Dr. Gregory J. Harms 655 W. Irving Park Rd. Ste. 209 Chicago, IL 60613 773-983-1479 gjh1975@peoplepc.com
Many people have questions about therapy or other psychological services. Some of the more common questions are answered below. If you have any other questions or would like to speak to me directly, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your credentials?
I hold a doctorate in psychology (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, a master's degree in mental health counseling from Capella University, and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.
I am licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in Illinois (071.009626) where I have my practice. While I do not have office space in these states, I am also licensed as a Health Service Provider in Psychology (HSPP) in Indiana (20043088A), a Psychologist in Wisconsin (3500-57), a Psychologist in New York (025033), a Psychologist in California (PSY 29793), and a Psychologist in Washington state (PY 61278750) and can provide telehealth services (via phone, Zoom, or other virtual platform) to residents of these states. I also hold a PsyPact E-Passport (5999) which allows me to provide telehealth services to clients in multiple states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Washington DC, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. I am a Registered Out of State Telehealth Provider for the state of Florida (for more information, see https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/).
I am also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in Illinois (26447) through the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA). I hold certifications in multiple therapeutic modalities, including clinical hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
What is your experience?
I have been in private practice for over 10 years. I have also worked with a number of human service agencies in Chicago providing social services and counseling in various settings, including residential treatment, inpatient hospitals, and outpatient clinics. I have worked with a number of client concerns, include depression, anxiety, panic, phobias, addictions, relationship problems, work problems, insomnia, ADHD, and health problems.
As part of my doctoral training, I completed externships at medical settings including the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. I completed my pre-doctoral internship at the Ball Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency in Muncie, Indiana, where I provided psychological interventions to patients to treat physical and psychological problems. I completed my post-doctoral psychological training at the Diamond Headache Clinic inpatient unit at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chicago.
What are your specialties?
Anxiety Panic Attacks Depression Substance Use Smoking Cessation Impulsive Behaviors Chronic Health Problems such as migraines, chronic pain, diabetes, heart failure Anger/Irritability Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Phobias Insomnia Sexual Problems Relationship Problems Career Counseling Work Problems Chronic Stress Coping Skills Social Skills
I
also conduct neuropsychological evaluations to evaluate for ADHD,
cognitive changes or memory problems, and/or effects of head injury or
traumatic accident. I am also able to do pre-surgical assessments for
weight loss surgery or pain treatment surgeries such as a
neurostimulator or medication pump implant.
As an Organizational Development specialist, I have
worked with a number of organizations throughout the Chicagoland area to
improve internal processes, evaluate programs, improve service delivery, and
engage employees. I am available for
organizational consultations as well as individual consultation with anyone
experiencing difficulties related to work, including supervision coaching,
managing co-workers, work-life balance, and the job search process.
I also enjoy working with students and am also available
for dissertation coaching and statistics consultation.
Please note that I only work with adults, ages 18+.
Are there conditions or clients that you do not work with?
There
are many concerns or situations that I am
not well trained or equipped to help with. If I feel that I am not the
best person to help you, I am happy to provide you with referrals to
other providers who are better trained and are likely to be much more
helpful to you. Some of these presenting concerns that I do not work with include:
Child & Adolescent Therapy Child Custody Disputes or Evaluations Family Therapy other than Couples' Counseling Active Eating Disorders Dissociative Identity Disorder Complex Trauma Developmental Disorders/Intellectual Disability Detox or Medication Assisted Therapy Court
Ordered Treatments, such as DUI counseling or anger management where
you are required by a judge or probation/parole officer to attend
treatment
Where are you located?
I primarily provide virtual therapy over the phone or Zoom (or other virtual platform of your choosing). Biofeedback, Hypnosis, and assessments are best done in person in the office. In most cases, our first session will be a virtual session and then we can discuss whether to continue meeting virtually or if it would be helpful to meet in person.
