clinical depth with a coach’s focus on strategy and momentum. Her work reaches the patterns underneath, not just the coping tools on top, and then builds the plan to move past them.
Is there a free discovery call before I book?
Kathie offers an Introductory Call instead. It isn’t a free session, and it’s more than a scheduling step. It’s your chance to meet Kathie one-on-one and get a sense of how she works before you commit. She’ll ask what brings you in, why now, and whether KHKN Group is the right fit, and she’ll answer your questions.
If you both agree it’s a fit, you’ll complete onboarding, including informed consent, and then schedule your first session.