---
title: "Good Faith Estimate (GFE): No Surprises Act Cost Disclosure for Private-Pay Therapy"
description: "Under the federal No Surprises Act, every self-pay client has the right to a written Good Faith Estimate of therapy costs before care begins. This page covers Alafiora's psychologist session rates, CPT codes, the cost-estimate tools used at scheduling, and the dispute process for a bill $400 over estimate."
url: https://www.alafiora.com/good-faith-estimate-gfe
practice: Alafiora LLC
author: Dr. Esther Lapite-Garrett, licensed psychologist
license: https://www.alafiora.com/website-terms-of-use
copyright: © Alafiora 2026
note: >-
  Educational content, not treatment. Reading it establishes no clinical
  relationship. Every personal account on this page is fiction, written by
  Dr. Lapite-Garrett from her own clinical knowledge and expertise; she uses AI
  as a drafting tool and approves every word. No client information of any kind
  was used to make them.
---

**Alafiora · Transparency and Compliance · Federal Cost Disclosure**

# Good Faith Estimate (GFE)

### A written estimate of expected charges, provided before care begins, for every individual who seeks psychological care at Alafiora without using insurance. This page explains that federal requirement and exactly what it covers: current session rates and billing codes, the two cost-estimate tools used at scheduling, and the specific federal rights that come with receiving one.

[ BEGIN WITH A CONSULTATION ] [ BEGIN WITH A FIRST SESSION ]

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# The Federal Notice Behind This Page

## What the No Surprises Act Actually Requires | Good Faith Estimate Law for Psychologists and Therapists

The No Surprises Act, effective January 1, 2022, requires healthcare providers, including licensed psychologists and other mental health providers in private practice, to give uninsured and self-pay individuals a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges before care begins. Alafiora is a private-pay, fee-for-service psychological practice; no insurance claims are filed on a client's behalf, and this federal requirement applies to every prospective and current client here, without exception.

A superbill, an itemized receipt a client can submit independently to an insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement, is available on request for anyone who carries out-of-network benefits and wants to pursue that route on their own. An individual who plans to request superbills and submit them to insurance is still entitled to a Good Faith Estimate before services begin; using superbills for reimbursement does not remove this right.

Every estimate provided here, and any written estimate delivered at intake, reflects the information available at the time care is scheduled. Actual costs can differ if the frequency, duration, or nature of services changes based on clinical need as treatment unfolds. Any substantive change to anticipated services is followed by an updated estimate, consistent with the reissue schedule described later on this page.

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# Current Service Rates and Billing Codes

## What a Session Costs and How It Is Billed | Alafiora's CPT Codes and Session Rates

The session types below are the building blocks both cost-estimate tools further down this page draw from. A standard fifty-minute session remains the most accessible entry point into ongoing care; the extended session and the concierge retainer sit at the other end of the fee structure, for clients whose treatment calls for more room or more access than a standard session provides.

| Session or service | CPT code | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Initial intake session (80 minutes) | 90791 | $475 |
| Individual psychotherapy (50 minutes) | 90837 | $300 |
| Individual psychotherapy, extended (110 minutes) | 90837 | $600 |
| Clarity session (25 minutes) | 90832 | $175 |
| Concierge monthly retainer | By arrangement | Begins at $9,500/month |
| Written documentation, support letters, or legal correspondence | Varies | Quoted separately |
| Full-rate no-show or late cancellation (under 48 hours) | Per session rate | Session fee |

Rates are subject to annual review. Current clients are notified in writing at least 30 days before any rate change takes effect. Every client in ongoing care also receives a reissued Good Faith Estimate at the twelve-month mark, consistent with the federal reissue requirement described in the client-rights section below.

The full session menu, format options, and current rates live in complete form on [the Rates and Fees page](https://www.alafiora.com/rates-and-fees), which this page draws its numbers from directly; that page is the place to look for the full pricing picture, while this page exists specifically to satisfy the federal estimate-notice requirement.

Concierge access is structured as a monthly retainer rather than billed session by session, since it changes the structure of access to [Dr. Esther Lapite-Garrett's](https://www.alafiora.com/meet-the-psychologist-dr-esther) clinical work rather than the clinical work itself; the retainer figure appears here, in full, because listing every service rate is this page's specific federal compliance purpose. It is otherwise kept out of ordinary page copy elsewhere on the site, and current concierge availability and exact terms are confirmed directly through inquiry.