My office is at 655 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, Illinois, 60613. It is at the corner of Irving Park and Pine Grove, about 2 blocks west of Lakeshore Drive. The building is about 3 blocks from the Sheridan Red Line el station and several buses stop within a block or two of the building.
The building has a parking garage but does not provide discounts or validation for visitors. The garage may be closed to visitors during Cubs games or other events at Wrigley Field, neighborhood festivals, or special events on the lakefront. There is street parking around the building but it can be difficult depending on the weather and if the Cubs are playing or there are other events at Wrigley Field or in the area. Be sure to watch for restricted or permit parking only signs. Parking tends to be better north of Irving Park Road and there are two relatively inexpensive pay lots on Clarendon between Irving Park and Belle Plaine, both on the east side of the street. They are hard to spot, so they tend not to fill up as quickly when there are events in the neighborhood.
How do I contact you?
I can be reached by phone at 773-983-1479. If I do not answer, feel free to leave a message, it is completely confidential, and I will call you back as soon as I can.
I can be reached by email at gjh1975@peoplepc.com. I check my email several times a day and will get back to you as soon as I can.
You can also use the client portal linked to on the Client Portal page of this website to schedule or change appointments and send or receive secure messages or files.
I do not respond to unsolicited text messages, so please do not text me to schedule an initial appointment.
I do not have an answering service or on-call person. If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
If you are identifying potential services for a friend or family member who you believe could benefit from therapy, please give them the address of this website so that they can review it and encourage them to contact me directly to answer any questions and schedule an appointment. I do not accept appointments made through a third party.
How do I decide between seeing you for therapy or for coaching?
Therapy tends to involve personal problems, such as feelings of depression or anxiety, substance use, physical problems, making decisions about life events, or destructive or problematic behavior patterns.
Coaching tends to involve external problems, such as overcoming roadblocks to progressing in your career, improving interpersonal communication, developing effective financial habits (although I do not provide investing advice, please see a financial planner for this), practice with interviewing skills, or improving self-efficacy in meeting goals.
Of course, there are many gray areas where it may not be immediately clear if therapy or coaching would be a more effective approach. At our initial session we can explore what it is that you are seeking help for and determine the best approach.
One important distinction between therapy and coaching is that therapy is a legally recognized confidential relationship. With a few exceptions, I generally cannot tell anyone else what you tell me in a therapy session. Coaching does not have this protection and while I will do my best to protect your privacy, confidentiality of anything you say in the session cannot be guaranteed.
My significant other and I want to do couples' counseling and we also each want to work with an individual therapist. Can we meet with you for both?
No. Ethically I cannot provide both couples' counseling and individual counseling to the same person. Boundaries become very difficult and progress can grind to a halt in this type of arrangement. Therapy works best when you each have a separate individual therapist and a separate couples' counselor. I am happy to provide each of you with referrals to therapists for your individual therapy.
Can you prescribe medication to help with the problem I am seeing you for?
No. As a psychologist, I am not a medical doctor and am not able to prescribe medications. I can provide a referral to a psychiatrist who can evaluate the situation and prescribe appropriate medications. I would like to take my pet on a flight with me and/or get an apartment that normally does not allow pets. Can you write a letter certifying my pet as an Emotional Support Animal?
Not at this time. Certifying emotional support animals is a new and emerging discipline within the field of psychology. Little empirical guidance exists to help mental health professionals accurately and reliably assess the suitability of animals as emotional support animals. Until more training and guidance is available, I am not qualified to make this determination in an ethical manner. I am happy to provide referrals to more qualified professionals who can help you obtain this certification. What can I expect in the first therapy session?
The first session is basically a "get to know each other" session. I get to learn about you, what is bringing you in for therapy, your strengths, and areas for growth. You will get to see how I approach therapy and have an opportunity to get your questions answered. If we feel that we are a good fit with each other, we will identify specific goals to work on and start to create a plan to meet them. While one session rarely completely fixes everything, you should leave with some tools or strategies and a sense of hope that the future will be better. I have never been in therapy before, what can I expect?
