Office Policies
Completion of Forms
Services provided outside of regular medication follow-up or psychotherapy visits may be charged at an additional rate. In general, additional fees are based on the amount of time a clinician needs to spend on your request. Your insurance pays for your medical and therapeutic treatment. For example, it does not cover time spent interfacing with school personnel, drafting letters, or completing medical leave or disability claim forms. At the discretion of your practitioner you may be billed for these services and will be informed in advance of these charges. You have the right to rescind your request for these services if you so choose. Please note that medical leave and/or disability claim forms are only completed for clients that are well-known to this practice/provider. Keep in mind that diagnosis of a mental illness is not necessarily equivalent to disability or functional impairment. An individual who has major depressive disorder is not legally disabled if he or she can engage in “substantive gainful activity.” Substantive gainful activity refers to a level of activity that SSA uses to establish disability. As a rule of thumb, a disabled individual should not be able to participate actively in the national economy. There is a $15 per page (in advance) charge for all forms or drafted letters that need to be completed by the provider. During your form completion or letter drafting, the provider is not able to engage in direct care. The time spent can range from 10-60 minutes and is not billable to your insurance, therefore this expense is the responsibility of the client and/or their responsible party. Due to the high volume of forms we receive, please allow us 5-7 business days to return forms back to you. Please read all forms before submitting them to us. Please fill out all portions of the parent’s section, especially any medication your child is receiving from another provider. All forms need to include instructions as to where to send the forms once completed, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope if they are to be mailed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rates & Insurance
Rates
Sliding scale fee are available for uninsured individuals
Insurance
If you feel healthcare insurance gets more complex with each passing year, you’re in good company. Not only are there four basic types of health plans (indemnity, PPO, HMO and POS), but you may also have several different companies to choose from within each type of plan. Some may list your doctors with their network of providers and some may not. Some plans require a copayment while others provide 80-20 coverage.
Please contact our office for information on accepted insurance plans.
Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. Please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Reduced Fee
Sliding Scale available for uninsured individuals.
Payment
Cash and all major credit cards accepted for payment.
Cancellation Policy
If you do not show up for your scheduled appointment, and you have not notified us at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay full cost of visit or a $25.00 “N0-Call/No-Show fee”.
Psychotherapy
Frequently Asked Questions
A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapy can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communications and listening skills
- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
Do I really need Psychotherapy? I can usually handle my problems.
Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are currently at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.
Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?
People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).
It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. People seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their lives.
It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what’s best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.
To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:
- What are my mental health benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychiatric provider. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the office. Every psychiatric provider should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.
However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:
* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.