FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No, we are solely telemedicine. This means that all appointments will be conducted via a confidential, HIPPA compliant telehealth platform with audio and video components.

No, we are currently cash-based only. We accept HSA/FSA payments, and can provide super bills for patients to submit to their insurance plans for reimbursement. Please note that we have no control over whether your health insurance plan will cover any portion of our services.

Please see our Services page for information on appointment pricing. Fees must be paid at the time of service, and will be processed via credit or debit card through our patient portal at the time of appointment. No-show or late cancellation fees may also apply. Our clinic policies regarding cancelled or missed appointments as well as other professional fees will be thoroughly reviewed in new patient paperwork. Please contact our office with any questions.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, kindly contact the clinic within 24 hours of the appointment time. Please understand that, out of respect for your time, our Psychiatrists do not double-book or back-to-back book appointment times. When you have a scheduled appointment, the time is solely yours. Therefore you will be charged in full if you cancel less than 24 hours in advance as it does not give our office adequate time to fill the cancelled slot.

No. At this time, our physicians can only see patients in Arizona & Colorado, according to medical and licensing laws. You must be physically present in Arizona or Colorado for the duration of your appointment, so please plan accordingly.

Not necessarily! While our telehealth platform will certainly work with desktop or laptop computers, it will also work with smart phones or iPads/tablets, as long as there is a functioning camera and built-in microphone (i.e., your volume works).

Given the sensitive nature of some of the things we may talk about during your appointment, it's imperative that you are in a private area. If you are in your car, you must be parked and in a safe place (not driving). If you are not in a safe and private area at the start of your appointment time, your psychiatrist will not be able to conduct your appointment and you will need to reschedule. It is also important that you have a good WiFi connection to prevent delays or lags in the connection. It helps to be in a well-lit room, especially in an area where there is a window in front of you.

It’s confusing, we get it! But, understanding the difference between psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health practitioners is an important part of understanding your treatment. Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who, after completing four years of college and 4 years of medical school, has completed four additional years of specialty training through a residency program in psychiatry. During residency, Psychiatrists are trained in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatry, including therapy. They are also typically exposed to a wide variety of hospitals and treatment settings to ensure they are competent and prepared to assess and treat a wide variety of patient populations. During their residency, Psychiatrists also spend time training in subspecialties of psychiatry such as child & adolescent, addiction, eating disorders, forensic, consult-liaison, Med-Psych (medically complex patients with psychiatric conditions), geriatric psychiatry and dementia care & emergency psychiatry. As a part of training, psychiatric residents also must complete several months of training in neurology, internal medicine and emergency medicine to build a sound foundation of understanding in these specialities which often overlap with psychiatry or psychiatric presentations. As physicians, psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medications, and are extensively training in psychopharmacology. During their outpatient training, psychiatrists also receive a significant amount of training in psychotherapy (“talk-therapy”, CBT, ACT, DBT, grief-work, psychodynamic, etc). Throughout residency, psychiatric residents are trained and supervised by board-certified psychiatrists who ensure that residents are competent in all areas of training. At the end of their 4 year residency program, a psychiatrist can become board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and continues medical education throughout his or her career to maintain that certification. In brief, a psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses, including substance abuse/addiction and eating disorders. Psychiatrists are trained to assess the mental, emotional & physical aspects of psychological disturbance, which allows them to make an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment plan. A psychiatrist has the authority to prescribe medications to patients, but a psychologist or therapist cannot. Psychologist: A psychologist has studied psychology in college and graduate school. Most licensed psychologists hold a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.). Psychologists are extensively trained in the administration and interpretation of psychological testing, which can be an invaluable tool to guide diagnosis and/or treatment. They may complete training in specific types of therapy, including EMDR. Therapist/Counselor: A therapist or counselor is one who has studied either psychology or social work in college and graduate school. Most hold a master’s degree in their field and are licensed to provide counseling or psychotherapy. (L.P.C., L.C.S.W., L.M.F.T). They may complete training in specific types of therapy, including EMDR. The providers at Ember Mental Health + Wellness are all Psychiatrists, but we believe that all mental health professionals are a part of the same team. We frequently work collaboratively with psychologists, therapists or other mental health practitioners in order to provide our patients the best care possible.