---

# Calculator: Estimating Session Cost by Frequency and Duration

## Interactive Cost Estimator | Session-Cost and Treatment-Duration Calculator

The table above answers what a single session costs. The tool below turns that into an actual projected total, letting a prospective client estimate the cost of ongoing individual therapy by choosing how often sessions happen and for how long treatment is expected to run. Nothing entered here is saved, sent, or stored anywhere.

[[CALC:sessions]]

This estimate does not include retainer costs, written documentation, late cancellation fees, or any services added based on clinical need. It is provided for planning purposes only, is not a contract, and does not obligate anyone to obtain services from Alafiora. Actual costs may vary based on the frequency, duration, and nature of care as it evolves clinically.

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# Calculator: Estimating Out-of-Network Reimbursement

## Interactive Out-of-Network Estimator | Superbill Reimbursement Calculator

The estimate above covers direct cost. For clients who carry out-of-network insurance benefits and plan to submit superbills for reimbursement, this second tool estimates what an insurer may reimburse and what the remaining out-of-pocket cost would be. Every plan differs; this is a planning reference, not a guarantee from any insurer. Nothing entered here is saved, sent, or stored anywhere.

[[CALC:oon]]

This is an estimate only, not a quote or a guarantee from any insurer. Reimbursement amounts depend on a client's specific plan, remaining deductible, and how a given insurer processes out-of-network claims. Superbills are available on request to support independent reimbursement submissions, and confirming out-of-network benefits directly with the relevant insurer before relying on this estimate is recommended.

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# Client Rights Under the No Surprises Act

## The Federal Protections Attached to Every Estimate | Good Faith Estimate Rights and the Dispute Resolution Process

Receiving an estimate is only half of what federal law guarantees here. The other half is a specific set of rights attached to that estimate. Every individual seeking care at Alafiora without using insurance holds the following rights, in full, under federal law:

- The right to receive a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges, available on request and provided at or before scheduling.
- The right to dispute a bill that comes in $400 or more above the Good Faith Estimate provided, through the federal Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution process. Initiating that process does not affect the quality of care received.
- The understanding that a Good Faith Estimate is not a contract. Receiving one does not obligate anyone to obtain services from Alafiora or from any provider named in the estimate.
- The same protection whether the individual is a new client, an established client, or someone who carries insurance but chooses not to use it for these services.
- For recurring services, the right to a reissued Good Faith Estimate at the twelve-month mark, or whenever there is a substantive change in anticipated frequency, duration, or type of service.

For questions about the Good Faith Estimate requirement or to learn more about the dispute resolution process directly from the federal government, visit [cms.gov/nosurprises](https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises) or call 1-800-985-3059.

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# Requesting a Written Estimate

## How to Get a Good Faith Estimate Before or After Scheduling | Requesting Cost Documentation from Alafiora

Knowing these rights exist is only useful if getting the estimate itself is simple, and it is. A written Good Faith Estimate, inclusive of every federally required element, is provided to every client before or at the time a first session is scheduled. Prospective clients may also request one in advance of scheduling anything at all. Reaching out directly with questions about anticipated costs, or about what care at Alafiora may involve, is always welcome, whether that conversation happens through a consultation or by moving straight into a first session.

Reading a page like this one is a reasonable way to understand the cost structure before deciding anything further, and it does not commit anyone to a next step. Some prospective clients want a brief conversation first to ask questions and confirm fit; others already know they are ready to begin care directly.

**Consultation:** a brief conversation, by video or phone call as the prospective client prefers, to ask whatever is needed to feel confident this is the right fit, where Dr. Esther Lapite-Garrett, [a licensed psychologist and the founder of Alafiora](https://www.alafiora.com/meet-the-psychologist-dr-esther), explains her process so nothing about starting care is unclear or assumed. A written Good Faith Estimate can be requested at this stage.

**First session (intake):** the actual beginning of care, where history and lived experience are gathered and a treatment plan begins to take shape, at the standard intake rate listed above. A written Good Faith Estimate is provided at or before this session regardless of whether a consultation happened first.

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**Begin a Confidential Conversation**

Requesting a Good Faith Estimate, or simply asking a question about anticipated costs, is a brief and confidential exchange, held within the same legal and professional limits of confidentiality any licensed psychologist explains before clinical work begins, and it commits no one to anything beyond that single question. Those already certain they are ready are equally welcome to begin directly with a first session, where a full written estimate is provided as a matter of course.

[ BEGIN WITH A CONSULTATION ] [ BEGIN WITH A FIRST SESSION ]

For anyone who wants the complete pricing picture before asking anything further, the [Rates and Fees page](https://www.alafiora.com/rates-and-fees) covers every session format and current rate directly, and this page can always be bookmarked, or the QR code in the footer scanned, to keep this information close until the timing feels right.

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