Billings Premium Psychology welcomes Dr. Kristen Wederski to the practice!
490 North 31st Street #255, Billings, Montana 59101, United States
Billings Premium Psychology welcomes Dr. Kristen Wederski to the practice!
Patients must schedule an appointment before arrival to be seen. We do not provide walk-in/same-day appointments or emergency services.
490 North 31st Street, #255, Billings, Montana 59101, United States
Office Phone: 406-200-7221; Fax: 406-200-7232
Today | By Appointment |
Closed major holidays.
Please read these FAQ's for answers to questions most folks have when considering therapy. If your question isn't listed, send me an email (above) or call anytime!
The office is located in the Transwestern Plaza (TW2) building in downtown Billings (across the parking lot from the YMCA on the west and across from the First Interstate Tower to the east). Take the lobby elevator to the 2nd floor, we're easy to find right down the hallway from there, suite 255.
Yes. Dr. Kurtz (and Dr. Wederski who is billed as a postdoctoral psychologist under Dr. Kurtz's license) is currently "In-Network" with Cigna Behavioral Health/Evernorth, Cigna Medical, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MT, Aetna/First Choice Health/EBMS, TriWest, Pacific Source, and Health Advocate (EAP). Dr. Hoffman is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of MT and also takes self-pay for assessments. Many other insurances also reimburse partially for "Out-of-Network" providers, you can call the Member number on the back of your insurance card for info on this option (including for Dr. Hoffman's assessments). In these cases, we will be happy to provide the necessary pdf/paperwork to patients seeking this reimbursement from their insurance. If we don't take your insurance, they don't provide Out of Network coverage, and you can't afford the standard fee, see below for sliding-scale information.
The standard fee for psychotherapy sessions (50 minutes) with Dr. Kurtz is $210/session and $150 with Drs. Hoffman and Wederski. Some payment is required at the time of service (see below for sliding scale). Patients will be notified far in advance of any changes to the standard fee.
When thinking about the cost of psychotherapy it is important to remember that, like most areas in life, we generally get what we pay for. High-quality psychotherapy should be thought of as an act of committing to invest in one's own well-being and peace of mind. For many engaged in this type of psychotherapy, the growth actually continues past the end of treatment, can truly be life changing, and lasts a lifetime. Even a full year's worth of high-quality treatment ends up costing less than other expenses which are here and gone in a few years (think of a used car for example). On the other hand, patients engaging in less depthful, "quick fix" therapies or cell phone "mental health apps" begin deteriorating again shortly after ending treatment and find themselves back with the same problems and in need of help again and again.
Yes! We understand that bearing the cost of psychotherapy can be difficult for folks and we offer a sliding-scale fee based on income to make our services more affordable (W2 or other current tax form required prior to time of service for income verification). This scale may adjust over time. The current sliding-scale will be emailed to potential patients upon request. The number of sliding scale appointment slots is limited and is not guaranteed, please email to check on current availability. Agree upon payment is required at the time of all psychotherapy appointments. Sliding-scale fee cannot be combined with insurance coverage. Sliding-scale fee is not offered for assessments at this time.
Yes! Patients may arrange short-term payment plans with Billings Premium Psychology to help this service better fit their budgets. There is a maximum of $400 at any given time which will be allowed for an outstanding payments balance.
The quick [albeit unsatisfying] answer is, it depends. In other words, it depends on a multitude of foreseeable and unforeseeable factors which make the specific issues you're coming to treatment for specific to you. That being said, research shows a general "dose-response" relation between the number of therapy sessions and clinical improvement (i.e. the more treatment one gets the better one tends to get-on average). More specifically, research shows that it generally takes around 20 sessions (approx. 6 months of weekly therapy) for 50% of patients to show clinically significant change, and around 40 sessions (approx. 1 year of weekly therapy or 6 months of twice weekly therapy) for 75% to see clinically significant change. Rest assured, your thoughts and questions on this matter will always be a safe and available topic for discussion. Here is a helpful article on this issue: The Tyranny of Time (psychotherapynetworker.org)
Yes. Although terms which you may have come across such as "evidence-based," "empirically-supported," and "gold standard" have become little more than marketing buzzwords in our current mental health climate, generally designed to force patients into therapy with a pre-determined length and guided by an instruction manual, you can rest assured that the psychotherapy offered by Billings Premium Psychology is indeed theoretically rigorous, consistent with the current evidence of hard neuroscience, and soundly supported by the highest caliber psychotherapy outcome research. Where Is the Evidence for ``Evidence-Based'' Therapy? (jonathanshedler.com)
No. While Dr. Kurtz holds a postdoctoral Master's degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology (MSCP), he only consults with Primary Care Providers on these matters (upon patient's request) who wish to optimize the patient's current regimen.
We understand that life happens and sometimes patients may need to reschedule an appointment. We only ask that you provide us with at least 24-hour notice prior to any cancellations so that we may have a fair chance to fill your time slot with another patient. "No-shows" or cancellations made under 24 hours will be charged a $50 no-show/late cancellation fee.
A PsyD is a Doctorate in Psychology. It is equivalent in length of training and clinical authority to the more familiar Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD). The PsyD degree was specifically created to focus more heavily on clinical practice in psychology (i.e. treating patients) and less [than the PhD] on conducting psychology research. Doctoral degrees in psychology: How are they different, or not so different? (apa.org)
Yes, with any of our psychologists, although if you are working with Dr. Kurtz or Dr. Wederski and live in Billings, or are willing/able to commute from nearby, in-person sessions are considered ideal and the preferred mode of treatment, while all of Dr. Hoffman's psychotherapy is done via telehealth, as she is not located here in Billings.
The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) is an interstate compact (licensure) designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. Dr. Kurtz has gone through the approval process and is now licensed with PsyPACT, allowing him to practice telehealth in the 41 participating states in the United States. This licensure can be verified or explored more at www.psypact.gov.
Yes. Billings Premium Psychology is currently recruiting for other licensed psychologists or postdoctoral candidates looking to join the practice, please reach out to Dr. Kurtz via email or phone to discuss!