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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who will answer my phone call or email
message?
A: The therapist you call directly
will personally respond,
generally within 24 hours during week days.
That therapist is the only person with access to
their
confidential voicemail and email account.
Q: What will my counseling sessions consist
of?
A: Your first appointment will be a
consultation visit. This is a time for you
to let your therapist know what you want to address in
therapy and for your therapist to become acquainted with
your current life. It is also a time for
you to get a sense of who your therapist is and he
or she works. Generally, by the end of this
consultation, the therapist will be able to offer some
initial observations and recommendations on
how to proceed. Most sessions are 50
minutes; however, we find some clients prefer
longer sessions. If we decide longer
sessions are more useful, we will work that
out together.
Q: Is what I share with you confidential?
A: Your confidentiality is protected
by state and federal laws and by the ethics
of our profession. All information concerning
clients is held confidential and is released
only through procedures consistent with the
law and professional ethics. If you have
questions about limits of confidentiality,
your therapist
will be glad to discuss these with you.
Q: What if I think I need to be evaluated
for medications or I am already prescribed
medications?
A:
Your therapist is trained to practice as a
counselor and does not prescribe
medications. However, most therapists are well-acquainted
with most psychotropic medications and
frequently consult with physicians who
prescribe these medications in an effort
to provide you and your physician with
observations that might be helpful in your
medication management.
Q: How can I evaluate my insurance plan for
mental health coverage?
A:
Contact your health insurance provider to
determine if outpatient mental health
benefits are available with your plan. The
customer service phone number should be on
your insurance card. There may be a
separate phone number for mental health
benefits. Some insurance companies have
comprehensive information on their websites.
Ask if the full cost of treatment is
covered, or only a part. Benefits vary
widely. Ask about limits of coverage such
as the number of visits per year or annual
or lifetime maximums.
Find out if there is a group of "preferred
providers" or a "network" that you must
choose from or if you can choose any
qualified provider. If you are a member of an
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), you
generally must see a therapist who is
contracted with the HMO in order to receive
any benefit. Otherwise the entire fee for
services will be your full responsibility.
If you are a member of a Preferred Provider
Organization (PPO), you must choose from the
"network" in order to receive the maximum
financial benefit. Generally with PPO’s,
you will also have "out-of-network"
benefits, which allow you to choose any
qualified provider and your out-of-pocket
expenses will be somewhat higher.
Q: Do you take insurance?
A:
That depends. If you are planning on using
your insurance, please contact your
therapist to
determine if your therapist is a provider for your
insurance company. You will need to discuss
your benefits with your insurance carrier,
and we can assist you in learning more about
their coverage through our benefits
manager. If at any time there is a change
in your insurance carrier, it is your
responsibility to make your therapist aware of the
change.
If you will be claiming
insurance benefits and are covered by plans on which
your therapist is not on those
insurance panels, the
full fee will be collected at the time of
service and you will be given a billing
statement to use in filing for insurance
reimbursements yourself.
Health insurance companies require
that a statement of diagnosis of a mental
health condition be indicated before they
will agree to reimburse for counseling
services. Your therapist may inform you of the diagnosis prior to
submitting it to the health insurance
company. Any diagnosis made will become
part of your permanent insurance records.
Cancellation of appointments is required 24
hours prior to the appointment. Insurance
companies will not pay for missed
appointments.
Q: What are your fees?
A:
Your therapist agrees to provide counseling services in
return for a fixed fee per 50 minute
session. We can discuss that when we talk
by phone to set up your first appointment.
Requests for a reduction in fees will be
handled on an individual basis as needed.
We
believe no one should be denied counseling
services because of inability to pay.
Payment for each session is received at the
conclusion of the session. Cash, personal
checks or most credit cards are acceptable methods of payment,
and your therapist will provide a receipt for all fees
paid. Missed appointments not canceled
within 24 hours will incur a fee.
Group fees are determined based on the type
of group and the length of group sessions.
Individuals participating in groups will be
interviewed prior to joining a group and
specific fees will be discussed at that
time.
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