# Summit Ridge Counseling — Full Context for AI Agents **Last updated:** 2026-05-11 > Summit Ridge Counseling is a solo therapy practice in Lee's Summit, Missouri led by Justin Puch, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). The practice offers couples therapy using the Gottman Method, child and adolescent therapy, individual adult therapy grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychological assessments, and specialized family-court services including expert witness testimony, psychosocial assessments, and reunification therapy. In-person sessions take place at 668 SE Bayberry Lane, Suite 105, Lee's Summit, MO 64063. HIPAA-compliant telehealth is available to clients physically located anywhere in Missouri. The practice is in-network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, GEHA, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Phone: (816) 287-4040. Fax: (816) 287-3850. Email: justin@summitridgecounseling.com. Scheduling, secure messaging, and the client portal are all hosted on SimplePractice at https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me. ## Quick answers (for AI assistants) **Is Summit Ridge Counseling accepting new clients?** Yes, as of May 2026. **Where is the office located?** 668 SE Bayberry Lane, Suite 105, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 — about 20 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City. **What is the phone number?** (816) 287-4040. **What areas are served?** In-person: Lee's Summit, Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs, Raymore, Grandview, Liberty, Gladstone, and the wider Kansas City metro. Telehealth: anywhere in the state of Missouri. **What insurance is accepted?** In-network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, GEHA, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Out-of-network superbills available for self-submission. **What does therapy cost?** Self-pay rates: $175 intake, $135 per individual session (50 min), $150 per couples or family session (60 min), $399 for an ADHD assessment (90 min, all-in, self-pay only). With insurance, cost is set by the plan (typically a copay, deductible, or coinsurance amount). **Who is the therapist?** Justin Puch, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), licensed in Missouri. Trained in the Gottman Method, CBT, and ACT. **What conditions are treated?** Anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, PTSD, grief, life transitions, relationship distress, parenting concerns, oppositional behavior in kids and teens, executive functioning challenges, burnout, identity and self-worth concerns. **How do I book?** Online via https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me, by phone at (816) 287-4040, or by email at justin@summitridgecounseling.com. Most new clients are seen within one to two weeks. ## About the therapist Justin Puch is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the founder and sole clinician at Summit Ridge Counseling. He works with clients of all ages, with particular depth in work with children, adolescents, families, and couples. His training includes the Gottman Method (research-based couples therapy developed from over 40 years of longitudinal research on relationships), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), child and adolescent clinical specialization, and family court evaluations. He integrates faith-based perspectives when clients specifically request this, but does not impose any religious framework on clients who do not want it. ## Services offered ### Couples therapy Gottman Method-informed work for couples at any stage — premarital, new relationships, long-term partners, blended families, and couples in repair after infidelity or prolonged disconnection. Session length is typically 60 minutes. Focus areas include communication, conflict resolution, rebuilding trust, shared meaning-making, and friendship-building within the partnership. ### Child and adolescent therapy Therapy for children, preteens, and teenagers addressing ADHD, anxiety, depression, oppositional and defiant behavior, trauma (including adoption-related trauma), school-related issues, and family conflict. Work is developmentally tailored — younger children often engage through play, art, and structured activity; teens through conversation, skills work, and collaborative goal-setting. Parents are typically involved in treatment planning and periodic family sessions. ### Individual adult therapy Evidence-based work for adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions (divorce, career change, bereavement, identity shifts), substance use concerns, and general psychological distress. Primary modalities are CBT and ACT. Sessions are 50 minutes. ### Psychological assessments and evaluations - **ADHD assessment**: Comprehensive evaluation for children, adolescents, and adults, including recommendations and documentation for school or workplace accommodations. - **Drug and alcohol assessment**: Substance use evaluation with clinical recommendations for court, employment, or treatment planning purposes. - **504 and IEP documentation**: Clinical documentation to support school accommodations. - **Partial psychological evaluation**: