Mental Health Professionals

How do I decide which therapist is most appropriate for my particular concerns?

When you initially call for an appointment one of the questions our business staff will ask is for you to tell them a little bit about what your presenting concerns are. They ask this question, in part, to determine which therapist would likely be the best fit for you. If you have a particular therapist you would prefer to meet with our business staff will arrange for you to meet with that therapist, except in circumstances where that therapist does not treat the kind of concern that you present with. Further, it isn’t uncommon for a client to prefer seeing a female or male therapist. Such requests are appropriate and we will again do our best to accommodate to your wishes when appropriate.

Will my health insurance cover the cost of my sessions

Yes, in most cases your health insurance will cover the cost of your sessions; excluding any relevant deductibles, co-payments, or co-insurance. The primary exception to this is when the person identified as the primary client does not meet the definition for what insurance companies refer to as “medical necessity”. Determining medical necessity is a bit complicated to explain in a short amount of space. Your therapist can discuss this matter with you personally and will alert you by the end of your initial appointment to any possibility that you may not meet criteria for medical necessity.

Another example of when insurance may not cover sessions is in the case that a person may have a “pre-existing condition”. This typically occurs when a person has previously sought treatment for a similar condition and there has also been a lapse in insurance coverage.

Although we check on your insurance benefits and share them with you at the time of your initial appointment, we always encourage clients to call their insurance company to confirm this information as well. The responsible party as designated on the payment contract will ultimately be responsible for payment if the insurance company were not to make payment.

Insurance does not cover our $50.00 fee for missed appointments or appointments cancelled within less than 24 hours. We ask that all clients remain respectful of their clinician’s schedules and the need that others may have to make use of an appointment availability. Please cancel or reschedule appointments when necessary in advance of 24 hours notice.

It is also important to keep in mind that in many cases your insurance does not cover all of the cost for our services. That is, there may be a deductible on your policy, co-insurance, or a co-payment. Please know that all co-payments are due at the time of the service and we ask that you have your co-payment ready and provide it to your therapist at the beginning of your session. Further, we do ask that our clients provide either a credit or debit card prior-authorization for us to bill their accounts in cases where the client’s account is 60 plus days overdue. In most cases we never have to utilize this contingency.

What happens if I don’t “click” with the therapist I’ve been scheduled with?

Although infrequent such a circumstance can develop. Ideally we ask for you to share this with the therapist who will then assist you in transferring to a different therapist whom they believe would likely be effective in helping you with your concerns. As therapists we know that the therapeutic relationship is essential for change to occur. It is very unlikely that the therapist would take a request to change to another therapist personally. In the case that you are not comfortable sharing the above with your therapist directly, you may share your concern with one of our office staff who will gladly make arrangements for you to be transferred to another therapist. Our main goal is to ensure that you are completely comfortable and satisfied with the professional services you are receiving at our clinic.

Is the information I share kept confidential?

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of effective psychotherapy. It is important for all clients to know that there are some circumstances when a therapist may be required to breach confidentiality. For example, when a therapist learns of any abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults by a person who is in a position of authority, the therapist is mandated by law to report the matter to a specific reporting site. Further, a therapist may be required to breach confidentiality in order to protect a client or someone else from imminent harm should the likelihood of immediate danger be discovered. Please refer to the informed consent form in the forms section of this website
What will happen during my first session?

Your first appointment is likely to be a little different than subsequent sessions. That is, your therapist will want to get to know you and will want to devote time to getting information about your personal history. For example, the therapist is likely to inquire about your family background, your medical history, education, employment history, and so forth. This information is vital to understanding a person’s presenting concerns in the context of their personal histories and current circumstances.

How will I know that the therapy is helping me?

An important part of therapy is the process of establishing therapeutic goals. That is, what does the client desire to be the end result of therapy? In most cases, this is a collaborative process between the therapist and client. The therapist will want to make sure they clearly understand the kinds of changes their client wants to make. The therapist will provide feedback as to whether they believe the goals are attainable, along with estimation as to how much time or how many sessions may needed to achieve those particular goals. Treatment goals are always individually tailored to the client’s circumstances.