Services

Each session typically lasts 45-50 minutes long. For in-person threapy: If you drive a car, parking may be difficult to find nearby depending on the day and time of your sessions. Please allow an additional 15 minutes to secure your parking whether on street or in a parking garage.

For teletherapy services, please allow extra time before your session starts to log in and wait for the therapist to start. Below are some helpful tips for ensuring your teletherapy session runs smoothly:

Tips for a great call:

• Find a quiet and private space for your session.
• Restart your device before checking in.
• Connect to the internet with an Ethernet cable or strong WiFi signal.
• Ensure your browser is up to date. The easiest way to determine this is to visit https://www.whatismybrowser.com.
• If possible, use a newer device and make sure it's fully charged.
• Try disconnecting other devices from the WiFi you're using.
• Use headphones if you experience an echo or any audio feedback.

Since we do not have a psychiatrist, physician, or nurse practitioner on staff, we are not able to directly prescribe or dispense medications. However, we can and do coordinate care with other professionals if you currently see a prescriber. If you are currently working with a therapist at MDCS and would like them to be in contact with your prescriber, please ask your therapist about signing a release of information form. Furthermore, we also help clients determine if seeking a medication consultation may be right for them, and we can help connect you to a prescriber if you do not already have one.

The fee for a 50 minute therapy session is $150. Your insurance may cover the cost, but copays and/or co-insurance costs typically range between $10 - $60. During our intake process, we can discuss any financial hardship issues and work out a payment plan if necessary.

We never turn someone away due to their inability to pay their full copay or the full fee for therapy. When you call us for the first time, please inform us of a finance hardship and we will help you find an amount that is affordable to you. If you already see a therapist at Maria Droste Counseling Services and recently came into financial hardship, please call your therapist ahead of your session to see what we can do to help you continue receiving the services you need.

Our preferred method of payment is a card on file via a signed contact. We also accept cash, credit/debit cards, and checks. Please make all checks payable to Maria Droste Counseling Services and write your therapist’s name on the memo line. Typically your therapist will collect your payment at the beginning of each session unless you and your therapist agreed upon another arrangement. Our services qualify for your company's "health savings account" (HSA) - we can send you receipts that you submit to your HSA account. Be sure to bring this option up with your therapist. 

Not at this time. Due to the small size of our agency and the specific requirements of these insurances, we are not able to accept MassHealth, Medicare, or Medicaid at this time. However, we do see many clients who have one of these insurances as we are able to help clients afford our services out of pocket using our sliding scale fee. Please call us to ask more about our fees.

Currently, we accept:

• AETNA
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• CIGNA
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Mass General Brigham Health Plan (MGB) (formerly AllWays Health Partners)
• United Health Care
• United Behavioral Health (UBH)

Currently our therapists have various certifications, licenses, and training at a Master's level, but we do not have a psychiatrist or anyone with a PsyD or PhD. This means that we do not have anyone on staff who is qualified to administer specialized testing, psychiatric assessments, or prescription medications. However, we can and do coordinate care with other professionals and connect clients with someone who can help when one of these services is needed.

We provide mental health and substance use evaluations, as well as ongoing therapy for the courts. For any services that require your therapist to communicate with someone outside of the agency, you will need to inform your therapist of this so you can review and sign a Release of Information form detailing the information that is allowed to be shared with a designated person or agency. You should also inform the intake personnel of your needs when you call for the first time since it may impact your fees and which therapist is able to see you. Learn more about mandated services by reading our information sheet.

FOR EVALUATIONS:

Our evaluations last three sessions. For those without an insurance plan that's accepted at MDCS, the evaluations are provided at a reduced cost of $50 per session, totaling $150 for the evaluation. Please plan ahead, as it takes approximately 6 weeks or longer to complete an evaluation from start (the first time you call) to finish (an evaluation is sent to the courts or DCF). Please know what type of evaluation is required before attending therapy so we can make sure to gather the appropriate information needed for our assessment.

FOR ONGOING MANDATED THERAPY:

We provide ongoing therapy and report updates to the courts or DCF when an agreement is made between the therapist and client to do so. Please inform your therapist of the requirements for your therapy so they can work with you to meet your needs. Note that we do not have a psychiatrist or anyone who prescribes or dispenses medication at Maria Droste Counseling Services. The fees for ongoing services match our fees for general mental health therapy, at $150 per session, and may be covered by your insurance if it is accepted at our agency. The sliding scale fee applies to clients in situations where they cannot afford the full fee. Be ready to discuss fees when calling for the first time.

One hour and two hour parking spaces are available on several street in and around Quincy Center, including directly in front of, behind, and on the surrounding streets near our offices. There are two designated  accessible parking spaces in front of the Adams Building in which we are located. MDCS is not responsible for parking violations that may occur. We highly recommend garage parking at the Kilroy Square Garage located at 25 Cottage Avenue (formerly known as the Hancock Garage), which is a short four-minute walk away. This garage costs $1 per hour for the first six hours. Please note parking is available with credit card only form of payment. No cash accepted. See where we’re located and get directions on our Contact Us page.

We recognize the importance of being able to openly communicate with your therapist in a language you feel comfortable with, and we value the gifts that languages other than English have to offer. Although some of our therapists may have varying levels of experience speaking and understanding languages other than English, we currently have 1 Spanish speaking therapist. All other therapists hold sessions in English language.

We welcome and embrace clients of all physical abilities and body types, and we are committed to providing as accessible a space as possible. The main building door is accessible by the street and the building has one elevator that you can take to our offices on the second floor. Parking in Quincy Center is limited, though there are two designated accessible parking spaces in front of the main entrance. If you have specific needs regarding physical space or service accommodations, please call our main number or ask your therapist to see how we can meet your needs. If you have a service animal, your animal is welcomed and embraced too! Please know that there are sometimes other animals in the building, typically behind closed doors. You are welcome to inform us ahead of time if you plan to bring in your service animal so we can try and coordinate with other animal owners in the building. Note: Maria Droste Counseling Services cannot be held responsible for your service animal and must be accompanied by you at all times.

No. Our therapists see residents of Massachusetts only.

We suggest searching for a provider via psychologytoday.com and use the location filter or contacting your insurance provider.