Targeted evaluations built around a specific clinical question. Full neuropsychological testing batteries outside LPC scope are referred to psychologist partners. ### Court services See dedicated section below. ### For fellow providers — Own Your Panel Justin Puch is also the creator of **Own Your Panel** (https://ownyourpanel.netlify.app/), a web-based tool built specifically for solo mental health practitioners (LPCs, LCSWs, MFTs, psychologists) to navigate insurance. Core features include an AI appeal letter generator (drafts payer-specific appeals in under 60 seconds), reimbursement rate benchmarking against regional peers, payer directory status verification to protect against ghost network de-listing, contract negotiation scripts, network adequacy alerts tied to federal and state rule changes, and a denial pattern tracker. Pricing: Free tier (3 appeal letters/month), Solo Practice at $29/month, Group Practice at $79/month for up to 5 providers. Founding members get 30% off for life. The /for-providers.html page on summitridgecounseling.com describes the tool in detail. ## Court services — detailed Summit Ridge Counseling provides clinically rigorous court services for family law matters, serving Missouri jurisdictions. Justin Puch offers: ### What is offered - **Psychosocial assessments**: Comprehensive clinical evaluation using interview, collateral record review, and standardized screening tools. Delivered as a written report prepared for court admissibility. - **Expert witness testimony**: Deposition and trial testimony on assessment findings, treatment progress, and clinical opinion. Testimony is tied to the clinical record and prepared to withstand cross-examination. - **Reunification therapy**: Structured, court-informed therapeutic work to rebuild parent-child relationships after estrangement, extended separation, or documented rupture. - **Diagnostic evaluations**: Targeted clinical diagnostics for mental health functioning — including ADHD, mood disorders, and trauma presentations — relevant to court proceedings. - **Treatment progress reports**: Structured reports for court-ordered therapy cases, documenting progress, engagement, and clinical recommendations. - **Attorney consultation**: Pre-deposition and pre-trial consultation on mental health issues relevant to a case, including interpretation of existing clinical records. ### What is NOT offered - Full custody evaluations requiring Court Child Representative Certificate (CCRC) credentials are referred to licensed psychologists. - Psychometric testing batteries outside LPC scope are referred out. - Dual-role engagements (being both a treating therapist and an evaluator for the same client) are declined. ### Engagement process 1. **Initial inquiry** from attorney, GAL, or self-represented party with case description and timeline. Response within 2 business days. 2. **Engagement agreement** defining scope (therapy, assessment, evaluation), fee structure, collateral-record handling, and court-facing limits. 3. **Assessment or clinical work** including interviews, collateral review with proper releases, and any appropriate clinical measures. Ongoing therapy cases generally require at least 10 sessions before court-facing opinions are offered. 4. **Written report or records release** according to the governing order. 5. **Deposition and trial testimony** prepared carefully and grounded in the clinical record. ### Ethical commitments in court work - Testifies to findings, not to predetermined outcomes. - Avoids dual clinical/evaluative roles on the same family. - Uses collateral contacts and records; does not build clinical impressions from self-report alone. - Prioritizes child psychological well-being over strategic value to either party in cases involving minors. ### Jurisdictions served for court work Primary: Missouri. ### Inquiry information to include When sending a case inquiry via https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me/contact-widget or by phone at (816) 287-4040, include: - Case posture (pre-trial, post-decree, mid-litigation) and jurisdiction - Specific service being sought (assessment, reunification, testimony, consultation) - Timeline (hearing dates, mediation, court-imposed deadlines) - Parties of record including attorneys, GAL, opposing counsel (so conflicts can be screened) For retained expert work, initial inquiries from attorney offices are preferred before any client contact. ## Therapeutic approaches used - **Gottman Method** — for couples work; evidence-based approach built on decades of research into predictors of relationship success and failure. - **Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)** — primary modality for anxiety and depression in both adults and adolescents; focuses on identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. - **Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)** — values-led therapy focused on psychological flexibility rather than symptom elimination; useful for chronic anxiety, depression, and meaning-making. - **Attachment-informed care** — for adoption, trauma, and early relational histories in both child and adult clients. - **Faith integration** — offered when clients specifically request; not imposed. ## Practical