Frequently Asked Questions

MellaHealth offers the highest quality, research-validated therapy delivered by rigorously vetted, highly trained clinicians. We offer therapy sessions from the comfort of your home – or in an office-based setting – at a time that is convenient for you. We accept most major insurance plans and offer an affordable self-pay option. Our therapy platform utilizes the most up-to-date technological advances for HIPAA secure, easy to use scheduling, communication and therapy appointments.

• You are looking to improve the quality of your life by reducing the symptoms associated with mental health conditions
• Anxiety is impeding your ability to function, experience pleasure or achieve your goals
• You are experiencing general worries, anxiety following a traumatic event, fear social situations, have specific fears, have intrusive, anxious thoughts and/or ritualized behavior
• You are struggling with stress and/or anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic
• You have difficulty coping with and/or managing stress
• You suffer from depression
• You’ve been dramatically impacted by traumatic event
• You are coping with medical illness or chronic pain
• You are seeking support for challenges associated with your sexual orientation or gender identity
• You are a college student facing overwhelming pressure, stress, or worry
• You are a parent worried about your teenager’s behavior or challenges
• Your family and/or relationship could benefit from professional counseling
• You are experiencing emotional distress due to ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Your life is negatively impacted by overuse or addiction to drugs and/or alcohol.

MellaHealth cannot help if any of the following is true:

• You have thoughts of hurting yourself or others
• You are in an urgent crisis or an emergency situation
• You have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness involving psychosis
• You are under the age of 13
• You have been ordered by a court to seek counseling
• You live outside of Connecticut

All MellaHealth therapists hold a master’s degree in their field and are licensed by the state of Connecticut as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT).  In addition to our rigorous interview and reference checking process, each prospective therapist participates in our advanced level cognitive behavioral training and completes mastery assessments in cognitive behavioral therapy.

We provide a free consultation with one of our clinicians to determine the best fit therapist based on their unique situation, client preferences and schedule. Research suggests that the ‘fit’ between you and the therapist is the best predictor of therapeutic outcomes, so we take this process very seriously.

Length of treatment varies due to factors such as the severity and impact of symptoms as well as client’s preferences. Some very specific mental health problems can be treated relatively quickly using cognitive behavioral interventions. In other cases, clients find that regular ongoing sessions with their therapist help them maintain their progress and allow them to work on goals beyond their initial reason for seeking treatment.

We strive to deliver a web experience that is aligned with the most recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at the AA level, published by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

If you are on a desktop browser, you can launch the accessibility preferences interface by pressing the Alt+9 keyboard combination. To turn on screen-reader adjustments, press the Alt+1 keyboard combination.

For mobile users, we recommend using your device’s native accessibility features. Instructions for iPhone can be found here, and for Android can be found here.

Please disable any ad-blocker software to ensure that this interface functions properly. To learn more, please read our Web Accessibility Statement.

MellaHealth meets or exceeds all HIPAA and other applicable governmental privacy laws and regulations. We use the most up-to-date technology and all client data and communications are secured and encrypted. Our servers are housed in a highly secure facility. 

Our Privacy Policy can be found here.

If you are seeking to use your insurance benefits, we will require your identifying information; however, this information may be provided either through our secure platform or, if you prefer, directly over the phone to one of our benefits specialists.

If your insurance company has an in-network contract with MellaHealth, the cost of the sessions is based on your insurance coverage. We currently accept Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Cigna, ConnectiCare, Medicaid (HUSKY), Medicare, TRICARE and UnitedHealthcare.

The insurance benefit verification and billing will be handled by MellaHealth, and you will be responsible for your co-pay/co-insurance (and, if applicable, deductible) which will be billed at the time of each session.

If your MellaHealth therapist is an out-of-network provider for your insurance company, the benefits specialists at MellaHealth will provide you with information regarding your benefits and out-of-pocket costs. Similar to in-network coverage, MellaHealth will process all out-of-network claims and paperwork directly with your insurance provider.

If you do not have insurance or would prefer that MellaHealth not bill your insurance, sessions will be billed at $125 per 45-minute session.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as health spending account (HSA) cards.

If you are a licensed clinician in the state of Connecticut, we welcome your application. Please click here or email us at joinourteam@mellahealth.com.

Dr. Patt is a licensed psychologist who has dedicated her 20-year career to treating clients coping with a variety of mental health disorders. She developed an expertise in the cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) while on post-doctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College treating clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Subsequently, Dr. Patt implemented virtual reality treatment at Walter Reed Army Hospital for veterans returning from the war in Iraq/Afghanistan with PTSD.

For the past 13 years, Dr. Patt has been treating clients and supervising clinicians in her private practice in West Hartford, CT. Her work has focused on the treatment of panic disorders, phobias, tinnitus, mood disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

During the pandemic, Dr. Patt was not able to service the high volume of new clients, and thus, started MellaHealth to reach more people in a safe manner.