After the first session, we will continue to get to know each other as I develop a greater understanding of you and your situation. I take a very active approach, focusing on behaviors and things that you can actively change in order to bring about the improvements that you want and meet your goals. As sessions progress, you should start to feel more comfortable coming in and emotionally opening up. You should also notice an increased ability to objectively look at yourself and the choices that you make to meet your goals. With this increased awareness comes more willingness to make different choices to see if they will better help you accomplish those goals.
In some cases, therapy can initially lead to a worsening of anxiety or depression as the full picture of how they have affected you comes into focus. This does not mean that therapy is not working; in fact it often means the opposite. Therapy is most effective when we have an accurate and honest picture of the situation. If you notice that you are feeling worse, please talk with me about it so that we can develop strategies for you to take control and address the situation head on. As you do, you should notice a quick improvement in how you feel. How long does therapy last?
Each session is approximately 50 minutes. The number of sessions varies greatly from person to person. Some people get what they need in just 4-6 sessions while others may take anywhere from 6 months to a year or longer. Many factors influence the duration and course of therapy. We will regularly review your progress towards your goals to identify an estimated duration of treatment.
How often will we meet?
I like to try to meet weekly for at least the first couple of sessions in order to get some momentum going and build a strong foundation for our work together. After that we can look at your progress and decide if weekly meetings are still needed or if we can start to space sessions out further. As therapy progresses we may move to a bi-weekly or monthly schedule with the last couple of sessions being more of a "check in" to ensure that you are maintaining the progress you have made. Depending on your financial situation, work schedule, and other commitments, weekly appointments may not always be possible, and I am happy to work out a schedule that works for both of us.
What kind of commitment am I obligated to by coming in for therapy?
Your only obligation is to yourself. You are free to discontinue therapy at any time for any reason. Coming in for the initial session does not obligate you to continue with additional sessions if you do not feel that therapy is really what you need after that session or if we do not appear to be a good fit. No therapist is a good fit for every possible client, and no therapist is skilled in working with every possible reason that brings someone in to therapy. If I am not what you are looking for in a therapist, I do not take it personally; I want you to have the best possible therapy experience whether it is with me or with someone else. If it does not seem that we are a good fit, I am happy to provide you with referrals to other therapists who might be. Sometimes it may seem like we are a good fit after the first session, but as therapy progresses and we learn more about each other, it may seem like we are not such a good fit after all. If that happens, please let me know and we can talk about it and decide if there is anything we can change to work better together or if a referral to someone else is the better course of action.
Please note that for Gate 14 Premarital Counseling, if we do feel that we are a good fit and want to continue on, I do ask for a commitment to attend the remaining 5 sessions as a sign of your lifelong commitment to each other. Of course, if there are emergencies or other unforeseen circumstances that come up, we can make adjustments as needed.
My probation/parole officer told me that I need to do counseling as part of my sentence, or my lawyer suggested that I begin counseling to help my legal case. Can I see you for this?
No. I do not work with clients who have been legally mandated to counseling. The therapeutic relationship works best without interference from others who may have their own goals for you, so I choose not to work within these limitations. I am happy to provide referrals to psychologists who do work with legally mandated clients.
My doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist recommended that I get a psychological or neuropsychological assessment done. Can you do this?
Yes. I can conduct neuropsychological assessments to evaluate for ADHD, cognitive or memory problems associated with aging or following a head injury, or to support an application for disability or work or school accommodations.
I can also conduct a diagnostic assessment to help clarify the nature of your difficulties to better help your psychiatrist or therapist plan and provide your treatment.
I also conduct pre-surgical evaluations for weight loss or pain management surgeries. Many surgeons require a psychological evaluation before the surgery to identify potential roadblocks to recovery and rule out any psychological causes of the problem to ensure that surgery is an appropriate intervention.