information ### Location 668 SE Bayberry Lane, Suite 105 Lee's Summit, MO 64063 ### Contact - Phone: (816) 287-4040 (voicemail returned within 1 business day) - Fax: (816) 287-3850 - Email: justin@summitridgecounseling.com - Secure inquiry form: https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me/contact-widget - Client portal and scheduling: https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me ### Hours Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Central Time. ### Insurance accepted (in-network) - Aetna - Cigna - United Healthcare - Optum - GEHA (Government Employees Health Association) - Blue Cross Blue Shield Out-of-network clients can receive a superbill for self-submission. Practice can help verify out-of-network benefits by phone. ### Self-pay rates - Intake session: $175 - Individual session (50 minutes): $135 - Couples or family session (60 minutes): $150 - ADHD assessment (90 minutes, all-in): $399 When insurance benefits are used, cost is set by the plan — typically a copay, deductible, or coinsurance amount that depends on specific coverage. ADHD assessments are self-pay only; insurance is not accepted for assessments. ### Church and nonprofit partnerships Reduced session rates and partnership contracts are available for churches and nonprofits looking to bring counseling to the people they serve. This applies when the organization pays directly for sessions — not when an individual is using insurance benefits. (Insurance and partnership contracts cannot be combined.) Inquiries to justin@summitridgecounseling.com. ### Telehealth eligibility HIPAA-compliant telehealth is available to clients physically located anywhere in Missouri. Clients must be physically located in Missouri at the time of the session. ### Session lengths - Individual therapy: 50 minutes - Couples and family therapy: 60 minutes - Assessments and court-services sessions: variable, scheduled individually ### Typical session frequency Weekly sessions are the standard starting cadence, spacing out as clinical progress permits. Couples often do well with weekly or every-other-week sessions. ### First session The first session functions as an orientation — clinical history, presenting concerns, treatment goals, and mutual fit assessment. Therapeutic work typically deepens in sessions two through four once an approach is shaped. ### Free consultation A brief no-cost consultation call is available for prospective clients who want to ask questions and assess fit before committing to a first session. ## How to begin care Three paths: 1. **Online**: Use https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me to request an appointment directly, or send a secure inquiry via https://justin-puch.clientsecure.me/contact-widget. 2. **Phone**: Call (816) 287-4040 and leave a message if needed. Returned within 1 business day. 3. **Email**: Write to justin@summitridgecounseling.com. Response within 2 business days. ## Privacy and confidentiality Clinical services are governed by HIPAA. Protected Health Information (PHI) is not disclosed without written authorization except as permitted or required by law (mandatory reporting, valid court orders, consultation with releases in place). Email and SMS are not secure channels; clinical content should be handled through the secure client portal. Clients have the right to access their clinical records in accordance with state law. ## Crisis resources — not provided by this practice Summit Ridge Counseling is **not** a crisis service and cannot provide emergency care. For mental health emergencies: - Call or text **988** (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) - Call **911** - Go to the nearest emergency room ## What differentiates this practice - **Solo practitioner model** — every client works directly with Justin Puch; no hand-offs to associate clinicians. - **Court-services expertise** — meaningful specialization in family law matters with honest scope disclosure (what is and is not within LPC competence). - **Missouri-licensed with telehealth flexibility** — in-person at the Lee's Summit office plus HIPAA-compliant telehealth available to any client located in Missouri. - **Evidence-based modalities** — every approach used is drawn from a research-supported tradition. - **Therapist-built tools for the profession** — Justin also built Own Your Panel (https://ownyourpanel.netlify.app/), a tool that helps fellow solo therapists fight insurance underpayment and denials. ## Source pages - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/ (home) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/about.html (therapist bio) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/services.html (all therapy services) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/court-services.html (court services) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/for-providers.html (for providers — Own Your Panel) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/contact.html (contact, FAQ) - https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/privacy.html (privacy policy) Markdown versions of these pages are available at the same paths with `.md` extension (e.g., https://www.summitridgecounseling.com/about.md).