Common Questions

Each session will begin with an offering of three deep breaths: a simple & effective way to regulate the nervous system and mark the beginning of a special, nurturing hour for you. Then, I will likely ask you if there is anything in particular you wanted to be sure to cover or explore in this session. If not, no problem! We will use your therapy goals, which we co-create during our first sessions, to guide us into giving you exactly the session you are craving that day.

I am credentialed under my supervisor, Abby Claeys, with Aetna and Cigna insurance.

Yes! While I am in love with the beautiful, sunlit office space at Forest & Meadow, I am so grateful for the opportunity to see clients virtually. Whether you are fitting therapy into your work day, home with a brand new baby, or meeting me in your car while your kid's at soccer practice, I am happy to see you & we can get SO much work done. 

You can let me know up to 5 minutes before your session time if you'd like to switch to virtual...anytime!

Most of clients start off seeing me once per week. Many people who have been meeting with me for a while will see me less frequently once they start feeling better (every other week or even monthly).

I recommend committing to the process for at least 2-3 months before expecting changes. Meeting with me a couple of times will not be enough to do the deep work needed to help you make major shifts in your life. Some of my clients see me short-term for about 3-6 months, while other prefer to do deeper work with me as their ongoing therapist for a year or several years. 

Please discuss your expectations with me in our first session!

Therapy scheduling with Maria is based on a time slot: You commit to a day & time, and I will hold that space for you with consistency.

Cancellations made 14 days in advance will not be charged. This means if you have vacation or a doctor’s appointment on Monday, 1/14, you can let me know by Monday, 1/1 that you need to cancel, and this cancellation will incur no charge.

Within 14 days of your appointment, you can email me to reschedule your appointment within the same week as your scheduled appointment if I have availability. If there is no availability, you will still pay for your original appointment slot.

I understand illnesses & other emergencies come up. In order to help with this, I offer two things:

1. You can switch to a virtual session at anytime, up to an hour before your session start time. This can allow you to attend your session while at home, in the car, or at work. Simply email me to let me know: mariamillerstl@gmail.com

2. You are allowed 2 “free passes” per year (the year date starts when you start therapy). These 2 free passes can be used any time and you will not be charged for those missed sessions. Simply email me to let me know you are wanting to use one of your free passes. For example, if you wake up sick on the day of your appointment, you can use 1 of your 2 free passes to not pay for your cancellation that day. You can use a free pass up until the start time of your appointment, after which you will incur a missed session fee. In addition, a free pass cannot be used for a termination session.

The missed session fee is $110. The missed session fee will be billed to your credit card on file at the time of your missed session, or is due on or before your next scheduled appointment. A session is considered missed after 15 minutes from the session start time with no communication to the therapist.

Your privacy, confidentiality, and sense of safety is of utmost importance & something therapists are ethically & legally bound to. It is important to note however, that in the case of child or elder abuse, intent of homicide, or intent of suicide, therapists are mandated reporters. This means that in these situations, we are required by law to report to the local authorities. In these cases, you will be informed and involved. Maria' supervisor, Abby Claeys, will also be approving Maria's chart notes and discussing cases with her in order to provide you with the most thorough treatment possible.