My lawyer or parole/probation officer told me that I need to get an assessment done for my legal case. Can you do this?
No. I do not do assessments that will be used in legal proceedings other than applying for SSI/SSDI benefits. If you need an assessment as part of a child custody evaluation, DUI case, domestic violence case, immigration hearing, or other civil or criminal proceedings, I can provide a referral to psychologists who are more skilled and experienced in working with these concerns.
I would like to see you for therapy and have an assessment done to more fully identify my problems. Can you do both?
Yes and no. If you are coming to see me for the first time, we can start with the assessment and use the results to then guide our therapy sessions. However, if you start seeing me for therapy, I cannot later do an assessment with you. Assessments work best when there is no prior experience between the psychologist and client. At that point, I will refer you to another psychologist for the assessment and then we can use the results to guide our work together. What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback is basically using real time measurement of your body's functioning, such as your heart rate, to implement treatment. It is non-invasive and painless. Utilizing biofeedback shows the immediate effect of changes in your thinking, emotions, and breathing on your body. Over time, these changes result in improvement physical and psychological functioning. I can provide biofeedback as part of a therapy session or as a stand-alone 30 minute session. Can you hypnotize me to help me change my behaviors? Will you hypnotize me without me knowing it?
I am certified in clinical hypnosis and can incorporate it into treatment. Clinical hypnosis is nothing like you might see in a Vegas stage show or in the movies. I cannot legally, ethically, or as a practical matter, hypnotize you without your consent and without your awareness. You have to want to be hypnotized in order for it to work. Hypnosis is an effective treatment for anxiety, depression, substance use, pain management, and behavior change. Hypnosis will focus exclusively on dealing with those issues and once you come out of the hypnotic state, there will be no unwanted or lasting side effects; you will not cluck like a chicken when I say a certain word or any of the other silly things that you might see in a stage show. The goal is to improve your well-being, not embarrass you or harm you in any way. What is your cancellation policy?
I do understand that life is busy for many of us and the best laid plans can change at a moment's notice. If you need to cancel or reschedule a session, I require a minimum of 24 hours' notice. Cancellations or rescheduling 24 hours or more in advance will not incur a fee. If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance or simply do not show up for the appointment (no-call/no-show), you are responsible for paying the full fee for the session. If you have been using insurance, I will not bill them for the missed session; you will need to pay it out of pocket.
In order to cancel or reschedule, you must contact me directly at the above phone number or email. Leaving a message with anyone else from the office, including the assistant who makes reminder calls, or at any other phone number or email address does not count as contacting me. You may also use the client portal page of this website to link the client portal where you can change or cancel appointments. Please note that the portal will not let you cancel or change an appointment under 24 hours prior to the appointment; you will need to contact me by phone or email to arrange for a late cancellation.
I do understand that emergencies happen and if something unavoidable, such as personal illness or the illness of a family member, work emergency, accident, etc. happens less than 24 hours prior to our appointment time, I will take that into consideration. If something like this has happened, please do let me know so we can come to a fair resolution and continue our work together.
One no-call/no-show for an initial appointment, two consecutive last minute cancellations or no-call/no-shows, or three last minute cancellations or no-call/no-shows within a 6 month period may result in termination from services.
How much does a therapy session, coaching session, consulting service, or assessment cost?
50 minute individual therapy session: $125 50 minute couples' session: $150 Six 50 minute pre-marital counseling sessions: $750 total with a 10% discount for pre-payment 30 minute coaching session: $80 30 minute biofeedback or hypnosis session: $80, with multiple session package deals available Writing a letter or report, or filling out forms: $10 per letter/form done outside of a scheduled session Consulting, research, or student coaching services: No set price, will be determined at initial consultation based on nature of service, length of commitment, travel, and other incurred expenses For all consulting/coaching services, if we meet for a consultation and determine that services are not
needed or that I am not the best person to provide them the
fee for the session is $180 plus any incurred travel or other expenses. However, I do provide a free one hour consultation for dissertation coaching. Neuropsychological assessment: Base price is $2200. If it is determined that additional tests are needed, the cost may increase. We will discuss the need for additional tests and agree on any cost increase before proceeding. Pre-surgical evaluation: $1100 Diagnostic assessment: No set price, will depend on the referral question and assessments needed to answer the question. Price will be determined at the initial consultation.
