Important Information

Cari McCormick is a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in the state of Arizona (License #LAC24002-AZ; NPI 1679335988). Under state and federal law, mental health services may only be provided to clients who are physically located in a state where the provider holds an active license.

What that means for you: all services — including virtual/telehealth sessions — are limited to clients who are physically located in Arizona at the time of their appointment. If you are traveling outside Arizona during a scheduled session, please let Cari know in advance so we can reschedule.

Cari practices through two Arizona-based group practices: Cedarhurst Counseling (in-person in Mesa, and virtual) and Creating Your Balance (virtual only). Each practice handles its own intake, scheduling, and billing — the practice you book through will become your administrative point of contact.

Virtual sessions are conducted through a HIPAA-compliant video platform. Before your first telehealth session you will be asked to review and sign an informed-consent document covering the benefits, limitations, and risks of telehealth (including technology disruptions and privacy considerations).

Telehealth sessions are equivalent in clinical value to in-person sessions for many people, but they are not appropriate for every situation. Cari will discuss with you whether telehealth is a good fit for your needs.

Under federal law, you have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.

If you are uninsured or not using insurance to pay for sessions, Cari is required to give you a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges before you schedule a service, or upon request.

Your estimate will be in writing at least 1 business day before your service. You can also ask Cari for a Good Faith Estimate before scheduling any item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.

Therapy sessions are confidential and protected by federal and state law, including HIPAA. A full Notice of Privacy Practices will be provided to you before your first session and is available on request.

Limits to confidentiality include situations involving imminent harm to self or others, suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult, and court orders. Cari will discuss these limits with you at intake.

Email and standard text messages are not secure channels and should not be used to share clinical information. For anything sensitive, please use the secure client portal that will be provided to you, or call the office.

This website is not for emergency or crisis support, and online inquiries are not monitored 24/7.

If you are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The content on this website is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Reading information on this site does not establish a therapist-client relationship. A therapist-client relationship is only formed once Cari and a client have signed an informed-consent and treatment-agreement document.