For all assessments, if we meet for a consultation and determine that an assessment is not needed or that I am not the best person to conduct the assessment, the fee for the session is $180.
What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, check/money orders, or credit/debit cards. The use of credit/debit cards is dependent on the ability of my credit card processor to process the card. Please be prepared with a backup payment if the credit card is declined. I am happy to take Health Savings Account (HSA) cards, but they are hit or miss when it comes to the ability of my credit card processor to process them. The problem is on the HSA's end and I cannot control that. If your HSA card is declined, you will need to pay out of pocket and I will provide you with a receipt/superbill that you can send in to your HSA plan and they will reimburse you directly. Do you take insurance? If so, what will I have to pay?
At this time I take Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO plans, Aetna PPO plans, Imagine Health, PHS Multiplan (excluding United Healthcare/United Behavioral Health partnerships), First Health and Medicare Part B as well as most Medicare Advantage plans (excluding United Healthcare plans or Medicare/Medicaid hybrid plans).
Please note that Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Aetna at times will subcontract out mental health services to another plan that I may not be a part of. Just because you have a BCBS or Aetna insurance card does not mean that you have BCBS or Aetna insurance for mental health. Please check the back of your card and call the provided mental health number to verify your coverage.
I am frequently exploring the possibility of joining other insurance panels. If I do not accept your plan right now, please check back later to see if this list has been updated, or you can call me to discuss your options.
Some insurance plans may cover some types of psychological services but not others, or may require preauthorization for some services. It is common for a plan to include individual therapy but not couples counseling or psychological/neuropsychological assessments. Most plans will not cover pre-surgical evaluations. Please check with your insurance plan to determine if the service you want is covered and if preauthorization is required.
I do not accept insurance for pre-marital counseling or coaching/consulting services.
With insurance, your out of pocket cost will depend on your deductible and your plan's co-pay. If you have not met your deductible, you will need to pay the full cost of your sessions or assessment until you have met the deductible amount, at which point you then will only pay the co-pay. Most plans restart the deductibles each year. If you have met your deductible, you are only responsible for paying the co-pay, which is determined by each plan. Co-pays can range from $0 to almost the entire cost of the service. Please contact your plan to determine if you have met your deductible and what your co-pay is.
When we schedule the appointment, if you can provide me with your insurance information, I can do a pre-verification of benefits to provide an estimate of the cost. However, this is only an estimate as insurance companies often provide inaccurate or incomplete information. Regardless of the information your plan provides when I do this pre-verification, you are responsible for paying any cost that they ultimately decide not to cover. Please note though that if your plan's contracted rate is less than the billed amount above, you are not responsible for paying the difference. In the event that your plan pays the claim but then comes back later and says it made a mistake and wants the money back, you will be responsible for paying that amount, whether are still working together or have ended our work by that time.
What if I still have questions?
Please give me a call at 773-983-1479 or send me an email at gjh1975@peoplepc.com. I am happy to talk further and see how I can be of assistance.
Illinois License Number: 071.009626 Indiana License Number: 20043088A Wisconsin License Number: 3500-57 California License Number: PSY 29793 New York License Number: 025033 Washington License Number: PY 61278750 Florida Telehealth Provider Registration Number: TPPY2093 (https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/) PsyPact E-Passport Number: 5999
The
information contained in this website is presented to acquaint you with
my services. It does not constitute actual or implied treatment nor an
offer to provide treatment. If you wish to initiate treatment, please
contact me to set up an appointment. If you are experiencing a medical
or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest
emergency room.
